At the Height of His Career Why essays

At the Height of His Career Why essays Kurt Cobain was citied in the Seattle area with a shotgun. Days later on the fifth of April, Kurt Cobain went into the small room above his garage in his Seattle home and ended it all. Fans across the world were stunned by the news of Kurt Cobains sudden and shocking suicide. Kurt was the leader of the multiplatinum grunge band Nirvana, and was widely hailed as the John Lennon of his generation. He was a gifted song writer and erratic performer. However, Cobain's name was presented at times with disillusionment and unhappiness. Kurt had spoken, written lyrics, and even sung in his songs about suicide. Yet, one question could almost be echoed around the world Why? Cobain' s fans struggled with the huge loss of their poet of pain. It was as though they had lost a close friend. They felt that Kurt was an artist who could read their minds, knew their problems, and spoke their language. No one seemed to understand why at the height of his popularity a twenty-seven year old rock sat would put a twenty-two gauge shotgun in his mouth and pull the trigger. The media attacked the incident. Every type of media from MTV to the entire local Newspapers spoke something of Kurt Cobains suicide. Some blamed the suicide on his unhappy childhood and how he was a Ritalin child. While others blamed it on his drug addiction that he had spent all of his young life trying to relieve himself from. But why the reasoning for the unpredictable suicide, Cobain left behind millions of fans asking Why? Most people who commit suicide do so for personal reasons, such as despair, fears of the future, fears of failure or of not being loved. Society plays a huge part in a lot of suicides. As society becomes more complex a persons stress level rises ...

Philip Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment

Philip Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment Philip G. Zimbardo, born March 23, 1933, is an influential social psychologist.  He is best known for the influential- yet controversial- study known   as the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment,† a study in which research participants were â€Å"prisoners† and â€Å"guards† in a mock prison. In addition to the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo has worked on a wide range of research topics and has written over 50 books and published over 300 articles. Currently, he is a professor emeritus at Stanford University and president of the Heroic Imagination Project, an organization aimed at increasing heroic behavior among everyday people. Early Life and Education Zimbardo was born in 1933 and grew up in the South Bronx in New York City. Zimbardo writes  that living in an impoverished neighborhood as a child influenced his interest in psychology: â€Å"My interest in understanding the dynamics of human aggression and violence stems from early personal experiences† of living in a rough, violent neighborhood. Zimbardo credits his teachers with helping to encourage his interest in school and motivating him to become successful. After graduating from high school, he attended Brooklyn College, where he graduated in 1954 with a triple major in psychology, anthropology, and sociology. He studied psychology in graduate school at Yale, where he earned his MA in 1955 and his PhD in 1959.  After graduating, Zimbardo taught at Yale, New York University, and Columbia, before moving to Stanford in 1968. The Stanford Prison Study In 1971, Zimbardo conducted his most famous and controversial study- the Stanford Prison Experiment. In this study, college-age men participated in a mock prison. Some  of the men were randomly chosen to be prisoners and even went through mock â€Å"arrests† at their homes by local police before being brought to the mock prison on the Stanford campus. The other participants were chosen to be prison guards. Zimbardo assigned himself the role of the superintendent of the prison. Although the study was originally planned to last two weeks, it was ended early- after just six days- because events at the prison took an unexpected turn. The guards began to act in cruel, abusive ways towards prisoners and forced them to engage in degrading and humiliating behaviors. Prisoners in the study began to show signs of depression, and some even experienced nervous breakdowns. On the fifth day of the study, Zimbardo’s girlfriend at the time, psychologist Christina Maslach, visited the mock prison and was shocked by what she saw.  Maslach (who is now Zimbardo’s wife) told him, â€Å"You know what, its terrible what youre doing to those boys.†Ã‚  After seeing the events of the prison from an outside perspective, Zimbardo stopped the study. The Prison Experiments Impact Why did people behave the way they did in the prison experiment? What was it about the experiment that made the prison guards behave so differently from how they did in everyday life? According to Zimbardo, the Stanford Prison Experiment speaks to the powerful way that social contexts can shape our actions and cause us to behave in ways that would have been unthinkable to us even a few short days before. Even Zimbardo himself found that his behavior changed when he took on the role of prison superintendent. Once he identified with his role, he found that he had trouble recognizing the abuses happening in his own prison: â€Å"I lost my sense of compassion,†Ã‚  he explains in an interview with Pacific Standard. Zimbardo explains that the prison experiment offers a surprising and unsettling finding about human nature. Because our behaviors are partially determined by the systems and situations we find ourselves in, we are capable of behaving in unexpected and alarming ways in extreme situations. He explains that, although people like to think of their behaviors as relatively stable and predictable, we sometimes act in ways that surprise even ourselves.  Writing about the prison experiment in The New Yorker, Maria Konnikova offers another possible explanation for the results: she suggests that the environment of the prison was a powerful situation, and that people often change their behavior to match what they think is expected of them in situations such as this. In other words, the prison experiment shows that our behavior can change drastically depending on the environment we find ourselves in. Critiques of the Prison Experiment Although the Stanford Prison Experiment has had a significant influence (it was even the inspiration for a film), some people have questioned the validity of the experiment. Instead of simply being an outside observer of the study, Zimbardo served as the prison superintendent and had one of his students serve as the prison warden. Zimbardo himself has admitted that he regrets being the prison superintendent and should have remained more objective. In a 2018 article for Medium, writer Ben Blum argues that the study suffers from several key flaws. First, he reports that several of the prisoners claimed being unable to leave the study (Zimbardo denies this allegation). Second, he suggests that Zimbardo’s student David Jaffe (the prison warden) may have influenced the behavior of the guards by encouraging them to treat prisoners more harshly. It’s been pointed out that the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrates the importance of reviewing the ethics of each research project before the study goes forward, and for researchers to think carefully about the study methods that they use. However, despite the controversies, the Stanford Prison Experiment raises a fascinating question: how much does the social context influence our behavior? Other Work by Zimbardo After conducting the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo went on to conduct research on several other topics, such as how we think about time  and how people can overcome shyness.   Zimbardo has also worked to share his research with audiences outside of academia. In 2007, he wrote The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, based on what he learned about human nature through his research in the Stanford Prison Experiment. In 2008, he wrote The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life about his research on time perspectives. He has also hosted a series of educational videos titled Discovering Psychology. After the humanitarian abuses at Abu Ghraib came to light, Zimbardo has also spoken about the causes of abuse in prisons. Zimbardo was an expert witness  for one of the guards at Abu Ghraib, and he explained that he believed the cause of events at the prison were systemic.  In other words, he argues that, rather than being due to the behavior of a â€Å"few bad apples,† the abuses at Abu Ghraib occurred because of the system organizing the prison.  In a 2008 TED talk, he explains why he believes the events occurred at Abu Ghraib: â€Å"If you give people power without oversight, its a prescription for abuse.†Ã‚  Zimbardo has also spoken about the need for prison reform in order to prevent future abuses at prisons: for example, in a 2015 interview with Newsweek, he explained the importance of having better oversight of prison guards in order to prevent abuses from happening at prisons. Recent Research: Understanding Heroes One of Zimbardo’s most recent projects involves researching the psychology of heroism.   Why is it that some people are willing to risk their own safety to help others, and how can we encourage more people to stand up to injustice? Although the prison experiment shows how situations can powerfully shape our behavior, Zimbardo’s current research suggests that challenging situations don’t always cause us to behave in antisocial ways. Based on  his research on heroes, Zimbardo writes that difficult situations can sometimes actually cause people to act as heroes:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"A key insight from research on heroism so far is that the very same situations that inflame the hostile imagination in some people, making them villains, can also instill the heroic imagination in other people, prompting them to perform heroic deeds.†Ã‚   Currently, Zimbardo is president of the Heroic Imagination Project, a program that works to study heroic behavior and train people in strategies to behave heroically. Recently, for example, he has studied the frequency of heroic behaviors and the factors that cause people to act heroically. Importantly, Zimbardo has found from this research that everyday people can behave in heroic ways. In other words, despite the results of the Stanford Prison Experiment, his research has shown that negative behavior isn’t inevitable- instead, we are also capable of using challenging experiences as an opportunity to behave in ways that help other people. Zimbardo writes, â€Å"Some people argue humans are born good or born bad; I think that’s nonsense. We are all born with this tremendous capacity to be anything.† References Bekiempis, Victoria.   â€Å"What Philip Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment Tell Us About the Abuse of Power.†Ã‚   Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2015, www.newsweek.com/stanford-prison-experiment-age-justice-reform-359247.Blum, Ben. â€Å"The Lifespan of a Lie.† Medium: Trust Issues. https://medium.com/s/trustissues/the-lifespan-of-a-lie-d869212b1f62.Kilkenny, Katie.   â€Å"‘It’s Painful’: Dr. Philip Zimbardo Revisits the Stanford Prison Experiment.†Ã‚   Pacific Standard, 20 Jul. 2015, psmag.com/social-justice/philip-zimbardo-revisits-the-stanford-prison-experiment.Konnikova, Maria.   â€Å"The Real Lesson of the Stanford Prison Experiment.†Ã‚   The New Yorker, 12 June 2015, www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/the-real-lesson-of-the-stanford-prison-experiment.â€Å"Philip G. Zimbardo: Stanford Prison Experiment.†Ã‚   Stanford Libraries, exhibits.stanford.edu/spe/about/philip-g-zimbardo.Ratnesar, Romesh.   â€Å"The Men ace Within.†Ã‚   Stanford Alumni, July/Aug. 2011, alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id40741.Slavich, George M.   â€Å"On 50 Years of Giving Psychology Away: An Interview with Philip Zimbardo.†Ã‚   Teaching of Psychology, vol. 36, no. 4, 2009, pp. 278-284, DOI: 10.1080/00986280903175772, www.georgeslavich.com/pubs/Slavich_ToP_2009.pdf. Toppo, Greg. â€Å"Time to Dismiss the Stanford Prison Experiment?† Inside Higher Ed,  2018, June 20,  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/20/new-stanford-prison-experiment-revelations-question-findings.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"Philip G. Zimbardo.†Ã‚   Social Psychology Network, 8 Sep. 2016, zimbardo.socialpsychology.org/.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"The Psychology of Evil.†Ã‚   TED, Feb. 2008, www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"The Psychology of Time.†Ã‚   TED, Feb. 2009, www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_prescribes_a_healthy_take_on_time.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"What Makes a Hero?†Ã‚   Greater Good Science Center, 18 Jan. 2011, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_makes_a_hero.

A brief report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A brief report - Essay Example wn by many researchers and this was evident from the literature review (Part B) that the stress management is something which needs to be managed by the individual itself. Although there are various factors that result in the creation of stress but they need to be tackled so that the side-effects of it can be avoided in future (Haider and Supriya, 2007). In order to cope with the stress, the third part of the paper will shed light on the practical implications of stress management. There are two folds in the implications; one is related to my personal implication, how I acquired this skill and the second is related to its implication in the broader world which comprises mainly of the work environment. Before starting the discussion on how I have managed to cope up with my stress problem, it is important that I briefly outline the misconception that I had in my mind. The common mistake that is found by many people is that they use depression and stress interchangeably (Ballesteros and Whitlock, n.d.) but in reality both are totally different type of mental illnesses (Gall et al., 2003). Depression is an extreme case in which the person suffering from it needs medical treatment whereas stress is something that can occur in anyone’s life in daily routine such as reaching school on time, attending the meeting, preparing for the exams, dealing with the boss and many more (Gall et al., 2003). Therefore, in order to overcome my stress level in my daily routine, I followed the tips highlighted by Dr. Jenni (2007) and Osseck et al. (2004) which helped me to develop effective techniques that I can apply whenever I feel stressed. The foremost thing is managing the stress is to identify the problem and I was aware of the fact that I used to get nervous and panic a lot in stressful situation. When I reflected on my behaviour, I realized that I had two problems i.e. lack of self-confidence which hindered my communication and presentation skills and ineffective management

The Fight for Protecting Women Rights in 1700-1877 Research Paper - 1

The Fight for Protecting Women Rights in 1700-1877 - Research Paper Example Feminism, in the modern socio-political and philosophical domain, has been provided with special attention from every discipline of sociological studies. However, there is no denying that in order to evaluate the position of feminism as a poignant socio-political and philosophical discipline it is also important to acknowledge the history of women activism as well as the gradual process of development of the movement that was gradually germinating since late 16th century. Compared to the recent situation of women in civilized world they were tremendously challenged and consequently oppressed in the context of â€Å"expressing themselves in a patriarchal system that generally refused to grant merit to women's views.†1 One of the greatest feminist thinkers of all time, Simone de Beauvoir, in her essay â€Å"The Second Sex,† while attempted to evaluate the position of women in the traditional patriarchal system said that a woman in terms of patriarchal judgment is nothing but a womb, a mere organism for child production2. She also has specified that every time women have proved their existence as equal to their male counterparts in terms of merit and capacity of accomplishment the same system has declared that â€Å"they are not women, although they are equipped with a uterus like the rest.†3 It is clear from these observations that women in hands of the traditional social patriarchy are considered as mere instruments of sensuality, objects of attaining physical pleasure, an organic manifestation of sensuality and above all they are regarded as organisms without individual identity and human entity. The patriarchy has always denied acknowledging the humane attributes of a woman. The male-dominated social system always faced difficulty to share its monopolistic position with female counterparts and by denying humane attributes or entity of women they actually aimed at oppressing women for its selfish  benefits.

SUMMARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

SUMMARY - Essay Example The overall aim was to lighten the building. The ends of the beam were reduced to a depth of 10 inches. This was aimed in ensuring that a wide flange chosen was ideal to maximize ceiling heights while accommodating a thin perimeter roof overhang (Douglas J. Rothermel). Lightening is one of the most important factors when it comes to constructing an institution building especially in a learning environment. For this reason, it was time to break the tradition and include less weight in the 12th man hall and provide a wider spacing for the students to learn. Lightening was achieved by use of 12 pairs of exposed tapered steel HSS. The 12 pairs of HSS steel used was a symbol of the 12th man according to the culture of the University. In addition to this was a glass curtain made of integral steel and aluminum shading devices. This was also aimed at ensuring that there is sufficient light in the hall. Thin cantilevered entrance canopies with suspended stairs in addition to connector bridges summarized the lightening purpose. The 12 steel supported the whole building which is also an indication that if people work together in unity they can support each other. Each of the 12 pillars had two arms spread upwards whose aim was to support the roof. The arm se ctions were made of half cone shaped pieces of half inch in thickness and 50-ski steel plate which were welded together on each side. The 12 arms were each 16 inches in diameter and extended 8ft above the cruciform shape. This was intended to support the roof. In addition to this, the pillars were painted with fire resistance paint. They were also skewed 29Â ° in one direction and 12.35Â ° on the other side. This was aimed at accentuating the intended abstract from visible through the perimeter curtain wall. Lighting is one of the most important factors when constructing a hall since light is needed for studies. Natural light was infused in the hall via a floor-to roof curtain wall

The Search for Exoplanets

The Search for Exoplanets Daniel Davies Throughout the history of humanity, numerous scientists have been intrigued by the search for inhabitable exoplanets. To date, such ventures are still in the developmental stages and the discovery of life beyond earth and the solar system , regardless of how primitive it may be, may soon be regarded as a fundamental breakthrough in astronomy (Jones Mukai, 2007). The fundamental properties to be considered if a place is habitable are: presence of organic materials, water and energy sources. Habitability of the planet also takes into consideration, nearness of the planet to the sun, the duration of existence of life and not necessarily, that life is present or has ever been. The search for life in exoplanets has been ongoing for over a decade (Su, et al. 2011). The search has been difficult and lengthy and there have been no results showing the existence of life outside earth. The S.E.T.I or Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence project is probably the most famous experiment withi n this focus of study. Why the search for inhabitable exoplanets?: With the powerful view of telescopes, scientists have been able to view beyond our solar system. Planetary scientists have continuously been searching for exoplanets (planets beyond our sun) that can support life. However, they cannot view these planets in detail as they are so faraway (Su, et al. 2011). The closest known exoplanet orbiting star is called Epsilon Eridani, which is 63 trillion miles away – it is close to 14,000 times away from Neptune, the farthest planets in our solar system (Horner Jones, 2010). Due to the great distance, exoplanets cannot be viewed directly since the amount of light they reflect is too faint to be detected from a far off distance (Horner Jones, 2010). Alternatively, scientists infer the presence of an exoplanet from the changes in wavelength of light illuminating from the star, this may be caused by the gravitational pull from an orbiting planet or the regulation of brightness of the star due to transiting planets. When the Fermi Paradox was proposed initially, most people thought planets were rare. Nevertheless, since then the astrological tools have discovered the existence of numerous exoplanets. However, with each new discovery of an earth-like planet for instance, Epsilon Eridani, it becomes less likely that there could exist a planet apart from the Earth that can support life. Using methods such as those stated above, scientists have been able to discover hundreds of exoplanets and the first detection was in 1995. Once they detect one, they begin evaluating it to ascertain whether it can support life. Further, they analyze the light spectrum that radiates from the star in order to reveal the properties of the planet. The hunt is still on for planets, which are about the size of earth and those that are at the right distance from the sun. This is done in a region known as the habitable zone, or sometimes referred to as the Goldilocks Zone. The habitable zone is the belt bordering a star where temperatures are optimum for liquid water. The Earth lies within the habitable zone of the sun, which is the star. Beyond the habitable zone, life is impossible as it could be too cold and frozen to support life. Therefore, a planet that lies between a star and a habitable zone would be too hot and steamy to support life. Ideally, most astronomers like to know more about the atmosphere of viable habitable exoplanets. In light of this, they study the molecular makeup of the planet in search for traces of greenhouse gases that have escaped that could be an indicator of an inhabitable planet or they can be able to pick up traces of oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, methane that indicate a planet is habitable (Horner Jones, 2010). The notion that planets beyond the Earth can support life is an ancient discovery. Since the late 20th century, there have been two breakthroughs in this field. Through observation and exploration by robotic spacecrafts of other planets and orbits within the solar system has provided scientists with vital information regarding habitability criterion and provided geophysical conditions for comparing life on Earth and on other bodies. Exoplanets were discovered in the 1990s and has been fast paced thereafter hence providing information for the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The findings have further confirmed that the sun is not peculiar among the stars and planets and hence this has expounded the possibility of life beyond the solar system. The earth is the only known planet in the universe that harbors life, despite recent evidence to suggest organic materials were found on Mars, this is only an indicator of what might have been. Nevertheless, there are estimates of habitable areas around other orbits. Additionally hundreds of exoplanets have been discovered, which has created new insights into other habitable places in the universe. In November 2013, the Kepler Space Mission data released stated that there were about a billion earth-sized planets that were orbiting within habitable zones within the Milky Way Galaxy. Methods used in the search for inhabitable exoplanets: Exoplanets do not emit any light of their own and are obscured by other brighter stars, this makes them difficult to detect. Moreover, normal telescopes cannot be used to view them. This is called Direct Imaging and is not the best way to identify exoplanets , however the technology and ideas behind it are seeing an advancement and could produce promising experiments in the future. Therefore in order to identify exoplanets, a number of techniques are used to detect them and the impacts that they have on the stellar system. Below is a summary of common methods used to detect inhabitable exoplanets (Horner Jones, 2010). Pulsar timing: Pulsars refer to neutron stars that have misaligned magnetic and spin axes. As the pulsars rotate, they emit flashes of radio waves that travel to earth at regular intervals. The radio flashes can be detected and timed. The intervals between the pulses are very regular and are more accurate than the ticks of an atomic clock. A planet that orbits around a pulsar will cause slight variations to the timing of the flashes, which can be used to detect it. The first exoplanet that was orbiting around a pulsar PSR B1257+12 was detected through pulsar timing in 1992. Radial-velocity: A planet that orbits a stars exerts a little gravitational pull that makes the star wobble a little about the barycentre which is the system’s centre of mass. If the planet’s edge is aligned to the Earth, this wobble can be observed as a ‘Doppler’ shift in the light emitted by the earth. When a star is travelling away from the viewer, the wavelengths of the emitted light shift with respect to the velocity the star is moving at , hence the wavelengths shift to the red end of the spectrum and towards us the blue end of the spectrum. The planet’s gravitational pull is minute and hence, very accurate spectroscopic measurements are needed. On measuring the radial velocity it is therefore possible to determine the exoplanet’s orbital period, however the size of the planets cannot be determined. Astrometry: This technique utilizes extremely definite measurements of the position of stars in order to detest the tiny shifts that are caused by orbiting planets. This method is highly effective for planets that orbit face-on where the motion positioning is at its greatest, nevertheless, the measurements are difficult to obtain. Gravitational lensing: Einstein’s theory of relativity deduces that massive foreground objects bend the light from background objects by their pull of gravity. The bending of light causes a ‘lensing’ effect that magnifies the background objects that are distant, allowing the curving of light so that distant planetary transits can be observed. Photometry: Many scientists utilize this transit technique. It shows that when a planet passes in the anterior of its parent’s star edge, there is a decrease in the brightness of the star that can be detected. The periodic decreases in brightness may indicate the presence of an exoplanet, the measurements of light curves and spectral type of the star may give an indication of the size and orbital duration of the planet. When this method is combines with Radial velocity a number of parameters can be inferred accurately including the mass of the planet, which can determine the composition of the planet. The presence of methane and oxygen in an exoplanets atmosphere could be a strong indicator of a bio signature or evidence of past or present life in an exoplanet (Jones Mukai, 2007). Methods today are used to gain a good estimate to the temperature and size of an exoplanet so as to ascertain whether liquid water can exist on the surface of the exoplanet, this is one of three criterion to as certain whether a planet can support life. Figure(1): Shows a plot of results from a dwarf star in another solar system , I have highlighted the transits with the blue segments , taken from my planethunters.org, account Figure 1 clearly shows the dips in output from the light source, which is the dwarf being observed. The dips are huge indicators to an exoplanet transiting the star. Photometry is by far the most common form of finding new exoplanets. Impacts of the results: The results show that powerfully life on Earth highly affects the environment, and the feedback cycle loops. The impact of earthly life on cloud cover is an example. Clouds are composed of either water or carbon dioxide and therefore have a huge impact on the habitability of the planet through the greenhouse effect and that albedo. (Albedo is the surface reflectivity. High albedo surfaces reflect back most of the light and heat that falls on them, while low albedo surfaces absorb energy (Chambers, 2006). High albedo clouds maintain the coolness of a planet by reflecting instead of absorbing stellar energy. From research on earth, plant life contributes to more cloud cover. Likewise, airborne microorganisms in an exoplanet’s atmosphere can be seeds that lead to more cloud formation. The effect can lead either to cooling of the albedo or to warming because of the greenhouse effect (Fujiwara, et al., 2010). In both cases, clouds or a lack therein may change the habitability, hence altering the planet’s temperature in one way or another. Life may also alter the carbon cycle. Plants on earth affect the quantity of carbon dioxide in the air, calcareous plankton have had major changes in the Earth’s carbon cycle (Fujiwara, et al., 2010). The systems have effects on the heat trapping properties of the atmosphere and alter the chemistry of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Once exoplanets become hydrated, their impact will shift from affecting the delivery of volatiles to arid lands and hence will affect developments in life. Due to developments in our world, such as industrial revolution and technological advancements(Alvares et al, 2008), a number of species of biodiversity have become extinct and a great number of micro-organisms contributing to geochemical cycles have been extinguished (Chapman Morrison, 2004). Although these are believed to have been cause by a myriad of other factors, a few of these have been caused as a result of the collision between the earth and other small heavenly bodies. At face value, most people assume that more favorable life conditions would be developed if a host planet were discovered, however, mass extinctions will have to occur in order to trigger an influx into these alien bodies. Ever since it was discovered that collisions with asteroids and comets could lead to significant threats to human life on Earth, the idea that the impact rate on those bodies on earth would be much greater were it not for the protective influence of planet Jupiter (Chapman Morrison, 2004). Were it not for the mass and placement of Jupiter within the solar system , the earth could have been more punishing throughout its evolution, which would have entirely prevented the evolution of life on earth. The earth is a habitable planet that is an incredibly rare and unique place and that life should be very scarce or even non-existent anywhere else in the universe. It is now well acknowledged that asteroids and comets have bombarded the earth for decades. When it was first discovered that the impacts of craters on earth were the effects that resulted from the collisions between the earth and other solar systems, the greatest majority of the objects crossing the earth were comets (Chapman Morrison, 2004). A significant fraction of the earthly bodies were ejected from the solar system due to the distant perturbations by the Jupiter leaving a significantly, greater number of transiting orbits that could threaten the earth’s ecosystems. Conclusions: At face value, most people assume that more favorable life conditions would be developed if a host planet were discovered, however, mass extinctions will have to occur in order to trigger an influx into these alien bodies. The quest for an inhabitable exoplanet is a threat to humanity as it could trigger harmful effects on earth such as the collision of comets and the earth, which could lead to drastic effects such as volcanic and crater eruptions, which will have drastic effects on humanity. This means that the search for an exoplanet is indeed a search for our own preservation, eventually the earth will be swallowed by the sun , the human race will need somewhere else to live. The big question on peoples minds is , will we ever get there ? The answer to this is in the near future , certainly not, but in the far future , perhaps. With the promise of new technology coming , the ability to predict rapid changes in our space transportation may be obsolete, in truth we dont know. Bibliography: Alvarez. L. W., Alvarez, W., Asaro, F. and Michel, H. V., (2008). Extraterrestrial Cause for the  Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction. Chambers, J. E., (2006). A hybrid symplectic integrator that permits close encounters between Massive bodies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 304, 793 Chapman, C. R. and Morrison, D., (2004). Impacts on the Earth by asteroids and comets:  assessing the hazard. Fujiwara, H., et al., (2010). Enstatite-rich Warm Debris Dust Around HD165014. The  Astrophysical Journal Letters. Horner, J., Jones, B. W., (2010). Determining habitability: which exoEarths should we search  for life? International Journal of Astrobiology. Jones, B. W. and Mukai, T., (2007). Origin and dynamical evolution of Neptune Trojans I. Formation and planetary migration. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 398, 1715 Kaib, N. A. and Quinn, T., (2009). Reassessing the Source of Long-Period Comets.  Ã‚  Science, 325, 1234 Malhotra, R., (2005). The Origin of Pluto’s Orbit: Implications for the Solar System Beyond  Neptune. Astronomical Journal. Minton, D. A. and Malhotra, R., (2009). A record of planet migration in the main asteroid belt.  Nature. Morris, S. C., (2008). The evolution of diversity in ancient ecosystems: a review.  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. O’Toole, S. J., (2007). Selection functions in doppler planet searches. Monthly  Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 392, 641 Petit, J.-M. and Jones, B. W., (2009). Differences between the impact regimes of the terrestrial planets: Implications for primordial D:H ratios. Planetary and Space Science. 57, 1338 – 1345 Su, K. Y. L., et al. (2011). The Debris Disk Around HR8799. The Astrophysical Journal,  705, 314  

California SB 1386 Essay examples -- essays research papers

On July 1, 2003, California enacted an electronic data privacy law to protect residents from one of its fastest growing crimes: identity theft. SB 1386 (Civil Code 1798.29) requires businesses to notify California residents if a security breach results in disclosure of personal electronic data. All businesses are subject to this law regardless of size, location, or operations. Business owners should be aware of the problems associated with identity theft, the steps required to comply with SB 1386, and the preventative measures available. Identity theft is a significant problem to both citizens and financial institutions. The FTC estimates that over 27.3 million Americans have been the victims of identity theft in the past five years. The U.S. financial impact is staggering; in 2002 alone, losses were estimated at $48 billion to financial institutions and $5 billion to victims. The FTC reviewed trends from 214,905 cases reported in 2003, and California accounted for the highest number of incidents (39,452). In 20% of all cases, the source of the information breach involved disclosure of personal data over the internet or other electronic sources. In 55% of all cases, the identity theft resulted in credit card, bank, or loan fraud. Federal and state laws address this growing problem. The FTC provides some protection by aggressively enforcing existing federal laws. Under the unfair and deceptive trade practices law, a website operator must adhere to the company’s own privacy policy or face prosecution for failing to exercise a reasonable standard of care. Reasonable care includes addressing potential system vulnerabilities such as viruses and encrypting personal information so that it cannot be viewed. The FTC recently ordered several large corporations to implement stronger privacy controls after breaches exposed personal information. In January of 2001, Eli Lilly settled with the FTC after accidentally releasing the e-mail addresses of nearly 700 consumers who were using the company’s anti-depressant Prozac. Seven months later, Microsoft was targeted by the FTC for misrepresenting the security of its â€Å"Passport Wallet† web service. More recently, in April of 2004, Tower Records faced allegations for allowing and failing to correct a breach that disclosed consumer information including names, billing and shipping addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and ... ... 2003. http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/IDT_CY03/California%20CY2003.pdf January 18, 2002, â€Å"Eli Lilly Settles FTC Charges Concerning Security Breach†. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/01/elililly.htm August 8, 2002, â€Å"Microsoft Settles FTC Charges Alleging False Security and Privacy Promises†. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/08/microsoft.htm April 21, 2004, â€Å"Tower Records Settles FTC Charges†. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/04/towerrecords.htm Articles: Cheryl A. Falvey, â€Å"Disclosure of Security Breaches Required by New California Privacy Legislation†. http://library.lp.findlaw.com/articles/file/00008/009186/title/Subject/topic/Antitrust%20and%20Trade%20Regulation_Unfair%20Trade%20Practices/filename/antitrustandtraderegulation_2_237 Whole Security, â€Å"Facts on Identity Theft†. http://www.wholesecurity.com/threat/identity_theft.html Auxillium West, â€Å"California SB 1386 – Personal Information: Privacy†. http://www.auxillium.com/californiaSB1386.shtml StrongAuth, Inc., â€Å"California’s SB 1386 – Frequently Asked Questions†. http://www.strongauth.com/regulations/sb1386/sb1386FAQ.html Legislation: California SB 1386 http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/01-02/bill/sen/sb_1351-1400/sb_1386_bill_20020926_chaptered.html

Activity theory Essay

Cognitive changes: There are several changes that occur with aging, one of which is cognitive slowing. The slowing that occurs in all cognitive tasks where speed of response is a component is considered the most pervasive cognitive change in developmental aging. The probable locus of slowing is in the central nervous system (Bob & McCallum, 1998). Pigment lipofuscin builds up in the brain during old age and it gradually results in brain degeneration. The aged brain weighs less, the lateral ventricles tend to be dilated, and the ribbon of cortical tissue is narrowed (Hurlock, 1986). Such degeneration is held accountable for a decline in the brain’s capacity to function. But the average person’s intelligence is not likely to be seriously impaired before age 70 or 75 (Peterson, 1989). With good physical and mental health, adequate educational levels, and intellectual stimulation, it appears that there is not as a great decline in intellectual abilities with age as previously thought, especially in the 60 to 75 age group. Emotional changes: Emotional changes over the adult life span are a topic of considerable importance for psychotherapists working with older adults. At the psychological level, the older adults are more difficult to arouse but also have more difficulty returning to a state of calm once aroused (Woodruff, 1985). The accumulation of experiences leads to more complex and less extreme emotional experiences in later life. A review of research, using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with older adults, noted that older adults were lower on scales associated with anger, impulsivity, and confusion and argued that people may become less impulsive with maturity (Gynther, 1979, in Bob & McCallum, 1998). It was concluded that as a whole, emotionality in older adults may be both more complex and subtler than that of younger adults. Theories on Aging Attempts to understand and explain the lives and activities of those who appear to age successfully have led to the different formation of theories on aging. There are fourmain theories: (a) Disengagement theory: It is based on the notion that as people age they progressively withdraw from social, physical, and emotional interaction with the world. As they gradually disengage themselves, the society too withdraws from its engagement with the aging person (b) Activity theory: It stresses that older people should remain active as long as they possibly can. When certain activities and associations must be given up (for example, employment), substitutes should be found because life satisfaction is highly dependent upon continued social, emotional, and physical involvement. In a positive environment older people generally moved toward activity and informal contacts, rather than disengagement (Butler, Lewis & Sunderland, 1998). (c) Socioenvironmental theory: This approach is based on the understanding that people respond to the social meaning of events. Two factors that affect the meaning old people place on events-and thus their interaction patterns-are the physical proximity of other persons and the age homogeneity of an environment (Gubrium, 1973, 1975, cited in Butler et al. , 1973). (d) Developmental theory: Erickson (1963) and Peck (1997) present a theory that describes human development in terms of progression through a series of stages. Old age is a stage of life in which the individual must try to balance the search for ego integrity with a sense of despair. Out of this conflict emerges wisdom the human virtue most commonly associated with old age. The negative emotions associated with this stage, are in part a result of the limitations of a person’s physical and psychological energy (Butler, Lewis, & Sunderland, 1991). (e) Biological or medical perspective. Moberg (2002) further elaborates this physical and psychological decline and it’s effect on the elderly. Highlighting aging from the biological/medical perspective of physical decline along with losses of friends, employment, mobility, income, and so forth, has contributed to a pervasive negativism among biosocial scientists that is evident in their different way of talking to (hardly with) elderly persons, avoidance of touching seniors, and other indications of ageism. Opportunities for service are withdrawn from many who are retired, even in churches that use the Bible with its high value for elders, so ‘disengagement theory’ becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Time spent in solitude and meditation can be wholesome, contrary to assumptions of ‘Activity theory’ that lonely outer activities are worthwhile, for being alone is not the same as being lonely!

Holocaust Essays - Nazi Germany, Human Rights Abuses, Free Essays

Holocaust Essays - Nazi Germany, Human Rights Abuses, Free Essays Holocaust What is the first thing that comes to mind when the phrase World War II is mentioned? The typical response to this question will almost always be Hitler and his cruelty toward Jews. What is strange about this answer, is the fact that the majority of people do not realize what actually occurred in Europe during this time. To most people, the Holocaust was an event where many Jews were killed by Nazis. In fact, the Holocaust was a tragic point in history which many believe never occurred, or do not realize the suffering behind the widespread destruction. The pain and conditions exper- ienced by the victims is unimaginable by any standards. In the early 1930s, the United States was reveling in turmoil. Eastern Europe was on the verge of power, and in a small western European country called Germany, trouble was brewing. In 1933, Europeans had no worries beyond their daily struggle to earn money, put food on their family's table, and clothes on their children's backs. This would all change in a matter of months. Whatever type of life a person had built or molded for themselves, it was all to come to a crashing halt if they did not conform to Hitlers specifications. On January 30, 1933 Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. In March 1933, with the building of the Dachau concentration camp, Adolf Hitler's rising became one of the swiftest, most destructive leaderships in recorded human existence (Bauer 12). After his inception as ruler of Germany, Adolf Hitler had one thing on his mind, a pure Aryan race with complete world domination. Jews were subjected to humiliation through the Anti-Jewish Laws. The seven most established laws in Germany were: Jews were forced from jobs in civil service and history, Jews were barred from most other professions, Jews were excluded from schools and universities, Jews were forced to carry cards identifying themselves as Jews, Jews were forced to have a J stamped on their passports, Jews were excluded from dining and sleeping cars on German trains, and Jews were barred from public areas such as parks, sporting arenas, and baths. Hitlers goal was to eliminate all of the undesirables in Europe. This category included: Jews, mentally and physically ill, nonsupporters of Nazism, gypsies, homo-sexuals, and anyone else who did not fit the mandatory code. He wanted to create a superior race called the Aryan Nation. To accomplish his mission he had concentra-tion camps constructed. The most significant sign of the troubles looming ahead was the Kristallnacht-night of the broken glass. On November 9, 1938, Nazis attacked Jewish communities; looting, destroying, and burning over 1000 synagogues. Over 700 businesses were wrecked, as were hospitals, schools, cemeteries, and homes (Bauer 24). From Poland, Czechoslovakia, eastern European provinces, and of course Germany, a great migration was to begin. Nazis transported victims to concentration camps by means of railroad, which was the cheapest and easiest method. The trip was horrible. People were packed in as tightly as possible. In the summer, the cars became sweaty, putrid smelling, and unbear-ably hot. Many died of heat stroke. On the other hand, winter was even worse. When the temperatures plummeted, these cars were sent place to place without heat. Death from hypothermia and starvation was common. Camps were set up for various purposes. These included labor, medical experiments, and death. Transition camps were set up as holding places for death camps. At the beginning of camp, prisoners usually had marks on their clothes or numbers on their arms to identify them. Things such as: jewelry, clothes, shoes, gold fillings, eyeglasses, shawls, baby bottles, and anything with value was taken and sold. They were then put into the inhumane conditions of the camps. Many times families would be split up. Women and men were separated, and grouped according to age. There was only one bathroom for hundreds of people. At some camps these were long wooden boards with round holes and underneath them concrete troughs. While on the bathroom, they would be watched by the soldiers to make sure they would not stay on too long. There was no toilet paper, so the prisoners used the linings of jackets. If they did not have one they often stole

THE PLOT OF STAR WARS EPISODE II essays

THE PLOT OF STAR WARS EPISODE II essays Rather than write it all myself, Josh Griffin of TheForce.net has given me permission to use one of TFn's updates (this one) called "The Story So Far." Everything written in grey is from TFn, and everything in purple is stuff I've added. I have also added links to the official site's "select images" so you can see how they fit in with the story. As Episode II begins, we learn that Amidala has left the throne on Naboo and has been replaced by the newly elected Queen Jamillia (Select 9: Queen Jamillia). Now going by the name Padme Naberrie, she represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate. We also learn of a deal between Count Dooku and Jango Fett. In exchange for the right to clone an army out of Jango, Dooku gives Jango... a present. At one point, Senator Padme intercedes in a dispute between the Geonosians, the Kaminoans, the Commerce Guild, and the Intergalactic Bank Clan. She uncovers some corruption (created by Darth Sidious) and possible plans by the Neimodians to re-arm themselves. She voices this concern in the Senate. After becoming a blabber-mouth and speaking out against corruption, there is a failed assassination attempt by Zam Wesell in the Senate. Zam, I believe, has been hired by Senator Orn Free Taa (Select 3: Orn Free Taa). Padm doesn't think her personal bodyguard Captain Typho is enough, so she turns to the Jed i for help. Yoda and Mace Windu assign Anakin and Obi-Wan to protect her because they have done so in the past.Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padm, and her two handmaidens - Cord (Veronica Segura) and another (Rose Byrne) - later go to a night club called "Dex's Diner." (Select 6: Dex's Diner) There is a scene in the club in which Elian Sleazebagno (Matt Doran) does some "trouble making" (not sure what - maybe he hits on Padm, who knows.) During this scene Zam Wesell attempts to shoot Padm (Select 14: Zam Wesell) but ends up killing Cord. Obi-Wan and Anakin chase Zam (Select 1: Run...

Unit 3 -IP- Samples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 3 -IP- Samples - Essay Example In order to test whether the two variables have the same means, a two – sample, two – sided t – test must be performed. The two - tailed test is used because the concern is not whether some variable has a larger or lower mean, but whether the two means are different. As a result, the null hypothesis was established in equation (1) below, stating that the difference in means of the two samples is random. Since the sample sizes are relatively small, the t – test is used as the preferred test (Baltagi, 2008, p.31). The confidence interval is constructed in order to test this hypothesis. The confidence set with confidence level must be determined such that the true difference of the sample means is included in this set. What this implies is that the confidence set will include the true difference of population means with probability â€Å"at least † (Paolella, 2011, p. 13), as shown in equation (3) below: The confidence level chosen is 0.95, which implies that the corresponding confidence set will contain the true population mean difference with 95% probability (Paolella, 2011, p.13). The probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true is as a result 5% (Baltagi, 2008, p.21). This error is denoted as type I error. The larger the confidence interval, the larger the probability that the null hypothesis will be accepted when it is in fact false (Baltagi, 2008, p.22). This error is denoted as type II error. A t – score must be calculated by subtracting the sample means and dividing by the square root of the adjusted population variances, which can be estimated through sample variances. There are in total degree of freedom (Neustadl, n.d.). The resulting t – value is  ± 2.009, which is also the critical region (Dawson, 2012;Ruud, 2000, p.224). The t – test can be seen in equation (4) below: The t – test is preferred because of the data dependence. Both variables have in common the type of

Statutory Interpretation - The Process of a Bill to an Act of Essay

Statutory Interpretation - The Process of a Bill to an Act of Parliament - Essay Example The defendant was, on May 11, 1963, actually within the boundaries of the station, and when within the boundaries of the station, obstructed a member of Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force who was engaged, at the material time, on security duty at and in relation to the station. It was contended by the defendant that because the charge referred to obstruction at Marham in the vicinity of a prohibited place, namely, Marham Royal Air Force station, and the evidence for the prosecution dealt with obstruction which took place when he was actually in the prohibited place, there was no evidence to support the charge. It was contended by the prosecutor that the defendant, being actually within the boundaries of the station at the material time, was in the vicinity of a prohibited place within the meaning of the Act. ... They gave the defendant three months in which to pay the fine and in default of payment sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment†. BBC News, 1998. Reform of assault law, [online] Available at: [Accessed on 22 October 2011]: â€Å"Deliberately infecting someone with a disease is not a specific offence at the moment, although it may be possible to charge an offender under section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861. This section says that anyone who causes grievous bodily harm with intent to do so is guilty of an offence punishable with life imprisonment. Nearly 10 years ago, the government's law reform advisers put forward proposals for updating the 1861 Act. The government is now planning to go ahead with most of those reforms†. Caledonian Railway Co. v. North British Railway Co. (1881), 6 App.Cas. 114. – See in: http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924017175864/cu31924017175864_djvu.txt . Citation on page 114, in Cownie, Bradney, and Burton 2007) . Paragraph 3 (from above). Cownie, F., Bradney, A., and Burton, M., 2007. English legal system in context. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - http://books.google.com/books?id=gs-HvA2DO60C&pg=PA335&dq=Cownie,+F.,+Bradney,+A.,+and+Burton,+M.,+2007.+English+legal+system+in+context.+4th+ed.&hl=ru&ei=ake8TtTJLbDS4QTp56iSBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false . Here the discussion on p.117 of the book is summarized, without any direct appropriation. Gifford, D.J., and Salter, J.R., 1996. How to understand an act of Parliament. London: Cavendish Publishing. -