Cars without drivers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cars without drivers - Essay Example The development of autonomous cars began in the 1920’s with the first autonomous car being launched in 1984 BY Carnegie Mellon University. Since then, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other companies have developed prototypes of the vehicle. The technological rush for computerised objects has led to the rapid evolution of the automobile industry. In 2013, autonomous cars were driven in a traffic jam with normal cars and the states of Nevada, California, Michigan and Florida have made legislations allowing the autonomous cars. Other countries such as Germany, France and UK are also taking steps to embrace this technological advancement The main catalyst for the development of autonomous cars is the exponential rise in road accidents that are mainly caused by human carelessness and errors. As a result, the UK government has invested over 8 million pounds to enhance research and development of these driverless cars to cause a revolution in transportation. According to Mitchell (2015), electric shuttles with no steering wheels will be launched in the summer in Greenwich, UK. Also, The Google Company is the world leader in autonomous cars research since 2010 and already tested its autonomous cars and revealed its findings to the public. However, the developers of these cars have been unable to prepare the cars for unforeseeable circumstances such as flooded roads and other rare incidences, making the cars not as safe. The Google developing team stated that they will need to record these situations as they arise and make precautions for them. Google is hopeful that in the next five years, the driverless cars will be much safer than human drivers and will be the new mode transportation for people. Various modifications such as WI-FI connections are expected to be added. The V2V (Vehicle-to-vehicle) WI-FI radios would enable cars to warn each other of any situations that could be dangerous. The chief executive of Peleton Technology, Mr Josh Switkes states

Cousre review first line manangement ilm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cousre review first line manangement ilm - Essay Example In fact, the initial responses once a change has been announced by a manager are very negative because people are not always willing to change. Most people will fear change because of the fear of the unknown .Most employees imagine that they know nothing about what is about to be introduced and therefore at the back of their minds they imagine that the worst is about to happen. Employees therefore make what they don’t know to being their rationale of reasoning hence resistance comes in (Stark, 2009). While many people acknowledge that change is important, they fear that that new changes will have negative consequences on them and therefore they will create obstacles to prevent change. Another reason why people resist change is that, they have deep rooted fear in their minds and therefore any attempt towards organizational change is met with great resistance. Some people hold on to their past because they feel more secure and it is usually predictable. Other people will resist because they have succeeded in the past and therefore, if change is undertaken, then it is viewed as being unfavorable to them. It is therefore imperative that any manager should understand that any attempts towards an organizational change will be met with resistance and with this understanding a manager may be able to influence their attitudes in a more positive way (Langdon, 2007). A force field analysis refers to a management technique that is used to analyze variables that are involved in making and implementing changes within an organization and eventually it helps in team building and overcoming resistance. It helps to analyze any driving and restraining factors that usually bring about change. Therefore, while implementing a change, one should look at the driving factors such as improving the productivity of the team, competition and the incentives to be given to the team so as to boost their morale. The restraining

Formation and Drainage of Supraglacial Lakes

Formation and Drainage of Supraglacial Lakes Glacial Processes and Geomorphology Degree Assignment B028303 What controls the formation and drainage of supraglacial lakes on the Greenland ice sheet and to what extent are these processes an important control on ice sheet dynamics? Introduction The Greenland Ice Sheet is a large ice mass in the Northern Hemisphere, made up of both land terminating and tidewater terminating outlet glaciers. Seasonal surface melting produces melt water that collects on the surface of the Greenland ice sheet in the form of supraglacial lakes (Luthje et al., 2006). The storage and drainage of lake water is particularly important in forcing a hydraulic connection between the ice sheet surface and the ice bed interface (Bartholomew et al., 2012). For this reason, drainage of these supraglacial lakes is of particular interest in understanding the influence that they have on ice sheet dynamics. Supraglacial lakes have been known to drain in less than one day (Box Ski, 2007). The fluctuations in surface water delivered to the glacier bed from the rapid drainage of these lakes are known to affect the speed that the ice sheet travels at and have been known to cause local uplift of the ice sheet (Sundal et al., 2011). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors that control the formation and drainage of supraglacial lakes on the Greenland ice sheet and the implications these processes have on the control of ice sheet dynamics. Formation In cases where drainage is prevented, melt water can be stored on the ice sheet by a form of sediment or ice barrier, creating a supraglacial lake (Benn Evans, 2010). Seasonal warming produces melt water that collects in closed surface undulations on the surface of the ice sheet. The supraglacial lakes across the Greenland ice sheet vary in size from a few hundred meters to 1500m in diameter, with depths of 2-5m (Box Ski, 2007). Supraglacial lakes form in the ablation area of the Greenland ice sheet during summer time melt season. Positions of numerous lakes have been monitored over many years and from the results it can be deduced that most lakes form in the same place every year (Luthje et al., 2006). Supraglacial lakes can occur across much of the ablation zone on the Greenland ice sheet but are especially prominent on the Western transect (Luthje et al., 2006). The formation and location of supraglacial lakes on the Greenland ice sheet is driven by season and temperature, elevation and topography (Chu, 2014). There is an upper limit imposed on the lake distribution and formation by elevation because of temperature and basal sliding restrictions (Liang et al., 2012). Due to the lapse rate, temperature decreases with elevation. When it reaches a certain point on the ice sheet it becomes too cold for melting to so there is no melt water for filling the lake basins. As bedrock topography is only expressed in ice surface topography in regions experiencing basal sliding, interior regions of the ice sheet that do not experience basal sliding are unlikely to contain ice surface depressions suitable for lake formation (Liang et al., 2012). Figure 1(a) shows a histogram of the rate of change of lake area over 10 years of observations. In (b) only the 50th percentile shows a significant relationship with melt intensity. From the two graphs it can be deduced that there is a positive correlation between annual median lake elevation and annual melt intensity, indicating that lakes are more active at hi gher elevations during warmer or more intense melt years (Liang et al., 2012). During more intense melt years, lake drainage events become more common in higher elevations. These regions, which don’t normally experience rapid surface water transfer to the bed of the glacier become more susceptible to moulin formation (Liang et al., 2012). Only lakes above 1050m show inter-annual changes in response to seasonal changes in melting intensity (Liang et al., 2012). The area of supraglacial lakes is more controlled by the local topography. Lakes at lower elevations tend to be smaller because the steeper ice surfaces prevent as much water being collected and stored (Bartholomaus et al., 2007). Although topography and elevation influence the formation and distribution of supraglacial lakes in Greenland, the main control is the season. The lakes will only form during melt season, when temperatures become warm enough to produce melt water to fill the empty lake basins (Luthje et al., 2006). Drainage In order for melt water stored as supraglacial lakes to reach the bed of a glacier, a through ice transport system is required. In a study, Das et al. (2008) monitored and observed the rapid drainage of two large supraglacial lakes down to the base of the Greenland ice sheet. The lakes, on the Western side of the Greenland ice sheet began filling in early July, reaching maximum extent around the 29th of July. At first, lake levels began to fall slowly and steadily and then levels dropped rapidly. This rapid drainage event drained the lake in around 1.4 hours (Das et al., 2008). From observations, it can be deduced that the drainage of the lake occurs in four stages. First of all initial slow, steady drainage occurs through crevasses (Chu, 2014). No water reaches the bed of the glacier, suggesting an inefficient drainage system. Next, connection to the bed occurs and drainage through a fracture system occurs. This stage gives fast and direct drainage of the lake to the bed of the glacier. Thirdly, Moulin formation and closure of the fracture system occurs. Frictional heating from the turbulent water flow and rapid drainage in stage two melts through fracture walls, developing them into discrete moulins (Chu, 2014). Moulins are associated with rapid lake drainage and immediate transfer of water to the ice sheet (Chu, 2014). This rapid transfer of water to the glacier bed has potential to overwhelm the subglacial hydrologic system. The final stage occurs once the lake has drained. Moulins stay open to allow the drainage of surface melt to the bed of the glacie r (Das et al., 2008). Evidence suggests that moulins in existence in the bottom of the lakes fill with snow and become dammed in the winter. Lakes are filled during the summer melt season until the moulins are reopened by a combination of pressure and melting (Box Ski, 2007). Fracture propagation through the ice suggests that once initiated water filled crevasses will propagate downwards through the full thickness of the ice through a process called hydrofracture (Das et al., 2008). The water ponds above small crevasses in the lake basin, exerting stress on the crevasse and eventually the ice starts to fracture. Initially the water refreezes in the crevasse. Heat created from refreezing warms the ice and it melts, advancing further down into the crevasse. Once a connection with the bed is established water from the lake can freely drain. There is no limit to the depth of a water filled crevasse so it is able to reach the bed of a glacier. The process is only limited by the supply of melt water needed to keep the crevasse full (Weertman, J. 1973). Crevasses and moulins connect the surface of the ice sheet with englacial environments, providing a route for melt water to drain from the supraglacial lakes through the ice sheet (Chu, 2014). Although only lake drainage processes for two lakes were observed by Das et al. (2008) in this particular study it can be assumed that other lakes on the Greenland ice sheet drain in the same way. The presence of fractures in other empty lake basins suggests that drainage processes are similar for all supraglacial lakes (Das et al., 2008). Throughout melt season, drainage patterns of the lakes across the Greenland ice sheet migrate inland. Lakes at lower elevations tend to form and drain earlier than those at higher elevations (Bartholomaus et al., 2007). Ice Sheet Dynamics Rapid drainage events are of particular interest in understanding ice sheet dynamics and hydraulic response. Fluctuations in surface water are known to affect the speed of ice sheets (Sundal et al., 2011). Some suggest that more influx of melt water to the glacier bed, from lake drainage events could produce ice sheet acceleration. Moulins provide a method of rapid lake drainage, supplying large influxes of water to the glacier bed with the potential to overwhelm the subglacial hydrological system causing uplift and increase basal sliding (Chu, 2014). They can only support a fraction of the lake water, keeping water pressure at the base of the glacier high and encouraging increases in basal movement and uplift (Box Ski, 2007). Higher water pressure favours faster sliding as it reduces drag between ice and the bed (Bartholomew et al., 2012). Speed ups of the ice sheet are caused by an increase of water pressure at the its base, enhancing basal sliding. This increase in basal water pressure can be provided by melt lake outbursts (Box Ski, 2007). There are other processes involved in basal sliding but for the purposes of linking it with glacier hydrology we are only interested in cavitation. Cavitation vertically jacks the glacier upwards, reducing friction between the glacier bed and rock interface and decreasing effective pressure. When effective pressure and friction are low basal sliding rates are high. In the same study as mentioned above, Das et al. (2008) observed horizontal and vertical movement of the ice sheet that coincided with rapid drainage of the lake. A large uplifted block of ice in the centre of the lake basin evidences local uplift of the ice sheet during rapid lake drainage. Based on topographic studies, it is likely that the large block in the centre of the lake was uplifted during a drainage event (Das et al., 2008). The elevation change reported by sonar surveys suggests surface uplift of around 6m across the block. The large volume of water transported to the ice sheet bed during lake drainage would have produced several meters of uplift at the lakes centre (Das et al., 2008). Figure 2, produced from a study by Bartholomew et al., (2012) supports Das’ et al., (2008) conclusion that drainage of supraglacial lakes can affect velocity and uplift the ice sheet. It shows rapid increases in ice velocity and surface height after the drainage of a supraglacial lake observed on the Western transect of the Greenland ice sheet. Drainage of the lake can be linked with a 400% increase in ice velocity and 0.3m of uplift in less than 24 hours (Bartholomew et al., 2012). Figure 2: (a) Surface velocity during lake drainage event (b) Surface height profile during the lake drainage event (c d) Before and after images of the supraglacial lake (taken by time lapse camera). Solid black lines on (a b) indicate the times when the two photos were taken. Taken from: Bartholomew, I., Nienow, P., Sole, A., Mair, D., Cowton, T. and King, M. (2012). Short term variability in Greenland Ice Sheet motion forced by time-varying meltwater drainage: Implications for the relationship between subglacial drainage system behaviour and ice velocity. Journal of Geophysical Researcg, 117(F3). Both outlet glaciers and slower moving ice sheets across Greenland show a seasonal speed up in response to enhanced melt water delivery to the glacier bed and from pulses of water from lake drainage. The ice sheets continue to speed up until a maximum velocity threshold is reached; sequentially the glacier slows down (Chu, 2014). This slowing down of the glacier is not to be expected if lubrication by melt water is the primary mechanism of speeding up the ice sheet. The reduction in velocity suggests subglacial drainage switches from a linked cavity system to a more efficient channel drainage system (Chu, 2014). Conclusion Understanding the hydrology of supraglacial lakes is important as they have the potential to supply large volumes of water to the bed of the ice sheet and affect motion. Both an increase in glacier velocity and local uplift is observed when supraglacial lake water drains to the bed of the glacier. However, constant high influxes of water are not consistent with continued increase in velocity because the subglacial drainage system switches to a more efficient system (Bartholomaus et al., 2007). Large pulses of water delivered to the bed from drainage of supraglacial lakes overwhelm the subglacial hydrologic network and increase basal motion. Moulins provide rapid drainage of large supraglacial lakes into the ice sheet hydrological systems, while crevasses provide a more steady drainage method. The location, area and potential melt water available to fill these supraglacial lakes is controlled by the elevation and topography of the surrounding area, and more importantly temperature. In turn, these factors could be controlled by climate change. For this reason it is important to monitor the processes associated with glacial lakes to get a clearer understanding of the impacts any future climate change will have on glacial lakes and the Greenland ice sheet. References Abdalati, W. and Steffen, K. (2001). Greenland ice sheet melt extent: 19791999. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (19842012), 106(D24), pp.3398333988. Bartholomaus, T., Anderson, R. and Anderson, S. (2007). Response of glacier basal motion to transient water storage. Nature Geoscience, 1(1), pp.3337. Box, J. and Ski, K. (2007). Remote sounding of Greenland supraglacial melt lakes: implications for subglacial hydraulics. Journal of glaciology, 53(181), pp.257265. Chu, V. (2014). Greenland ice sheet hydrology A review. Progress in Physical Geography, 38(1), pp.1954. Das, S., Joughin, M., Behn, M., Howat, I., King, M., Lizarralde, D., et al. (2008). Fracture propagation to the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet during supra-glacial lakedrainage. Science, 5877, 778−781. Liang, Y., Colgan, W., Lv, Q., Steffen, K., Abdalati, W., Stroeve, J., Gallaher, D. and Bayou, N. (2012). A decadal investigation of supraglacial lakes in West Greenland using a fully automatic detection and tracking algorithm. Remote Sensing of Environment, 123, pp.127138. Luthje, M., Pedersen, L., Reeh, N. and Greuell, W. (2006). Modelling the evolution of supraglacial lakes on the West Greenland ice-sheet margin. Journal of Glaciology, 52(179), pp.608618. McMillan M, Nienow P, Shepherd A, et al. (2007) Seasonal evolution of supra-glacial lakes on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 262(3–4): 484–492. Sundal AV, Shepherd A, Nienow P, et al. (2009) Evolution of supra-glacial lakes across the Greenland Ice Sheet. Remote Sensing of Environment 113(10): 2164–2171. Sundal AV, Shepherd A, Nienow P, et al. (2011) Meltinduced speed-up of Greenland ice sheet offset by efficient subglacial drainage. Nature 469(7331):521–524. Tweed, F. and Russell, A. (1999). Controls on the formation and sudden drainage of glacier-impounded lakes: implications for jokulhlaup characteristics. Progress in Physical Geography, 23(1), pp.79110. Weertman, J. 1973. Can a water-filled crevasse reach the bottom surface of a glacier? IASH Publ. 95 (Symposium at Cambridge1969 – Hydrology of Glaciers), 139–145. Zwally, H.J., W. Abdalati, T. Herring, K. Larson, J. Saba and K. Steffen. 2002. Surface melt-induced acceleration of Greenland ice-sheet flow. Science, 297(5579), 218–222.

Cisco :: essays research papers

COMPANY PROFILE Cisco Systems is one of the largest network communications company in the world. Cisco provides networking solutions that customers use to build a integrated information infrastructure of their own, or to connect to someone else’s network. Cisco also offers an extensive range of hardware products used to form information networks, or to give them access to these networks. Cisco also has it’s own software called IOS software, which provides network services and enables networked applications. Cisco serves customers in a wide range of businesses, such as corporations, government agencies, utilities, and educational institutes, and small to medium size businesses. Cisco sells it’s products worldwide. They serve as many as 115 different countries. They have more than 225 sales and support offices in 75 countries. Cisco strongly believes in the advantages of a global networked business. By using networked applications over the internet and it’s own internal net work, Cisco is gaining financial contribution of at least $825 million a year in operating costs savings and revenue enhancements. Today, Cisco is the largest commerce site, with 87% of their orders are transacted over the web. Cisco is one of Americas greatest corporate success stories. Since shipping it’s first product in 1986, The company has grown into a global market leader that holds No.1 or No.2 market share in almost every market section in which it participates. Cisco went public in 1990 on the nasdaq stock market with annual revenues at $69 million in that year. But now their revenues are at $12.2 billion in fiscal 1999. Their revenues in the last four quarters are shown in the figure below.

Our Posthuman Future Summary Essay

Chapter 1: At the beginning of Our Posthuman Future by Francis Fukuyama, it talks about two different books: 1984 and Brave New World. These books talk about multiple technologies that would change and shape the next two generations. For the decade that these books were published it had them think that having a utopian world would have no consequences. I disagree with it for the most part, because if we are created to have certain qualities or characteristics then we would lose the understanding of what it means to be human. It referred to invetro fertilization and Fukoyama thought it was a deal with the devil. And it is in a way. We shouldn’t be allowed to mess with the creation of life or choose what they would look like, how they would act just because there might be that off chance that they may blame the parents instead of themselves. Biotechnology is not something to be trifled with. You must be careful with your steps or face the consequences of what the aftermath may be. Basically chapter one creates a visual for the future of the human race if evolution is pushed to far then we will face our own destruction that we caused. Chapter 2: So the beginning of chapter two talks about molecular biology and how it could help with the prevention of genetic diseases like breast cancer and cystic fibrosis. In a way this will help our ability to improve ourselves and gives us room to grow and empathize with the technological revolution. Francis mentions that we face ethical choices about genetic privacy, proper uses of drugs and human cloning. And we truthfully do. It goes back to what we believe is right and wrong but we have to take in the fine line in between. If we think about it, one human cloning does have its benefits. The chances of getting a genetic disease or dying due to a low immune system would severely decrease. But then it goes back to losing our human qualities and personality. But with the upcoming future we will have to face these issues for enhancements rather than therapeutic reasons. And by enhancements there may be a way to understand the genetics of homosexuality and possibly propose a plan for the parents to reduce the likelihood that they will give birth to a gay child. It’s rather sad that an expectant mother would take a pill or have something injected into the fetus just so they wouldn’t have to worry about the harassment. Even if you say you are against antigay discrimination then you should stick to that decision, give the person a choice before they are able to make it themselves. Chapter 3: Chapter three talks about the advances in the field of neuropharmacology. It also talks about Freudianism that was built on the premise that mental illness was primarily psychological in nature. This caused doctors to try drug therapy rather than talk therapy. One used was Lithium; it â€Å"cured† a number of people and then led to other drugs like Prozac and Ritalin. These drugs helped relax the mentally ill and calmed them down. The drug Prozac is an anti-depressant that supposedly changed this girls life around for the better. While I do believe that her doctor over-exaggerated I think most doctors do. Why would they explain every possible side effect like: memory loss, violence, weight gain and the big one suicide. It definitely should not be prescribed as a wonder drug because of the long term side effects. Although like with most drugs, when they are first distributed they truthfully don’t understand its genetic makeup, even with testing and trials. But by understanding them better now and how they affect the human body we are now able to understand the neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin. These two transmitters control the messages of the brain that can alter our feelings of wellness, happiness, jealousy and fear. I feel that if the knowledge of the brain functions are able to be altered then it can cause a political standing. Francis talks about self-esteem that can only come through by fulfilling our human desire of acknowledgment. I suppose if the drugs can give us a feeling of righteousness then in might help the depression that seems to follow us because of the world around us. But I doubt it will give us the motivation for us to set our own ideals. I still believe that these few drugs are not good for us. With our luck there will probably be an unforeseen side-effect and then where would we be, back to square one. Chapter 4: Chapter four talks about the prolongation of life and the increase of life expectancies. In a way this is a bad economically because of social security and other retirement benefits. It also talks about evolutionary biologists that ten to believe that aging is caused by genes and that there are no shortcuts to the postponement of death. I do tend to agree with this for the most part. It does not matter much how you live your life because anything can cause your time to end in a moment. No one knows when a person is going to die because there are too many factors to consider. Another theory is that the body loses its functionality and just dies. And then there is also the Hayflick Limit, where environmental factors prevent the accurate copying of DNA. I think that if someone were to die due to health issues it would follow more of this idea. In time I do believe that the view point of death will change. Will a person be able to understand that their body is going out or will they fight tooth and nail to stay alive? Fear of dying plagues us all. We may be able to understand more why we die in 2050 but that does not mean we will be prepared. I do not think we will ever be over our apprehension of dying, that is what we will have with us at all times because we are human. Chapter 5: Chapter five is all about genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is definitely a huge controversy and has been for many years. The project was funded by the US and other governments across the globe. There was, of course, the usual competition and the â€Å"want† to be first. It seems with anything there is that pride when the secrets are unlocked to something (DNA) so complex. With the success of the cloned Dolly sheep, some began to wonder if cloning humans would ever work. I personally do not believe we should be able to. There has to be a reason why our bodies are designed to create life, instead of in a cold laboratory. Not to mention why would someone want to clone themselves? Another technology under study would be artificial chromosomes. Scientists want to add an extra chromosome to the 46 we already possess. They not only want to create one, but they want to be able to turn it on or off with the persons consent when they are of age. For them to be able to actually create this would be extremely difficult if not impossible. Every one of our chromosomes serves a purpose so how would they be able to create one that does something different? Would it bring false hope that this person would be a super genius, or have the inability to cause harm? Cloning anything is beyond difficult and causes plenty of moral and social concerns. Chapter 6: Chapter six is pretty much about why we should worry about biotechnology. It starts off talking about eugenics (deliberate breeding of people with desirable traits). Western countries actually had laws that permitted the state to sterilize people them deem imbeciles. I don’t understand how they can just not give someone a chance to bring life into this world. Most of the time a person becomes desperate and that is why they have to turn to a life of crime or do things they normally wouldn’t do. Granted someone finally grew a conscious and the popularity of eugenics in most places, except for the Asian territories where they have the one child per family law. They did not understand at the time that with most traits or characteristics have to be inherited by both parents. Since World War 2 eugenics has been associated with racism because of the discrimination it perceives towards certain groups of people. It’s almost like telling a child that they can’t play with the blue-eyed children because they are no good. It is ridiculous on its own. There is always the chance that eugenics will pop back up, and if it does it will cause the parents to make decisions. The parent does ultimately have the decision but if pushed or persuaded a certain way it can change their course. We need to let people make their own decisions because if we don’t then how will we learn from them? Chapter 7: Chapter seven is all about human rights. There is an unbelievable amount of rights that we â€Å"Democracy† people think we should have. Not only that but it turns out that abortion is protected under the first amendment. We do have the right to choose whether or not we want to have a child. It’s because we have choices and the right to choose. Basically the word â€Å"right† implies moral judgment. Truthfully I believe we do need rights, no matter what form they come in. to not have right is like going back to the 18th century when everything revolved around power and politics. It didn’t matter what you wanted the courts decided for you. Our human nature has changed and developed into something kinder along the ways. Granted there are times when we feel as though we have no choice but to do this or that, but we can choose to not do something or hell go and do something for the better. of course consequences usually play a role in thing but the fact that we have a right to choose what we would rather do for ourselves is a vast improvement. Chapter 8: Chapter eight talks about how human nature has been extremely controversial. Most of the speculation is about that fine line between nature and nurture. Truthfully there is a fine line between them. You must know where the line is to know when to protect and when to show tough love. This could change the characteristics and how it affects the child. Francis also kind of talks about environmental impacts and it plays a big role. Depending on the environment it can change how human being s react in difficult situations. Chapter 9: Much of politics centers on the question of human dignity and the desire for recognition to which it is related. This means that we humans want to be constantly recognized by our dignity, or by which ever group we partake in. And it is very true. We constantly strive to be noticed in school for our good grades, by making that winning catch in a game or by just being ourselves. We also desire to have respect by our peers; something that is rarely achieved. Francis goes on to talk about a factor X. Factor X is in all humans and should be respected no matter which class, skin color or gender you are. In a way it’s like factor X is what makes us human. If you cause harm on something without the chromosome then it’s ok but if you enslave, torture or kill someone with the chromosome then it’s a crime against humanity. For many societies the X factor was contributed to the upper ranking people. But factor X is the basic meaning of what it is to be human. Without it what are we? If we lose the idea of a factor X then it will more than likely have us returning to discrimination at full force. It’s not fair what humans have had to go through because they lack a single chromosome. Chapter 10: Chapter ten is about the political control of biotechnology. The government must regulate the research of biotechnology to ensure public safety. Without regulations so many bad things can happen it’s almost idiotic. Francis believes that the debate over biotechnology is held captive by extremists from either side, one side being the ones who are with it, the other the ones who are against it. I’m leaning towards the ones who are against it. I believe that should be banned completely. I do think that biotechnology can be controlled but to do so would be difficult. But the real question is how? Scientists cannot police themselves and therefore someone must watch over them. A team of individuals that would have a broad viewpoint would be able to be the police but to find such would be difficult. A ban on biotechnology can happen and maybe will but laws do change over time to fit the socialness of the time. The only area that will probably still go for the bio tech would be East Asia. Really because of their religion, and because eugenics wasn’t abused much over there. I still feel as though biotechnology should not be tried but then again we cannot stop the minds of scientists and they will always try to do the impossible because of their nature. Chapter 11: Chapter eleven is all about how biotechnology is regulated today. There is the self-regulation by scientists or industry and the statutory which is basically the government. The government varies in strictness, big surprise there. With anything government, law or policy, it will always be more strict. Responsibilities are divided out so that they can be followed more closely or better I suppose. It also depends on where you are looking at regulations. Germany is the strictest, Britain the most relaxed and most other places are somewhere in between. As time goes on the laws and regulations have begun to tighten due to scandals and tragedies. It’s unfortunate that it takes something bad to happen before safety and precautions are more of a concern. Chapter 12: Chapter twelve, the FINAL CHAPTER, is about policies for the future. We do need to keep in mind that with time change comes. As of now new laws are being formulated on whether human experimentation applies to embryos. Francis does believe that the scientific community is too permissive, and that most scientists or â€Å"bioethicists† base things on the side of science. And I tend to agree here, to be a bioethicists your moral ground will be far greater than the average Joe. They must believe that they are finding ways to help the science community by figuring out ways to stop deficiencies in our DNA. With human cloning you don’t know how the child will react when they reach maturity. I mean they would be an exact copy of another person without the connection. More than likely it will turn out bad and then we will just have a band of adolescents hating their â€Å"parents†, and the scientist who created them. Truth be told a clone really isn’t a human being. It is more of a replica of what a human is. Also if they try to mix human DNA with animals then the whole definition of human would change completely.

Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment Essay

This is a critique of an article published in Chronicle of Higher Education, (v53 n30 pB6 Mar. 30, 2007) on â€Å"Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment: a Lesson in the Power of Situation† by Philip G. Zimbardo. This article discusses issues related to how good people can turn bad. SUMMARY In this article, Zimbardo looks at his previous social experiment on physical abuse in prison and discusses the issues related to the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard, the social power of groups, and how people would behave if they were brought into direct confrontation; whether it would turn good people bad. The author discusses his past social experiment on physical abuse in prison that was conducted in the basement of the Stanford Psychology department. PROBLEM SPECIFIED IN THE ARTICLE One of many of studies in psychology, the Stanford Prison Experiment reveals from its usual set point, the extent to which human behavior can be transformed and are readily accepting a dehumanized conception of others. â€Å"Even to readily accepting a dehumanized conception of others, as ‘animals,’ and to accepting spurious rationales for why pain will be good for them,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 4). The Stanford Prison Experiment is compared to the Abu Ghraib situation, and also discussed are the implications of this research to the criminal justice system. The problems specified in the article addresses the social power of groups and as to whether a person  could be influenced to exert power over someone else. The experiment called for twenty-four student participants to act as either a prisoner or a guard in the â€Å"prison† basement,† (Zimbardo, 2007, para 5). After the first day, the guards exercised their powers with increasing authority, forcing the prisoners to do things like making them say abusive things to each other and forcing them to participate in sexual perversion. The experiment was getting out of hand; Zimbardo himself was engrossed in his role. The problem with this experiment was that Zimbardo should have appointed someone with oversight over the whole project, in which could be terminated immediately if things were to go bad. This did not happen. Zimbardo was not only over the experiment, but he played the role of prison superintendent, but nobody to watch over him. STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT COMPARED TO THE ABU GHRAIB SITUATION In the Abu Ghraib situation, U.S. soldiers abused Iraqi prisoners, in which were stripped, and forced to wear bags over their heads, and were sexually humiliated. The guards would laugh and mock the prisoners while taking pictures of them in degrading positions. This abuse is similar to what took place in the Stanford Prison Experiment but in Stanford, the experiment was ended when it became known that the student guards were starting to do this to the student prisoners, unlike that of Abu Ghraib. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA The experiment was to last fourteen days but it was an outsider that made Zimbardo realize that he had gone too far. â€Å"That powerful jolt of reality snapped back into my senses. I agreed that we had gone too far, that whatever was to be learned about situational power was already indelibly etched on our videos, data logs, and minds,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 3). A colleague and fellow psychologist, Christina Maslach came to visit the mock prison and became very upset at what she witnessed. She seen the emotional breakdown of the prisoners, who were â€Å"lined up with bags over their heads, their legs chained, and guards shouting abuses at them while herding them to the toilet, † (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 3). Christina became very upset, and  yelled, â€Å"It is terrible what YOU are doing to those boys,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 4). Zimbardo realized what he had become in his newfound role and put an end to the experiment early on day 6. The criminal-justice system largely ignores situational forces and focuses primarily on individual defendants and their state of mind. Other factors should be considered by the criminal-justice system, such as what made them want to apply physical, psychological, and emotional abuse to the prisoners. AUTHOR’S CONCLUSIONS The author claims that people alone are incapable of criminal culpability. After reviewing the videotapes, Zimbardo argues â€Å"like the horrible behavior brought out by my experiment in good, normal young men, the situation and the system creating it also must share in the responsibility for illegal and immoral behavior,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 4). I am in agreement with the author in that the situation and the system creating it must also share in responsibility for illegal and immoral behavior because of the pressures of groupthink. CONCLUSION The Stanford Prison Experiment came about because at that time, social-science research did not have any studies with the direct confrontation of good versus evil against the forces inherent in bad situations. Psychologist Philip Zimbardo wanted to create a situation in a controlled experimental setting with â€Å"a host of variables, such as role-playing, coercive rules, power differentials, anonymity, group dynamics, and dehumanization, (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 1). The author wanted to know who would win if brought into direct confrontation; good people or an evil situation. References Zimbardo, P. G. (2007). Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment: a Lesson in the Power of Situation. _The Chronicle of Higher Education_, 53(30). Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA161992127&v=2.1&u=oran95108&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w.

Hip Hops Culture essays

Hip Hop's Culture essays Eminem, Dr. Dre, Nas, Eve, Missy Elliot, Tribe Called Quest, these are all known for their best flows and culture beat of Hip-Hop. But how can we define Hip-Hop?. In the early 90s Hip-Hop began to rise, and its popularity became more big as early hip-hoppers brought the country to its feet from its unique beats and its possessive lyrics. Most songs in the early Hip-Hop days were about simple lives of different people, going through a rough time, or hanging out with the homes. But as we can see and hear, Hip-Hop has become more widely known for its indecent and powerful lyrics that explain more of violence, sex, and drug theme. There are 3 main reasons why I think Hip-Hop has changed in a more cruel and negative way in the past 10 years. One is, how Rap and Hip-Hop music videos show a great amount of violence and sexual scenes towards each other, especially when it comes to race and sex. Women in videos, like; Juveniles Back That Azz Up, represent them in a whore matter, which show young women in thongs, very tight and short, and sensual clothing. Also more sex or rape is shown videos, like; Three Six Mafias Tear Da Club Up. In the early years we saw videos of how homeboys hang out together, their simple of difficult lives, and their pimping situations. If a child sees these views from a rappers views and its lyrics, the child will have a greater chance to grow up to be violent or aggressive with in The other is, how the Hip-Hop groups or solos represent their hate or/and believes through their names. For example, Ghost Face Killah, Bounty Killa, and Masta Killa. These names represent hate through killing and other through disctruction and drugs in their lives. Not only some of these show negative influence through their names ...

Signifigance of world war 2 in essays

Signifigance of world war 2 in essays Following several years of tension the Second World War came about in September 1939 following Germanys invasion of Poland and war declared on them by Britain and France. It was to become the most destructive war in history resulting in millions of deaths. With so much of the fighting taking place in Europe it was to have a profound affect on each of the countries on the continent. However the case of the Island of Ireland was to prove one of the most interesting. Since 1921 the Island had been divided into the Dominion Free Sate and the six counties of Northern Ireland retained under the union. As part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland immediately entered the war on the British side. From the beginning their Prime Minister, Craig insisted the Unionists Wished to play their part, stating in February 1940 We are the Kings men and we shall be with you till the end . The Free State Government did not share his view. As early as February 1939 De Valera had declared it was his intention to preserve our Neutrality in the event of war. Therefore when war became a reality both Dil and Senate agreed for the Free State to remain Neutral and an Emergency Powers Act was passed giving the Government total power to secure public safety. Neutrality could be considered proof of Independence and across the border too Craig was showing Unionist allegiance to Britain. Robert Fisk identifies this in his book In Time of War. Both parts of Ireland were seeking to define their opposing territorial status within the context of the greatest European conflict in modern times. The Free States position was aided by the return of the Treaty Ports form Britain in 1938. Without this Neutrality would have been difficult, if not impossible. De Valera was to ignore repeated British calls for their use. This stance served greatly to increase the im...

Analysis Harold and Kumar

This is what really sets â€Å"Harold and Kumar† apart not just from â€Å"Stoner films† or the entire Comedy genre, but from every film ever made. Casting two â€Å"minorities† in the leading roles. The opening scene involves two â€Å"higher ups†, who we assume are Harold’s bosses, at an accounting firm who are trying to get out of doing their work for a night out. They pass the work on to our unsuspecting Harold, who reluctantly accepts the new task load because his job was threatened. This opening scene sets up Harold’s personal problems that at the end of the ovie, he over comes. This scene cuts between multiple shots of Harold’s bosses standing over Harold, and Harold looking up at them. They loom over Harold, looking down on him as a workhorse that they can pass their work loads to. Harold sits in his chair looking up at his two bosses, bewildered and somewhat frightened to stand up for himself. His two bosses are dressed in black suits which communicates to the audience that they are not only dominant but authoritative and for lack of a better term, evil. They are the first protagonists we see in the film. As they blast out of the office parking lot in their convertible, they justify their actions by saying that â€Å"those Asian guys love crunching numbers†. We quickly get the response to this with a cut of Harold standing in the office looking out the window the speeding convertible, angrily saying â€Å"Fuck†. From this we cut to a scene of Kumar being interviewed for acceptance into a medical school program at an undisclosed prestigious university. Kumar blatantly doesn’t care about the interview, or as we discover later, becoming a doctor like his father wants him to be. Kumar sits in the interview dressed in a disheveled suit and slouches in his chair. From these two scenes we are introduced into the typical roles that normally see in Hollywood movies. The quiet Asian being pushed around and the Indian guy trying to become a doctor. Each time though we see the problems that the characters have with both of these situations, this is the side that we don’t normally see in films. Harold hates his job because he feels like he isn’t respected, it is also learned later in the film that he basically fell into his job because that’s just how it went. Until the end of the film when Harold begins to take charge and stand up for himself, the audience has no problem believing that Harold just went with the motions and became an accountant. Kumar on the other hand is basically Harold’s polar opposite, yin and yang type situation, and resists falling into his â€Å"natural† role in society of becoming a doctor even though he is obviously very skilled in the field, by living off his fathers money (who is a doctor) and spending most of his days smoking pot. Throughout the movie there are scenes where a character is presented with a problem that in some way relates to a stereotype about their ethnicity. The movie deals with this in a joking manner, but the best part is that the character encounters it in a positive manner. Take for instance the character of Kumar, after visiting his father working in the hospital he steals an access card to steal medical marijuana, in the process of locating the marijuana, the duo find scrubs to disguise themselves in and in a mix up are confused as surgeons who are to operate on a gun shot victim. Kumar’s â€Å"natural† ability in health and medicine allows him to successfully operate on the victim and save his life. This ends up being the turning point in the film for Kumar where he decides to stop resisting his father and the typical role society expects of Indians, and become a doctor. For Harold, his turning point occurs at the end of the film when he stands up for himself at his destination, white castle. His two bosses show up at the White Castles from their night out with a pair of women, their attire has changed slightly, one has shed his black coat and the other is completely disheveled in his suit. Harold stands now, face to face with both of his bosses with a visibly angry face. He confronts his bosses and lets them know that he won’t take their bullying any longer. The two men look scared and are speechless since they were caught in a lie and that Harold has literally stood up to them, a contrast from the first scene of the film. About halfway through the film there is a scene where Neil Patrick Harris has stolen the car and leave Harold and Kumar stranded. The two are attempting to walk across the street at a completely vacant intersection. Kumar urges Harold to just walk across and disregard the street sign because there is no one around. As Harold takes his first step to cross, he is stopped by a police officer. The officer harasses the two of them and in a sign of blatant racism, he mocks Kumar and Harold’s ethnicities by asking if they have strange names. He asks Kumar if his name has â€Å"like five O’s or two U’s†. At this scene Kumar stands up for himself by belittling the officer and telling him he was loser in high school and is still one now. Although the officer has a much bulkier body type than Harold and Kumar, Kumar still stands face to face with the officer, representing his courage to go against someone he knows could take him to jail. I have seen â€Å"Harold and Kumar go to White Castle† MANY times before this paper and usually only watched it as it was presented, I laughed at the funny parts and would promptly move on to something else. Until this paper I had never thought to consider the representations the film portrayed of Harold and Kumar. I had never even noticed that the two leading roles were â€Å"minority† ethnicities. The way the film acknowledges the stereotypes that come bundled with the two characters and destroys them whilst making a completely mockery of them is quite fascinating. One of the more interesting facts is that the film was written by two Jewish men, and directed by a Caucasian man. They obviously didn’t want to make a comedy like any other with a white lead, they casted two very different men together and made an incredibly successful film. The film has spawned two sequels and each did very well in the box office. I would personally love to see a film cast more â€Å"minority† ethnicities in the lead roles, not just comedies but every film genre. I think that day is not too far ahead. Rangwala, Shama. Issue 5: Film Reviews.   Scope. Http://www. scope. nottingham. ac. uk/. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. lt;http://www. scope. nottingham. ac. uk/filmreview. php? issue=5gt;.

Noise Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Noise Control - Essay Example In my opinion, the first restriction that community members will desire is that of a set boundary. People visiting the night club should not be allowed to loiter, and must stay within the actual boundaries of the night club, and not wander into the residential area. Second, the night club should be expected to shut its doors at a particular time period each night, and stay open no later than 1:30 AM in the morning. Next, the night club should not be too loud so as to disturb the people in the neighborhood; the night club should maintain a respectful volume so that the citizens of the area and the children of the area are well rested enough to wake up and go to school and work in the morning. If the volume is kept at a level where it does not interfere with the community, the community would be more likely to accept the nightclub in its area. The night club should also make sure to maintain a heavy security staff, since the night club is close to a residential area, and intoxicated in dividuals should not be allowed to wander or wreck havoc in the residential area. Furthermore, a heavy security staff will probably also help to make the community itself more comfortable with the idea of a night club in its area. Hearing protection should be worn by employees of the night club.

Managment and leadership development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managment and leadership development - Essay Example In order to understand the value of management and leadership development, it is important to go to the roots of why and what makes management and leadership development under focus. Do we have the appropriate environment and systems to develop these Leaders? Why do we need success managers and success leaders? And then what makes success managers and leaders. What sort of influence does early childhood on leader's success? What critical channel must leaders follow on their Journey to success? How long will take them? What are the life experiences that contribute to leadership success? What must success Managers and great Leaders do exceptionally very well to become and remain outstanding? So is it education? Is it luck? Is it who knows how? Is it chance? †¦and so on. Years back when we talked about the old management theories such as the Scientific theory of Fredric Taylor and Henri Fayol – The Science Management concept and even Max Webber in Germany with his concept an d theories after the II World War as all military soldiers sent to work in the Civil Service offices as Supervisors, Managers and Department Heads. Unfortunately, these were wrong people at wrong jobs as they keep on practicing the Military rules by passing instruction like Father to Son and Supervisor and Subordinate. Such theories in my opinion have not developed effective management and success leaders, because there were no proper management development centre's or assessment systems such as 360 degree feedback, or key performance indicators (KPI) as of today. 2. Leadership – overview, definition The Common belief that leaders are born has come to be outdated. Continued studies and researches have come to conclusion that leaders are made rather than born. I and based on my analysis, reading and researching belief that yes leaders are made but also are born with certain characteristics, charisma and qualities of proper personalities example if a person is shy, weak, hesita nt, negative minded†¦etc will be difficult to develop him as a leader. Leadership is badly needed for Organizational success, as someone has to take the hard and tough decisions, take responsibilities during crises, lead the way forward. There is a say that one Lion leads thousands of Rabbits better than one Rabbit leads thousands of Lions. Various definitions have been developed for explaining the context of leadership. One of the most known definitions of this type is that of Kotter (1996). In accordance with the above theorist, the leadership should be described as follows: ‘Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision and inspires them to make it happen, despite the obstacles’ (Kotter 1996, p.25 in Wallin 2010, p.26). 3. Theories on leadership Leadership is influencing people to get things done to standard and quality above their norm and doing it willingly. Generally, leadership could be described as follows: lead more, M anage less, empower inspire and energize people and unlock their true potential. Also great leaders make a difference not only to themselves but also to those around them. However great leaders produce great results. In accordance with the theory of Mintzberg, the elements of the leadership can be made clear if the specific framework is explained using a metaphor; in the context of this metaphor, as Mintzberg notes, the leadership should be regarded as an art or craftsmanship (Koivunen et al. 2009, p.169).

Learning Strategies Rely Heavily on Employee Involvement Essay

Learning Strategies Rely Heavily on Employee Involvement - Essay Example The generally practiced HR policies of Equipos included regular training, communication, setting of lucid and consistent objectives, high wages, acknowledgment for accomplishments, team works, flat organization structure, in addition to a learning-oriented organizational culture. These factors motivated the employees to perform and adhere to the management practices, which enabled Equipos to develop into a learning organization. Contribution This study can be beneficial for comprehending how in spite of cultural differences between the parent company and the subsidiary, the organization can efficiently accomplish its business strategies with the help of its employees’ participation by motivating them. Keywords Motivation, Culture, Employee Participation, HR Practices, Management Practices. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 5 Discussion 6 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction The modern day organizations are striving hard to sustain their market position in the preva lent competitive business circumstances and gain a competitive advantage over their peers. In doing so, a large number of business organizations are shifting their orientation towards management approaches that encourage organizational learning. It had been observed that multinational corporations (MNCs) that are focused towards global learning have attained competitiveness and agility to handle the escalating intricacies of the global business environment (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1989). However, when the MNCs employ learning approaches in their subsidiaries that are located in foreign lands, it is important for these MNCs to comprehend the issues that could impact the execution of various management practices that assist learning. Some of the major issues that could impact the execution of the management practices are difference in culture, and other environmental aspects such as socioeconomic, political, educational, and legal issues (Adler, 1997; Farmer & Richman, 1970; Negandhi & Pr asad, 1971). Hence, while spreading the learning practices to their subsidiaries, it is essential for the management of the MNCs to recognize the extent to which miscellaneous issues together with, but not restricted to the domestic cultural principles, have an effect on the transferability of diverse management practices. Managers should be aware of what issues might aid the accomplishment of learning strategies that initially seem to be contrary and mismatched with the culture of a nation. Gomez (2004:3) had stated that â€Å"Learning strategies rely heavily on employee involvement†. Gomez (2004) had stated so in his article, where he discussed the case of an American MNC and its Mexican subsidiary ‘Equipos’. Equipos had effectively taken up the attributes of a learning organization from its US based parent organization. This is in contrast to the widely perceived notion that the employee participation and other management practices that are related to a learni ng strategy are generally incompatible in the cross-cultural context. The paper essentially accentuates on how the employees were encouraged to involve themselves in the learning organisation atmosphere of Equipos. In the process of discussing the strategies employed by the management of Equipos, the paper also draws on the theories of motivation as well as cross-culture. Discussion It is

How African-Americans have put an end of segregation, discrimination, Research Paper

How African-Americans have put an end of segregation, discrimination, isolation to attain civil rights and equity - Research Paper Example How African-Americans have put an end of segregation, discrimination, isolation to attain civil rights and equity? African Americans transformed their ways of viewing. They decided to cooperate fully in nation building because they knew that they had a duty to play in their nation for them to be considered patriots. They worked hard in school in order to be employed in large companies by the whites and not to be considered irresponsible people to their nations. These helped to improve their situation, as well as, improved their health standards since many people who had decent jobs were relocated to live in lavished houses. Africans remained loyal to the white land owners despite the intimidation and racial discrimination. African Americans were faced with many incidences of violation and intimidation. With this, they sought ways to object and make their wants voiced out. Black Africans formed and supported organizations that dealt with racial issues such as the NAACP, which refers to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which was spearheaded by W.E.B Dubois. Initially in America, women were demeaned and had no control over their husbands, they were subjected to household chores and nurturing children. This took place mainly in the 19th century. This barbaric act came to an end when a woman by the name Chelly Dawance came out protesting against this inhuman act on women, and advocating together with the likes of Kate Chopins and Charlote Pekinns Gilman. For example, in the book written by Kate Pekinns that is narrating her marriage to a black man. She speaks of denied freedom of expression in her house. After their successful strike against stereotyping of women to promote equality between husbands and their wives in marriages, balance was achieved because the people realized that both parents had a collective responsibility in the family planning and in building their country (Meyer, 2001 P. 77). Through this equality, women became entrepreneurs and engaged in trade reducing the high number of people leaving in poverty, therefore, reduci ng the high death rates in youth and old age who usually succumb to illnesses such as malnutrition. Abolishment of slavery, segregation and racism For decades, African Americans fought for their rights because all through they had been subjected to cruel treatment by the whites. Men, women and their families were taken from Africa and brutally chained while ferried to America to work on plantations for years. Jim Crow laws that were enacted between 1876 and 1968 that mandated racial segregation undermined the status of blacks. This demonstrated what they were undergoing by deny of access to many things, which were supposed to be shared by people equally irrespective of the race or colour (Thurber, 2009 P. 93). The Jim Crow originated in the nineteenth century minstrel show song. Step by step, these acts came to be implemented, and the people who subjected African Americans

Paper on the film Amelie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper on the film Amelie - Essay Example Paper on the film Ameli is dicribing this film and stories, realated with main hero.At first glance this may not be the case because of the way the movie has been produced; it isn’t just the plot that must be considered, it is everything from cinematography to lighting to direction itself. It would appear that the contemporary feel is ‘in’ and traditional is ‘out’ in this movie as the director used elements from the French new wave cinema to construct some of the scenes of the movie (Vanderschelden, p.14) for e.g. Strowzykowski writes about Jeunet’s technique, â€Å"In Amelie, Jeunet had actress Audrey Tautou break from the sealed world of the narrative to talk directly to the audience† (Strowzykowski). The disagreement with conventionalism ends here, however.It is only at a deeper look that one realizes the way Amelie’s character itself has been written, promotes a very sexist image of women. It isn’t obvious and there is a lack of large details that can help the audience see through this, instead there are subtler details that must be carefully picked up and analyzed.Amelie finds meaning and fulfillment in life only in helping others and in her love for a man whom she idealizes. In this framework of a stereotypical image of womanhood, Amelie is hegemonically granted the agency to gaze at others, to transform their lives, to escape sexualized masculine gazes, and even to choose her own prince; all because she is a non-threatening â€Å"good girl† who is just looking for love... Such spectators find pleasure in watching Amelie take action and â€Å"trespassing† the passive sexualized object role that she was supposed to play. Amelie is a fine example of contemporary French cinema. The ideals it portrays, however, are not entirely contemporary in terms of a feminist perspective. The movie presents the stories of a woman who has been constructed on patriarchal terms rather than feminist on es. The mere fact that the movie was such a colossal success proves that the actual identity and concept of females and femininity haven’t changed much over the years. While the production methods and techniques may have evolved a great deal, the representation of women is much the same, albeit in a different manner altogether.

Satire in The Canterbury Tales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Satire in The Canterbury Tales - Essay Example This is not the picture one gets with the description of the Monk who is presented as being rebellious and living a self-pleasing lifestyle not caring about what a true monk should practice. He is presented as someone whose pastime activities includes hunting hares and riding his horses instead of dedicating significant time of his life to studying, praying, and working for the society. The Monk’s character and actions stand in stark contrast to the rules of the monastery which forbids the monks from leaving the monastery, hunting and leading a reckless life. The monks chooses to disobey these rules as seen in Chaucer’s assertion that "He yaf nought of that text a pulled hen† (Greenblatt, Greenblatt, Abrams and Christ 85). Elsewhere, Chaucer also notes the Monk’s habit when it is noted "Of priking and of hunting for the hare was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare"(191-192) which implies the Monk breaks these rules because they stand in the way of the t hings he loves. The way of Monks dressing is also satirized based on his break from traditional attire used by monks. Instead of wearing the plain habits with hoods which are the usual attire, the Monk chooses to put on one with gray fur on the sleeves of his cope and a gold pin with a love knot at the end of the hood. Chaucer describes the Monk as: This shows the Monk’s break from tradition where instead of being concerned with the poor in society, he spends his resources on accessories and the best attire. The description of the Monk based also indicates someone who does not fit into a religious lifestyle where instead of having the gold pin, the Monk was supposed to have a rosary. While being â€Å"lord ful fat† indicates a contrast from the expectation that monks should be lean due to constant fasting which might also proves he did not participate in these religious

Paper on the film Amelie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper on the film Amelie - Essay Example Paper on the film Ameli is dicribing this film and stories, realated with main hero.At first glance this may not be the case because of the way the movie has been produced; it isn’t just the plot that must be considered, it is everything from cinematography to lighting to direction itself. It would appear that the contemporary feel is ‘in’ and traditional is ‘out’ in this movie as the director used elements from the French new wave cinema to construct some of the scenes of the movie (Vanderschelden, p.14) for e.g. Strowzykowski writes about Jeunet’s technique, â€Å"In Amelie, Jeunet had actress Audrey Tautou break from the sealed world of the narrative to talk directly to the audience† (Strowzykowski). The disagreement with conventionalism ends here, however.It is only at a deeper look that one realizes the way Amelie’s character itself has been written, promotes a very sexist image of women. It isn’t obvious and there is a lack of large details that can help the audience see through this, instead there are subtler details that must be carefully picked up and analyzed.Amelie finds meaning and fulfillment in life only in helping others and in her love for a man whom she idealizes. In this framework of a stereotypical image of womanhood, Amelie is hegemonically granted the agency to gaze at others, to transform their lives, to escape sexualized masculine gazes, and even to choose her own prince; all because she is a non-threatening â€Å"good girl† who is just looking for love... Such spectators find pleasure in watching Amelie take action and â€Å"trespassing† the passive sexualized object role that she was supposed to play. Amelie is a fine example of contemporary French cinema. The ideals it portrays, however, are not entirely contemporary in terms of a feminist perspective. The movie presents the stories of a woman who has been constructed on patriarchal terms rather than feminist on es. The mere fact that the movie was such a colossal success proves that the actual identity and concept of females and femininity haven’t changed much over the years. While the production methods and techniques may have evolved a great deal, the representation of women is much the same, albeit in a different manner altogether.

Nigeria Student Essay Example for Free

Nigeria Student Essay My name is Adebimpe Godwin Akinade, I am from Nigeria, and I am 16 years of age, I have three (3) sisters, one of them is in Nigeria while the other two are here in London with me. I love playing video games during my lecture time and also reading novels as well. I love hip pop and rap music, I love watching horror movies, my favourite movie is â€Å"THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE†. I attended primary school in my home country at Stella Maris Primary School, I graduated from the school in primary 5 in 2004, I left to further my studies at Command Day Secondary school, due to the low standards of the school I was forced to leave to another school to complete my high school certificate. I moved to Stella Maris College where I completed my high school and attained my GCSE Equivalent. I came to Kaplan International Colllege to do a 2 Term foundation programme in Science and Engineering to progress to city university to study Civil Engineering, I Chose to study the course because the subjects which I find interesting are the main subject needed for the course, The subjects are Mathematics and Physics and I hope to be able to do as expected in the course. My English though is not bad but I still have some areas which I fall behind and I Hope to resolve the problem as I progress in Kaplan. One major problem I have in English writing is the punctuation marks ,I have problems in putting the punctuations in the right place been dealing with the problem for a while now but I hope to get over it during my period of study I Kaplan and through the following ways : Regular writing of various essays, taking note of the punctuation marks as used in the newspapers, novels, and various articles.

Analysis of Jean-Luc Godard

Analysis of Jean-Luc Godard ‘The auteur theory can be summarised most simply as an acknowledgement of the director as the primary and shaping force behind a film’ (Craig Keller). How is Godard’s ‘primary and shaping influence’ detectable, if indeed, it is? Introduction The auteur theory was a principle developed in the 1950s by a group of French film critics namely: Eric Rohmer, Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. It was their belief that an auteur was â€Å"the single individual most responsible for whatever personal expression (if any) a movie yielded up under critical analysis†. This definition has become the most universally understood of the auteur theory and therefore the one which will be referred to during this dissertation. These critics wanted to see an end to la tradition de la qualità © of conventional cinema of the 1930s and 1940s a period coined le cinà ©ma de papa. They viewed films produced at that time to be â€Å"literary†, â€Å"lifeless† and not â€Å"truly cinematic†. Inspired by fellow film critic Alexandre Astruc’s camera-stylo theory arguing that â€Å"filmmakers should use their equipment as spontaneously, flexibly and personally as a writer uses a pen† these young critics began to break the constraints of conventional cinema. Prior to the development of the auteur theory, a large majority of films were produced, shot and edited in similar styles. Large studios, with fixed cameras and scriptwriters having overall control were common, thus creating a rigid style of film production. However, in the 1950s and 60s, a period labelled the Nouvelle Vague, French cinema was completely revolutionised. During this time films moved away from the confines of the big studios and artificial lighting; to outside, using light weight Arriflex cameras which sped up the film process. During this period directors began to experiment with several new cinematic techniques whilst implementing their own personal artistic values in films. These directors came to be known as auteurs becoming the ‘primary and shaping force’ behind their films, manipulating scenes to fit their style rather than employing the traditional method of following scriptwriter’s prompts. In terms of the auteur theory Jean-Luc Godard was seen as the truly radical auteur. By most he is today seen as one of the most innovative and artistic directors having created his own ‘Godard style’. As Godard himself suggests, â€Å"les vrais auteurs des films sont les producteurs†¦le cinema n’a d’avenir que si la camera finit par remplacer le stylo†. Godard epitomises a director out to challenge traditional cinema. Through such films as Vivre sa Vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) and Une femme est une femme he began to interrogate and illuminate conventional cinema via new cinematic and artistic techniques. This dissertation will assess the extent to which Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘primary and shaping influence’ is detectable in his films. In the main body of this dissertation I will consider Godard’s ability to implement his own cinematic style through several inventive techniques. I will consider his ability to challenge the barriers between off screen and on screen reality. Furthermore, I will analyse his use of camera shots, editing techniques, colour and sound so as to demonstrate his pivotal influence on the shaping of his films. I will however, also argue that any kind of definition of the auteur theory oversimplifies the realities of a film making process and can therefore not be seen as a definitive theory. Andrew Sarris explains, one of the premises for an auteur is that the director must ‘exhibit certain recurring characteristics of style which serve as his signature†¦over a group of his films’. I will, therefore, make reference to four of Godard’s films: A bout de Souffle (1960), Une femme est une femme (1961), Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) and Le Mepris (1963) to demonstrate how Godard yields personal influence in his films. One of Godard’s premises as a film director was his belief that realism was a pivotal part of film making. Godard believed that realism attempted by conventional cinema was â€Å"never exactly the same as reality, and in cinema it is of necessity faked†. It was therefore Godard’s intention to continually experiment with new ideas and make his actors improvise in certain scenes in order to encapsulate what he believed would be the closest thing to real life. Following the release of A Bout de Souffle actor Jean-Pierre Melville who played Parvulesco in the film said Godard’s movie was â€Å"anything shot anyhow†. Godard himself confirmed that â€Å"on A Bout de Souffle I used to write the evening before shooting†. According to Godard, the reason for him doing this was because â€Å"I liked to be surprised. If you know in advance everything you are going to do, it isn’t worth doing. If a show is all written down, what is the point of filming it? What use is cinema if it trails after literature?† Godards obsessive need to shape the smallest minutiae made him standout amongst his peers by firmly embedding him as the autonomous force behind all aspects of the film making process. In addition, if one reads the script of Le Mà ©pris it clearly shows his belief in improvisation to encapsulate real life. In the thirty minute apartment scene in which Camille and Paul argue, the only direction is â€Å"man in hat. Man in towel. Blond woman. Woman in black wig. Sheets on coach. Sheets off couch. Dishes on table. Love. Anger. Contempt. Tenderness.† This therefore forced the actors to improvise in the hope that the scene would be more realistic than just learning their lines by heart. This idea of filmmaking was revolutionary at the time and was a way in which Godard was implementing his own directional style to his movies. As Kreidel suggested in 1980 â€Å"[N]o one has yet made a more modern cinema than Godard†. For those familiar with Godard’s work the quote used above ‘anything shot anyhow’ should strike a chord. His use of the camera to manipulate scenes to exert his own artistic influence over his movies was just one of the ways in which his primary influence was detectable. Godard employed a range of new cinematic techniques in an attempt to escape the classical idea of a passive audience. His work was heavily influenced by Bertolt Brecht’s theory of Brechtian distanciation which encouraged the audience to make their own interpretations of what they were experiencing rather than them being simply led through a piece of theatre. Godard was influenced by Brecht’s theory in encouraging the active engagement of his audience, â€Å"he breaks the illusion of the fourth wall in order to communicate directly with the audience, usually in such an enigmatic way that he seems to be satirising the whole of communication†. In a key scene in A Bout de Souffle Michel, one of the lead protagonists, is filmed having a conversation with himself whilst driving. Traditionally this type of scene would be shot using a fly on the wall technique, Godard instead, by making Michel talk directly at the camera, creates the impression that Michel is directing his words at the audience. Manipulating the camera lens to involve the audience was just one of the techniques that Godard employed. In the opening scene in Vivre sa Vie he utilises a very different technique alienation. Rather than filming this scene in the traditional head-on format Godard places the camera lens behind the lead characters heads. In doing so the audience feels alienated from the conversation between the characters Nana and Raoul especially as their reflection in the mirror distances themselves even more from the audience. In addition, Godard never films the two characters in the same shot which not only highlights the divide between the characters but also the audience from the characters conversation. As Godard himself suggests â€Å"I also converge with the theatre through language: in my film one must listen to people speaking, particularly as their backs are often turned so that one is not distracted by their faces†. By shooting this scene from behind Godard does just that. He forces the audience to interpret the scene through what they hear and not what they see. By exploiting these techniques Godard is undoubtedly heavily exerting his influence on these films as an auteur. Godard’s use of the camera to exert a primary influence on his work often manifests itself in less obvious ways. He frequently extends the length of a single shot or slows down his camera movements to provide the viewer with adequate time to concentrate on a specific image. In Le Mà ©pris Godard is forced to do a slow panning shot in one of the final scenes of the film when Odysseus returns home to Ithica. Godard’s use of colour is so bold in this scene that if he quickly panned across the scene it would not give his viewers adequate time to concentrate on the composition of the colours. The scene is filmed in such a way that it adds to its artistic content. In much the same way as a writer’s style of writing changes or a painters brush strokes alter throughout their career, Godard’s style evolves throughout his films. He employs different techniques in each film but the one constant is his shaping influence on each of his works. In conventional cinema, colour was generally used in order to increase the commerciality of films. When it was occasionally used, it enhanced the mood in separate scenes. Godard employed a far more ambitious use of colour in his work. In his first two colour films Une femme est une femme and Le Mà ©pris he predominantly used primary colours due to his interest in â€Å"modern art: straight color, ‘pop’ art†. Godard used bold primary colours to indicate the characterisation and narrative development in his films but in such a way that it did not act upon the viewer in a directly sensual way. In Godard’s first colour film Une femme est une femme, Angela is intent on having a child with her husband Emile. Emile however, is not so keen on the idea and appears rather blasà © about the subject; he predominantly wears blue in the film which symbolises his rather laid back nature. After being repeatedly refused by Emile on the topic of having a baby, Angela goes to Emile’s friend Albert to have an affair in the hope to conceive. Albert despite being happy to oblige feels no real affection for Angela and this is shown as he mainly wears grey symbolising his disinterest in her. In Godard’s second colour film Le Mà ©pris, he continues the pattern of using colour to represent characters personalities but tends to also use colour to depict how characters emotions towards each other evolve throughout the movie. In the opening scene, Camille is lying in bed with Paul asking him if he loves different parts of her body. In this scene, Godard uses colour filters which are seen as a representative of what is going to happen in the film. If one considers that red symbolises love, white incertitude and blue coldness then it maps out what happens in the film, love to ambivalence to contempt. Furthermore, Godard manipulates colour to mirror personalities. Paul the scriptwriter in the film is seen in a grey suit with blue specks highlighting his passive personality. Jerry the ambitious American film producer is mostly seen in a blue suit, red tie and driving a red sports car which in turn suggests his dominant personality and his lust for Camille. In addition, Camille is shown in several coloured dresses throughout the film so as to emphasize her continual change of emotions. Finally Francesca, Jerry’s secretary wears a red jumper in the scene when she seduces Paul which again emphasizes Godard’s attempt to symbolise emotional currents in the film. It is important to note that several critics have suggested that Godard’s use of primary colours can also be seen as a referent to American musicals, a genre which fascinated Godard. This referent is most evidently seen in the opening credits of Une femme est une femme when bold colourful words flash up on the screen like neon lights, reflecting the lavishness of the American musical. Furthermore, other critics suggest that the primary colours are a referent to either the French flag or American flag. The extensive analysis of these critics suggests that they themselves acknowledge Godard as playing a decisive role in the production of his films. One of Godards most revolutionary impacts on French cinema was his use of editing. Prior to the Nouvelle Vague, directors were focused on attempting to reduce the awareness of the film making process for the audience; enhancing what directors felt was reality.   They would therefore use techniques such as continuity editing which prevented the audience from being aware of any cuts in between scenes, enabling them to be swept up in the film. Godard however, had a strong belief about the basics of cinema in which mise en scà ©ne (the content of individual shots) is continually inflected, articulated and transformed by montage (the editing that drives a film from one shot to another. With this strong belief Godard began to edit using techniques such as the jump-cut. The jump-cut was employed by Godard in his first motion picture A bout de Souffle. Due to a need to reduce the length of the film, Godard systematically cut out whatever could be cut, while trying to maintain some rhythm†. An example of his use of jump-cuts was in the scene when Michel, the criminal, is recognised by a police officer and therefore Michel decides to shoot him. In this scene Godard zooms in on the barrel of the gun which is about to be fired by Michel. Suddenly, when Michel fires the gun there is a jump-cut and the next image is the police officer falling to the ground having been hit. Another notable example of his use of jump cut came later in the film when Patricia is riding in a stolen convertible with Michel. In this scene there are up to seven jump-cuts of Patricias head, creating discontinuity in the scene in a very clear ‘Godard style’. Whilst many critics at the time found his use of jump-cut confusing and disruptive to the flow of the film; many others recognized his â€Å"jagged unruly montage heightened the jagged, unruly mood of a story propelled more by the whims of his characters than the dictates of a predetermined story, which is something evident in his film A bout de Souffle. As has been demonstrated it is clear that Godard exerted considerable influence over the editing process. It is clear that Godard’s films are characterised by a set of stylistic methods. Principally amongst these methods is his use of sound. Prior to the Nouvelle Vague, sound was employed in film to replicate audibly the visual emotion of a scene in order to captivate the audience and make a scene appear more ‘realistic’. Martin Heidegger highlights this tradition by suggesting that viewers have become accustomed to sound’s â€Å"elegant effects† and thus treats them as real. Godard however, firmly believed that in ‘faking’ sound to captivate the audience, one is taking away the realism that he wanted to convey in his films. A point agreed by Richard Roud who suggested that â€Å"even in the most so-called realist film, sound has always been an exception†. It was therefore Godard’s intention to restore sound so that it would captivate ‘real life’ by refusing to edit or remix any previously recorded track, which he defined as sonic realism. One of Godard’s most notable examples of this was seen in A Bout de Souffle. Due to the sound being naturally recorded there are several scenes in the film when some of the character’s conversations are muffled by natural noises. The use of natural sound reaches a peak during the scene in Patricia’s apartment when the noise of the sirens bellowing in through the open window actually drowns out the character’s dialogue. Rather than being a distraction that takes the viewer out of the moment, the use of natural sound here, and throughout the film, only heighten the realism. After all, in life, it would be unrealistic to sit in a room with an open window in the centre of Paris and not hear any intrusive sounds. Jean Collet praises Godard’s creation of realism through sound stating â€Å"[Godard applies] to sound the same demands as for the pictures. [He captures] life in what it offers to be seen-and to be heard-directly.† Godard’s artistic use of sound did change in his career with the development of post-synchronised sound. Prior to the Nouvelle Vague, direct sound was used in films such as A Bout de Souffle. However, with the development of post-synchronised sound Godard was able to talk to the actors whilst filming so as to direct them and after synchronise the sound with the film footage. This also enabled him to implement his artistic Brechtian style of filmmaking in which he alienated his audience. In the opening scene in Vivre sa Vie, Godard uses the soundtrack in ten to twenty second bursts. The scene shows shots of Anna Karina’s face at different angles. In conventional cinema, music would generally play consistently throughout this scene to highlight the emotional state. Godard however, plays it in bursts creating discontinuity in the scene as the soundtrack stops at random intervals. As has been demonstrated, Goddard employs a wealth of techniques in his films to manipulate sound. In playing such a pivotal role, he firmly entrenches himself as the key player in his work. Rarely before had cinema seen someone wield such a crucial influence over all aspects of the film making process. Second Section It is undeniable that Godard has produced some of the most inspiring and innovative films through his use of story line and cinematic techniques. His exploitation of light, colour, and sound, editing and alienating the audience showed Godard had revolutionised traditional French cinema and in doing so has inspired modern day film directors such as Quentin Tarrantino. However, in using Keller’s summary that an auteur is simply the primary and shaping force of his films it is unquestionably oversimplifying the realities of the film making process. As Godard changed so much in his films compared to traditional cinema it is not possible for him to be praised for every aspect of his films creation. Godard said in an interview in 1983: â€Å"I find it useless to keep offering the public the ‘auteur’. In Venice, when I got the prize of the Golden Lion I said that I deserve only probably the mane of this lion, and maybe the tail. Everything in the middle should go to all the others who work on the picture: the paws to the director of photography, theface to the editor, the body to the actors. I don’t believe in the solitude of†¦the auteur with a capital A†. Furthermore, Godard admitted that him and the likes of Truffaut, Rohmer and Rivette whilst taking the plaudits for the auteur theory, exaggerated the significance of the theory so as to establish personal expression as one of the primary values in Nouvelle Vague films. Several theorists have also raised doubts as to the significance of the auteur. Foulcault and Roland Barthes suggest that all creative ideas are moulded by the social and political forces that surround us. They go on to state that ideas are contrived from the knowledge that one has gained from past experiences. If one puts this in the context of Godard’s films it would suggest that Godard’s cinematic ideas and techniques were influenced by what he has learnt from past experiences. An example of this can be seen in his indirect use of Brechtian distanciation. Whilst it is evident that he was inspired by Brecht’s idea of alienating the audience to prevent them from being passive observers can one really claim that Godards cinematic techniques were not the result of Brecht’s indirect influence? Furthermore, when analysing many of Godard’s films, Godard refers to several quotes from the likes of William Faulkner and Edgar Poe. These are quotes which could have been easily edited but instead Godard â€Å"taste for quotation† suggests that he is not the primary and shaping force in his films. Language One of Godard’s obsessions as a director was his use of language and his belief that words could represent anything. Whether his characters are just mouthing words or when they say one thing and then immediately contradict it, it exhibits his desire to become a writer through his films. In doing this he is challenging the use of words and at the same time expressing his desire to be an author, similar to that of being a novelist or playwright. He wants to aspire to the status of being a writer as though cinema is some sort of parvenu that can find legitimacy by talking about poetry of cinema and therefore elevating it to that status. Godard therefore investigated how meaningful words can express the way you feel, through his use of subtitles, language through signs and translation. Vivre sa Vie is a good example of this as the characters speak different languages and therefore need an intermediary, Francesca to put their views across. Furthermore, in one of the final scenes of Le Mepris Camille and Jerry, despite not speaking the same language use signs to express their thoughts. Camille states that she likes to type by gesturing her fingers typing on an imaginary typewriter and Jerry who gestures his reaction to this with his hands stating that she is crazy. One could also suggest that Godard is expressing his own views through the use of language. In certain scenes of Vivre sa Vie it almost appears as if Godard is either articulating his opinions through voiceovers or, uses the characters as mouth pieces of his thoughts. When Nana speaks to the philosopher she says â€Å"that we are all responsible for our actions, we are free, I am responsible (which she repeats five times)†¦you only have to take an interest in things, things are what they are, life is life.† Furthermore, in the scene when Raoul reads an extract of Edward Poe’s book†¦which is in fact Godard doing a voiceover. This Godard style is also a very good alienating technique, as whether he is speaking implicitly or explicitly he is constantly reminding the viewer that he is making a film of which he is the director. So you are therefore never able to simply surrender to the naturalistic credibility of the language in films which was the case in conventional cinema. Rather he is deliberately making the viewer aware of the film making process.

Cattells Big Five Factors Essay -- science

Cattell's Big Five Factors Cattell’s Big Five Factors of Personality, Behavioral Genetics, and Evolutionary Personality Theory. Current Research Raymond Cattell (1905-present) designed the â€Å"Big five Factors of Personality†, in which five classifications are revealed. Big Five factors: #1 extraversion vs. introversion, #2 agreeableness vs. antagonism, #3 conscientiousness vs. undirected ness, #4 neuroticism vs. emotional stability, and #5 openness to experience vs. not open to experience. Han’s Eysenck’s and Sir Francis Galton behavior genetics research and Arnold Buss’ three concerns for evolutionary personality theory coinsided with each other. The Big five represents a catalog of traits that some personality psychologists suggest capture the essence of individual differences in personality. Raymond Cattell used Allport and Odbert’s 4500 trait-descriptives in which he extracted 35 traits. After others continued to analyze these factors and found congruence with the ratings, that eventually became the Big five Factors of Personality. In order to fully understand the origin of these factors an outline for factor analysis must be explained. Factor analysis studies where conducted and the results where used in an analysis technique generally done with computers to determine meaningful relationships and patterns in behavioral data. Beginning with a large number of behavioral variables, the computer finds relationships or natural connections where variables are maximally correlated with one another and minimally correlated with other variables, and then it groups the data accordingly. After this process has been repeated many times a pattern of relationships or certain factors that capture the essence of all the data appears (Pervin & John 1999). The same process used to determine the Big Five Personality factors; copious amounts of different researchers that have done numerous tests and they all agree that the â€Å"Big five Factors† are the only consistently reliable factors that have been found. Big Five factors include: #1 extraversion vs. introversion, #2 agreeableness vs. antagonism, #3 conscientiousness vs. undirected ness, #4 neuroticism vs. emotional stability, and #5 openness to experience vs. not open to experience, these breakdown into understandable terms. #1 Extraversion implies an energetic approach to the social and material wo... ...between human nature and individual characteristics? He also acknowledged three criteria from evolutionary biology for determining a characteristic as a part of human nature. These are: it must be universal. Must be â€Å"innate, unconditioned, and relatively difficult to modify† (p.1139). And lastly it must have an adaptive function (Lindsey and Campbell p. 352,1998). In conclusion, all of these theories have laid the groundwork for mapping complex human behavior. It is still unclear when and how much of our personalities/traits come from genetics and how much is influenced by outside factors. Many believe you must learn of your past in order to succeed in the future, but understanding how we became what we are today is of equal importance. With the advances in technology, DNA/Genetics who knows what answers the future will hold for us. References Hall, C., Lindzey, G., Campbell, J. (1998). Theories of Personality (4th ed.) (pp.343-356) John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Pervin, L. & John, O. (Eds) (1999). Handbook of Personality: theory and research. New York: Gilford. Potkay, C. & Allen, B (1986). Personality: Theory, research, and applications. California: Brooks/Cole.

Mithraism Essay -- Cult Religion Rome Roman

Mithraism Mithraism is the ancient Roman mystery cult of the god Mithras. Roman worship of Mithras began sometime during the early Roman empire, perhaps during the late first century of the Common Era (hereafter CE), and flourished from the second through the fourth centuries CE. While it is fairly certain that Romans encountered worship of the deity Mithras as part of Zoroastrianism in the eastern provinces of the empire, particularly in Asia Minor (now modern Turkey), the exact origins of cult practices in the Roman cult of Mithras remain controversial (see below). The evidence for this cult is mostly archaeological, consisting of the remains of mithraic temples, dedicatory inscriptions, and iconographic representations of the god and other aspects of the cult in stone sculpture, sculpted stone relief, wall painting, and mosaic. There is very little literary evidence pertaining to the cult. The Deity: Mitra, Mithra, Mithras Mithras is the Roman name for the Indo-Iranian god Mitra, or Mithra, as he was called by the Persians. Mitra is part of the Hindu pantheon, and Mithra is one of several yazatas (minor deities) under Ahura-Mazda in the Zoroastrian pantheon. Mithra is the god of the airy light between heaven and earth, but he is also associated with the light of the sun, and with contracts and mediation. Neither in Hinduism nor in Zoroastrianism did Mitra/Mithra have his own cult. Mitra is mentioned in the Hindu Vedas, while Mithra is is the subject of Yashts (hymns) in the Zoroastrian Avesta, a text compiled during the Sassanian period (224-640 CE) to preserve a much older oral tradition. Possible Eastern Origins of the Roman Cult The precise relationship between the Roman cult of Mithras as it developed during ... ...umont, F. Textes et monuments figurés relatifs aux mystères de Mithra. 2 vols. Brussels, 1896, 1899. Cumont, F. The Mysteries of Mithra. Trans. T. J. McCormack. London, 1903, reprint New York, 1956. Hinnells, J., ed. Mithraic Studies. 2 vols. Manchester, 1975. Merkelbach, R. Mithras. Königstein, 1984. Renan, E. Marc-Aurèle et la fin du monde antique. Paris, 1882. Stark, K. B. "Die Mithrasstein von Dormagen," Jahrbücher des Vereins von Altertumsfreunden im Rheinlande 46 (1869): 1-25. Swerdlow, N. "Review Article: On the Cosmical Mysteries of Mithras," Classical Philology 86 (1991): 48-63. Turcan, R. Mithras Platonicus. Leiden, 1975. Ulansey, D. The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries. New York and Oxford, 1989. Vermaseren, M. J. Corpus inscriptionum et monumentorum religionis mithriacae. 2 vols. The Hague, 1956, 1960.