Civil liberties during war-time Essay

Civil Liberties are for example freedom of speech and freedom of the press as defined by the first amendment. These freedoms have been challenged by the threat of war, but should they be taken away because of it? The first amendment states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† These are our civil liberties that we are promised as citizens of the U.S. In the past these liberties have been interfered with. The main cause for this interference was war. The government wanted to abolish any chances of treason or leaking of information to the enemies and to do this they passed act such as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien and Sedition Acts made it illegal to write, print, speak, or publish anything false or untrue about to United States. We can understand how certain precautions must be made to insure safety in times of war but to go so far as to take away our freedoms are out of bounds. There are numerous other ways to make us safe without interfering with our liberties. For example: tighter security. After 9/11 security became very tight at airports and other areas where terrorists might be able to enter the country. Although this extra security was tedious and time consuming to get through, it was well within the lines of the 1st amendment because it did not take away any of our freedoms. I do not believe that our civil liberties should be taken away during wartime. This is a democracy and should remain one whether engaged in war or not. The government can think of more ways to protect us other than limiting our freedoms of speech or of the press, and certainly without interfering with our privacy unless there is just cause to do so.

Advantages and barriers of harmonizing International Financial Reporting Standards throughout the world Essay

The development in international trade and capital flows that has occurred over the previous two decades has increased the desire to harmonise accounting standards across the globe. The appeal of international accounting harmonization has been extensively discussed. Numerous academics Ali, J M (2005), Adhikari and Tondkar (1992), Saudagaran (1997) argue that adopting International Financial Reporing Standards (IFRS) would bring great benefits to society, such as comparability of statements between countries, progression and development of capital markets and communication and relationships between multinational companies. It has also been debated by some Blake (199O), Nair and Frank (1981), Nobes and Parker (2004 ), Arpan and Radebaugh (1985), Deegan (2005) that with the rewards gained from harmonization come some barriers; economic consequences, nationalism and the lack of professional bodies. One of the most valuable features that would come from harmonization would be the comparability of international financial information. Currently there is great misunderstandings about the foreign financial statements, improving comparability would remove this issue and it would also eliminate one of the most significant barriers to the flow of international investment. Global harmonization would save time and money that is presently being spent on uniting differing financial information when more than one set of reports is required to comply with the different national laws or practice Blake (1990). It will also improve the tendency for accounting standards throughout the world to be raised to the highest possible level and to be consistent with local economic, legal and social conditions. Having one international accounting language is beneficial for the worldwide comparison of statements and understandability. Unifying accounting standards would also help the development and expansion of capital markets. Ali, J M (2005). In the last two decades the growth in capital markets has been very dramatic. This increase has brought about a number of issues. One concern is the variance in accounting disclosure standards and practices worldwide, which is concerning for a variety of different groups Adhikari and Tondkar (1992). IFRS would allow foreign investors, financial analysts and foreign lenders to have a greater  understanding of the financial statements of different international companies and they would be able to compare the investment opportunities which will help them to make the right investment decision. The group that would benefit the most out of the harmonisation of accounting standards would be the Multi-national companies (MNC’s) as the communication of financial information within the groups would become easier. With the harmonization of reporting standards it would be eas ier for MNC’s to fulfil the disclosure requirement for stock exchanges around the world. Many of the new foreign investment by MNCs is taking place in developing countries and at the same time that there has been a sharp decline in new investments in industrialized nations Saudagaran (1997). This means that due to the remarkable differences between financial reporting MNCs have to create numerous consolidated financial statements in regards to the regulations for each separate country. To do this it takes a great deal of time and resources, this problem would be eliminated by the adoption of IFRS. A subject of debate is whether the accounting regulators take the issue of economic consequences into account when deciding on whether to adopt the IFRS. Many companies do not take on the change as bringing change into their accounting standards will raise costs. This resistance may occur with the harmonization of accounting standards Blake (1990). Nair and Frank (1981) stated â€Å"national accounting group would lobby in this fashion in order to minimize the costs associated with changing to a new standard, or to avoid stigma of noncompliance if it chooses instead to ignore the new international standard†. It is also discussed that accountants may lose their credibilit y if they are to answer to the economic consequences pressures whilst it is also discussed that it is a vital matter if accounting regulations are to command general support. Blake (1990) provides evidence of how accounting standard setters were influenced by economic consequence issues in different countries. Economic consequence issues may cause diversity of accounting practices because they are a result of the national cultural and regulatory framework. One of the barriers for harmonization may be nationalism. Nobes and Parker (2004) advocate that nationalism will cause a refusal to accept accounting standards that is to be developed by other countries. Each country follows the belief that they have in place the better system and that other countries accounting  standards are of an inferior nature Arpan and Radebaugh (1985). Some countries that have faults and inadequacies within their standards will chose not to adopt the IFRSs as they can benefit from these ineffiecies. An example is given by Carlson (1997) who acknowledges that governments may view attempts by the IASC to alter national accounting rules as infringements upon national sovereignty. Developing nations and those which have been colonies of imperial powers are particularly sensitive to intrusions. Wallace (1990) identifies three reasons in favour of survival of the IASC/IASB, including the increasing internationalization of business and finance, the composite nature of its standards, and the absence of rival in the development of global accounting standards. Another political obstacle that may arise, which is discussed by Nobes and Parker (2004) is that there are several countries that are not in the presence of strong practiced accounting bodies. The IASB wanted to work through national accountancy bodies but this is an issue as they are not all countries have effective bodies. The IOSCO came forth with the suggestion of the adoption of IASB standards as an acceptable basis for the preparation of financial statements to member exchanges throughout the world. This means that a company looking for listing in another country does not have to adjust its reports to fulfil the specific national requirements if the reports are already in agreement with IASB standards Deegan (2005). The need for the harmonization of IFRS is definitely evident. As discussed earlier there are a great number of benefits that would arise from this progression. To provide a professional, developing and strong accounting environment it would be necessary. Despite the benefits there are a number of barriers and hurdles that need to be overcome in order to bring about the harmonization of international accounting standards. In order to ensure the uniform app lication of accounting standards across cultural and political boundaries IASB needs to ensure that there are strong audit practices and fair values applied in order to bring about the integrity of the standards.

Bias: Motor Control and Favorite Color

Abstract What is your favorite color and why? Do you think that simple tasks might be biased by your preferences? Find out in this science project if your color preferences will bias your fine motor skills when doing quick, repetitive tasks. Objective In this science project you will test whether color preference will affect repetitive tasks that require fine motor coordination, like picking up small objects very quickly. Do Preferences Bias Our Choices? Introduction What does it mean to have a favorite color?It may be something that you choose for no good reason, other than the fact that you like it. You may have some kind of emotional reason for choosing a certain color. Can color  preference have biological origins? When we see a color, it is interpreted in our brain by the visual cortex, where different groups of neurons are stimulated. The differential stimulation of neurons within the visual cortex might lead to color preferences. Do these preferences affect other brain funct ions, like our behavior? Our brains also coordinate the movements of our muscles.This occurs in the motor cortex of the brain. If you play sports or video games, you know that one helpful skill is  hand-eye coordination. This means that the different regions of your brain function well together, allowing you to be well-coordinated. When you catch a fast-moving ball, your eyes tell the brain where the ball is, and then the brain tells your arm and hand to catch it. If these two areas of the brain can coordinate complex  movements  and behaviors, then what other sensory responses can influence our behavior?In this science project, you will test how color can affect hand-eye coordination. You will ask participants to quickly choose different-colored M&M candies from a bowl. Will their choices reveal their color preferences? Terms and Concepts To do this type of science project, you should know what the following terms mean. Have an adult help you search the Internet or take you t o your local library to find out more. * Preference * Hand-eye coordination * Movement * Bias * Visual targeting * Differential stimulation of neurons * Biological Orgin Questions How do preferences affect sudden choices, coordination, and movement? * Will color preference influence the color of M&M's your participants pick up? * Are visual targeting and hand-eye coordination biased by our color preferences? Materials Buy  2 14-oz bags or 1 23. 1-oz bag of M;M's  and count out 50 of each color, then combine those in a bowl. * Buy  2 14-oz bags or 1 23. 1-oz bag of M&M's  and count out 50 of each color, then combine those in a bowl. * Dry measuring cup (if you bought individually colored M;M's) * Large bowl * Several participants (at least 12) Sandwich baggies (one for each participant) * Permanent markers * Lab notebook * Graph paper Experimental Procedure 1. Depending on which method you selected in the Materials and Equipment list, portion your M&M's into the large bowl. 2 . Ask your first participant to pick out M;M's as quickly as possible, using only a two-finger pinch, and with one arm behind his or her back. The participant should place them on the table next to the bowl as they are pulled out. As your participant puts them on the table, silently count the number of M&M's on the table.When you see that the participant has pulled out 20 M;M's, ask him or her to stop. 3. Put the M&M's the first participant chose into a sandwich baggie. Ask the participant what his or her favorite color of M;M ® is and write it on the baggie with a permanent marker. 4. Replace the M;M's that the participant removed with the same-colored M&M's that the participant took from the bowl. For instance, if he or she removed three red and five dark brown M;M's, replenish the bowl with three red and five dark brown M&M's, not from the participant's sandwich baggie. . Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all of your participants, replenishing the bowl with the same-colored M&M's as eac h participant removed after every trial. 6. Be sure that you have written each participant's favorite color on  every  baggie! If you forgot to write this down, the data cannot be used and the contents must be disposed of. 7. When you have collected data from several participants, sort your baggies into groups by the favorite color written on the baggies. 8. Starting with one â€Å"Favorite Color† group, tally the numbers of each colored M&M in the bags.Then move on to the next â€Å"Favorite Color† and do another tally, until you have tallied the numbers of all of the colored M&M's picked for each â€Å"Favorite Color† category. Record your data in a data table like the one below in your lab notebook: Participant| Number of M;M's Chosen of Each Color| Total Number of M&M ‘s Chosen| | Red| Orange| Yellow| Green| Blue| Brown| | Red| | | | | | | | Orange| | | | | | | | Yellow| | | | | | | | Green| | | | | | | | Blue| | | | | | | | Brown| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9. To be able to compare numbers between categories, you will need to normalize the data.Do this by calculating percentages of each color picked for each â€Å"Favorite Color† category. First add together the total number of M;Ms chosen for each â€Å"Favorite Color† in each row and insert that in your data table, like the one above. Then calculate the percentages in a new data table by dividing the number of M;M's chosen for a single color (from the  Number of M&M's Chosen of Each Color  column) by the total number of M;M's chosen (from the  Total Number of M&M's Chosen  column), and then multiplying your answer by 100.The new data table should look like this: Favorite Color M;M| Percentage of M;M's Chosen of Each Color| | Red| Orange| Yellow| Green| Blue| Brown| Red| | | | | | | Orange| | | | | | | Yellow| | | | | | | Green| | | | | | | Blue| | | | | | | Brown| | | | | | | 10. Now you want to find out if your participants chose t heir favorite color of M&M from the bowl more often than other colors. You can see this if you make a graph called a  histogram  for each â€Å"Favorite Color† M&M group.On the left side of the graph (y-axis), write a scale of percentages from zero to 100%. On the bottom of the graph (x-axis), write the series of M&M colors. Draw a bar for each color up to the matching percentage. 11. Repeat step 10 for each of the favorite M&M colors. Did your participants tend to pick their favorite color? Evaluation ( insert those graphs and table that were created ) Conclusion was I correct or not ? If so How? If Not Why? How Could You Have Inprpved This project

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 25

Assignment Example However, there are also a number of similarities like acculturation process and the styles and patterns of communication. It was found that genderlect and cross-national aspects were similar in some ways and different in others. The differences in cross-national and intra-national management were different due to legislation, magnitude and time horizon. This was because different countries follow a different constitution or a set of rules, are going forward with a different goal in mind and their time-frame also may vary from each other. Training programs designed for cross-national and intra-national differences management are; programs implemented to increase awareness and develop communication channels. Both these programs can help in further advancement and achievement in the field by the help of education and easy and effective ways to communicate. The implications include implementing the research and the results drawn. This can be done by selection, ability to get accustomed to changes. Second implication may be by management of differences between various backgrounds with the help of acculturation process. Third method includes training the individuals by developing communication proficiency. The article gives wide range of knowledge regarding management, when it comes to differences between countries and their inhabitants. Business firms and organizations need to establish certain qualities which help them to withstand barriers which usually arise in the course of international dealings. These similarities and differences, when studied and focused on, and implemented through out the world, can help improve management in cross-national and croos-0cultural as well as intra-national environments. The purpose of this article is to learn how to build effective networks which may be social, digital or organizational. Our lives are surrounded by many such networks; like social, professional etc. Some important networks have a great impact

Central Banks & Monetary Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Central Banks & Monetary Policy - Research Paper Example If compared to a case where objectives included both dimensions of public policy and commercial, such statement significantly increased the clearness of the direction given to bankers with central banks. There was an identity of logic of purpose. They were mandated with the role of discharging their functions in a way that is related to the interest of the public, considering state agencies’ functions and coordinating them. It is to the degree that the interest of the public could be provided by the addition of functions not assigned to the better (Callaghan, 2009). Hence, most central banks started to assume roles for financial sector’s development; payment system oversight and money operation, foreign exchange, capital market and debt oversight. From the present objective, such an interest objective exposes itself to understanding and provides directions on what is to be done when views or functions as to nation’s interest. It is only in the recent past that at tention has been awarded to objectives identification for function of individual and to objectives potential to conflict. Specifying objective trends have emerged, but functions of many banks are not directed by legal objectives. Objectives of Monetary Policy Price stability dominates the objective of monetary policy that is made specific in legislation. The stability of currency purchasing power is dominating legal objective. In most situations, it is always superior to other objectives. In contrary, if stability of price is not specific, the legally specified objectives tend to be general. In fact, if the stability of price is not stated specifically as a goal, then there is no objective that legally dominates, and instead definition of value of currency is used (Cecchetti, 2011). There are conflicts which arise if various actions of monetary policies are driven by various objectives. For instance, objectives that regard stability of price and variables of the real economy are con cerned with such conflicts. Secondly, is about rate of exchange regimes- local stability of price and stability in the exchange rate requires adjustment of interest rates in directly opposite positions. The conflicts raise interpretation issues of objectives that are legal where both currency and price stability are specific as objectives of monetary policy. If the stability in price would be equal to stability in currency, then conflict potential would be solved. Other ways of solving potential conflicts are; making sure that precedence orders are among objectives, recognition of lower levels to be in a position to clarify and interpret legislation’s higher level, use of extra-statutory agreement, which provide law interpretation on which the central bank agree, and lastly, taking into accountability the technical feasibility. Objectives Financial Stability Most of central banks presume that financial stability has policy responsibility. In a few situations where the central bank is faced with legal objective that is explicit for stability in finance, objective is of a wide range and the responsibility of central banks far reaching. However, in other situations where there are well set objectives for functions of financial stability, the language’s implication is an extent of results responsibility, with these banks charged with stable, safe or sound system of finance. Making a financial stability specific entails confrontation of issues discussed relating them to objectives of monetary policy. It is not an objective that is absolute- financial stability is always flexible. The extent is what varies. There is no

How effective is Parliament in ensuring executive accountability Essay

How effective is Parliament in ensuring executive accountability - Essay Example This paper will look at the select committees and how they play a role in holding the executive accountable as some part of the parliament agencies. The Ministerial Question Time and the advantages and disadvantages that come with it are also discussed. This helps understand or determine whether the parliament has been effective in ensuring that the executive is accountable in what they do. Keywords: Executive, Government, Select Committee, Ministerial Question Time, Accountability Introduction Accountability is an aspect required in every kind of administration. In the U.K., the House of Lords and the House of Commons both have select committees that scrutinize their operations. Ministerial Question Time is also used as a method of scrutiny parliament. It is used as a way to hold the executive branch of the government into account of what they do. This paper discusses the different types of select committees, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as Ministerial Question Time a nd the advantages and Disadvantages associated with it. Select committees Select committees work in both houses; that is, the House of Commons and House of Lords. Most consist of eleven members who are chosen by the members of the parliament from their own parties. Their work is to check and report on areas ranging from the work of government departments to economic affairs. The report is usually published and sometimes discussed in the parliament. When the report is presented to the parliament, the government is given an average of sixty days to respond to the report. Generally, the select committees have limited power as they can request the attendance of ministers, but the ministers have an option of availing or not availing themselves. Before, the chairs of the each Select Committee used to be chosen by a select committee that was largely influenced by the government the party whips. Today, the chairs are normally chosen according to the Wright Committee proposals of 2009 throug h an AV election by all MPs (â€Å"Select Committees†, n.d.). Explain different types of select committees and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each as well There are two committees which differ in their responsibilities. First, there is the House of Commons Select Committee or the departmental Select committee. It has a minimum of 11 members as said earlier, who decide on how they will conduct their inquiry and then gather written and oral evidence. This Select Committee is given the work of examining the work of the government departments; that is, their expenditure, administration and policies of the government (â€Å"Select Commitees,† n.d.). The advantage of the Select Committee of the House of Common is that their mandate is not very limited, as some committees have roles that go beyond the boundaries of the department. They are also allowed to appoint specialist advisers, who advise them on particular matters, but these appointees are not permanent t hey are paid on a daily basis (â€Å"Select Commitees,† n.d.). The Select Committee of the House of Lords usually concentrates on four main areas; that is, Europe, science, economics, and the constitution of United Kingdom. Each are has been put under a committee that is, the European Union committee, and the rest follows (â€Å"Select Commitees,† n.d.). The committee members under the House of Lords

Product Development and selling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Product Development and selling - Essay Example To the individuals, computers can be used for communication, type setting, graphic design, entertainment and performing of a variety of tasks depending on each individual user. These are fundamental activities which can make one be comfortable both at home and in their officers. On the other hand, computers can be used by business organizations in the automation of their services. Thus, they become able to produce organized, neat, accurate, reliable and high quality work. The use of Information Technology (IT) can be a very good idea for any business as it can be the surest way of improving its productivity. However, in order to ensure that my commodity is sold, I will have to properly plan. By putting in place relevant strategies, I will definitely manage to sell my products to my clients and be in a position of making profit. After all, that is the major goal of my business. Besides, I will have to scan the prevailing conditions in the market so as to be privy with all the information about the level of competition in the market. I will need to know about the pricing policies of my competitors. This will be important in helping me to set a reasonable price which will not only be appealing to my clients, but be able to enable me to increase my profitability. Such prices should be decided based on the costs of production and the level of competition in the market. With this in mind, I will still have to ensure that I produce high quality commodities because it will be crucial in determining the success of the business. Many clients prefer commodities with high value regardless of their prices. When this is done, the business will be able to make some profit. It represents a profit margin of 52%. However, because the company needs to maximize its profits, it will have to venture into a sales presentation as it will help it to bridge the gap between it and the potential and existing clients (Roth 219). Besides, additional initiatives such as

Influence of Global Economics at Micro and Macro Levels Assignment

Influence of Global Economics at Micro and Macro Levels - Assignment Example The researcher states that Adam Smith’s was the idea that free trade should prevail as well as the notions that were backing nation-building policies in the support of national defense is more important than opulence. The act of navigation and the wisest of commercial regulations also made concessions to the mercantilistic policy of regulation of foreign trade. In the 1770s, Smith wrote the wealth of nations in the widespread of mercantilism and his advocacy of free trade was supported by the comparative cost theory and the cloth/wine arguments served as the foundation for what later came to be called the pure theory of trade. This theory has then made a turn to support the free trade theory and both Britain and the United States embarked upon policies allowing the extreme of one way or unilateral free trade. According to Dunkey, free trade economists often describe the goal of globalization as deep integration or the convergence of nations’ fundamental economic structu res and policy systems, extending far beyond trade or strictly economic criteria. At the start of the twenty-first century, Americans deviated from living in a national market that was depending on its own resources. The American economy was isolated from the rest of the world by border restrictions and natural barriers, such as time, distance and lack of information. Decades of trade liberalization along with innovations in telecommunication and transportation had integrated global markets – and exposed workers in high-income countries to the pressures of global competition. The superiority of an international trading system characterized by greater multilateralism and international specialization over a trading system based on protectionism, bilateralism and a division of the world into major trading blocs is by no means as clear cut today as it was a decade ago.

Research Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Projects - Essay Example The first is to attain a greater understanding of the world around us, with the assumption here being that new' knowledge facilitates that. The second is the reshaping of the world and reorganisation of the framework within which human activities unfold for the explicated purpose of bring the reality closer to the ideal (Sekaran, 2003). Although, at first glance, the second cited aim may sound unduly ambitious and somewhat arrogant, closer inspection proves otherwise. Were one to briefly consider the fact that medical research has led to the evolution of technologies which have significantly lengthened average human life spans, or that electronic communications research has led to the evolution of the internet, we find that the gap between the ideal and the real, although vast, has been somewhat reduced. Moreover, were we to momentarily reflect upon the fact that scientific research has led to the evolution of instruments and technologies as would give us better understanding of the health of our environment, s a strategy for forestalling crisis, we would again concede that research is fulfilling is articulated aims of explaining and reshaping the world. The research pr On the basis of the above, one may affirm that the aims of research are to uncover new knowledge with the purpose of doing so being to improve the world and human life. Research Process The research process varies in accordance with the research field and the selected research methodology. Hence, as noted by Jackson (1994) within the parameters of scientific research, the process is primarily framed by the collection of primary data and experimentation while, within the context of a humanities' based research, the process is framed by the examination of secondary data in light of new developments, generally tending towards the theoretical and the explanatory and involving little, if any, experimentation (Jackson, 1994). In other words, the research process, defined as the methodology pursued (Jackson, 1994) differs in accordance with subject matter and selected research method. Although the research process is variable, the fact is that the process comprises a number of steps which, if the research subscribes to accepted academic standards and criteria, is cross-disciplinary. All research, as argued by Creswell (2003) proceeds from a specified research problem, an articulated research question and a hypothesised solution to the problem and response to the question. These three steps, research problem, research question and hypothesis, frame the research itself whereby all succeeding research activity is founded upon, and guided by them (Creswell, 2003). In other words, irrespective of research discipline and methodology, the research process comprises the three steps outlined. Based on the above elucidation of the research process, one may not that the process is inextricably connected to the earlier mentioned research reasons. As earlier stated, a research is motivated by the compulsion to uncover new knowledge and to resolve existent problems. These general research aims are narrowed down to a specific problem, question and hypothesis during the research process. Therefore, one may safely assert that the reasons for research and

Are humans naturally good or naturally evil Essay Example for Free

Are humans naturally good or naturally evil Essay Are humans naturally good or naturally evil? Paul Bloom’s (psychologist) answer is yes. Most adults know wrong from right, for the excep*on of psychos. The heroes who come to the rescue, the ones that are disappointed, by some of the things that occur in our society and the act of kindness. There is a push to make the wrongdoers pay for what they commi-ed, help the needy, also emo*onal responses that revolve around morality. Research in laboratories, prove the claim that sense of good and evil are bred in the bone. Babies and toddlers can judge others ac*ons based on whether they are evil or good. They feel the same way about evil and bad and react the same way as adults. They also like Nikki Daniel 2/12/14 1st current event of quarter 3 per 2 those who do too. Based on their behavior, their judgments and ac*ons we can tell what they like and dislike. There is limit to morality. Babies start slow and then start seeing themselves as a group. Most humans obtain general moral ideas. Our ac*ons fall low compare to our moral principles. Communica*ng with people with the same morals and values as you is a big part of growing up to be a good person. This research might change the way that many people feel about their babies and children. Some think babies are bad seeds others think they are psychopaths. Our surrounding can change our natural moral senses. Understanding moral psychology can make the world a be-er place. The Nikki Daniel 2/12/14 1st current event of quarter 3 per 2 science of baby morality is all about human natures best and worst. It is actually pre-y goal that babies and li-le kids can tell the di5erence between good from bad. I think with people with be-er morality, the world would be a be-er place. Many people believe in one thing and do something completely di5erent. I learned something new. Honestly, I thought babies’ brain was like a size of a peanut and did not know right from wrong. I knew they could sense when someone is a good person or bad person but I did not know about all of this.

Yann Martels Life Of Pi 2001 Literature Essay

Yann Martels Life Of Pi 2001 Literature Essay Yann Martels Booker-Prize winning novel Life of Pi (2001) narrates the nine months odyssey of Piscine Patel on the Pacific Ocean. Far from being only a fascinating adventurous tale, this novel addresses important issues such as faith, identity, universalism, religion, and areas of cultural contact. Although the plot may seem to revolve mainly around Pi and Richard Parker, Life of Pi deals extensively with the great human project of trying to live together. By using Pi as his trans-cultural hero, Martel seems to insist on the need to constructively reformulate the human mind in relation to cosmopolitanism, absolute truth and religious identity. This papers aim is to bring out the cosmopolitan message that Martel seeks to transmit to his readers and to show how the latter focuses on that part of our common human identity that links us, instead of stressing on those identities that only partially define and differentiate us. A cross-reference is also going to be made to Homers The Odyss ey so as to highlight the idea of the equal treatment of all human beings, regardless of religion, culture, ethnicity and values, as prescribed by cosmopolitanism. Life of Pi is a novel which can be read in many different ways; as an adventurous story, as an allegory of power, as a reflection on the superiority of imagination over reason, as an explanation of the intricate and complex life of humans and animals, and, of utmost importance to this essay, as a spiritual journey or a quest for identity and as a metaphor of the cultural and religious conflicts that characterize every known human society. Culture and identity play a key role in many contemporary wars. Many philosophers and cultural theorists argue that the resolution of protracted ethnic and religious conflicts lies in the fostering and nurturing of cosmopolitan identities. First of all, what makes Life of Pi an interesting platform for exploring trans-cultural and interfaith relationships is not merely Martels cosmopolitan background, but also the novels portrayal of the protagonists life before and after the shipwreck. Pi Patel grows up in Pondicherry, a former French territory on the Indian subcontinent, where Eastern and Western cultures inevitably exist in close contact. To the dismay of grownups, particularly the representatives of different religions, the wise men as they are almost satirically referred to in the novel, Pi shows devotion to Hinduism, embraces and practices Christianity and Islam simultaneously. After his nine months in the lifeboat, he is hospitalized in Mexico and the author finally encounters him as an Indian immigrant in Toronto. Pis hybrid, multiple faiths and open-mindedness not only help him survive emotionally and physically but are also strengthened after the events. His house in Canada can be used as a proof to support this statement; the author describes the devotional articles that he finds in the protagonists house, ranging from a framed picture of Ganesha, a plain wooden cross, a small framed picture of the virgin Mary of Guadalupe, to a framed photo of the black-robed Kaaba, holiest sanctum of Islam. Pi is therefore presented as a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world, as he not only practices three religions but is also at home in the worlds of science and theology, having achieved university degrees in both fields. Martel juxtaposes the young Pi Patels receptiveness to other cultures and religions to the intolerance of the three religious figures encountered on the beach; the priest, the imam and the pandit, each convinced of the singular truth of the path he taught. Each of them apoplectically try to impose the superiority and validity of their respective faiths after discovering that Pi shows devotion to three different, opposing, and often conflicting religions; The priest looked askance at both of them. Piscine, he nearly whispered, there is salvation only in Jesus. Balderdash! Christians know nothing about religion, said the pandit. They strayed long ago from Gods path, said the imam. Wheres God in your religion? snapped the priest. You dont have a single miracle to show for it. What kind of religion is that, without miracles? It isnt a circus with dead people jumping out of tombs all the time, thats what! We Muslims stick to the essential miracle of existence. Birds flying, rain falling, crops growing-these are miracles enough for us. Feathers and rain are all very nice, but we like to know that God is truly with us. Is that so? Well, a whole lot of good it did God to be with you-you tried to kill him! You banged him to a cross with great big nails. Is that a civilized way to treat a prophet? The prophet Muhammad-peace be upon him-brought us the word of God without any undignified nonsense and died at a ripe old age. The word of God? To that illiterate merchant of yours in the middle of the desert? Those were drooling epileptic fits brought on by the swaying of his camel, not divine revelation. That, or the sun frying his brains! Whereas Pi just [wants] to love God, the three religious leaders represent those who insist on believing in one, absolute truth. This situation of world-wide coalition of cultures as Claude Levi- Strauss termed it, can be further elaborated using Richard Burtons famous words; All Faith is false, all Faith is true; Truth is the shattered mirror strown In myriad bits; while each believes His little bit the whole to own. Like Burton, Martel implies that absolute truth is inaccessible to human beings, who will probably never be able to understand it fully. Therefore, adhering slavishly and blindly to one faith without taking an interest in the practices and beliefs of others only contributes to [obstruct] empathy and [makes] ethnocentrism inescapable. The problem with most human beings and civilizations, as highlighted in Life of Pi and as extensively discussed by Appiah, appears to be that everyone believes that their particular faith is the all-comprehending and absolute truth. Everyone seems to be holding their little bit of their shattered mirror, guarding it protectively (almost jealously) from others and trying to see as much as they can in it. Gilroy describes such a situation as being one in which we are all sealed up inside our frozen cultural habits and where there is no workable precedent for adopting a more generous and creative view of how human beings might communicate or act in concert across racial, ethnic, or civilizational divisions. What Appiah in turn proposes to cultural and religious differences reflects Pis own ideologies. For Appiah therefore, there is no agreed-upon answer- and the point is there doesnt need to be. He urges that it is of central importance for the benefit of humanity that we all learn about people in other places, take an interest in their civilizations, not because that will bring us to agreement, but because it will help us get used to one another. In this sense, Pis behavior towards Richard Parker can be read as a metaphor used to promote or idealize a cosmopolitan ideology among human beings. Appiah also carefully points out that we can perfectly live together without agreeing on what the values are that make it good to live together. If the world could share their myriad bits, human beings would have definitely been able to see a lot more clearly. Similarly, there exists no singular truth. There are many truths, depending on our moralities and experience. As Pi reproaches to Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba twice at the end of the novel; Tigers exist, lifeboats exist, oceans exist. Because the three have never come together in your narrow, limited experience, you refuse to believe that they might. Yet the plain fact is that the Tsimtsum brought them together and then sank. And at some later point in the same conversation, Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe? Pi here implies that openness and the taking of interest in others lives and experiences are more enriching to human beings rather than further entombing themselves in what they believe is the absolute truth, thereby turning their own lives into yeastless factuality. Inspite of all his misadventures though, Pi not only remains faithful to all three religions but also admires the religious as well as the irreligious. Readers cannot disagree therefore with Pis statement that to choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation. Similarly, closing ourselves into our set of beliefs and closing all doors to the appreciation of other cultures, civilizations and people is akin to living without any enriching human and cultural progress. Sharing a lifeboat with a tiger for 227 days is considered as quasi-impossible both to believe and as a thing likely to occur. However, Martel beautifully uses imagination over reason to drag his readers in a kind of magical realism tour which requires a strong yet willing suspension of disbelief so as to show that such a thing is plausible and was actually experienced by the hero of his novel. Pi renounces to the initial idea of murdering Richard Parker because he realizes that if he does so, he will have no one to provide for, no one to depend on him and no reason at all to live. Thereupon, the tiger shifts from being a source of fear and a mortally threatening creature to a source of peace, purposeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ even wholeness. What Pi does therefore is that he uses his understanding of animals, acquired at the zoo, so as to establish a peaceful cohabitation between himself and Richard. According to June Dwyer, Pis success lies in the fact that he respects the Others instincts, n eeds and values and gives him equal consideration; it is acceptance of the Other without imposing change on him.Since Richard has already claimed his part in the lifeboat, Pi decides to negotiate. So, instead of killing, he shares and instead of giving up his authority he makes it clear to the tiger what is his by also urinating on his territory. The tiger in turn, much to Pis surprise, reacts positively to the latters whistle-blows. What Martel is trying to show here is that the human and the tiger are capable of living together (even in a lifeboat with limited space) as long as each respects the others space. If two completely different creatures are able to live together peacefully, by making compromises and respecting each other, then it becomes very much possible for cosmopolitanism among humans to be completely disregarded as a mere set of utopian ideals, as is often claimed by many,or, put in simpler terms, to be seen as a realistic utopia, as Nancy Fraser puts it. Likewise, Homers most enduring hero, Odysseus, celebrates someone seeking adventure and valuing the unfamiliar and the strange.According to one definition, cosmopolitanism represents the attempt to exhibit a familiarity with, or appreciation of many parts and peoples of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This definition aptly applies to both Life of Pi and The Odyssey. Much like Pi himself, Odysseus is also shipwrecked, which leads him to encounter different people, civilizations, cultures and languages. We witness for example his admiration for the Phaiakians at some point in the book, and we see how he admires the latters polity. The simple swineherd Eumaeus, remarkable for his apparent striking similarity to Odysseus, also helps to better understand the shared human condition at that time. According to Patrick Deneen, Eumaeuss understanding of the situation of humanity relative to the gods is similar to that of Odysseus himself. This understanding leads to his realization that the human con dition leads one to recognize that the parts of our human identity that link us outnumber those identities that differentiate us. As he says to Odysseus, whom he meets as a begger, upon their first encounter, Stranger, I have no right to deny the stranger, not even if one came to me who was meaner than you. All vagabonds and strangers are under Zeus, and the gift is a light and dear oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Readers are thus able to see how Eumaeus, as well as Odysseus, recognize the protection that Zeus accords to all human beings, even to the most desperate ones. Since readers are able to travel through different civilizations, cultures, mindsets and values in The Odyssey, comparisons between those who show kindness to strangers and those who do not (such as in the case of Polyphemus, Poseidons son) are made possible. In this sense, Telemachuss meetings with Nestor and Menelaus also allow Homer to explore the Greek code of xenia, or hospitality. As Bernard Knox argues in the introduction to Robert Fagless translation of The Odyssey, the obligation of attending to and entertaining travelers is the closest The Odyssey comes to affirming an absolute moral principle. This also reminds of Nussbaums most explicit description of the duties or obligations of any citizen of the world; Our task as citizens of the world, and as educators who prepare people to be citizens of the world, will be to draw the circles somehow toward the center, making all human beings like our fellow city dwellers. In other words, we need not give up our special affections and affiliations and identifications, whether national or ethnic or religious; but we should work to make all human beings part of our community of dialogue and concern, showing respect for the human wherever it occurs, and allowing that respect to constrain our national and local politics. Likewise, the social code of ancient Greek necessitated that one expresses kindness to strangers in foreign regions by receiving them into ones home. This social expectation of hospitality was so culturally crucial and significant that it was believed to be implemented by Zeus, the king of the gods. Both hosts offer their guest a warm welcome even before they learn Telemachuss identity. Furthermore, this adherence and respect for the social norms enforced by the gods sharply demarcates Penelopes careless wooers plundering of Telemachuss home in Ithaca from Telemachus and Odysseus. Homer sets the right against the wrong by portraying the latter as hero and the suitors as villains. Although it is set in 700 BC, The Odyssey certainly sheds light on contemporary debates about cosmopolitanism. Martel on the other hand beautifully uses Pi as the hero of his novel, so as to transmit the innocent yet strong cosmopolitan and universal visions of a child, thereby providing more hope for a cosm opolitan future for the new generations. On a conclusive note, it can be noted that what Martel in a way wants his readers to know is that the persistent barriers of doubt, fear of the Other, ignorance, close-mindedness, racism and imaginative, long- held stereotypes are only vicious obstacles to the creation of a cosmopolitan world and fruitful human relations. In order for the human experience to progress therefore, these constant obstacles have to be destroyed. Indeed this book seems to suggest that the most appropriate and beneficial perspective to be adopted in the 21st century is one of cosmopolitanism.

History of the Laser

History of the Laser INTRODUCTION The name LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Light is really an electromagnetic wave. Each wave has brightness and color, and vibrates at a certain angle, so-called polarization. This is also true for laser light but it is more parallel than any other light source. Every part of the beam has (almost) the exact same direction and the beam will therefore diverge very little. With a good laser an object at a distance of 1 km (0.6 mile) can be illuminated with a dot about 60 mm (2.3 inches) in radius. As it is so parallel it can also be focused to very small diameters where the concentration of light energy becomes so great that you can cut, drill or turn with the beam. It also makes it possible to illuminate and examine very tiny details. It is this property that is used in surgical appliances and in CD players. It can also be made very monochromic, so that just one light wavelength is present. This is not the case with ordinary light sources. White light contains all the colors in the spectrum, but even a colored light, such as a red LED (light emitting diode) contains a continuous interval of red wavelengths. On the other hand, laser emissions are not usually very strong when it comes to energy content. A very powerful laser of the kind that is used in a laser show does not give off more light than an ordinary streetlight; the difference is in how parallel it is. Before the Laser there was the Maser In 1954, Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow invented the maser (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation), using ammonia gas and microwave radiation the maser was invented before the (optical) laser. The technology is very close but does not use a visible light. The maser was used to amplify radio signals and as an ultrasensitive detector for space research. Many different materials can be used as lasers. Some, like the ruby laser, emit short pulses of laser light. Others, like helium-neon gas lasers or liquid dye lasers emit a continuous beam of light. Laser action Lasers are possible because of the way light interacts with electrons. Electrons exist at specific energy levels or states characteristic of that particular atom or molecule. The energy levels can be imagined as rings or orbits around a nucleus. Electrons in outer rings are at higher energy levels than those in inner rings. Electrons can be bumped up to higher energy levels by the injection of energy-for example, by a flash of light. When an electron drops from an outer to an inner level, excess energy is given off as light. The wavelength or color of the emitted light is precisely related to the amount of energy released. Depending on the particular lasing material being used, specific wavelengths of light are absorbed (to energize or excite the electrons) and specific wavelengths are emitted (when the electrons fall back to their initial level). In a cylinder a fully reflecting mirror is placed on one end and a partially reflecting mirror on the other. A high-intensity lamp is spiraled around the ruby cylinder to provide a flash of white light that triggers the laser action. The green and blue wavelengths in the flash excite electrons in the atoms to a higher energy level. Upon returning to their normal state, the electrons emit their characteristic ruby-red light. The mirrors reflect some of this light back and forth inside the ruby crystal, stimulating other excited chromium atoms to produce more red light, until the light pulse builds up to high power and drains the energy stored in the crystal. High-voltage electricity causes the quartz flash tube to emit an intense burst of light, exciting some of the atoms in the ruby crystal to higher energy levels. At a specific energy level, some atoms emit particles of light called photons. At first the photons are emitted in all directions. Photons from one atom stimulate emission of photons from other atoms and the light intensity is rapidly amplified. Mirrors at each end reflect the photons back and forth, continuing this process of stimulated emission and amplification. The photons leave through the partially silvered mirror at one end. This is laser light. EINSTEINS THEORY OF LASER Although Einstein did not invent the laser his work laid the foundation. It was Einstein who pointed out that stimulated emission of radiation could occur along with spontaneous emission absorption. He used his photon mathematics to examine the case of a large collection of atoms full of excess energy and ready to emit a photon at some random time in a random direction. If a stray photon passes by, then the atoms are stimulated by its presence to emit their photons early. More remarkably, the emitted photons go in the same direction and have exactly the same frequency as the original photon ! Later, as the small crowd of identical photons moves through the rest of the atoms, more and more photons will leave their atoms early to join in the subatomic parade. All it took to invent the laser was for someone to find the right kind of atoms and to add reflecting mirrors to help the stimulated emission along .The acronym LASER means Light Amplification by (using Einsteins ideas about) Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Stimulated Emission A third type of photon-related electron transitions in an atom is stimulated emission. Suppose an electron is in a higher energy level and a photon comes along with an energy equal to the difference between the electrons energy and a lower energy.Then the photon will stimulate the electron to fall into the lower energy state, thereby emitting a photon. The emitted photon will have the same energy as the original photon, and viewed as waves we will then have two waves emerging from the atom in phase with the same frequency. Such waves will constructively interfere, leading to a more intense wave. This is the principle behind the laser, which stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In a laser atoms are kept in an excited state by pumping the laser, and some photons are inserted. This causes some atoms to undergo stimulated emission, and the resulting photons cause other atoms to undergo stimulated emission, leading to a chain reaction. The resultant light is very intense and coherent (composed of one frequency), and can be easily focused. TYPES OF LASER ON THE BASIS OF ENERGY LEVEL Two level: In this photon from mata stable state jumps to second level on excitation Three level: In this photon from mata stable state jumps to third level on excitation Four level: In this photon from mata stable state jumps to fourth level on excitation ON THE BASIS OF MATERIAL USED Gas lasers Helium Neon Laser It is used in Interferometer, holography, spectroscopy, barcode scanning, alignment, optical demonstrations. Argon Laser It is used in Retinal phototherapy (for diabetes), lithography, confocal microscopy,spectroscopy pumping other lasers. Krypton Laser This laser is used in Scientific research, mixed with argon to create white-light lasers, light shows. Xenon ion Laser used in scientific research. In this type of laser many lines throughout visible spectrum extend into the UV and IR. Nitrogen Laser It is used in Pumping of dye lasers, measuring air pollution, scientific research. Nitrogen lasers can operate superradiantly (without a resonator cavity). Amateur laser construction. Carbon Dioxide laser It is used in Material processing (cutting, welding, etc.), surgery. It is produced by Transverse (high power) or longitudinal (low power) electrical discharge. Excimer Laser This type of laser is produced by excimer recombination via electrical discharge.It is used in Ultraviolet lithography for semiconductor manufacturing, laser surgery, LASIK Chemical lasers These type of lasers are used as directed-energy weapons like: Hydrogen Fluoride laser: It is formed by Chemical reaction in a burning jet of ethylene and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and is used in research for laser weaponry by the U.S. DOD, operated in continuous wave mode, can have power in the megawatt range. Deuterium fluoride laser: It is used in MIRACL, Pulsed Energy Projectile Tactical High Energy Laser COIL (Chemical oxygen-iodine laser): It is produced by Chemical reaction in a jet of singlet delta oxygen and iodine and is used in Laser weaponry, scientific and materials research, laser used in the U.S. militarys Airborne laser, operated in continuous wave mode, can have power in the megawatt range. DYE LASER: These type of lasers are used in Research, spectroscopy, birthmark removal, isotope separation. The tuning range of the laser depends on which dye is used. Metal-vapor lasers Helium-cadmium (HeCd) metal-vapor laser: They are used in Printing and typesetting applications, fluorescence excitation examination (ie. in U.S. paper currency printing), scientific research. Helium-mercury (HeHg) metal-vapor laser: They are used in Rare, scientific research, amateur laser construction. Helium-silver (HeAg) metal-vapor laser, Neon-copper (NeCu) metal-vapor laser: They are used in scientific research. Copper vapor laser: It is used in Dermatological uses, high speed photography, pump for dye lasers. Gold vapor laser: This type of laser is used in Rare, dermatological and photodynamic therapy uses. Solid-state laser Ruby laser: Used in Holography, tattoo removal. The first type of visible light laser invented; May 1960. Nd:YAG laser : used in Material processing, rangefinding, laser target designation, surgery, research, pumping other lasers (combined with frequency doubling to produce a green 532 nm beam). One of the most common high power lasers. Usually pulsed (down to fractions of a nanosecond) Er:YAG laser: used in Periodontal scaling, Dentistry Neodymium YLF (Nd:YLF) solid-state laser: Mostly used for pulsed pumping of certain types of pulsed Ti:sapphire lasers, combined with frequency doubling. Neodymium doped Yttrium orthovanadate (Nd:YVO4) laser: Mostly used for continuous pumping of mode-locked Ti:sapphire or dye lasers, in combination with frequency doubling. Also used pulsed for marking and micromachining. A frequency doubled nd:YVO4 laser is also the normal way of making a green laser pointer. Neodymium glass (Nd:Glass) laser: Used in extremely high power (terawatt scale), high energy (megajoules) multiple beam systems for inertial confinement fusion. Nd:Glass lasers are usually frequency tripled to the third harmonic at 351 nm in laser fusion devices. Cerium doped lithium strontium(or calcium) aluminum fluoride (Ce:LiSAF, Ce:LiCAF): Used in Remote atmospheric sensing, LIDAR, optics research. Erbium doped and erbium-ytterbium codoped glass lasers: These are made in rod, plate/chip, and optical fiber form. Erbium doped fibers are commonly used as optical amplifiers for telecommunications. Semiconductor laser Semiconductor laser diode has working wavelength between 0.4-20Â µm, depending on active region and are used in Telecommunications, holography, printing, weapons, machining, welding, pump. There are many different types of semiconductor lasers like: AlGaAs : used in Optical discs, laser pointers, data communications. 780 nm Compact Disc player laser is the most common laser type in the world. Solid-state laser pumping, machining, medical. InGaAsP : used in Telecommunications, solid-state laser pumping, machining, medical. Quantum cascade laser : used in Research,Future applications may include collision-avoidance radar, industrial-process control and medical diagnostics such as breath analyzers. Other types of lasers Free electron laser : This type of laser is having a broad wavelength range (about 100 nm several mm); one free electron laser may be tunable over a wavelength range and is basically used in atmospheric research, material science, medical applications. Gas dynamic laser : used In Military applications; can operate in CW mode at several megawatts optical power and is produced by Spin state population inversion in carbon dioxide molecules caused by supersonic adiabatic expansion of mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Nickel-like Samarium laser : It has pumping source Lasing in ultra-hot samarium plasma formed by double pulse terawatt scale irradiation fluences created by Rutherford Appleton Laboratorys Nd:glass Vulcan laser and first demonstration of efficient saturated operation of a sub-10 nm X-ray laser, possible applications in high resolution microscopy and holography, operation is close to the water window at 2.2 to 4.4 nm where observation of DNA structure and the action of viruses and drugs on cells can be examined. Raman laser, uses inelastic stimulated Raman scattering in a nonlinear media, mostly fiber, for amplification. It finds its applications in Complete 1-2 Â µm wavelength coverage; distributed optical signal amplification for telecommunications; optical solitons generation and amplification APPLICATIONS Industrial Applications of Laser Today, laser can be found in a broad range of applications within industry, where it can be used for such things as pointing and measuring. In the manufacturing industry, laser is used to measure the ball cylindricity in bearings by observing the dispersion of a laser beam when reflected on the ball.Laser also works as a spirit level and can be used to indicate a flat surface by just sweeping the laser beam along the surface. This is, for instance, used when making walls at building sites. In the mining industry, laser is used to point out the drilling direction. Laser technologies have also been used within environmental areas. One example is the ability to determine from a distance the environmental toxins in a column of smoke. Other examples are being able to predict and measure the existence of photochemical smog and ozone, both at ground level where it isnt wanted and in the upper layers of the atmosphere where it is needed. Laser is also used to supervise wastewater purification. Laser works as a light source in all fiber optics in use. It has greater bandwidth. It is insensitive to interference from external electrical and magnetic fields. Fiber optics is used increasingly often in data and telecommunications around the world. Medicine Laser is used in medicine to improve precision work like surgery. Brain surgery is an example of precision surgery that calls for the surgeon to reach the intended area precisely. To make sure of this, lasers are used both to measure and to point in the area in question. Birthmarks, warts and discoloring of the skin can easily be removed with an unfocused laser. The operations are quick and heal quickly and, best of all, they are less painful than ordinary surgery performed with a scalpel. RECENT APPLICATIONS DVD A DVD player contains laser that is used not because it produces a parallel beam, but rather because the light emerges from a tiny point, which enables it to be focused on the different layers of the disc. The information, ones and zeros, is stored in several layers, and only one layer is to be read at a time. Every point on a particular layer is read during every revolution of the disc. In order to make room for a lot of information on every disc, the beam has to be focused on as small an area as possible. This cannot be done with any other light source than a laser. Laser Pointers Lasers pointers are made from inexpensive semiconductors laser as together with lens produce a parallel beam of light that can be used to make a bright spot to point with. Their range is very large. If one points at a surface 200 meters (220 yards) distant in the dark, a person standing close to the object being pointed at will have no trouble seeing the shining spot (of course, someone else has to hold the laser). On the other hand, the one holding the pointer will have difficulty seeing the spot. The eternal question of range has more to do with the lights behavior on its way back to the sender than with the length of the beam. Laser Sights Laser sights for rifles and guns can be based on several different principles. Some send a laser beam parallel to the trajectory so that the point of impact becomes visible. This method exposes the marksman. Some project a red dot inside a telescopic sight (instead of cross hairs). In both cases, the dot can be produced with a ring around it. Speed Measurement Using Laser The method the police use to measure car speed is based on a laser signal that is sent towards the target. This beam bounces back and is mixed with light that has not hit the car. The result is an oscillation the same as when you tune a guitar with higher frequency (more treble) the faster the target moves. The speed has to be measured straight from the front or from the back. If it is measured at an angle, the speed is underrated. This means that you cannot get false values that are too high. The measurement is dependent on the car having something that reflects well. The license plate is perfect, as are different types of reflecting objects. Fogged surfaces are okay, but reduce the maximum distance. Laser Distance Meter The primary use of laser distance meters today is surveyors and constructors, Least spectacular is the so-called parking assistance that helps the driver to estimate the distance to the car behind when parking. A more recent application measures the distance to the car in front of the driver when driving on highways or other roads. You simply lock in the distance to the car in front of you in order to maintain that distance. This makes driving more efficient and faster as long as it all works. This kind of laser is found in most robots with mechanical vision. LASER DISCOVERIES 1971 Gabor (alone) was given the prize, having founded the basic ideas of the holographic method, which is a famous and spectacular application of laser technology. At first just a method of creating 3-D pictures, it has since become a useful tool for the observation of vibrating objects. Much of what we today know about how musical instruments produce their tones is due to the use of holograms. In addition to holograms that can be bought and hung on a wall, simpler holograms can be found on many other things where you might not expect to find them. Small holograms are present on many credit cards and identity cards in order to make them more difficult to forge. 1981 Bloembergen and Schawlow received the prize for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy. One typical application of this is nonlinear optics which means methods of influencing one light beam with another and permanently joining several laser beams (not just mixing them compare the difference between mixing two substances and making them chemically react with one another). These phenomena mean that a light beam can in principle be steered by another light beam. If in the future someone intends to build an optical computer (that could be much faster and much more efficient in storing data), it would have to be based on a nonlinear optic. When using optical fibers, for example in broadband applications, several of the switches and amplifiers that are used require nonlinear optical effects. 1997 Chu, Cohen-Tannoudji and Phillips et al. received the prize for their developments of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light which is a method for inducing atoms to relinquish their heat energy to laser light and thus reach lower and lower temperatures. When their temperature sinks very close to absolute zero, atoms form aggregates (make clumps) in a way that reveals some of the innermost aspects of nature. And that is the important application of laser cooling, namely to make us understand more of nature. Very soon after the discovery other scientists started to use the technique to further develop closely related areas. 2000 Alferov and Kroemer were given the prize for their development within the field of semiconductor physics, where they had studied the type of substances that was first used to build semiconductor lasers, that is, the kind of miniature lasers that today have become the cheapest, lightest and smallest. The idea is to produce both the light source and energy supply and place the mirrors in one crystal (less than 1 mm facet, with many sequences). This has become not only the basis for many cheap and portable appliances, but also the foundation in optical information networks. The CD player, laser writer, laser pointer and the bar code reader the cashier at the supermarket uses, are all based on their discovery. REFRENCES NEWAGE PUBLISHER PVT. LTD.,LASERANDNONLINEAROPTICS,P.B LAUD macmillan publisher,laser theory and application,k.dhyacagrajan,ak.ghatak universities publishers,laser,e.a siegman http://www.nobel.org

Graduation Speech: Knowledge is a Powder Keg, You are the Fuse :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Throughout the often murky and turbulent waters of life, we must set our sails towards the noble goal of just and civil society. On this trip we have only education as our compass whose needle guides us towards our humanity. We cannot assume that we are done with our education now that we enter adulthood. Instead, we must continue to strive towards that noble goal of civilization, by creating an educated and not an ignorant society. Although those who came before us were not perfect, we can learn from them without having to make the same mistakes ourselves. We know that between 1941 and 1945 America and the rest of the world was embroiled in a great world war, one which would test the endurance of the fighting forces worldwide. This was a war that would come to coin the term, genocide. We know about how the German people were misled because we have been told so; we know about apathy because our history classes found the books to teach us; and we know what kind of atrocities that apathy created because our classes gave us the skills to discover the truth and avow that something that horrid would never happen again. More recently global warming was recognized as a serious threat to our future. Through education society has changed its course by becoming more environmentally aware. This was and is civilization. So why on the night of something as wonderful and momentous as graduation, would I discuss some of the world’s darkest hours? Simple, it is today, in this spot we sit that we begin to wage another war. Not a war with guns and swords, or bulldozers and fires. No, together our generation is donning the armor to fight a war for civilization. Because it is by making choices today and tomorrow, it is through teaching the people how to think for themselves, and learning what really happened that keeps us from being mislead by falseness. Our fight is to teach the world about science so that we will understand our world, what is possible and what’s not. Why we cannot assume antibiotics will always work. To understand language so that we can read and comprehend, stay current and stay balanced. Language enables us to read the novel â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God,† and for the only time in some of our lives understand the coming of age of an African American woman.

Machiavelli :: essays research papers

A great leader is someone who appears to be priceless. Great leader is the main example of his people; he should have the characteristics of higher standards therefore developing his followers into something better. Extraordinary leaders need to have communication skills to understand what the followers expect from him. "You serve as an influential role model for your players and everything you do will be watched. Vince Lombardi says, "Leaders are made, they are not born; and they are made just like anything else has every been made in this country - by hard work."" (Sugarman). Great leader must be seen as being great not actually being one. Machiavelli suggests this idea in D1. To seem to have the qualities is necessary as opposed to having the qualities without the people knowing about them. This is true for all leaders not just political. D1 suggests flexibility is needed, "†¦ but you must have the mind so disposed that when it is needful to be otherwise you may be able to change to the opposite qualities." Flexibility is important; the leader all in all has to give the people what they want satisfying the majority. D1 says that great leaders are sometimes obligated to do evil if constrained without deviating from what is good (if possible), "†¦ being often obligated, in order to maintain the state, to act against faith, against charity†¦" Communication and timing are important. Great leaders are great when they get something across to the followers that the followers want to hear, there is a clear understanding from both sides. "The great leader is a master in the art of communication. He or she is aware of the strong need for actions to match words. Leaders need to possess a willingness to listen to input with an open mind." (Sugarman), "Leadership is about building connections. Effective leaders make people feel they have a stake in common problems." (Goodwin). Great leaders are good with timing; "Timing is (almost) everything. Knowing when to introduce an initiative, when to go before one's constituents -- and when to hold off -- is a crucial skill." (Goodwin). Leaders must care about their people (and of course show them that they care): "A leader who does not hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader" (a quote of Golda Meir) (Spanoudis). This sets an example for the followers to care about their leader too.

Legal Drinking Age English Essay Rough Draft

Alcohol is used for many reasons among people. Teenagers and underage drinkers are known to drink for the following; rebellion, peer pressure, celebration, insomnia, anxiety, sadness, and boredom are just a few. Currently, the legal drinking age is 21. I’m not sure what the reasoning is behind this law, but if drinking is lowered to 18, I’m positive the underage drinking percentage would decrease drastically. Freedom. That’s what America is known for; Land of the free. When you turn 18, your legally considered an adult.You can buy cigarettes, you can vote, you can get married, buy pornography, have babies, and join, fight, and die for your country. So if your considered mature enough to have all of these responsibilities, shouldn’t you be able to consume alcohol too? The legal drinking age has been set at 21. The government set the legal drinking age to 21 to prevent drunk driving and other problems they blame on irresponsible drinking. The government shou ldn’t decide when someone is responsible to drink because even many â€Å"adults† aren’t responsible enough to know their limits.Drunk driving classes and alcohol consumption classes should be taught in schools so kids have an understanding on what alcohol can lead to and how to drink responsibly. Turning 21 doesn’t make you any more responsible or knowledgeable about alcohol than at age 18. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would help because there would be less underage drinkers and less of a need to feel mature and accepted by teens. A study shows that 87% of high school seniors have consumed alcohol. This means that from the ages 17-19 people are already drinking.Seniors in high school and other underage drinkers consume alcohol for many reasons. Rebellion, celebration, peer pressure, insomnia, anxiety and boredom are just a few reasons, however, the biggest reason is rebellion. Teenagers don’t feel like they are being treated fairly by the gover nment because they are considered adults and they are being denied the right to drink, so they rebel. Not only do they rebel to make a point but they are rebelling because of the excitement they get when they know they are breaking the law and also because drinking is a symbol of â€Å"adulthood†. A study conducted by Dr.Ruth Engs shows that drinking is more exciting when its illegal and that we as Americans should be more focused on safe drinking instead of age restrictions. If the drinking age was to be lowered to 18, the temptation to drink would decrease because it would be accepted and people would no longer get that excitement and thrill from breaking the law. The U. S. government is concerned about the number of drunk drivers and irresponsible drinking so they made the legal drinking age higher. If you look at Britain, they don’t have a drinking age and France has a minimum drinking age of 8; neither of which having a problem with drunk driving.On the other hand , America has a minimum drinking age of 21 and our problem with drunk driving is considered to be the worst in the industrialized world. We can see that the 21 minimum drinking age is having a negative effect on the U. S. , yet we keep it the same and expect different results. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will make it so there are less irresponsible drinking and underage drinkers. 18-year-olds will have a feeling of adulthood and they will feel accepted. I think drinking will become more casual and social more than it is now and people will have less temptation to drink heavily and irresponsibly.

Does Television Advertisement Have Positive Impact on Consumer

You must have at least once in your life seen television advertisements which made you feel bored and decide that you would never buy these products. In fact, television advertising becomes an indispensable part in marketing strategies. No doubt, there are many commercial advertisements that produce good responses right after its first broad cast. However, nowadays, consumers are very easy to â€Å"allergic† to the advertisements that they do not have feelings. Television advertisements cause negative effects to consumers because they not fit consumers’ spending habit and thinking, use images that are annoying, and never tell all the truth about products. BODY: Many companies use television advertisements to penetrate the market but they did not succeed. The reason was that they forgot the key principle in marketing which is to put yourself in the consumer’s situation. According to Issabelle Szmigin, The act of consumption by people is very different to the picture sometimes produced from studies of consumption. It is one of the reasons why some brands continue to live a charmed life and others cannot. Children, for example, can respond positively from this generation to the next generation with the same toy and refuse others after a few months of interest. On the other hand, as is the case of Novo, the company very clearly get wrong strategies and retrenches but still become successful in the domain of health care, while some other brands are removed for more complex tactical and strategic reason which the consumer will never know about. In fact, you can see many television advertisements, that aired in the time period are very annoying, especially is midnight. Try asking, at this time, how many people will have to sit before the television waiting to see them. Besides that, many advertisements are very complex and have many details that made the audiences have to think. This causes customers to feel uncomfortable with the product. The important thing here is the television advertising does not suit the consumers' spending habits, thoughts, so their failure in the market access is inevitable. For years, massive advertising appears on television. Besides the good advertisements, there are many advertisements that using crude images, loss of culture. We still know that the advertising are necessary, but the culture in advertising even more important. Especially, with mothers who are raising young children, advertising is an effective solution in helping children eat and learn, so they require a lot from advertisements. According Scott Ward, the extent to which children attempt to influence parental purchasing is very big. His research also reports data from mothers of young children, concerning their perceptions of the frequency with which television commercials influence their children to want advertised products, and the extent to which parents yield to children' s purchase influence attempts. (Report Number 1, Effects of Television advertising on children and adolescents, 1971, p. 5). Mother's decision to purchase much influenced from their children. The choice of image ads is extremely important but in fact, many marketers forgot this issue. There are many ads that use bad images that are not effective to influence the thinking of the children or attractive to them. And of course, the mother would never buy that product. Culture advertising is not only promote the manufacturer's brand, distribution in the masses in order to sell more goods, but also help consumers select product that suit with their needs. Besides that, culture advertising is the respect of consumers. Thus, television advertising has caused negative impacts on consumer if bad images are used, making viewers allergic to those products.

Intelligence Led Policing Essay

ILP is a police strategy aimed at curbing crime by use of intelligence information and appropriate deployment of resources. It can be considered objective because of its effectiveness in collection and analysis of criminal and social data. It is aimed at reduction, prevention and disruption of criminal activities through the use of effective enforcement and strategic management policies that target criminals. It analyzes the environment, influences management and executes the desired impact on crime. It works on a concept of â€Å"all crime, all hazard† which if implemented properly can help deal with common crimes, terrorism and natural calamities. It functions through the use of the different levels of intelligence which include: tactical intelligence, operational intelligence and strategic intelligence. Tactical intelligence deals with a given need and locality, operational is concerned with identification of criminal trends and other security issues and looks at ways through which they can be addressed and strategic intelligence which deals with future plans for combating crime. Psychological criminal theory is one of the theories involved. ILP uses this theory to study people’s tendencies which enables them to identify criminals. Learning theory is also incorporated in ILP operations. It helps the officers involved to learn about the criminals’ behaviors and helps them come up with strategies to prevent reoccurrence of this behavior. This theory explains that â€Å"behavior is learnt and maintained by its rewards and consequences†. If they can be able to make consequences of criminal behaviors exceed rewards by ensuring heavy penalties for criminals, it may help scare some away and reduce crime rate.

Animal Senses vs Human Senses Essay

Through research I discovered that there are animals that have senses that by far exceed our five human senses. One of the animals would be the bat that we spoke about in class. Bats avoid obstacles and nab insects on the wing by emitting ultrasonic squeaks and interpreting the echo the sound waves make after bouncing off objects in the environment. This is called â€Å"echolocation,† but bats aren’t the only animals that use echolocation. Dolphins also use echolocation to navigate themselves in murky water. Sharks were also discussed in class. Sharks have special cells in their brains that are sensitive to the electrical fields other creatures generate. This ability is so refined in some sharks that they can find fish hiding under sand by the weak electric signals their twitching muscles emit. They pick any electrical signal around them and even the weakest of electrical pulses give them a reason to investigate if its food or not. There are a few animals that we didn’t speak about in class that have senses that far exceed our own. For example Boa constrictors (large snake) have Temperature-sensitive organs located between the eyes and nostrils of boas and pit vipers allow the snakes to sense the body heat of their prey. There is one located on each side of the snakes’ head, so the animals can perceive depth and attack with deadly accuracy even in complete darkness. Snakes in general also have another sense that is similar in a way to ours. Snakes have a forked tongue that is used to sniff its surroundings. Snakes use their tongues to collect particles wafting in the air. The coated tongue is then dipped into special pits in the roofs of the snake’s mouth, called Jacobson’s organs. There, the odors get processed and translated into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. Humans use their eyes to see their surroundings but the object in front of them is processed almost like our eyes take a picture and send the image to the brain they can recognize the object. The final one would be the Migratory birds. Birds that migrate can use the Earth’s magnetic field to stay their course during long flights. Scientists still aren’t sure how they do it, but one recent study suggests birds might have a form of synesthesia (a condition in which one sense (for example, hearing) is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight) that lets them â€Å"see† the planet’s magnetic lines as patterns of color or light that is overlaid on their visual surroundings. Humans must rely on familiar landmarks or the sun’s position to locate north, and there are a lot of humans that can barely manage to do that.

Engineering Materals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Materals - Essay Example Crevice corrosion is a localized and geometrically controlled form of corrosion. They are the products of situations containing a stagnant solution and corrosion friendly microenvironments. This type of corrosion can occur between rivet heads, lap joints, in threads and anywhere a small crevice is formed in which at least one side is a metal. As in all types of corrosion, an anodic reaction: exists which propagates over the entire surface. However, the geometry of the crevice restricts cathodic reaction such that the dissolved oxygen cannot be replaced. Thus the region within the crevice becomes exclusively anodic while the region outside becomes cathodic. An electric imbalance result attracting the negative ions into the crevice. The small size of the crevice screens the incoming ions such that the concentration of the chloride and the hydrogen ions increases within the crevice. The pH of the solution within the crevice decreases from 6 to as much as 2 or 3. This increased acidity causes further corrosion within the crevice resulting in massive material erosion from within the crevice region. In most cases, crevice corrosion is not visible from the outside and this hidden nature makes inspection as well as rectification difficult. This is schematically represented in the figure shown: Pitting corrosion is a form of localized corrosion as it does not spread laterally across an exposed surface rapidly but penetrates into the metal very quickly, usually at an angle of 90o to the surface. Stagnant solution conditions favor pitting corrosion. The presence of halide ions, chloride, fluoride bromide and iodide, can all pit metals. The most aggressive ion depends on the metal and ion combination. The effect of pitting is to cause holes on the metal surface which can corrode a large amount of material from the surface. The mechanism of pitting can be divided into two processes – the initiation

Songs of andrew lloyd webber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Songs of andrew lloyd webber - Essay Example 2. Musicals are quite diverse thematically but all of them tell a story. No matter who are the main characters of these stories, they are about human relationships. Such themes as love, friendship, beauty, care or hatred often appear in his musicals. Even if to take Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, and Evita to compare, each of these musicals tells a story about human relationships and such themes are very engaging for spectators who find it easier to understand why their favorite character do what they do. 3. Originally, musicals are expected to be perceived as a whole, but they become so popular that people enjoy the songs apart from their original context. Songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber function successfully outside the shows; if one tries to find 10 essential pieces by Andrew Webber most of them will be taken out of different musicals. It happens because most people do not want to understand the lyrics; they simply enjoy the melody and want to listen. 4. The Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber as staged at the Ellen Eccles theater is a critical piece to discuss because it compiles the most successful hits by Webber in one show. At the same time, it ruins the full story of each hit and it might ruin the charm and the atmosphere of musical experience. People love songs from musicals by Webber so much that almost all of them who can sing believe that they must record at least of of their favorites and upload it on YouTube. However, one needs to remember that video does not render the same amount of emotions and energy compared to live performances. 5. My favorite song by Andrew Lloyd Webber is Phantom of the Opera. I love this song because I grew up with it. It has been popular since I remember myself and I could not resist its strong melody and emotional passages. This is a good example of how one man can change the world by doing good.

China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

China - Essay Example This started a continuing era of growth that is assessed periodically. Although the country strives for the economic growth there are factors that limit China's full economic growth. One factor that can be considered as the most influential cause of this state is the lack for political reform. Achieving the results that are aimed for such as the rapid economic growth requires the interplay of the different aspects in the nation most especially in governance. The process of launching this economic development requires changes both in the internal and the external factors. The external dynamics of economic growth includes the relation to other countries in terms of marketing products and other commercial transactions and trade. Internal factors on the other hand are lead by the reforms in the different aspects of the nation which is accompanied by the development in the government as well ("China: The four modernization"; Polonsky, Pucko, Warner, and Zhu). Through the development of China and its advancement in terms of the economic aspect, it can be viewed that there is an absence in the reform in the government. This is due the fact that China is socialist country that operates through a one party rule. This aspect had brought about both advantages and disadvantages to the nation. It can be viewed that through the success of China not only the economy of the nation but also the success of different businesses, it has not yet achieved its full potentials due to the fact that the people are working for the growth of the nation which even through hard work remains to be barely felt. This is the case for countries that operates a socialist form of government. In this from of government the people have common properties and works for the welfare of the nation and not for their own success. The government of China though has no plan of modifying already established political structure. This can be determined through the fact that through the alterations and development that was undertaken in the different aspects of the nation, any of the aspect of governance was not modified. China even promoted that their form of government is a unique feature in the economic success that was being experienced in the nation. This distinctive characteristic is comparable to the nations that have shifted from a socialist for of government to be able to better incorporate the economic development that is required for the growth of the nation. These include former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries (Polonsky, Pucko, Warner, and Zhu). The lack of political reform has brought about problems in the different aspects of the nation. This is due to the fact that synthesizing the socialist form of government with the economic policies can be contradicting and affects the nation as a whole. One of the most affective factors in the process is in relation to the success that can be experience by individuals in a non-socialist country that has attained an economic growth that was achieved by China. This causes a conflict within the beliefs of the individuals who can feel just the minimal effect of the country's economic success. In this case the government can face a problem with discontentment of the people. For this matter, the leaders provide the nation with motivations on nationalism. That it is the success of the whole nation that they

The Native Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Native Language - Essay Example The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice. The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progressive movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving them. If I am telling about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, consonants, and appli cable advanced literacy skills in the voice. According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible for who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak.... The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice (Klaiman 6). The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progression movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving then. If I am telling of about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, conson ants and applicable advanced literature skills in the voice (Klaiman 8). According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied, sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible of who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak. The intense of the voice quality uttered might be of a huge effect in the portrayal of a person’s real class and power. Many will simply analyze what you do via your voice (Klaiman 9). Thesis on Zadie Smith and Amys’

Orgin of chocolate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Orgin of chocolate - Research Paper Example The development of chocolate has led to the development of various, delicacies where is used as an additive and a booming business around the world on this account. Cultivation of cacao has been going on for more than three thousand years or even a bit more. Before the actual cultivation of the cacao plant began, these seeds were gathered from wild cacao trees that were growing inside heavy canopy rainy forests. Then later on there were development of cacao tree plantations that were done in the canopy forests. People from northwestern South America first utilized cacao, the current Venezuela since the tree is native to this region of the world. The Olmec civilization that dates 3500 to 2500 years ago used these beverages to fortify soldiers in battle and during marches1. These people valued cacao highly and was spread northward through trading with the neighbors. It was moved to the present Mexico, which was known as Yucatan by the Maya about 1500 years ago. Aztecs after acquiring this product from the Maya urns, they used it in a number of ways with the most common use being of a bitter spice in food. Up to the sixteenth century, the Europeans did not know the drink from South and Central America. August 15 the 1502, is the first time that Christopher Columbus encountered the beans during his fourth visit to the Americas2. On this date, Columbus and his crew grabbed a large canoe that contained the beans among other goods that were for trade. However, these beans had no impact in Spain after he returned until they were introduced the Spanish courts. Henan Cortes is believed to be the first European to encounter. He did so after they conquered Mexico in the year 1519 a time when women who did so with a lot of reverence served him with chocolate. It was believed to give one power over women he took it, a believe that Bernal Diaz, who accompanied Cortes to Mexico did not agree with. After the Spanish