Detecting Signs of E.T.

From time to time, the news media falls in love with stories about how aliens have been found. From the detection of a possible signal from a distant civilization to tales of an alien megastructure around a star observed by the Kepler Space Telescope to the story of the WOW! signal detected in 1977 by an astronomer at Ohio State University, any time theres a hint of a puzzling discovery in astronomy, we see breathless headlines that aliens have been found.   In point of fact, there hasnt been an alien civilization found...yet. But, astronomers keep looking! Finding Something Weird In late summer 2016, astronomers picked up what seemed like a signal from a distant sun-like star called HD 164595. Preliminary searches using the Allen Telescope Array in California showed that the signal picked up by a Russian telescope was not likely from an alien civilization. However, more telescopes will check out the signal to understand what it is and what could be making it. For   now, however, its problem not little green aliens sending us a howdy.   Another star, called KIC 8462852, was observed by Kepler for more than four years. It appears to have a variability in its brightness. That is, the light we perceive coming from this F-type star dims periodically. Its not a regular period of time, so its probably not caused by an orbiting planet. Such planet-caused dimmings are called transits. Kepler has cataloged many stars using the transit method and found thousands of planets this way. But, the dimming of KIC 8462852 was just too irregular. While astronomers and observers worked on cataloging its dimmings, they also talked to an astronomer who had been thinking hard about what we might see if a distant star had planets with life on them. And, in particular, if that life was technologically able to build superstructures around their star to harvest its light (for example).    What Could it Be? If a big structure orbited a star, it could cause the variability in the stars brightness to be irregular or even random-seeming. Of course, there are some caveats with this idea. First, distance is a problem. Even a fairly large structure would be difficult to detect from Earth, even with very strong detectors. Second, the star itself could have some strange variable pattern, and astronomers would need to observe it for longer periods of time to figure out what it is. Third, stars with dust clouds around them can also have fairly large planetary structures forming. Those planetesimals could also cause irregular brightness dips in the starlight we detect from Earth, especially if they were orbiting at staggered distances. Finally, catastrophic collisions between clumps of material around a star could deliver huge groups of objects such as cometary nuclei in orbit around the star. Those could also affected the perceived brightness of the star.   The Simple Truth In science, theres a rule that we follow called Occams Razor — it means, essentially, for any given event or object you observe, generally the most plausible explanation is the simplest one.   In this case, stars with clumps of dust, planetesimals, or roving exo-comets are more likely than aliens. Thats because stars FORM in cloud of gas and dust, and younger stars still have material around them left over from the formation of their planets. KIC 8462852 could be in in a planet-forming stage, consistent with its age and mass (its about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun and a bit younger than our star). So, the simplest explanation here is NOT an alien megacomplex, but swarms of comets.   The Search Protocol The search for extrasolar planets has always been a prelude to a search for life elsewhere in the universe. Each star and planet system discovered to have worlds has to be examined carefully so that astronomers understand its inventory of planets, moons, rings, asteroids, and comets. Once thats done, the next step is to figure out if the worlds are friendly to life -— that is, are they habitable? They do this by trying to understand if the world has an atmosphere, where it is in its orbit around the star, and what its evolutionary state might be.   So far, none have been found hospitable. But, theyll be found. Odds are, there is intelligent life elsewere in the universe. Eventually, we will detect it — or it will find us. In the meantime, astronomers on Earth continue to search for habitable planets around likely stars. The more they study, they more theyll be ready to recognize lifes effects elsewhere.

High School And College Is The Sports Knowledge - 1802 Words

Another difference between high school and college is the sports knowledge. High school coaches use simple offense and defense concepts because the level of play is not as good. College teams use a more complex offense and defense system because the level of play is higher. The professional teams have the most elaborate offensive and defensive schemes. College helps players mentally get ready for professional play by teaching the players things high school coaches don’t have time to teach the. When an athlete makes it to the professional level they are expected to understand the concepts. Athletes are better prepared to play professionally if they go to college. College athletic programs offer athletes specialized training, which is very difficult to get anywhere else. Every team has a trainer for the athletes. The trainers give the athletes specialized workouts and diets to make the athletes the best they can be. Most of the trainers have degrees in physical training or a similar area. The training makes athletes tremendously better than when they arrived at the university. The training also makes athletes ready for the professional level. It is extremely rare for an athlete to be physically ready to play professionally when they are in high school. the college training helps athletes be physically ready to play professionally and shows them the work ethic needed to be a professional athlete. The athletes are the ones performing for the university s and theShow MoreRelatedThe Possibility of College Sports Being Banned775 Words   |  3 PagesThe first time that I had any type of knowledge about the possibility of college sports being banned was just a few weeks ago inside of my English 101 class. I cannot express how surprise I was when I found this out. Not in a million years I ever would of thought a activity that most athletes live by every day can just go away in a snap of a finger. How could somebody even turn professional if they have not been in the college phase yet? Questions just arise in my head when I hear about this topicRead MoreCollege Athletics Is A Major Part Of PeopleS Lives Around1364 Words   |  6 PagesCollege athletics is a major part of people s lives around the world. From the athletes playing the various sports to the fans watching from their televisions it has become a huge thing. A portion of these people seem to think that the athletes deser ve more then what is already given to them. A question has been brought up and debated on whether or not these athletes should be paid to play. College athletes are hard working young adults trying to earn a degree at whichever school they have chosenRead MoreEducation : The Importance Of Sports And Education1680 Words   |  7 Pagesprosperity. The school system a place made for education has drafted away from its purpose. Sports in the eyes of young people is the key they need for life. 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The USA also funds the pu blic school system, thus eliminatingRead MoreCollege Athletes Have A Dream Of Becoming A Professional Athlete1486 Words   |  6 PagesMany college athletes have a dream of becoming a professional athlete. In most countries, especially in Europe, athletes are club players who move from amateur to professional status at a young age. Some drop out of school as young as 14 years of age to play sports professionally, while others finish school in Europe and attend college in the United States to play at a university. The United States is one of the few countries worldwide to emphasize education before professional sports. In factRead MoreRichard Graff s Hidden Intellectualism1257 Words   |  6 Pages Education. I believe it to be one of the greatest gifts this world could give us. My mother always told me that knowledge is power and that I could never learn enough. She taught me to love being the best I could be and to always want to know more, to question everything. 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Phychology paper on cognitive developmental stages free essay sample

During Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, he introduces four different stages that children go through all the way up to adolescents. Piaget states that none of these stages can be skipped. These stages show how a child’s mind is intellectually developing over time as they grow. Their cognitive abilities progress and they begin to have a better understanding of the world around them. Throughout this paper I will explain the four stages of cognitive development; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. The first stage of cognitive development that Piaget states is the sensorimotor stage. This stage is initiated at birth and lasts normally through when the child is 18 months. Everything in this stage is learned from the child exploring different things the best way they know how, whether by putting things in their mouth, or learning how to make the toys move on their play mat. Also, early language development occurs during the early part of this stage such as â€Å"coo-ing†. We will write a custom essay sample on Phychology paper on cognitive developmental stages or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then language progresses into words towards the later part of this stage where the child starts forming actual words such as â€Å"No†, and â€Å"Mine†. The second stage of cognitive development is the preoperational stage. This stage starts around 18 months, and lasts until about the age of 7. Children start being able to grasp symbols. For example, they can draw a series of squares with a triangle on top to represent a house. They also start to learn the alphabet, which is, of course, the set of symbols we use to read and write. On the other hand, they don’t understand abstract concepts like amounts, speed, or weight. In one of Piaget’s most famous experiments, he showed that children at this stage can’t comprehend that if you pour liquid from a short, wide glass into a tall, narrow glass, it’s still the same amount. The third stage of cognitive development is the concrete operational stage. This stage starts around 7, and lasts until 12 years old. In this stage children comprehend ideas like weight, amount, and speed, and can understand that the amount of liquid in the two glasses is the same. For example, a younger child in this stage would explain what would happen if you hit a glass with a feather based on what he knows about feathers, whereas the older child reasons from the previous statement and answers according to the logic proposed. They can also understand causal relationships; though not necessarily explain the reasoning behind them. The last stage of cognitive development is the formal operational stage. This  stage starts after about the age of 12. At this stage children begin to understand abstract concepts and reason logically. If you ask them what â€Å"justice† means, they can explain it. In this stage formal operational thinking is being illustrated.

Environmental Ethical Issues free essay sample

Environmental Ethical Issues Introduction to Ethics Social Responsibility April 1, 2010 Environmental Ethical Issues Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its nonhuman contents (Brennan Lo, 2008). Traditionally, environmental ethics put human being as the only living things with any intrinsic value, an end in itself. The earth and everything on the earth was strictly meant for the benefit of human beings. All other beings were regarded as having instrumental value; furthering some other ends. This theory or way of thinking is referred to as anthropocentric. In the last decades of the twentieth century this human centered theory was confronted with a new environmental ethical theory where humans were not the only living beings being considered to have intrinsic value. This new theory became one of importance because of the growing number of threats to the environmental condition of the world that we human beings live in. As human beings, the only ethical choice regarding the environment is to care for and preserve our environment so that we have an environment in which to prosper in the future. In a essay written by historian Lynn White jr. on the historical roots of the environmental crisis, he argues that â€Å"the main strands of Judeo-Christian thinking had encouraged the overexploitation of nature by maintaining the superiority of humans over all other forms of life on earth, and by depicting all of nature as created for the human use† (Brennan LO, 2008). These anthropocentric theories were originated from verses in the Bible where man is described as dominion over the earth and he should flourish and multiply. Judeo-Christian thoughts that lead humans to believe and live anthropocentrically are directly related to the environmental crisis that we face today. In 1968, Stanford ecologist Paul Ehrlich Published The Population Bomb, â€Å"warning (humans) that the growth of human population threatened the viability of planetary life systems† (Brennan and Lo, 2008). This caused people to look at the environment differently, in a non-anthropocentric manner. People began to realize that if they continued only respecting the rights of human beings and continued to disregard the importance of the earth and all other beings, it was going to negatively affect the environment, which they needed to survive. People became aware that if the world population continued to rise at such alarming rates, the environmental problems caused by overpopulation would increase in both number and seriousness. With the increased population and the anthropocentric manner of thinking, problems such as pollution and depletion of much needed natural resources would plague the humans of the world. Realizing what they stand to lose and at what financial costs has lead people to a thought process that resembles a non-anthropocentric view. It is not that all people have adopted a deep ecology belief, where they believe that all life forms have an intrinsic value and they as humans have a direct responsibility to maintain the environment for all life forms, but most humans now share the belief referred to as shallow ecology. This belief is that as humans, we have to protect the environment so that it can continue to support human life now and for future generations of human beings. Preserving what we have is exceptionally more cost effective that replacing it in the future. Currently â€Å"sixty countries have lost virtually all of their forest cover, more than three quarters of the world’s fish stocks (providing food for two billion people) are in steep decline, nearly one third of the globe’s cropland has been abandoned in the last forty years due to erosion, and the world has lost half of its wetlands and one third of it’s coral reefs (Adams, J. 2010, para. 4). According to these numbers, we are in the middle of an environmental crisis. Humans are realizing this crisis and they are suddenly showing more interest in environmental ethics. They are seeing the depletion with their own eyes and imagining how it is going to affect their wallets. Their beliefs of shallow ecology are sta rting to spread worldwide. People want to protect the environment that they have come to rely on so that it will continue to support them and not burden them financially in the future. People are not really doing this for ethical reasons, good or bad for the environment, but more for themselves as individuals. â€Å"When watersheds no longer provide fresh water, forests no longer help prevent droughts and floods, oceans no longer support healthy fish stocks, governments will be called on to provide†¦in other much more expensive ways†(Adams, J. , 2010, para. 5). It is very important to protect the environment, which supports our human life. We will not survive if we do not. Humans must make a choice to protect what they rely on for survival. The shallow ecology belief that is spreading throughout the world is still belief that humans are responsible for the protection environment, but only so that the environment stays in good enough shape that human life can be continually supported. The world is taking on an attitude of every man for himself, but this means that we must protect the environment for ourselves and our futures. People will become more and more aware of the importance of environmental ethics as it continues to affect them financially. An example being, when the price of oil went up dramatically, so did the price of gas. Only when the price of gas went up did companies really start the push of fuel-efficient cars and only when these companies started pushing them and the amount of money savings that was involved in owning one was there a real interest from people in owning them. The first concern in buying fuel-efficient cars is the money saved, second is the positive effect they have on the environment. In this world today, money is at the core of everything. If it will save money, people will generally do it.

The Beatles Essay Example

The Beatles Essay The Beatles are rocks classic act, in the fullest sense of the term.Their music has spoken not only to its own time, but also every generation since.They remain more widely known than any other band of the rock era, and maybe of any era. The group consisted of four Englishmen: George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.Starr was the drummer and the others usually played electric guitar.All of the Beatles sang occasionally.They became knows as the Beatles in 1960. During the sixties, the Beatles recordings topped both the singles and album charts.With the Beatles, albums became rock milestones.Before, rock records were promoted mainly as singles.Record sales were only one dimension of their popularity.When their career really took off, Beatlemania consumed everyone, including the western world.At concerts, fans would cry and scream so loud the group could not be heard. The Beatles toured the United States in 1964 and created mayhem everywhere they preformed.Police and security persons were not prepared for the fans reaction to the Beatles.The group became the most popular group in rock and achieved not only national, but international fame. The Beatles starred in two popular movies A Hard Days Night and Help!A full length cartoon, Yellow Submarine featured the songs and characters of the Beatles.Beatlemania exploded when the group performed to some on Ed Sullivans popular television program.Over 73 million Americans tuned into the show.After the performance The Beatles would have five singles on the billboard Hot 100 Charts.Their hair and clothing styles influenced a generation of young people.Fifteen thousand Beatle wigs were sold daily.Still grown-ups took the Beatles more seriously as a psychological rather than as a musical phenomenon.

Esther’s Path for Plath Essays

Esther’s Path for Plath Essays Esther’s Path for Plath Essay Esther’s Path for Plath Essay Esther Greenwood, from the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, contests the hypocrisies of 1950’s male misogyny; she endures the prejudices that come with the era’s premature perception of mental illness, and she helps Plath to live on vicariously through her, in a way the great poet could not. The Bell Jar portrays mental illness as a disease to be ashamed of, and disregarded.   The book is written from the perspective of those living in the 1950’s. Plath’s main character, Esther Greenwood, experiences this inadequacy and discovers the truth about the society as she is treated for her medical diagnosis. In this book, Plath, like Greenwood, takes a step out of the typical beliefs and boundaries of her era.   A woman ahead of her time, Plath rebels through her writing, and asks more of society than it asks of itself. Her main character, Esther, goes through depressive social interactions that play off each other, until she has an identity crisis, and looks to suicide as her only end.   The conflict stems more from the limitations of society to be able to accept this type of behavior from a young woman than the illness itself.Esther is the I of the Bell Jar, in that she perceives everything as it happens, even when it’s happening to her.   Each connection she forms throughout her growth all contribute to her final state of balance. The relationships she forms with others are documented as they happen, and each one influences her sanity.   So much so, one relationship she has causes her to lose her sanity and then another causes her to reclaim it.   Esther’s father passes away when she is 9 years old.   She never finds a good relationship with a man, and she has no, real, deep connection with her mother.   Plus she is separated from all the other girls she encounters, particularly Joan, by her lack of wealth. It should be noted that, though all the girls are in New York for the same reason, they are granted this trip according to the stereotypical confines of their male overseers. The trip in itself is a form of molding the women for their place in society. Esther makes this clear when she says,we had all won a fashion magazine contest,†¦, and as prizes they gave us jobs in New York for a month, expenses paid, and piles and piles of free bonuses, like ballet tickets and passes to fashion shows and hair styling at a famous expensive salon and chances to meet successful people in the field of our desire and advice about what to do with our particular complexions (Plath, p4).If Esther is anything like Plath, as the reader is expected to believe, she will eventually see this ploy, the same way she eventually sees through Buddy. Not to forget, the nature of the relationship she has with Buddy is very fake and empty.   The fact that she is such a poetic introspective thinker, and Buddy is the exact opposite is even more draining to her character. In fact, Plat h presents her decision to cheat on Buddy in reaction to his affair as one of the key factors to her descent into madness. It is the connection she has with Joan and Dr. Norman that bring her sanity back.   These symbolic connections are key examples of Plath’s writing style.The Bell Jar’s greatness as a book is increased even more by Sylvia Plath’s method of writing and the sharing of her thoughts. Plath opened the doors to reality and through feministic views, showed the treatment of women, images and events about sex, and the mentally ill; both were thought of as inferior and less important during her time. Family and work pressures, transitions from adolescence to womanhood, or motherhood to menopause, even the stresses of daily life can influence mental health.   In her article, . â€Å"the intricate web of influences- genetic, sexual, and social – that affect mental well-being. Throughout the novel, Esther Greenwood is cynical, rebellious, and against the conventions of society; yet she had attempted to behave normally and fit in to the crowd. Her low self-esteem, the experience and the lack of experience she has of life, and the environment that surrounds her, leads to her inability to function and attempts of suicide. Esther’s troubles originate in her mind, but become worse by all the circumstances around her.   This is another example of the bildunsgroman model.As a young woman, who rebels against the limitations of 1950 society, Esther feels a disconnection with the rest of the world. She gains the will to surpass darkness, and to live life again.   This ideal of rebirth and redemption is a classic theme of many books like this. The Bell Jar falls within the bildungsroman model, in the fact that the main character develops in reaction to her environment.   These books are known for their characters having journeys of mental and spiritual growth, and eventually finding balance.   In her article, â€Å" The Bell Jar†: A Novel of the Fifties, Linda Wagner-Martin acknowledges that the book can be taken a in a number of ways and is actually quite a difficult novel to placed into one particular genre, or category.   This is due to the fact that most bildungroman’s star male protagonists.   By arguing this in 1992, she actually slightly refutes the argument made in 1974, by another scholar, ironically also named Linda Wagner.   This just proves the categorization of Plath’s novel is up for debate on many levels.Many scholars believe that if Esther was diagnosed today, she would be identified as a victim of Borderline Personality Disorder.   This is a disorder characteristic of disrupted interpersonal relationships.   It’s most common with females, and causes mood swings.   These people tend to fear abandonment and get very frantic over the thought of failure or rejection. Esther displays many of these same characteristics throughout the novel. In h er article Mental Wellness for Women, Rita Baron-Faust describes BPD as a pattern of unstable self-image, personal relationships and moods and impulsiveness (Baron-Faust 77). Some experts describe BPD as a major â€Å"identity crisis,† characterized by extreme uncertainty about many life issues, including career choices, long-term goals, choices in friends or lovers, questions of values and even sexual orientation (Baron-Faust, p84).   It is up for debate, whether BPD is Esther’s disorder; but the authenticity of Esther’s mental illness undoubtedly is the draw for many young readers, and scholastic analysis.In her article, â€Å"A Ritual For Being Born Twice† Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Marjorie G. Perloff analyzes the popular appeal the novel holds among young women. The concept of the emotional distress that comes from illness conflicting with the psychological and social boundaries, used to confine women during the 1950’s, is interpret ed as a major contribution to the books growing fan base. The major draw the book has is the complex nature of Esther’s dysfunctions.   She is mentally ill in a way that leaves her situation open to be theorized.   Barron-Faust characterized Esther as having borderline personality disorder.   This is based on her impulsive mood swings and unpredictable personality.   In Perloff’s essay, she cites a scholar by the name of J.D. Lang, who characterizes Esther’s behavior as being the schizoid personality type.   He says this is due to her often disconnection from reality.   Lang even gives an example from the book where Esther is being questioned by the Ladies’ Day, she asks, What do you have in mind after you graduate? Lang points out that Esther observes herself respond, and doesn’t feel attached to her actions.   Plath writes this response as, ‘I don’t really know,’ I heard my-self say†¦(Plath).   This citing enforces Lang’s position, but it is also said that people with borderline personality disorder have the same type of disconnection.   Even these scholars are left with no other choice but to theorize over what might have been Esther’s sickness.   The main sickness that leads to her almost committing suicide is still up for debate.   I personally think she suffered from avoidant personality disorder.Avoidant personality disorder is a classic bundle of character traits, which the story tellers have used to personify teenage loners, super villains, and dark heroes, since even before the Phantom of the opera, Frankenstein, or The Incredible Hulk Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by inhibition of social desires, feelings of inadequacy, and fear of negative judgment. People with this disorder are characterized as loners who feel separate from their society.   These are all characteristics which Esther exemplifies. Very few people who don’t know m uch about psychology know the difference between clinical psychological disorders and personality disorders.   For example, a student of psychology will tell you that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder are two completely different dysfunctions.   The personality disorder is derived more of workaholic and dismissive tendencies; whereas, the clinical disease deals more with unavoidable impulses demanded by the brain.   The fact that Esther’s behavior can fall into so many separate categories of psychological health is just a testament to the depth of Plath’s character development.   And, it is also another perfect example of why so many young women can relate to this novel.Through Esther, Plath addresses practically every sociological discourse imaginable for a young woman to encounter.   The societal ideal that women are inferior is the antagonist to Esther’s heroin.   Plath confronts the hypocrisy between the sexes with the relationship between Esther and Buddy.   After Buddy cheats on her, she does the same in response.   The loss of her virginity to Irwin is another symbolic gesture of her rebellion against the misogynistic status quo.   Plath makes underlying statements about lesbianism, in a time when it too was considered a disease.   She does this in her conversation with Dr. Nolan.   Ester asks him what to women might see in one another, and he replies tenderness. This a very bold statement for any author to make, let alone a female one, in the 1950’s.   The main irony of the book is the fact that Esther doesn’t truly get sick until after her affair with Irwin.   One must wonder what Plath meant to imply by this, and what correlation it has to her own life.This novel is such a historic piece of literary art because it is a semi-autobiographical sketch of the days leading up to Plath’s own suicide. The novel is respect for its rebellious nature, a nd also the authenticity of Esther’s mental illness.   More important, than the mystery of whether she’ll improve, is the mystery behind the cause of her actual illness.   We are also left with the mystery of never knowing whether or not Esther improves, but knowing that Plath does not.   This leaves a very obscure explanation for the initial question what really leads one to suicide? In his article, Plath’s Lives, Langdon Hammer makes a clear connection of Plath to Esther, and their relation to suicide.And the moon that lives on? Is there a face in it? One biographical answer would be that the moon, in mourning clothes (Her blacks crackle and drag), is an image of the poet herself, safe above her other double, the dead woman.   Subtly associated with the slangy, tough-talking Esther Greenwood (She is used to this sort of thing), the moon hints at Plath’s hope of living on after suicide; we can read it as a sign of her wish to observe and so survi ve that bleak, approaching event (Hammer, p.85).Considering that the reader knows Plath doesn’t make it, but we are to assume that Esther does, the book is put in a very hard position. The poetic nature of Plath’s writing comes to play in the fact that the reader is given an underlying reason to believe that Esther will survive.In her essay Perloff gives notice to this underlying justification to carryon.   She claims that Esther has a rebirth and that it happens through the guidance of Dr. Nolan.   Perloff notes that since Dr. Nolan is the first woman who Esther doesn’t feel inclined to be like, it marks the beginning of Esther’s individuality.   An individuality, in which, she is completely apathetic towards the unjust world she’s been rebelling against. Perloff sums up this entire idea of Esther’s reassessment of her life, by citing one of Plath’s most poetic statements in the book, As if the usual order of the world had shif ted slightly (275, Plath)†¦This perfectly sums up the state of mind Esther is in, when she walks into the room at the end. The reader is given no reason to lose faith in Esther, this faith is slightly tainted by the fact the book is very closely based on Plath’s life and she died by committing suicide. As sad as it is to say, Plath’s death only enhanced the authenticity of Esther’s psychological dysfunction. The true identity of her mental disorder is a debate that will remain up for question, until the day we find out what happened when Esther walked into that room. By the story ending where it does, it leaves Esther’s outcome open for interpretation. With Plath’s close correlation to Esther, and her death in the back of the minds of every reader, I think Esther’s new found state of balance shows us what Plath aspired for; and by her leaving Esther’s fans to decide the outcome, in a way, she ensures an ever-changing ending for h erself.   I would hope they all turn out well.

Computer Game Improves the Motivation of Learning Mathematics Research Paper

Computer Game Improves the Motivation of Learning Mathematics - Research Paper Example According to Azevedo, mathematics or math games are fun activities. They usually encourage motivation, call for deep thinking, require both chance and skills, and provide multiple approaches to problem-solving. These games implement certain mathematical strategies and skills by leveraging the natural inclination of the student to play. The games can either be played by an individual, a small or large group; it can be cooperative and/or competitive. Mathematical games have been proved to have some rewarding impacts to students. Azevedo argues that games are usually part of after-school activities. Math games can provide the students with suitable contexts for developing both socially and mathematically. In addition, Shin, Sutherland, Norris & Soloway affirm that students can explore and discuss new strategies with their peers and use these strategies to solve and calculate mathematical problems. Furthermore, math games allow the students to participate at a level of their choice and b uild on their knowledge and understanding. There exists limited empirical literature that supports the hypothesis with most of those advocating for the technique being the game developers and investors, which makes the supporting results relatively biased.There have been many studies showing how computer games find their place at the elementary school class and students. In order to support the hypothesis that computer games improve motivation in learning mathematics in elementary school, four studies from different sources are considered.

Situational Analysis of Women in Managament Essay

Situational Analysis of Women in Managament - Essay Example Situational Analysis of Women in Managament The goals and mission will be communicated more effectively and everyone in the organization will know what they are supposed to do and when they are supposed to do it in order to get to the goals of the organization and women are adept at managing households and communicating effectively with every member of the family. Every employee will work towards the same goals if they understand them and are committed. Most companies are aware that they need to have a good top management in their organization. However, they are unsure how to get that perfect team and many a times unsure about women. Creating the team requires that they know two aspects of their job; that is their responsibility to the organization and the lines of communication between them and the employees. Women should be crystal clear as to what they should be doing and how to do it properly. They also need to communicate the information effectively and efficiently so that other follow suit in the pursuing of goals. They should be open to employees and their feedback as well because communication is a two way street; women tend to be good listeners as well The top management job remains essentially the same; whether it is a flat structure organization or a typical hierarchical level organization with senior managers, middle managers and their own employees. It also changes with the size of the organization, but once again, even as the approaches are different, the roles remain the same. And since women always perceive themselves as an alien, they are more flexible to change and change management and so would be to the structure of an organization as well. The top management team takes charge of the decision making primarily and hence they need to have good judgment skills. A bad manager, will be detrimental both to the employees and the organization as well, and sometimes it is difficult to gauge if a manager has a sound personality fit for the job or not. The following discussion further outlines why women are competent for higher posts in organizations. (Drucker, 1974) Why women? A study of 2,500 Danish firms shows that women in top management and senior executive posts are not harmful but actually positive for an organization. Since this is a large sample size, the study seems to be plausible. However, the qualification of women is important as well; top management positions filled by less qualified women will lead the organization towards a downfall and therefore, women don’t have special knack but education benefits males and females both equally to equip them with the skill of running an organization. Women of skill and power such as Angelina Merkel and Hillary Clinton are good examples of good candidates for top posts and are a living example of leading women. (Nina Smith, 2006) Another study shows that women are good for the organization as they also bring diversity which is important in top management teams or TMTs. However, women in the top management are an ongoing issue over the years. Most men simply do not feel comfortable with women as their bosses. Especially in Asia, the barriers to entry for women are extremely high. However, those companies that did employ women noticed a positive growth in their companies and it is also foreseen as positive for their

Business plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business plan - Essay Example There are several reasons for the prospective success of this venture. The most important factor is that the current Korean market is undergoing a period of transition from analog to HD video and IPTV. Therefore, demand for HD related products will be higher at this time than at any earlier period. Also, we believe that selling items online has its advantages over selling in person; specialists, enthusiasts and well-informed customers can access the products’ specifications and research them easily through corresponding company websites. In the Korean market, there are very few companies which sell audio/video equipment online, and most of these remain financially weak with low market credibility. Since the market lacks a leading enterprise that can supply both goods and services related to professional audio/video equipment, there is presently a great opportunity for DBS and B&H to secure the premier position through demonstrated high quality services and supply abilities. Finally, DBS’ past experience in the TV and radio industries prepares it well for a long-term role in this new endeavor, while its knowledge of Korean markets can facilitate the formation of well trained human resources for product services. Total sales of Korean broadcasting market including non-profit earnings have increased from $7,700,000,000 in 2004 to $8,635,200,000 in 2005. Moreover, in 2006, it increased by 12.6 % ($9,719,900,000) from 2005. In consideration of the above factors, it can be said that the Korean markets for professional audio/video equipment shall expand and the demands of regular consumer will also increase. At this opportune moment, cooperation between B&H and DBS not only bears the promise of vast earnings but holds the potential of spreading out to other developing Asian countries. We are convinced our proposed plan shall prove mutually beneficial and

Managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control

Managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control 25. Discuss managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control. Before we start answer this question, let us understand what the definition of internal control is. Internal control is designed and implemented by an entitys management, those charge with governance of the entity, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives. In addition, internal control is also can be refer to a process wherein the structure of the organization, the information system and authority are designed in such a way that it can helps the organization achieve its objectives and goals. (Bhattacharyya, August 2010) Internal control plays an important role in how management meets its stewardship or agency responsibilities. For example, internal control for a bank is the systems, policies, procedures, and processes effected by the board of directors, management, and other personnel to safeguard bank assets, limit or control risks, and achieve a banks objectives (Internal Control Comptrollers Handbook January 2001). A system of str ong internal control is the backbone of an associations management program. Strong internal control may helps a company to meet their objectives and goals, and to maintain a healthy, successful operations.For a bank, Good internal control can help a bank to avoid surprises and achieve its objectives. After we understand the internal control, let us see the managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control. There are few management incentives such as provide safeguard of assets and company records, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, prevention and detection of fraud and error, compliance with applicable law and regulation, avoid wastage of resources, risk management systems are effective and decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. First, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to ensure company records and assets can be properly safeguard. A strong internal control can ensure that asset was not been stolen and certificates or company records are proper keeping. Then, a proper safeguard of company records and assets can generate reliable information for the company because the records will not easily be manipulated. Besides, Management also needs reliable information to ensure the fairness of financial report. It can reduce the problem between the principal and agent. So, what is mean by principal and agent? Actually, principal is referring to absentee owner such as shareholder and agent refers to manger who is working in company. The problem is information asymmetry and conflicts of interest are occurring between themselves. This is because manager has more information about true financial position than shareholder. Moreover, they are different objectives in someti mes, so it will lead to conflict of interest. For example, the goal of shareholder is to obtain higher dividend from the company which they invest. However, the goal of manager is to maximum the profit of the company. Therefore, they will be a conflict such as whether using the excess earning to maximum the dividend for each of the shareholder or increase their market share by increases the advertising. It will lead to the problem between shareholder and manager, because the shareholder did not know whether the manager has done a correct or win-win decision. Then, they did not know the financial statement have incurred error or fraud or not. However, a strong internal control may ensure a safeguard of companys records and assets and it will increase the trustiness to the company. Then, decrease the problem between agent and principals. Besides this, reliable information is important to make a good decision to a company. If the information system does not provide reliable information , management may be unable to make quick and informed decisions such as product pricing, profit information and cost of production. It is important that the top management is generated with accuracy information, as they rely on these data to make important and critical decisions. Therefore, a strong internal control is necessary in order to make financial information transparent and accessible to the managers or decision makers. Second, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to have an effectiveness and efficiency of operations in a company. Effective of internal controls can be sure that all duties are being completed according to standards, rules and all quotas are being met. However, efficiency of internal control is very important to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage and the maximization of profitability. Operational procedures, best-practice and performance reviews are effective internal controls of efficiency. (Ingram, eHow Contributing Writer) A strong internal control increases the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reduces the risk of asset loss, and helps to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Third, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to prevent and detect of fraud and error in company. Error is unintentional misstatements make by staff or manager such as making mistakes in gathering or processing financial data used to prepare financial statements. Then, fraud is intentional misstatements make by staff or manager such as manipulation, falsification, or alteration of accounting records or supporting documents used to prepare financial statements. Therefore, a strong internal control can prevent and detect the error and fraud. For example, segregation duty between record shipping inventory and calculate inventory physically can prevent theft or stolen of inventory occur. Besides, a proper accounting information system can prevent the error or fraud, such as sales clerk only can access and key in the information about the sales and account receivables only. Therefore, the sales clerk cant access to cash account in order to c reate a fictitious customer. Moreover, monthly bank reconciliation can check the mathematical accuracy of the bank reconciliation working paper and agree the balance per the books to general ledger to detect the error or fraud in account bank. Next, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to compliance with applicable law and regulation. Following law and regulation set by government require huge investments, especially that of time. Therefore, a strong internal control is necessary in order to avoiding legal consequences by follow the rule and regulation. That mean, it can reduces or avoid the costs which may have to occur if the company dont follow rules. Then, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to avoid wastage of resources. A strong internal control can helps company avoiding wastage of precious resources, besides increasing efficiency. It is because maximize the profits or income by utilization the resources is one of the method of efficiency. Strong internal controls can avoiding wastage of resources like an effective accounting information system can ensure the reliability and appropriate of the information for avoid to making an inefficiency and inaccurate decision and wasted asset of the company in investment in that decision such as wasted cash or establish a useless debt for an ineffective investment. The managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to making risk management systems effective. An entitys risk assessment process is its process of identifying, evaluating, and responding to the identified business risk. For example, mobile phone company such as Nokia always facing business risk not because of its competitive environment only but rapid changing technology is also a main reason. To suit for the customer trend and favourite, Nokia facing business risks that are always need to make investment in Research and Development Department to design a new model and rapid upgrade their product. However, not all the mobile phone produce by Nokia will be the favourite of the customer and making a profit, so a strong internal control is important to assess the business risk and reduce the business risk to an acceptable level. The last managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. It is because a strong internal control can produce a reliable financial statement, making operating procedures more effective and efficiency, prevent and detect the error or fraud and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Therefore, the financial report will be more credibility and decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. Last but not least, after we review the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control, we can conclude that a strong internal control is very important to every company to achieve their businesss goal, such as provide a safeguard of records and assets or making an effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Therefore, a strong internal control is one of the factors that ensure the company may successful also.

Quentins Passion and Desire in The Sound and the Fury Essay example --

Quentin's Passion and Desire in The Sound and the Fury    As Quentin Compson travels through the countryside with his college friends, the reality of the situation becomes terribly confused by memories and past feelings. After a little girl follows him for miles around town, his own sexuality reaches the forefront of his consciousness and transforms itself into disjointed memories of his sister Caddy. Quentin's constant obsession in William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, surrounds a defining sexual act with his sister. Though the physical act never appears in plain language, Quentin's apparent lapse into an inner monologue demonstrates his overwhelming fixation with Caddy as well as a textured representation of their relationship. Sexual language pervades his inner consciousness - scents, sounds and colors represent his passion and desire. Elements of nature, when associated with his sister, become erotic; the tiers of description, no matter how seemingly mundane, tend to be steeped in sexuality. Quentin's lapse into past events with Caddy begins in the midst of typical conversation with his friends as they drive through town. His attention to reality is shattered by an unconscious slip into thoughts of his sister. As the eyes of the little girl snap Quentin into a reverie of sexual exploration, his words wander haphazardly, even before the image of his sister, prone on the banks of the river, comes to mind. "If I tried to hard to stop it I'd be crying and I thought about how I'd thought about I could not be a virgin, with so many of them walking along in the shadows and whispering with their soft girlvoices lingering in the shadowy places and the words coming out and perfume and eyes you could f... ... environment to evoke such passion. Although Faulkner rarely refers to sexual acts directly, the use of language through Quentin's consciousness and internal monologue is so rampant with erotic metaphor and passionate depth, that a simple object, such as a pocket knife, transforms into the most vital of symbols. Works Cited and Consulted Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984. Harold, Brent. "The Volume and Limitations of Faulkner's Fictional Method." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 11, 1975. Hoffman, F. J. and Vickery, O. W.   William Faulkner:   Three Decades of Criticism.   New York, Harbinger, 1960. Irwin, John T. "A Speculative Reading of Faulkner" Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 14, 1975. Polk, N.   New Essays On:   The Sound and the Fury.   Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993.  

Nari Gandhi

NARI GANDHI TROPHY 2011 â€Å"Inspired by Yesterday Aspired for Tomorrow† PREMISE: India simultaneously lives in three time zones. Moorings from the past and aspirations for tomorrow coexist today to create the present. In India therefore history is not a fossilised past but rather a continuum of the tradition. History lives on as tradition. A land of long history and deep traditions, its architectural landscape has innumerable edifices that have transcended time to remain timeless even after centuries and millennia.They have sustained the rigour of place and people over time. This has been so due to consistent process of adaptation over changed time and circumstance. Continuum of core traditional ethos along with adaptation of the new dimensions of the changed times. Their survival over time is in itself the proof of its acceptance and appropriateness over changed time and circumstance. These examples are the worthy resources to learn from them about their Spatiality (quality of timelessness), Sustainability (resource management) as well as plurality (Sociocultural appropriateness).Why is it that architecture of yester year continues to inspire awe, even at times after functional obsolescence (i. e. step wells)? What are the spatial qualities that render them awe inspiring and experientially engaging across time? What makes them environmentally sustainable to remain energy efficient for climate comforts? What have been their constructional strategies to optimise on material resources? What are the design attributes that render them socio-culturally appropriate?Can we not learn from such time tested architecture and apply their principles of timeless aesthetics, environmental sustainability, constructional efficiency or functional plurality to the contemporary architecture. To interpret and apply the essence of traditional wisdom with their due adaptations for times to come. TASK: ? Select a contemporary architectural design project from past three decad es (after 1980A. D. which adequately demonstrates that it is inspired from the architecture of the past and aspires for the needs of the future. The design must aptly demonstrate what aspects of architectural design from traditional/ ancient/ classical Indian architecture are identified, understood, interpreted and how have they been applied/translated in the contemporary architecture with necessary transformations. National Association of Students of Architecture 54th Annual NASA Convention Nari Gandhi Trophy 2011 NARI GANDHI TROPHY 2011 ?The analysis must identify and highlight at least two of the four dimensions (Spatiality, Sustainability, Socio-cultural appropriability and Structural efficiency) that have inspired from architecture of the past and have been re interpreted in the present design. Architecture is a sum total of design decisions about Sitting and location; form and massing, scale and proportion; space organisation and movement; Choice of space making elements; mate rial and construction techniques; as well as surface finishes and embellishments.Please analyse the chosen architectural project in sufficient depth to include references to most of above mentioned design decisions. The selected architectural project must be a campus (at least two or more buildings on a plot) and not a single building, in order to offer design potential concerning organisational attributes between built masses and inter relationship between the built and the un built. ? ? SPECIFICATIONS: Panel: One 8’ x 4’ panel in landscape format will be provided for display.No part of the presentation shall spill out the 8’ x 4’ panel.. †¢ Presentation: Maximum number of sheets not to exceed 15 A1 This can either be in single panel format or part panel format †¢ Single panel This mode of presentation requires the entire 8’ x 4’ panel to be covered which would be considered equivalent to 6 A1 sheets. The remaining 9 A1 sheets may be overlaid on the panel. The Shape and size of the overlays on the single panel shall be left to the discretion of the participants. Part Panel o This presentation is possible in two forms either covering 2/3rd of the panel or 1/3rd o A 2/3rd panel would be considered equivalent to 4 A1 sheets, along with which a maximum of 11 A1 sheets in a calendar and / or overlay format is allowed. o A 1/3 rd panel would be considered equivalent to 2 A1 sheets, along with which a maximum of 13 A1 sheets in a calendar and / or overlay format is allowed. National Association of Students of Architecture 54th Annual NASA Convention Nari Gandhi Trophy 2011 NARI GANDHI TROPHY 2011 Each overlay (does not require a logo) would be considered as one A1 sheet irrespective of the size not exceeding A1. (The overlay must be cut from an A1 sheet). †¢ All individual sheets and panels shall have NASA logo as per NASA logo guidelines in proper specification should feature on right hand bottom corner. â₠¬ ¢ Scale model are not allowed, however Photos of the model may be used in the presentation sheet †¢ 2 copies of the CD containing the soft copy of the entire report along with the A. V. Presentation must be submitted.One of these is for the N. I. D. C. archives and the other for the use of the college in A. V. Presentation. The 2nd CD will be returned to the respective college. 1st CD must contain name of the college. †¢ Two identical copies of a Report (hard bound) not exceeding 20 A4 pages that give an entire overview of the project should accompany the submission. The report should feature the NASA logo appropriately on the cover page and on each page of the report. Both copies should contain the college code and name of the project on the cover.However, only one copy should have the name of the College featured. AUDIO – VISUAL PRESENTATION: – Jury members shall shortlist the colleges for A. V. presentation. Time given for the short listed entries shall not exceed l0 minutes. No college shall reveal its identity in any manner either in sheets, reports or the presentation. – 2 copies of the CD containing the soft copy (editable and non editable) of the entire report, sheets and the A. V. Presentation must be submitted. One of these is for the N. I. D. C. archives and the other for the use of the college in A.V. Presentation. Both CDs should contain the college code and only one should mention the name of the college. – In AV Presentation, NASA logo as per NASA logo guidelines is mandatory. Note: The identity/name of the participating college should NOT feature in any way on any of the Report, Presentation sheets/AV presentation. All colleges are requested to adhere to the mentioned specifications, failing which the entry will be disqualified. National Association of Students of Architecture 54th Annual NASA Convention Nari Gandhi Trophy 2011

Article Review; Sociality as a defensive response to the threat of loss By Tim Johnson, Mikhai Myagkov and John Orbell

Article Review; Sociality as a defensive response to the threat of loss By Tim Johnson, Mikhai Myagkov and John Orbell This article gives an analysis of how individuals use sociality as a defensive response to the risk of loss. This article applies the aspect of the prisoner’s dilemma to address the problem. The prisoner’s dilemma is one of the major problems in the game theory, which helps to understand the reason why two people will not cooperate even though it may be their best interests to do that.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Review; Sociality as a defensive response to the threat of loss By Tim Johnson, Mikhai Myagkov and John Orbell specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This analysis seeks to find out how people generally react to the risks that usually occurs in social relationships. This article begins by identifying the fact that although people do cooperate, defections also take place often (Tim, Mikhail and John 1). The main argument of the article revolves around the idea that people will be more will ing to enter into a relationship where the game payoffs are framed as losses rather than gains (Tim, Mikhail and John 1). In other words, this article proposes that people are now more concerned in making decisions which will shield them from dipping into loss rather than gaining. The authors have begun with a critical literature review where they have summarized the previous study which has been conducted on the field. Previous study has revealed that in some cases, people cooperate in the prisoner’s dilemma games where they would choose against their interests. Such decisions lead to maximization of the social welfare. Tim, Mikhail and John also emphasized on the fact that universal cooperation is very rare (1). This implies that an individual is usually faced with the challenge of concluding on how others are going to decide in the prisoner dilemma’s game. Therefore, an individual will be faced by the dilemma of whether to enter into such game or other wise refrain from entering. They are also faced with the dilemma of choosing the person with whom to enter into the game. Tim, Mikhail and John have also recognized the fact that the previous literature has barely mentioned anything to do with how people will react to the danger of going into a prisoner’s dilemma games (2). They emphasized on the idea of risk tolerance. Tim, Mikhail and John also discussed about the risk aversion. For instance, one should not trust strangers. However, if we manage to gather enough information about them we will be able to understand their behaviour. Otherwise, people will refrain from entering into the games with people for whom they don’t have information. People tends to be risk tolerant when the payoff involves losses but risk averse if the payoff in the game involves specific gains (Tim, Mikhail and John 2).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mor e This article has also outlined the utility function. This involves the objective values like lives lost or saved are plotted on the horizontal axis, subjective utility on the vertical axis while the status quo is plotted at the intersection (Tim, Mikhail and John 3). In this case, the function plotted in the quadrant on the upper right side can be identified with the economic theory of diminishing marginal utility for every life saved. On the other hand, the utility function in the left quadrant in the lower side demonstrates steeply declining losses or the lost lives (Tim, Mikhail and John 3). This function can be analyzed based on its nature. In this case, one unit loss in the status quo will hurt more than the gain. In other words, for every extra unit of status quo lost, an individual will be hurt more than in the preceding unit. This article has extended on the traditional expected utility which just differentiates losses and gains. It is based on the assumption that probability of the occurrence is the most appropriate measure for risky outcomes. The prisoner’s dilemma has a significant implication in the concept of sociality. In most cases, people are involved in exchange relationships with each other. The article has identified the fact that the decision made by individuals to enter or not to enter in a relationship is based on the empirical regularity they document (Tim, Mikhail and John 2). Therefore if all other factors remain constant, it is expected that individuals will tend to take the social risks only in the cases where the payoffs are based on losses rather than gains. This concept can also be applied in political arena. In voting, the voter is faced with a decision to make. For instance, they gauge the available alternatives and choose the best (Plott and Levine 148). The concept of the prisoner’s dilemma can clearly be explained through a situation where the decisions of two prisoners affect the other. For instance, we have two suspects who are arrested by the police and then confined in two different places. It is assumed that the police do not have enough evidence on the crime the prisoners committed. Then, the police visit each separately. Both prisoners are then given same deal. In case one prisoner testifies against the other and the other remains silent, then the one who remains silent gets one year term jail while the other is released.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Review; Sociality as a defensive response to the threat of loss By Tim Johnson, Mikhai Myagkov and John Orbell specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, if both prisoners choose not to betray each other and therefore remain silent, then they will both be sentenced for only one month in jail. However, if each prisoner betrays the other, they will get a three months jail sentence each. In this case, every prisoner must choose either to defect or to co operate. That is, they have the opportunity. In this case scenario, it is clear that there is one choice which will maximize the interests of each of the prisoners. The dilemma is now how each of the prisoners is going to act. If the two suspects are only concerned about minimizing the time they stay in jail, they can either choose to betray or to cooperate with the other. This results into a non-zero sum game because each player may cooperate or defect (Blum and Booth 56). In the prisoner’s dilemma game, each of the participants is determined to maximize their own payoff with no concern on other person’s payoff. However, both players may choose to betray each other. When both prisoners play defective, the decisions lead to a Pareto sub-optimal solution (Tutor2. par 6). In this situation, every prisoner makes a rational decision. That is, a decision which maximizes their gains (Rapoport and Chammah 124). In the prisoner’s dilemma, the most dominant choice is def ection. Therefore, the only equilibrium solution in this case remains the fact that all the players to defect. This is because the players are assumed to behave rationally (Barash par 4). However, the compensation would have been relatively higher in case both the prisoners decide to cooperate in their decisions. On the side of the iterated prisoner’s dilemma, this game is played again and again. Unlike in the classical case, the prisoner has the opportunity to punish the other for not cooperating in the previous cases (Edgar 98). According to the economic theory, both players will defect in subsequent cases regardless of the number of times the participants plays. Cooperation can only be equilibrium when they are allowed to play random number of times or unlimited number of times. However, the problem of betrayal can easily be mitigated through intimidation by threatening to punish those who are engaged in defection (Heylighen par 3). The prisoners’ dilemma has a sign ificant implication in politics. This is because the actions of individual politicians have a significant impact on others. In some cases, politicians may benefit for cooperation and lose for not doing so (Paul 309). In some cases, politicians do cooperate and gain while in others fails to do so and consequently lose.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The principle of the prisoners can also be applied in other social contexts. According to Myagkov and Orbell, when people are assumed to be free to choose the people with whom to enter into the games with and also to defect or to cooperate can be useful in modeling of markets (3). In such a case, individuals may decide to avoid relationships which they perceive as exploitive and for a more attractive relationship. This may provider an incentive of not defecting. In politics, the concept of the prisoner’s dilemma can also be applicable. For instance, In case two candidates are free to decide on the policy positions in order to optimize the number of their votes, both will tend to choose the policies which they think will maximize their share (Congleton 4). However, the decision made by one politician has a significant impact on the other. This can also be demonstrated by the rational choice theory which implies that every individual will trend to make decisions which maximizes their interests (The New York Times February 26, 2000. par 2). This is also applicable at the international level. This can clearly be described through the realism theory which describes how states do or think in an effort to secure their interests (Squidoo par 5). The game of the prisoner’s dilemma has a significant implication in the field of economics. For instance, advertisement can form a good example of the political dilemma. For instance, there was time when advertisement was illegal in the United State. The decisions made by the individual companies had a significant impact on the other companies. In other words, the success of every company was determined by the decision made by others. During this period, the success of company X is to some extent determined by the advertisement decisions made by company Y. On the other hand, the returns from the advertisement conducted by firm Y is influenced by the advertisement measures carried by company X. However, in case th e two companies choose to advertise simultaneously at the same time, the effect neutralizes itself and the sales remains constant. Nevertheless, there are increased costs incurred through the advertisement activities. However, in case one company decides not to advertise, then the other one will gain significantly from advertisement. Another case of political dilemma can be illustrated through the case of drugs in spot. Schneier demonstrates a situation where decisions by various players to use performance enhancing drugs affect the performance of others (par 2). In this case, the most feasible level of advertisement for the company X will be determined by advertisement undertaken by company Y. In this case, both companies can gain significantly if they choose to cooperate. For instance, they can both reduce their operational costs in case they decide to advertise at a level below the equilibrium (Milgrom 306). In case all the companies cooperate and decide not to conduct any advert isement, then every company will reduce its expenses and the profits will generally increase in the industry. The principle of the game of the prisoner’s dilemma can also be applied in the pricing among cartels. In some cases, a number of companies may decide to set their prices at a certain level. In this case, a company may choose not to adhere to this regulation which implies that they defect. They may also decide to cooperate and keep their prices at the agreed level. The companies which defect in this case gain profits at the expense of others (Hang 59). Conniff (2001) observed that risky behaviour can also be revealed among other animals. For instance, this can be demonstrated in a phenomenon where an antelope jumps high up into the air when chased by a cheetah. However, it would be more reasonable for the antelope to apply all their energy trying to run horizontally as far as possible. There are also some animals which usually tend to dance just in front of their preda tors before dodging away. In conclusion, this article has given a clear analysis of the concept of the prisoner’s dilemma games and its implication in social, political and economic context. It is based on the principle that individuals will tend to act in such a way that they maximize their interests. However, these decisions may in one way or another affect others. Barash, David. †Rogue Elephants Play Congressional Chicken.† Chronicle, July 4, 2011. 4th Aug. 2011. http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/congressional-chicken/37005 Blum, Jonathan and Booth Rupert. The Prisoners Dilemma. U.S.A.: Powys Books, 2005. Congleton, Roger. â€Å"The Median Voter Model.† Uoregon, 4th Aug. 2011. http://pages.uoregon.edu/myagkov/medianvot.pdf Conniff Richard. Why We Take Risks. DISCOVER .Vol. 22 No. 12   December 2001. Edgar David. The Prisoners Dilemma. London: Nick Hern Books, 2002. Hang Amelia. Prisoners Dilemma. UK: Lulu.com, 2003. Heylighen Francis. â€Å"The Prisoners Dilemma.† Pespmc1, 1995. 4th Aug. 2011. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/PRISDIL.html Myagkov Misha and Orbell John. â€Å"Mindreading and Manipulation in an Ecology of Prisoner’s Dilemma Games: Laboratory Experiments.† Phoenix, 4th Aug. 2011. http://phoenix.liu.edu/~uroy/eco54/histlist/pol-sci-rational.htm Rapoport Anatol and Chammah Albert. Prisoners Dilemma: A Study In Conflict And Cooperation. Canada: University of Michigan Press, 1965. Schneier Bruce. â€Å"Drugs: Sports Prisoners Dilemma.† Wired, 4th Aug. 2011. wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2006/08/71566 Paul Milgrom. The Evolution of Cooperation. Journal of Economics Volume 15, Number 2, 1984, 305–309. Plott Charles R. and Levine Michael E. A model of Agenda Influence on Committee Decisions. The American Economic Review, Vol. 68, No. 1. (March 1978), pp. 146-160. Squidoo. â€Å"Realism.† Squidoo, 2011. 4th Aug. 2011. squidoo.com/realism The New York Times Feb ruary 26, 2000. â€Å"Political Scientists Debate Theory of `Rational Choice†. Phoenix, 2000. 4th Aug. 2011. http://phoenix.liu.edu/~uroy/eco54/histlist/pol-sci-rational.htm Tim Johnson, Mikhai Myagkov and John Orbell. Sociality as a Defensive Response to the Threat of Loss. Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Germany. 2001. Tutor2. â€Å"Oligopoly Game Theory.† Tutor2u, 2011. 4th Aug. 2011. http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/a2-micro-oligopoly-game-theory.html

The Appeal to (Irrelevant) Authority (Logical Fallacy)

The Appeal to (Irrelevant) Authority (Logical Fallacy) The appeal to (false or irrelevant) authority  is a  fallacy in which a rhetor  (public speaker or writer) seeks to persuade an audience not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for the famous. Also known as ipse dixit and ad verecundiam, which means he himself said it and argument to modesty or respect respectively, appeals to authority rely entirely upon the trust the audience has as a speakers integrity and expertise on the matter at hand. As W.L. Reese puts it in Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, though, not every  appeal to authority  commits this fallacy, but every appeal to an authority with respect to matters outside his special province commits the fallacy. Essentially, what he means here is that although not all appeals to authority are fallacies, most are - especially by rhetors with no authority on the topic of discussion. The Art of Deception Manipulation of the general public has been a tool of politicians, religious leaders and marketing experts alike for centuries, utilizing appeal to authority often to support their causes with little to no evidence for doing so. Instead, these figureheads use the art of deception to leverage their fame and recognition as a means to validate their claims.   Have you ever wondered why actors like Luke Wilson endorse ATT as Americas largest wireless phone coverage provider or why Jennifer Aniston appears in Aveeno skincare commercials to say its the best product on the shelves? Marketing firms often hire the most famous A-list celebrities to promote their products for the sole purpose of using their appeal to authority to convince their fans that the product they endorse is worth buying. As Seth Stevenson posits in his 2009 Slate article Indie Sweethearts Pitching Products, Luke Wilsons role in these ATT ads is straight-up spokesman - the [ads] are horribly misleading. The Political Con Game As a result, it is important for audiences and consumers, especially in the political spectrum, to be doubly aware of the logical fallacy of merely trusting someone on their appeal to authority. In order to discern truth in these situations, the first step, then, would be to determine what level of expertise the rhetor has in the field of conversation.   For instance, the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, often cites no evidence in his tweets condemning everyone from political opponents and celebrities to supposed illegal voters in the general election. On November 27, 2016, he famously tweeted In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally. However, no evidence exists that verify this claim, which only sought to alter public opinion of his opponent Hillary Clintons 3,000,000-vote lead over him in the popular vote count of the 2016 U.S. election, calling her victory illegitimate.   Questioning Expertise This is certainly not unique to Trump - in fact, a large majority of politicians, especially while in public forums and on-the-spot television interviews, use an appeal to authority when facts and evidence are not readily available. Even criminals on trial will use this tactic to attempt to appeal to the empathetic human nature of the jury in order to sway their opinion despite contradictory evidence.   As Joel Rudinow and Vincent E. Barry put it in the 6th edition of Invitation to Critical Thinking, no one is an expert on everything, and therefore no one can be trusted on their appeal to authority every time. The pair comment that whenever an appeal to authority is introduced, it is wise to be aware of the area of expertise of any given authority - and to be mindful of the relevance of that particular area of expertise to the issue under discussion. Essentially, in every case of appeals to authority, be mindful of those tricky appeals to irrelevant authority - just because the speaker is famous, doesnt mean he or she knows anything real about what theyre saying.

Multiculturalism In America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiculturalism In America - Essay Example Multiculturalism is not merely about the demographic composition of the American population, but how political systems frame the cultural diversity especially in participation in national matters (Alonso 24). The United States has witnessed high influx of immigrants from all parts of the world. Multiculturalism is closely related with identity politics, but requires the different religions, ethnic diversity and cultural diversities to be accommodated in the national issues such as representation. Government multiculturalism policies that promote multiculturalism include the federal support of newspapers and television that broadcast in the minority languages, support for minority festivals, encouragement of minority representation in education and politics (Donovan 99). Other public policies that encourage multiculturalism include acceptance of traditional dress codes in schools (Alonso 68). Multiculturalism is problematic since it reinforces the oppression of minorities in the socie ty. Critics of multiculturalism argue that it leads to segregated communities. This is because cultural differences such as traditions, values and shared beliefs are recognized in the nation-level thus denying opportunities for social cohesion (Alonso 63). Although protection of the minorities in the society will reduce the inequalities, racial or cultural based protections of the minorities will exacerbate the inequalities since powerful members of a particular minority group will undermine the opportunities and liberties of the vulnerable members of the particular group (Donovan 123). Feminists argue that multiculturalism will lead to entrenchment of the cultural practices that deny women equality and undermine the protection of women rights in the society. Accordingly, cultural practices like customary law on polygamy and religious laws will undermine the dominant legal system thus perpetrating the inequality of women in the society (Alonso 128). The duty of the government is to safeguard the individual rights, but not group rights. Granting cultural groups specific rights and protections undermines the individual rights to liberty and right of association in the society (Donovan 45). Accordingly, the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution is framed on the ideals of liberty, respect for universal human rights and right to pursue happiness. In addition, American ethos is based on individualism, equality in opportunities and egalitarianism thus all different cultures must internalize in order to ensure societal stability. In this regard, government policies that promote multiculturalism will create social instability and distinct cultural ideas other than those that have governed Americans since independence (Alonso 234). Multiculturalism undermines the struggles for justice and redistribution in the US. The politics of cultural recognition seeks to remedy the status inequality, but redistribution challenges the inequality in distribution of resource s and seeks economic restructuring in order to attain economic justice. For instance, Jim Crow laws of the southern states perpetuated political disenfranchisement thus providing opportunities for economic isolation of the Black Americans (Donovan 110). Multiculturalism entrenches cultural distinction thus leading to power differentials that hinder economic justice to the traditionally isolated minority groups like Black Americans (Alonso 178). Critics of multiculturalism argue that cultures should not be preserved since they are influenced by immigration, imperialism and international trade. Advancement in technology, influence of the mass media

MARKETING FINANCIAL SERVICES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MARKETING FINANCIAL SERVICES - Essay Example Marketing tools used by the organization The marketing strategy of the organisation targets four customer groups: Personal Financial Services that includes consumer finance, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Private Banking. In the present financial milieu, the tools that would best persuade customers to entrust their transactions with a particular institution would be the service attributes themselves, that such service capably meets with the clientele’s most stringent requirements. The Academy of Marketing Science (2008) states that a company’s reputation is considered a marketing tool (p. 31). HSBC’s strongest marketing tool is its reputation. The conservatism associated with its brand name is a valuable asset. In a period of general public distrust in the financial system, confidence in a financial institution is the single most important factor that would determine a customer’s patronage. Another tool that HSBC relies on to attract a nd maintain its customers’ loyalty is its global presence. Most businesses in one way or another undertake commercial transactions of an international nature, which require some form of financial settlement that only a bank with strong global exposure may capably and satisfactorily discharge. Also, innovative products that timely address the market, such as HSBC’s recent launch of low interest rate, low deposit mortgage funding, have the potential of attracting demand because such products cater closely to their need. Finally, HSBC prides itself on its global expertise not only on financial matters, but also on its knowledge concerning socio-cultural considerations. Business culture happens to be closely linked with social traditions in certain countries; HSBC thus markets itself as the local global bank, referring to its local expertise coupled with global presence. Customers of the organisation, including issues Because HSBC serves a wide range of consumer and corpor ate banking interests, its customers also span the continuum from individuals in their personal finances, to non-business organisations, to small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), to large domestic corporations, to state entities, and up to large multinationals corporations (MNCs) and conglomerates. Because of these widely divergent products serving widely different clientele, the company faces several issues having to do with its customers, that may put the bank at significant risk. The diversity of HSBC’s various markets is an important risk management factor and a source of financial strength (Greer & Kolbe, 2003) and it may be consolidated into three main business models in which it has a â€Å"natural advantage† (HSBC Annual Report and Accounts, 2009, p. 12): 1. Businesses that cater to international customers for whom connections with developing markets are critical (Global Banking and Markets, Private Banking, the major part of Commercial Banking, and the mas s affluent segment of Personal Financial Services; 2. Businesses with local customers where the efficiency of output or services may be improved by access to markets on a global scale (the small business segment of Commercial Banking, and the mass market segment of Personal Financial Services; and 3. Products which may have potential in the global market, with the assistance of the HSBC Group’s efficiency, expertise and reputation, such as the bank’

Arms, Mines, and Use of Explosive Force Research Paper

Arms, Mines, and Use of Explosive Force - Research Paper Example The working structure shown by Rutherford of how NGOs advanced their cause included two sections into which the agenda setting components could be divided. The first takes a keen view of level-one agenda setting called â€Å"cognitive agenda setting,† and the second takes another keen view of level-two agenda setting, called â€Å"norm agenda setting†. The first section investigates how NGOs placed the landmine issue on the agenda of the government and the public. The second investigates the influence of the particular elements of the landmine issue on the agendas of the public and the government (Rutherford 78). Another reason why Rutherford’s explanation is more compelling is that he shows the three important components of agenda setting that were addressed by NGOs in both sections, as they advanced their cause leading to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. These are framing, schema, and priming. Framing means the selection of elements within a particular issue . These elements are used in the promotion of a particular problem definition, evaluation in moral terms, and treatment recommendation for the item viewed. The core of the second level of setting agendas is the transference of the salience of attributes. Schema on the other hand is a concept linked closely to framing, but takes a deeper view on how people organize their thinking. Priming is the process of activation of schemas. It assumes that features of a stimulus or frequency activates cognitive structures that were previously learned and has an influence on ambiguous stimulus interpretations. These three important components of agenda setting were then addressed in both sections. In addressing framing in section one, the landmines were listed as a new issue and in the process, get people to think about landmines as a humanitarian issue. In section two, the horrible effects and disproportionate consequences of landmines were exposed. In addressing schema in section one, outrageou s landmine statistics were listed, and in section two, leadership games to control the landmine issue were revealed. In addition, in addressing priming in section one, landmine victim stories were told, most of them sad. In section two, incoherent arguments among anti-ban states were brought up. This is more convincing (Rutherford 78). Hubert on the other hand chooses to focus more on the proceedings of conferences that were held prior to the signing of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban treaty. This, in my view, is not very convincing, as it does little to show how the NGOs and other organizations influenced the debates and proceedings at those conferences. For example, at The Conference on Disarmament, he explains of how supporters of the CD approach were opposed by the supporters of the Ottawa Process. He does not go further to explain how the CD process was reached at and who exactly came up with the process (Hubert 19). The third reason why Rutherford advanced a more compelling argume nt is that, apart from coming up with a structure of how NGOs advanced their cause leading to the Anti-Personnel Landmine Treaty, he went ahead to explain the structure comprehensively. Hubert had no comprehensive structure in the first place and therefore, his explanations were not very catchy. Rutherford explained his structure well by stating the three agenda-setting components in the two levels. In stating the agenda-setting c

The poem ‘But These Things Also’ Essay Example for Free

The poem ‘But These Things Also’ Essay Thomas has a very distinctive eye for the miniature of nature, often overlooked by others. Explore his appreciation of the natural world in the poem ‘But These Things Also.’ Thomas throughout his collection of works has a very clear and distinct appreciation for nature which he wishes to explore it in all its glory and becomes a recurring theme. He consistently urges ‘man’ to look at the beauty of nature and the effect it has on the natural world. He expresses his application through the words of a poet and tries to do the endless wonder that is nature justice. In ‘but these things also’ he especially highlights the impact nature has on the audiences’ life and gives his personal account of the relationship he has with nature and in particular spring. Written in 1915, Thomas has not yet enlisted this is important as although not directly about war, the comparison of winter and spring could be his suggestion that the seasons are more than just seasons but a symbolic representation of life and death, not just in the natural world but also within human life. This could be taken as Thomas commenting on how life and in a sense goes so quickly by like the seasons themselves, therefore liking it to the war and his confusion of whether to enlist. The tone of the poem on a whole is relatively pessimistic to mains appreciation of nature. He begins the opening line almost defining the characteristics of Spring, that he and spring are almost linked with the use of the world ‘also’, an attempted to glorify spring itself. It then moves onto something slightly more sinister in the grass is ‘long dead’ – something which is not normally attributed to spring itself which is seen as the coming of new life and rejuvenation. This is Thomas saying to the audience that is we do not see the beauty of nature then it may as well be dead to us like in ‘winter is was’ as it would have no purpose if the aesthetic is not glorified. The use of enjambment helps the poem to build in crescendo effect. For example ‘and starling flocks by chattering on and on keep their spirits up in the mist,’ this is done for two purposes. Firstly to expresses Thomas’ exasperation at humans for not noticing nature; he continues on his train of thought without taking a moment to breathe. Moreover he uses it to enable to the beauty of the ‘starling flocks’ to have an impact on the audience. He doesn’t just want the audience to notice nature he wants them to bask in it, and by using enjambment he is able to have the continuous train of thought so people can experience its beauty without interruption. It is also important to look at the reason for Thomas describing the birds as ‘chattering on and on’. This can be seen as a representation of the rest of the world’s complete disregard for its beauty. They do not take the time to just stop and look but continue on with their daily lives missing the important things i.e. nature. Furthermore birds are a reoccurring theme which Thomas uses throughout his body of works as a symbolism of the soldiers and of mankind as a whole. In words, a poem which has a lot of similarities to this as both emphasise the beauty and complexity of a ‘thing’, Thomas refers to the words as ‘nightingales’ in order to represent their freedom. This is similar this this poem as Thomas is showing the beauty and freedom of nature on a whole through the use of a bird. He uses the power of the second stanza to try and emphasize the things that he himself notices that are beautiful in the world. ‘The chip of flint and mite of chalk’ very menial things in the sense of the entire world but for Thomas they are the ones which matter the most, the minute detail as it is. He even shows his appreciation for ‘the small birds’ dung’ something which would never in a normal context be seen as something to look highly upon. However for Thomas it makes up the natural world. ‘a man mistakes’ shows Thomas imploring the audience to not always see these sorts of things as bad but look at them in the sense of art which is adding to beauty. This could also be seen as a representation of the blots on the world as a whole, a critic of them almost. The ‘splashes of white’ can be taken as the impurities that man himself carelessly inflicts on nature. The ‘ruins’ that the violets seek through are these impurities, and only that nature of beauty itself can purify them totally. Given the context this could be the blot of war but also symbolism for the blood shed from war and how it is dampening nature and losing it altruistic qualities. The symbolism of the violets is key in this poem. It links into to Thomas direct use of flowers/herbs and is used an imagery device. He does this similarly in the poem ‘March’ where he references the primroses, and in ‘Old Man’ were the initial is an herb in itself. Violets are the first flowers to bloom in spring time and are therefore the first hope of life. This is something which is a parallel with hat of March. It contrasts the darkness of winter with the light and hope of spring. ‘To pay winters debts’ is the flowers and therefore nature in spring time making up for the darkness and the gloom of winter. It almost a like a reference to pathetic fallacy, for spring has to bring him joy in comparison to the dark gloomy days that winter brings. The final line of ‘but these things also’ highlights the emphasis that Thomas wishes to place on the beauty of nature and how so many of us miss it in the everyday world. He is not just glorifying spring he is also glorying winter. ‘Springs here, winter not gone’ he is stating that the beauty of nature is regardless of the seasons and each one holds a new treasure which man must appreciate. This is similar to the poem ‘glory’ where he is trying to find the words to express his feelings towards nature but here he is saying that words nor seasons do not matter, nature in its full force is omnipresent. However this could also be read as the impacts of winters destruction and gloom are ever overshadowing the goodness of spring and the beauty of it. This can be translated into Tomas saying that man is missing out on the beauties of life; even when in full bloom spring cannot detract from the unhappiness in life, and especially war. It is his job therefore throughout this poem to try and make the audience see that there is so much goodness in the world and especially nature. In conclusion Thomas’ use of the theme of nature and his appreciation of it is one which is diverse. His main aim it to try and have an impact on the audiences view of nature and let them see that this is not always destruction in the world even if it may appear that way on the surface. He attempts to show them his view of nature and how it personal makes him feel, whilst also showing them some of the beauties of the world which they may miss in everyday life due to the all-consuming war. He effectively uses pieces of imagery to enable the audience to picture nature and have it at the fore front of their minds. He explores the themes of nature, war and destruction, which is in keeping with his other body of works.