Free Essays on Embarassing Moment

After I found out that my husband may have prostate cancer I researched, read and learned everything I could about this disease. Then I informed my husband of my findings, because for some reason, but not unlike other men, he could not do it himself. He was very willing to read any pages I marked in a book, or downloaded offline. With the biopsy and diagnosis I cried alone in the dark or in the shower so he wouldn't hear. I acted upbeat and positive whenever he was around. I understood the power of positive thinking, and did not want him to succumb to any negative thoughts. He never cried a tear in front of me, and always acted like he was there to comfort and support me through this time. We both at least acted like we were the strong one. I knew inside he was the stronger one. He always seemed to have a positive attitude. To this day, I don't know exactly what he was feeling during that time. With the CAT scan and bone scan, I fought hard not to be sick. I was present in the room during the bone scan and I watched on the monitor. As he lay there with the machine inching it's way over him, he looked so vulnerable for the first time. I had never seen him sick, or even in pain. It was a reality check for me at that moment. Everything came crashing in. I strained to see what they might be looking for. Could I see anything? What was I even looking for. I didn't know, but I tried anyway. I could see a large glow around the pelvic area. My stomach did a flip flop...I felt myself getting tense. I could hardly stand one more minute of looking at his skeletal structure as the pictures came up on the screen. The tech told him to empty his bladder because the glow was the nuclear material in the bladder. By that moment, I had to leave. I thought I was going to vomit. I put some water on my face, and when I came out of the ladies room, he was there waiting ... Free Essays on Embarassing Moment Free Essays on Embarassing Moment After I found out that my husband may have prostate cancer I researched, read and learned everything I could about this disease. Then I informed my husband of my findings, because for some reason, but not unlike other men, he could not do it himself. He was very willing to read any pages I marked in a book, or downloaded offline. With the biopsy and diagnosis I cried alone in the dark or in the shower so he wouldn't hear. I acted upbeat and positive whenever he was around. I understood the power of positive thinking, and did not want him to succumb to any negative thoughts. He never cried a tear in front of me, and always acted like he was there to comfort and support me through this time. We both at least acted like we were the strong one. I knew inside he was the stronger one. He always seemed to have a positive attitude. To this day, I don't know exactly what he was feeling during that time. With the CAT scan and bone scan, I fought hard not to be sick. I was present in the room during the bone scan and I watched on the monitor. As he lay there with the machine inching it's way over him, he looked so vulnerable for the first time. I had never seen him sick, or even in pain. It was a reality check for me at that moment. Everything came crashing in. I strained to see what they might be looking for. Could I see anything? What was I even looking for. I didn't know, but I tried anyway. I could see a large glow around the pelvic area. My stomach did a flip flop...I felt myself getting tense. I could hardly stand one more minute of looking at his skeletal structure as the pictures came up on the screen. The tech told him to empty his bladder because the glow was the nuclear material in the bladder. By that moment, I had to leave. I thought I was going to vomit. I put some water on my face, and when I came out of the ladies room, he was there waiting ...

4 Strategies for Bouncing Back from Rejection

4 Strategies for Bouncing Back from Rejection Rejection sucks. I am still sad about my unsuccessful audition to sing the National Anthem at a Mets game, and that cattle call try-out was four years ago! Fortunately, it didnt dissuade me from pursuing a professional music career; being a music major did that much earlier. But when it comes to applying and interviewing for office jobs, its been much more important for me to weather the blow to my ego and keep moving forward.Here are some tips to help you be more resilient as you wade into the unforgiving waters of the job market.1. Know the OddsEvery corporate job may receive anywhere from 100 to 250 applications, and possibly more if its an in-demand position or industry. When The Toast put out a call for a new editorial assistant, they received 750 applications in 12 hours. Big companies use filtering software to look for keywords; smaller ones uses HR managers with quick instincts for a good fit vs a poor one. So remember that while your odds are just one in many.Manage your exp ectations up front, and youll find the disappointment is proportionally much less than when you imagine you have been personally rejected (instead of ruled out through arbitrary classifications like not using synergy enough in your cover letter) (I am kidding. Never use synergy.)2. Dont Fall In LoveWhile initially this may seem as harsh as dont cry out loud, it follows the theme of managing expectations. Even if this is your dream job or you received an immediate response from the hiring manager after you submitted your application, or the interview felt like walking into the Cheers bar and you were Norm, dont start imagining yourself getting comfortable in a future hypothetical office- keep a cool head. Youll need it when its time to talk salary and benefits.3. Ask for FeedbackThis one can be dicey, because often recruiters or hiring managers wont have time to provide this. But if you had a good interview that didnt pan out into a job, you can feel comfortable responding to a rejec tion email with a polite thank you (for their time) and then asking for feedback on your candidacy or why they chose someone else.The graciousness of this step cannot be exaggerated- this semester, I interviewed for a teaching job but was told that class had been filled, only to have the department director email me again two days later to say a different (better!) class had opened up. If I had replied to the initial rejection with anything but, Thanks so much for the opportunity, I hope youll keep me in mind for future classes and I look forward to the chance to work together in the future, I might not have received the later offer.4. You Dont Get the Job, the Job Gets YouMy favorite way to make this mental flip is to think about the office culture in existence. Imagine that youre a current employee faced with the prospect of a new hire like yourself. What do you bring to the table, besides your experience? You want to work in a place that appreciates all of those things- for the r ight job, you will be the candidate with the best experience, best attitude, and brightest potential. If they dont think youre that person, why would you want to work there anyway.

Property rights under land laws Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Property rights under land laws - Case Study Example Similarly, a lease is a payment made by a person to the owner of the property for his or her use of the property. In this case, a verbal lease was agreed between Imran and Zac and Julie. We will discuss, how Emile, can treat a verbal lessee, after gaining control of the property in the latter part of this essay. Similarly, this case will also look at the position under which Aunt Mildred is in because her share in the property is not documented and how things could have been different if her share would have been documented. JULIE AND ZAC sells the property which was registered in their name to Emile. In other words, the rights of ownership of land are transferred from ZAC and JULIE to EMILE. However, even after the ownership of the land has changed, the parties to whom the property rights were granted in the form of lease, easement and deeds remain intact. In other words, it is binding upon EMILE to honour these rights. The proprietary nature of the rights is such that it is enforceable on parties other than the original signatories of these contracts. This relationship is expressed in FIGURE 2. The above clause clearly shows the fact that Imran, Rajindar are going to continue to enjoy these rights provided by the original owners Zac and Julie. These rights are supported by the LAW in section LPA1925.2 However, as far as Aunt Mildred is concerned, she might face difficultly as her name is not registered as partial owner and her share is not documented unlike Zac and Julie. Since, her name is not included as the partial owner of property, she is not the rightful owner of the property and she has not legal rights over the property in legal terms. As a result of this, unless Zac and Julie decide to pay her back, or she hires a tactful lawyer to have her claim over Zac and Julie settled, she enjoys no rights over the p

International Trade - World Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Trade - World Trade - Essay Example The first factor, the rapid advancement in information technology, which linked nations through its borderless information highways through its continuing advances and dynamism, played an important role in bridging the gap in the international trade system, primarily in the standardization of the import and export trade, in the implementation of international payment system, and in the effective use of B2B processes for most of the essential operations of the trade such as custom declaration and billing. The internet effectively made possible the electronic payment system, thus facilitating convenient and reliable international payment transactions using credit card. Other logistic processes have also been efficiently facilitated through the internet. With this convenience, many key players in world trade were encouraged to join, as well as new entrants found ease in joining the trade. Second factor has been the reduction or, in some parts of the world, elimination, of trade barriers such as tariffs. This had been attributed as a result of the series of trade negotiations on tariff reductions, as brought about by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). This factor has been regarded as one of the most significant among those that contributed to the increase in international trade during the period 1955 - 2004. Tariff, which is basically the tax levied on goods crossing national boundaries, when reduced or eliminated, encourage traders across the globe, thus a more vigorous exchange of goods and commodities among countries. The third factor that may have contributed to such trade increase was the significant decline in international transportation costs (Hummels, D., 2007). This can be seen through historical evidences prepared by economic hirtorians and experts. For instance, sufficient documentation of the significant reductions in shipping costs from 1850 - 1913 are available (Harley, 1980, 1988, 1989; North, 1958, 1968; Mohammed and Williamson, 2004; as cited by Hummels, D., 2001). Further, reliable econometric evidences have subsequently connected the decline in shipping costs with the rapid trade growth within the first era of globalization (Estevadeordal et al, 2003 as cited by Hummels, D., 2007). Technological advances in transportation decades after World War II, like the development of jet aircraft engines and the adoption of the use of containers in ocean shipping, have also significant effect on this. Air shipping grew rapidly during this period due to rising demand and more advanced techno logies that it adopted. Likewise, the ocean shipping industry had similar trend, but grew more through the economies of scale as a critical result of the growing trade among nations. New ports have been opened, and new industry entrants provided a dynamic interaction within the industry. Last factor I would mention here would be the rising cost of income during that period. With the critical inputs contributing to the increase in trade during the period, subsequent effects have gone down to the consumers as well. For instance, the reduction of prices of consumer goods due to decreased tariffs as well as shipping costs

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay Example for Free

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay The principle of the Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest binding documents in history. The oath states: I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgment, and I will do no harm or injustice to them. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. In purity and according to divine law will I carry out my life and my art. I will not use the knife, even upon those suffering from stones, but I will leave this to those who are trained in this craft. Into whatever homes I go, I will enter them for the benefit of the sick, avoiding any voluntary act of impropriety or corruption, including the seduction of women or men, whether they are free men or slaves. Whatever I see or hear in the lives of my patients, whether in connection with my professional practice or not, which ought not to be spoken of outside, I will keep secret, as considering all such things to be private. So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. However, should I transgress this Oath and violate it, may the opposite be my fate. (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014) Medical Board of California The Medical Board of California is the agency responsible for regulating physicians, surgeons and other allied health professions. The members of the board are appointed by the Governor of the state and have a four year term legislature. It is the responsibility of the members of the board to meet as one deliberating body. In addition, the board members are required to learn about policies and statutes of both licensing and enforcement functions. California Licensure Physician Statute There is no single physician licensure statute in the state of California. Instead, physician licensure rules have been interspersed within the California code. Physicians wishing to practice medicine in California are required to obtain a full medical license issued by the state. Furthermore, there are no administrative regulations or state statue for granting a  special or limited license to practice in the state remotely via telemedicine. The California licensure does not allow for license reciprocity between any states but allows physicians for consultative services without having to receive a full medical licensure. Moreover, licensed physicians in the military in any of the states, either a military physician officer or a civilian contract employee, are allowed to care for fellow military members without having to receive additional licensure. In the event of an emergency situation, a physician is allowed to administer care regardless if the physician is licensed in that part icular state. A physical examination is required by the California Medical Board Licensure to allow administration or prescription of medication over the internet. Investigative Role The investigative team consists of physicians that are a critical component to the board as they base its disciplinary actions on the opinions of physicians and not board staff. Physicians play a distinct role in the investigations. The board receives and reviews incoming complaints in the Central Complaint Unit (CCU). The physicians determine if there is a need for formal investigation by board investigative staff or if the complaint is largely resolved by a preliminary review of the medical records and the accompanying physician narrative statement. Medical experts are asked to review case materials and must clearly articulate whether the physicians care under review fell below the standard. They must give their opinion if there is a potential violation of the Medical Practice Act. Business and Professions Code Section 2050-2079 According to the Federation of State Medical Boards, the 10th Amendment police power grants states the right to regulate the practice of medicine. Section 2052 of the Business and Professions Code states that any person who practices or attempts to practice, or who advertises or holds himself or herself out as practicing, any system or mode of treating the sick or afflicted in this state, or who diagnoses, treats, operates for, or prescribes for any ailment, blemish, deformity, disease, disfigurement, disorder, injury, or other physical or mental condition of any person, without having at the time of so doing a valid, unrevoked, or unsuspended  certificate as provided in this chapter or without being authorized to perform the act pursuant to a certificate obtained in accordance with some other provision of law is guilty of a public offense, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, b y imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and either imprisonment (California Business and Professions Code, 2014). Civil Complaint Process The two major categories of incoming complaints to the Medical Care Board of California by the consumers are quality of care and personal conduct. All complaints require physician review and all complaints which are not closed by CCU staff are referred to one of the boards district offices for formal investigation. According to the Medical Board, each district office is staffed with a supervising investigator, five investigators, a deputy attorney general, an investigator assistant, clerical support staff and one or more medical consultants (The Medical Board of California, 2014). Risk Management Quality Assurance It is important that physicians are credentialed and are given privileges in any health care organization prior to practicing medicine. Physicians must receive training and education in risk management and review of federal and state regulations mandates. A successful risk management strategy is to improve the quality of patient care and reduce the probability of an adverse outcome or a medical malpractice claim. Its objective is to reduce the risk to patients and liability to the physician. Furthermore, the foundation for risk management is the standard of care. Tracking the quality of care of physicians must include Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE) and a peer review committee within an organization. Criminal Prosecution for Malpractice Physicians are in a unique position in regard to the law by the nature of their work. A physician may face a charge of criminal negligence, manslaughter, or second-degree murder if a patient in his care suffers severe or lethal injuries. â€Å"Negligence law offers plaintiffs the legal framework upon which to build their civil suit. A plaintiff in a medical  malpractice action must satisfy four elements-duty, breach, causation and damage- in order to prevail. In a negligence case, the wrongdoers actions are compared to what would be expected of a reasonable and prudent person in the same or similar circumstance† (Monico, Kulkarni, Calise, 2013). The practice of medicine is full of uncertainties. In some cases, bad outcome is the result of physician negligence. The patient and/or his family may institute a civil suit for malpractice if they believe that the bad outcome was a result of the physician’s actions. It is very rare that a prosecutor decides the facts of a ca se warrant a charge of criminal malpractice. The prosecutors must see a repetitive negligent behavior that constitutes to a pattern that can be documented before criminal charges can be filed. Conclusion The medical profession has many dedicated people who give themselves and sacrifices for the sake of saving lives. Physicians practice their profession according to the Hippocratic Oath. Furthermore, the have learned the rules and regulations mandated by the Federal and State government in health care delivery. Quality of health care is an important objective of CMS. Physicians are required to adhere to the standards of quality care and the delivery of it. When physicians get in trouble with the law, they have to face various criminal and civil charges based on the severity of their case. In the current trend, doctors commit white-collar crimes when they take kickbacks, order questionable procedures, overbill patients and insurance companies, and bill for services they did not provide. The Medical Board of California ensures safety and protection of health care consumers through proper licensing and regulation of physicians by means of various objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act. References California Business and Professions Code. (2014). Business and Professions Code Section 2050-2079. Retrieved from http://www.liginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpcgroup Medical Board of California. (2013). Guide to the Laws Governing the Practice of Medicine by Physicians and Surgeons. Retrieved from http://www.mbc.ca.gov/about_laws/laws/_guide.pdf Monico, E., Kulkarni, R., Calise, A. (2013). The Criminal Prosecution of Medical Negligence. Retrieved from http://www.ispub.com/IJLHE/5/1/5237 The Medical Board of California. (2014). Laws and Regulations. Retrieved from http://www.mbc.ca.gov/about_us/laws/ U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014). The Hippocratic Oath. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html

Communism Essay -- Communism Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Communism had one of the greatest political impacts than any other political ideas in the 20th century around the world. What is important and interesting about communism is its background, concept, and why many countries apply to this idea. This essay will generally focus on the background, ideology, and why the countries and political parties applied to this idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Communism did not exist until the 18th century. The idea of communism originated from the industrial revolution in Great Britain and French Revolution in France. These two revolutions had proven the fact that rich and power could be successfully challenged by the poor the powerless people. During this time  ¡Ã‚ §A German philosopher and economist born in 1818, who lived most of his life in England, Karl Marx ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Communism, pg 7) was very aware of the huge gap between the rich and the poor. The poor were starving while the rich were luxurious and wealthy. Marx wanted to change this, and he wanted to make things right, so the best way to accomplish the goal is through the idea of socialism or communism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ §The word communism comes from the French word  ¡Ã‚ ¥commun ¡Ã‚ ¦ which means  ¡Ã‚ ¥belong to all. ¡Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Communism, pg 6) The idea and concept of communism is very similar to socialism.  ¡Ã‚ §Under socialism, there will be shared ownership but people would still be rewarded according to how much work they have done. ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Communism, pg 5) In contrast...

Shared Service Costing

Helps In Identifying correct adoption of costing method which facilitates a transparent cost chargeable to Business Units (recipient of shared services) with granular Insight of the cost constituents. Introduction: In today's highly cost conscious environment, enterprise wide cost savings can be achieved by consolidating common work and infrastructure by using Shared Services units.But Business units often complain that Shared Services end up costing more than they targeted to save and also have the below questions:- â€Å"What are my Shared services costs made up off? † â€Å"Shared services costs are too high and affecting my product profitability' Shared services are unable to answer these questions due to lack of cost transparency in their cost models.Typical reasons for lack of cost transparency in shared services cost models are:- using complex costing methodology which makes measurement, chargeable and report to Business units difficult Lack of standardization of alloc ation logic Inability to completely automate the cross charging process Shared Service oodles † Our Shared services models enable cost transparency for multi-functional and reciprocal services rendered by Shared Services units.Cost transparency in context of Shared Services is to show the Business Services it consumes Cost of delivering these services Breaking the cost down to activities and resources involved in producing these services Allocation logic for cross charging On demand â€Å"what – with respect to demonstrate how costs change due to change In demand for services ,resource drivers and allocation logic Various automated cross charging models which reflect reciprocal services among Shared Services and eventually charge out to the Business are as follows:- Reciprocal costing model This costing model makes one time assignment of cost between Shared Services and eventually charges out Business for the Shared Services cost. This method Is easy to understand, fai rly accurate and facilitates In tracing cost to the origin. It also differentiates the rate at which Shared service unit Is charged with that charged to Business. Recursive costing model Services and Business. This method is accurate and reflects simultaneous charging at the same rate to Shared service and Business.Business benefits of the models: – (Positive Business Outcomes) Substantial reduction in lead time of calculating cross charging rates by eliminating manual and Increase in frequency of variance reporting which leads to repetitive interventions improved control of costs Detailed breakdown of cost of each service by the activities ensured and resources utilized Facilitates root cause analysis by tracing costs to origin for each service provided by Shared Services Availability of accurate and timely actionable cost data to analyze performance of Shared Services units and impact of its cost on Business Business benefits delivered.

Documents of American History Essay

John Adams is an important figure in the history of this country at the most important time in its history: the time of its birth. He is a towering figure in American History and his accomplishments speak to protecting the rights of his fellow men, even if those men were British soldiers accused of shooting Americans as was the case with the Boston Massacre of 1770. John Adams served as minister to France in 1777 when at that time, the colonists badly needed French intervention if they ever hoped to win the American Revolution. Adams also had a contributing role in America’s Declaration of Independence as he was a vocal member of the Continental Congress. Adams also wrote the Massachusetts State Constitution, including its Bill of Rights. All of the above mentioned speak to the love of freedom and the protection of these rights to which Adams spoke so dearly. So then why during the 20th century, was Adams almost vilified compared to his friend and one time enemy Thomas Jefferson? It is peculiar how History seems to take sides over one issue of vilifies or glorifies one person above his real role in life.   Both Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln enjoyed such an honor during the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th. Only recently, when it is almost certain, that Jefferson fathered children of a mixed breed, yet still owned 200 slaves at a time, when Adams spoke to the emancipation of slavery, does the playing field become more level. This is especially true with David McCullough’s book John Adams, which actually sparked a Congressional insight into the importance of John Adams and a rethinking by the American public, spoke about the legacy of a man who was vital to the survival of this new experiment called the American Republic. Adams is vilified to a certain degree for two actions: forcing his bitterness over the loss of the 1800 election, not to greet the incoming President as is the custom now, and the dreaded Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 which horrified Thomas Jefferson and helped lead to the one time best friends, not to speak to speak to each other for another twelve years. Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson will be forever linked together in American history. The 2nd and 3rd presidents of The United States and one time best friends, who later became political rivals and has the distinction of dying on the same day; the 50 anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, were giants in the quest for American Independence. John Adams, twice, served as a diplomat to France both during the American Revolution as well as in the years immediately following the war. â€Å"Both Jefferson and Adams were very important times since historians later hailed French involvement in the American Revolution as what helped turned the tide of the war in the favor of the colonists.† (McCullough, 2001 p. 322) And as the war was nearing its end, John Adams wrote his state’s Constitution as well as its Bill of Rights. This Constitution, more than any other of its time, expanded these rights, to a greater degree than had been seen previously. Adams was instrumental in procuring the freedom of African Americans, who in Jefferson’s Virginia, would continue to be slaves or live in slave like conditions well after the end of the Civil War and despite the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. But it would not be until the 20th century that such ironies were given their proper attention. â€Å"But it would be the passage of the 1798 Alien and Sedition Act that would puzzle and infuriate all those that had been a part of the construction of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights in 1791 and specifically, the 1st amendment which protected, among others, a person’s right of free speech.† (Burns, 1997) This meaning has been expanded over the years but then as well as now, its first usage was to protect one who criticized the government, from reprisal. The 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts seemed to come in stark contrast to this most sacred of rights within the American Constitution. It said: â€Å"That if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are or shall be directed by proper authority, or to impede the operation of any law of the United States†¦ Shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or a term in prison between five months to six years.† (Commanger, 1947 p. 177) This Act would later be repealed only to see the light of day again in 1918 during WWI. But such measures, horrified Thomas Jefferson and in response, wrote along with his friend James Madison, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions which were in direct response to the Sedition Acts and portrayed the further split between the Federalist and Democratic Parties, made even wider by the personal disunion caused by Adams and Jefferson. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions stated that: â€Å"no power over freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or freedom of the press being delegated by the   United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, all lawful powers respecting the same did of right remain, and were reserved to the States, or to the people.† (Commanger, 1947 p. 179) This meant that Jefferson, always distrusting of big government and in line with his belief in states’ rights, proclaimed that the federal government had no jurisdiction in enforcing the Alien and Sedition Acts as well as the fact that such restrictions on human freedom was in express contradiction to the Constitution and the ideals in which the American Revolution was fought in the first place. Everyone who had been locked up or fined under the Alien and Sedition Act was either set free or reimbursed by the federal government along with written apologies when Thomas Jefferson took over as President in March of 1801.The feud between Jefferson and Adams, made even larger by the ugliness of the 1800 Presidential election, lasted until 1812, when both were out of public office. Jefferson started a correspondence with Adams in what would become one of the most poignant and heart filled pieces of American literature. They both reminisced about their time together, hoping that this experiment in human democracy called the United States was actually going to work or not. Apologies were not given but rather regret that so much time has been lost to two people that were so important to the nation as well as to each other, were expressed in the correspondence. And what has to be one of the greatest coincidences in American history, two giants of American freedom who did not always practice what they preached; Adams’ enforcement of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and Jefferson personally owning more than 200 slaves for most of his lifetime, but still responsible for the expansion of human rights in America, died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Each died while saying that the other still lives. They were both right in that respect.   

Artificial Intelligence and Technology of the Future essays

Artificial Intelligence and Technology of the Future essays The technology of the future will do things that seem "mad" to most of us today. Our ability to create artificial intelligence is increasing exponentially. In the labs of prestigious institutions across the country, scientists try to create a computer that will replace the brain. This futuristic technology may not be far off; however, it faces harsh opposition by people afraid of what they don't understand. The idea of living past my short window of mortal life is wonderful. I look forward to seeing Dr. Hans Moravec, and other brilliant scientists like him create immortality, for anyone bold enough to accept it. As my favorite band 311 says in their song Evolution, "If it's understood it could be used for good and would if you will believe in all we can conceive." Hans Moravec, the senior research scientist at Carnegie-Mellon's Mobile Robot Laboratory, wrote, "We are on a threshold of a change in the universe comparable to the transition from nonlife to life"(The Conscious Reader, 500). Moravec seeks to create "robotic immortality" for everyone. His idea involves making an exact computer replica of an individual's brain and transferring it into a robotic body. The downloaded brain would have the same thought process and memories as its mortal counterpart. In essence, you would be the same person, in a state of the art robotic body. Moravec is not alone, Marvin Minsky, Donner Professor of Science at MIT, also accepts the idea of artificial intelligence. Minsky is researching the brain. He is attempting to uncover the mystery, behind the operation of the billions of brain cells that allow us to think and remember. Minsky says, "If a person is like a machine, once you get a wiring diagram of how he works, you can make copies" (The Conscious Rea der, 499). If successful, Moravec, Minsky, and others like them, will indeed create the computer brain, making robotic immortality, a reality. Is it right to "play" God? ...

The Formation of Planet Earth

The Formation of Planet Earth The formation and evolution of planet Earth is a scientific detective story that has taken astronomers and planetary scientists a lot of research to figure out. Understanding our worlds formation process not only gives new insight into its structure and formation, but it also opens new windows of insight into the creation of planets around other stars.   The Story Begins Long Before Earth Existed Earth was not around at the beginning of the universe. In fact, very little of what we see in the cosmos today was around when the universe formed some 13.8 billion years ago. However, to get to Earth, its important to start at the beginning, when the universe was young. It all started out with only two elements: hydrogen and helium, and a small trace of lithium. The first stars formed out of the hydrogen that existed. Once that process started,  generations of stars were born in clouds of gas. As they aged, those stars created heavier elements in their cores, elements such as oxygen, silicon, iron, and others. When the first generations of stars died, they scattered those elements to space, which seeded the next generation of stars. Around some of those stars, the heavier elements formed planets. The Birth of the Solar System Gets a Kick-start Some five billion years ago, in a perfectly ordinary place in the galaxy, something happened. It might have been a supernova explosion pushing a lot of its heavy-element wreckage into a nearby cloud of hydrogen gas and interstellar dust. Or, it could have been the action of a passing star stirring up the cloud into a swirling mixture. Whatever the kick-start was, it pushed the cloud into action which eventually resulted in the birth of the solar system. The mixture grew hot and compressed under its own gravity. At its center, a protostellar object formed. It was young, hot, and glowing, but not yet a full star. Around it swirled a disk of the same material, which grew hotter and hotter as gravity and motion compressed the dust and rocks of the cloud together. The hot young protostar eventually turned on and began to fuse hydrogen to helium in its core. The Sun was born. The swirling hot disk was the cradle where Earth and its sister planets formed. It wasnt the first time such a planetary system was formed. In fact, astronomers can see just this sort of thing happening elsewhere in the universe. While the Sun grew in size and energy, beginning to ignite its nuclear fires, the hot disk slowly cooled. This took millions of years. During that time, the components of the disk began to freeze out into small dust-sized grains. Iron metal and compounds of silicon, magnesium, aluminum, and oxygen came out first in that fiery setting. Bits of these are preserved in chondrite meteorites, which are ancient materials from the solar nebula. Slowly these grains settled together and collected into clumps, then chunks, then boulders, and finally bodies called planetesimals large enough to exert their own gravity.   Earth Is Born in Fiery Collisions As time went by, planetesimals collided with other bodies and grew larger. As they did, the energy of each collision was tremendous. By the time they reached a hundred kilometers or so in size, planetesimal collisions were energetic enough to  melt and vaporize  much of the material involved. The rocks, iron, and other metals in these colliding worlds sorted themselves into layers. The dense iron settled in the center and the lighter rock separated into a mantle around the iron, in a miniature of Earth and the other inner planets today. Planetary scientists call this settling process  differentiation.  It didnt just happen with planets, but also occurred within the larger moons and  the largest asteroids. The iron meteorites that plunge to Earth from time to time come from collisions between these asteroids in the distant past.   At some point during this time, the Sun ignited. Although the Sun was only about two-thirds as bright as it is today, the process of ignition (the so-called T-Tauri phase) was energetic enough to blow away most of the gaseous part of the protoplanetary disk. The chunks, boulders, and planetesimals left behind continued to collect into a handful of large, stable bodies in well-spaced orbits. Earth was the third one of these, counting outward from the Sun. The process of accumulation and collision was violent and spectacular because the smaller pieces left huge craters on the larger ones. Studies of the other planets show  these impacts and the evidence is strong that they contributed to catastrophic conditions on the infant Earth.   At one point early in this process a very large planetesimal struck Earth an off-center blow and sprayed much of the young Earths rocky mantle into space. The planet got most of it back after a period of time, but some of it collected into a second planetesimal circling Earth. Those leftovers are thought to have been part of the Moons formation story. Volcanoes, Mountains, Tectonic Plates, and an Evolving Earth The oldest surviving rocks on Earth were laid down some five hundred million years after the planet first formed. It ​and other planets suffered through whats called the late heavy bombardment of the last stray planetesimals around four billion years ago). The ancient rocks have been dated by the uranium-lead method  and appear to be about 4.03 billion years old. Their mineral content and embedded gases show that there were volcanoes, continents, mountain ranges, oceans, and crustal plates on Earth in those days. Some slightly younger rocks (about 3.8 billion years old) show tantalizing evidence of life on the young planet. While the eons that followed were full of strange stories and far-reaching changes, by the time the first life did appear, Earths structure was well-formed and only its primordial atmosphere was being changed by the onset of life. The stage was set for the formation and spread of tiny microbes across the planet. Their evolution ultimately resulted in the modern life-bearing world still filled with mountains, oceans, and volcanoes that we know today.  Its a world that is constantly changing, with regions where continents are pulling apart and other places where new land is being formed. These actions affect not just the planet, but life on it. The evidence for the story of Earths formation and evolution is the result of patient evidence-collecting from meteorites and studies of the geology of the other planets. It also comes from analyses of very large bodies of geochemical data, astronomical studies of planet-forming regions around other stars, and decades of serious discussion among astronomers, geologists, planetary scientists, chemists, and biologists. The story of Earth is one of the most fascinating and complex scientific stories around, with plenty of evidence and understanding to back it up.   Updated and rewritten by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

H.W Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

H.W - Essay Example The cultural clash in the novel is seen both at the individual level and at the communal level; at the communal level, the cultural values and traditions of the Ibo people such as their traditional system of governance and ritual rights are greatly undermined by the arrival of the Europeans. The annual ceremony in honour of the earth deity among the Ibo people, when the clan’s ancestors that had been â€Å"committed to Mother Earth at their death (Achebe 186)† would emerge as â€Å"egwugwu† from tiny ant-holes is one of the Ibo’s sacred rituals that was challenged by Christianity. Okonkwo, Achebe’s most tragic character, clearly demonstrates the cultural clash at the individual level, when he out rightly resists the new political and religious order introduced by the Europeans because he perceived them not to be manly enough for the Ibo people. The Ibo culture places high regard on personal achievement and masculinity, attributes which were greatly opposed to the Christian values of equality of all people, irrespective of their gender and personal achievements. Achebe’s famous opening line â€Å"Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond† clearly explains Okonkwo’s fame which, in Achebeâ₠¬â„¢s words, â€Å"rested on solid personal achievements† (Achebe 1). Okonkwo’s self-worth comes under great attack by the introduction of the new religious and political order by the Europeans, particularly because his identity was greatly pegged on the Ibo cultural standard. The Europeans’ misconceptions of the Ibo people are clearly expressed through Reverend Smith’s criticisms of the Africans. Unlike his predecessor Mr. Brown, Reverend Smith openly condemns the African cultural traditions and values by terming them barbaric and heathen; he has no desire to tolerate and accommodate the African rituals and cultural practices. Mr. Brown

Sample Statistic, p-value, Confidence interval Assignment

Sample Statistic, p-value, Confidence interval - Assignment Example 1) What is the null hypothesis (H0) tested? H0: Ï€ ≠¤ 0.5 2) What is the alternative hypothesis (H1)? H1: Ï€ > 0.5 3) Sample statistic: a. What is the meaning of the sample statistic? A sample statistic is calculated numerical value that characterizes some aspect of sample set of data, often meant to estimate the real value of the corresponding parameter in an underlying population. What is its value? 0.05 4) Test statistic: a. What is the meaning of the test statistic? The test stat is the distance of the sample proportion from the population proportion in standard errors of the distribution of the test statistic b. What is its value? 0.8944 5) Critical values: a. What is the meaning of critical value? Critical value(s) is a factor used to compute the margin of error. Critical value(s) of the test statistic bounds the rejection region(s) of probability alpha = the risk we are willing to take of rejecting H0 when H0 is true b. What is (are) the critical value(s)? Critical lower value is 1.6449