Can Science Prove Anything

What does it mean to prove a scientific theory? Whats the role of mathematics in science? How do you define the scientific method? Take a look at the fundamental way people look at science, what proof means, and whether a hypothesis can be proven or unprovable. The Conversation Begins The story starts with  an e-mail which seemed to criticize my support of the big bang theory which is, after all, unprovable. The author of the e-mail indicated that he thought this was tied into the fact that in my Introduction to the Scientific Method article, I have the following line: Analyze the data - use proper mathematical analysis to see if the results of the experiment support or refute the hypothesis. He implied that placing an emphasis on mathematical analysis was misleading. He claimed that mathematics was tacked on later, by theoreticians believed that science could be better explained using equations and arbitrarily assigned constants. According to the writer, mathematics can be manipulated to get the results desired, based on the scientists preconceptions, such as what Einstein did with the cosmological constant. There are a lot of great points in this explanation, and several which I feel are far wide of the mark. Lets consider them point by point over the next few days. Why all Scientific Theories Are Unprovable The big bang theory is absolutely unprovable. In fact, all scientific theories are unprovable, but the big bang does suffer from this a bit more than most. When I say that all scientific theories are unprovable, Im referencing the ideas of famed philosopher of science Karl Popper, who is well known for discussing the idea that a scientific idea must be falsifiable. In other words, there has to be some way (in principle, if not in actual practice) that you could have an outcome which contradicts a scientific idea. Any idea which can be constantly shifted around so that any sort of evidence would fit it is, by Poppers definition, not a scientific idea. (This is why the concept of God, for example, is not scientific. Those who believe in God use pretty much everything to support their claim and cannot come up with evidence -- at least short of dying and finding that nothings happened, which unfortunately yields little in the way of empirical data in this world -- which could, even in theory, refute their claim.) One consequence of Poppers work with falsifiability is the understanding that you never really prove a theory. What scientists do is instead come up with implications of the theory, make hypotheses based on those implications, and then try to prove that specific hypothesis true or false through either experiment or careful observation. If the experiment or observation matches the prediction of the hypothesis, the scientist has gained support for the hypothesis (and therefore the underlying theory), but has not proven it. Its always possible that theres another explanation for the result. However, if the prediction is proven false, then the theory might have serious flaws. Not necessarily, of course, because there are three potential stages that could contain the flaw: the experimental set-upthe reasoning that led to the hypothesis the underlying theory itself Evidence which contradicts the prediction may just be a result of an error in running the experiment, or it could mean that the theory is sound, but the way the scientist (or even scientists in general) interpreted it has some flaws. And, of course, its possible that the underlying theory is just flat out wrong. So let me state categorically that the big bang theory is completely unprovable ... but it is consistent, by and large, with everything else we know about the universe. There are still many mysteries, but very few scientists believe that they will be answered without some variation of the big bang in the distant past. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Critical Analysis The Spirit of Democracy Essay

Democracy, with various perceptions lacks a universally accepted definition. However, it may have become a universally accepted system of government most international societies prefer to operate under. Larry Diamond (author of â€Å"The Spirit of Democracy†) agrees to this trend, when he questions why Democracy has not expanded globally. Though a snowball effect is indeed taking place, allowing sparks of liberal ideas translate to democratic movements giving way to the third wave of democracy, this system is still limited to two-thirds of the globe. In order to truly understand the limited growth of democracy, we must first uncover the internal factors that drive autocratic regimes and their democratic transitions. Autocratic regimes may†¦show more content†¦In the long-run, these movements eventually help induce the autocracy with a democratic system of government. Nonetheless, the autocracy can still revert the country to its initial bureaucratic system of government. Should they discover a source of mineral wealth within their country, the autocracy recovers from poor economic circumstances, ultimately fulfilling the desires of the people and retaining the legitimacy of the system. Thus, the leader recovers his moral title to rule, which was to bring economic and social reforms into the state that desperately required them. Once the government receives additional funding, it can use it to oppress rebellious citizens. Or repulse any oppositions that may have emerged from previous perceptions of a failing state. In contrast, Diamond views this recovery as a temporary delay of democracy. As a supporter of modernization theory, he believes that development endows society with values of post-materialism, which are values of independence and plurality found in the heart of all democratic societies. Diamond elaborates further, by linking the increa se in income to a rise in education. He then assumes, that education generates these post-materialistic values of freedom, independence, and equality. Thereby, society wishes to vocalize their liberal opinions and with the increase in incomes they have access to technology that delivers liberal beliefs throughout the regime. Hence forth, they become assertiveShow MoreRelatedAnnotated Bibliography On Critical Thinking1263 Words   |  6 Pagesthree of which are related to a specific topic, and one related to critical thinking in business (see Reference list for full details of the source). The following paper contains annotations and a critical analysis of the published work. Annotations and Critical Analysis Professor Thomas K. Donaldson taught at Australian National University for years. 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The government, he says, will always pull out the â€Å"’endangering lives’ or ‘protecting

Exploring the Chinese Distribution Strategy for Gallo Free Essays

According to China Research and Intelligence (2010), distribution channels are still the key factor to success. Since the Chinese and Hong Kong markets show a slight preference for on-trade channels, especially concerning exclusive products such as wine, EJ Gallo Rose concentrates on them (China Research and Intelligence, 2010). According to Hollensen (2011), given that Gallo Rose is a high quality product selective distribution would be the appropriate form of distribution as Gallo Rose would be targeting a specific market. We will write a custom essay sample on Exploring the Chinese Distribution Strategy for Gallo or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gallo would depend on Chinese and Hong Kong wholesalers to distribute the wine to hotels and supermarkets, preferably those whom the competitors are not currently using. Therefore, a range of intermediaries has to be chosen carefully: mid to high price restaurants offering Western food, international pubs and lounges build a trading base. Once the wine is established, cooperation with high class Chinese and Hong Kong establishments could be considered. However, a presence in high segment supermarkets will be obligatory to make the product accessible. Jenster and Cheng (2008) stress the rise of other off-trade channels, such as specialty wine stores and online wine-sites. The former is particularly important for new Chinese wine drinkers. The latter will be a part of Gallo’s distribution chain as soon as it reaches a higher market share. As outlined by Bretherton and Carswell (2001), the Chinese distribution system is improving slowly. To set up in Hong Kong and coastal areas of China is relatively easy, as the infrastructure is excellent. Direct exports with the support of an executive office are sufficient. Nonetheless, further expansion will conflict with trade barriers and local protectionism. Areas have to be treated separately and high transaction costs are necessary to build own distribution channels. However, the advantages of higher reliance and lower control costs are obvious. Import taxes in China are lowered according to WTO agreements (9), but still 14% (Yu and Sun et al, 2009) plus value-added and consumption tax. On the other hand, Hong Kong tries to create a wine trading hub with the exemption of import taxes since 2008 (Winechina. com, 2010). How to cite Exploring the Chinese Distribution Strategy for Gallo, Essay examples

Charlemagne Essay Example For Students

Charlemagne Essay Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, became the undisputed ruler of Western Europe, By the sword and the cross. (Comptons 346) As Western Europe was deteriorating Charlemagne was crowned the privilege of being joint king of the Franks in 768 A. D. People of Western Europe, excluding the church followers, had all but forgotten the great gifts of education and arts that they had possessed at one time. Charlemagne solidly defeated barbarians and kings in identical fashion during his reign. Using the re-establishment of education and order, Charlemagne was able to save many political rights and restore culture in Western Europe. Early Life Charlemagne was born in 742 A. D. , to a very famous and well-known family. Charlemagnes grandfather was Charles Martel, the man who was responsible for the defeat of the Saracens. Charlemagne was also the eldest son of Bertrade (also known as Bertha Greatfoot) and Pepin the Short, the first to become king of the Franks. With the almost full extinction of schools in the 8th century, many historians say that Charlemagne received very little education, but did learn the art of reading from Bertrade. The one thing that kept Charlemagne motivated throughout his entire life was his deep devotion to the church. Charlemagne was a tall young man with light blond hair, and was described by his secretary as, face laughing and merry. . . his appearance was always stately and dignified. (World book 452) Charlemagne had great wit, but was stern at times. He had simple and moderate tastes; he enjoyed hunting, riding and swimming. Charlemagne had a large wardrobe with many Frankish dresses, linen shirts and breeches, silk-fringed tunics, hoses wrapped with bands, and for the winter he had coats made of otter or marten skins. Charlemagne asked his people to improve their lifestyles, but he divorced two of his four fives without any given cause. Charlemagnes Reign In 768 A. D. , Charlemagne at the age of 26, along with his brother Carloman inherited the kingdom of Franks. However, in 771 A. D. Carloman died, making Charlemagne the sole ruler of the kingdom. At this time the northern part of Europe was out of order and unruly. In the south, the Roman Catholic Church was asserting itself alongside the Lombard kingdom in Italy. While in Charlemagnes own kingdom, the people were becoming and acting as barbarians and neglecting education and faith. But Charlemagne was determined to make his kingdom as strong as possible. In 772 A. D. , Charlemagne put forth a 30-year campaign to conquer and Christianize the extremely mighty Saxons in the north. He charged over the Avars, a large tribe on the Danube. He forced the Bavarians to surrender to him. When possible Charlemagne attempted to settle his conflicts peacefully. However, he was forced to use brute in some situations. For instance, Charlemagne offered to pay Desiderius for the return of lands to the pope, but after Desiderius refused, Charlemagne seized the kingdom of Desiderius and restored the Papal States. The most important aspect of Charlemagnes conquests was his uncanny ability to organize. Charlemagne sent out more than 50 military missions during his time in power and he led the missions as commander more than half of the time. He was able to lead his troops through vast lands in unprecedented times, but his every move was planned ahead of time. Before every crusade, he informed all those involved the number of men needed, the weapons required, and he even went as far as to tell what should be in the supply wagons. These tactics were later studied and used by another great man, Napoleon. .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c , .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .postImageUrl , .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c , .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:hover , .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:visited , .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:active { border:0!important; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:active , .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucffd079d4cc44d96b09dbd98ad3a3e7c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Great Depression EssayOne of the smallest campaigns undertaken by Charlemagne became on of the most well known. In 778 A. D. , Charlemagne led his troops into Spain and laid an attack on Saragossa. The movement failed and upon their recoil they were attacked from the rear and Count Roland one of the leaders of the group was killed in that battle. Roland went on to become a hero in medieval songs. By 800 A. D. Charlemagne was the sole ruler of Western Europe. His immense kingdom included what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It also covered half of present-day Italy and Germany, part of Austria, and the Spanish March. This Spanish March stretched to the Ebro River. Through his establishment of a single government over the entire Western Europe, Charlemagne re-established much of the old Roman Empire, which paved the way for the progress of present-day Europe. Crowned Emperor It was on Christmas Day in 800 A. D. that while praying in St. Peters in Rome, Pope Leo III approached Charlemagne with a golden crown and placed it on the head of the king. The crowd in the church shouted concurrently, To Charles the August, crowned by God, great and pacific emperor, long life and victory! Comptons 347) It is said that Charlemagne was surprised by what happened and stated that he would not have come into the church had he known the popes plan. However, other historians say that the pope would not have gambled doing what he did without Charlemagnes knowing about it. (Comptons 347) Reform and Renaissance Charlemagne was a very noble man and he had great compassion for the peasant people and had a belief that that government was in place to benefit those that it governed. When Charlemagne came into power many of the people working under him were very careless and sometimes unfair. To change the ways of these people Charlemagne expanded their work, wrote down everything they did and forced them to work in groups of people. This helped those lacking in their work effort to restore some law and order. Two times a year Charlemagne would summon the leading man in the kingdom to talk about the happenings going around. Charlemagne always had the final word in everything including church matters. Charlemagne was determined in establishing improvement in lives of his people. By setting up money values he encouraged trade, he attempted to build a Rhine-Danube canal, and gave advice on different farming techniques. Charlemagne preached the most on education and Christianity to his people. He was responsible for the restoration of Palace School at Aachen, his capital. He also set up other schools for noble boys as well as peasants. Charlemagne was very devoted to education and he never stopped studying himself. He brought in scholars of many languages to his courts. He learned to read in Latin, some Greek, however, he was not too keen of mastering writing. During his dinners, he preferred to have men reading books to him rather than having jesters performing. For his churches, Charlemagne sent his monks to Rome to learn to sing. For his art collections, Charlemagne brought some valuable pieces from Italy. In the cathedral at Aachen there is a large monument, which stands in loyalty to Charlemagne for his religious devotion. Charlemagne built and was buried in the cathedral in Aachen. At the time of Charlemagnes death in 814 A. D. only one of his three sons, Louis, was alive. Louis had a weak ruling after his father, which brought on many civil wars and rebellions. Charlemagne brought back order to Western Europe; he led his people to many victories and was responsible for the rise of Western Europe.

Autism essays

Autism essays Autism, in short, is a very serious medical disorder that begins in young children and remains with them for their entire life. Its characteristics are the limited ability to communicate and interact with other people. The condition becomes more noticeable when the child reaches the age when their peers are starting to speak in phrases and play together socially. Autism occurs in every two to six out of every thousand births. Autism has many different symptoms and which can be extremely severe or very mild. Positive diagnosis of autism requires that the subject have symptoms from each of these three categories: restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors, abnormal social interaction, and abnormal communication. Children with autism will display abnormal social interaction. Such behaviors would include failure to seek comfort from a parent and lack of eye contact. A child with autism will have a hard time finding friends at school, because they isolate themselves from other children. One symptom of autism is that children may not respond when someone calls their name. An article from World Book online states that, They (the autistic children) do not understand the social behaviors necessary to make friends or work with teachers. This lack of social contact isolates people with the disorder from many experiences by which most people come to understand the world. Some children with autism will not develop speech at all because of the disease. Those who do will take a longer time to develop it than other children their age. A child who has autism may respond in a variety of unique ways. According to the Autism Society of America, In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Children with autism may talk for hours upon end just about one subject. Also autistic children will most likely not speak in common English but in a very exact way. According to World...

READING Bias Essays - Critical Thinking, Parapsychology

READING Bias Essays - Critical Thinking, Parapsychology READING Bias rev. August 2005 BIAS Bias is prejudice about or leaning towards something. An author shows bias by leaving out information or by altering facts to force the reader to have a certain opinion about a subject, or to convince the reader to take a certain action. Critical reading requires that a reader recognize bias in writing. Without this recognition, the reader may become the victim of the writers propaganda. To identify bias in a passage or article, the reader must read through the material and ask, What does the writer want me to think or to do? Bias is often present in editorials, advertisements, religious publications, and political materials. There are several common devices or techniques used by writers of propaganda and biased material. Some of these are 1. USE OF WORDS FOR EMOTIONAL EFFECT Words like commie, racist, hippie, liberal, pinko, and others are used to promote either a positive or a negative response in the reader. 2. REFERENCE TO GREAT MEN Politicians often refer to famous men in the history of our country in order to gain support for their ideas. 3. FLATTERY The writer may use praise to try to gain a positive reaction from the reader. 4. STACKING THE CARDS Instead of giving an objective description, the writer may give evidence to support only one side of a question and may deliberately omit any opposing ideas. 5. BANDWAGON A writer might suggest that everyone is doing something or thinking in a certain way and that the reader should do the same. 6. PLAIN FOLKS Many politicians and advertisers try to appeal to common people. Politicians attempt to make voters identify with them by presenting themselves as ordinary people. READING Bias rev. August 2005 BIAS PRACTICE EXERCISES EXERCISE I. Read the following letter to a local newspaper in which the writer argues that Fairlawn Park should not be turned into a baseball field. Note the negative terms that are used to influence the reader. Citizens of the Fairlawn Park area look with alarm at the diabolical plot to change a beautiful spot into a baseball park. If this malicious plan is carried out, the lovely trees in the park will be chopped down. Values of the property within the area will drop sharply as the park fills with the filth and debris of the bulldozers and other equipment. Later the shrieks of the young ruffians who take over the park will destroy the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. Obviously no one cares about the poor citizen who has slaved to pay for his home and to keep up with his taxes. 1. In this passage, the author shows bias against a. homeowners and taxpayers b. citizens of the Fairlawn Park area c. a baseball field in the park d. more trees in the park Did you find the following terms used to sway the mind of the reader? 1. alarm 6. debris 2. shrieks 7. filth 3. malicious 8. diabolical 4. destroy 9. poor 5. ruffians 10. slaved EXERCISE II. Read each paragraph; then, choose the best answer to the question that follows to find out if you can identify bias. New cars are not built as well as they used to be. Owners of new cars in 2002 have more complaints about their automobiles than in past years. In fact, the recalling of new cars by their makers is becoming a routine practice in America. Instead of insisting upon safe, well-designed products, carmakers seem more concerned with throwing together shoddy automobiles and making a profit. Invariably, new cars need parts replaced almost as soon as the warranty expires. Unfortunately, people need transportation, so they continue to buy new automobiles. 2. The author shows bias against a. new car owners b. foreign car manufacturers c. car repair shops d. automobile manufacturers READING Bias rev. August 2005 BIAS PRACTICE EXERCISES Everyone who cooks should own a food processor. This marvelous invention is now being used by over 12 million vegetarians, compared with only half that number a couple of years ago. Vegetarians rarely have a weight problem since most vegetables are low in calories and contain little or no fat. They do not suffer a build-up of cholesterol in the bloodstream as they grow older. Some doctors have suggested a link between vegetarianism and longevity. As Americans become more health-conscious, vegetarianism will certainly become more popular. 3. The author show bias for a. eating more vegetables b. avoiding cholesterol c. eating health foods d. becoming a vegetarian America is certainly a strong military power; it now has the nuclear power to destroy the entire world. We are not the only country that has

Managing People for a Competitive Advantage Essay

Managing People for a Competitive Advantage - Essay Example The human resource function seeks to improve the performance of the workforce without having to hire new people for the job placements available. These managers can improve the performance of their workforce by demanding that the team members deliver more. c.Talent effective strained by new realities Interdependence has tremendously influenced how work is done within an organization as many opt to collaborate for the good of the business and the achievement of organizational goals. Collaboration makes the job of managing the workforce to be easy as they work towards the achievement of effective processes. Additionally, the performance of one employee tends to affect the performance of his/her peers making it important for managers to influence them to put in more effort. Interactions are also necessary when it comes to getting the job done as employees need each other for them to complete their tasks. d. A new Convergence of talent and business management The workplace has continued to change over the years while the talent has also been challenging, making it needful to collaborate talent management to ease the complex situation. Employees have to align themselves with the visions of the managers so as to be relevant to the business and its practice. 2. Four generations of people The silents- these are individuals born between 1925 and 1946. They are loyal, dedicated and risk-averse as their values are influenced by the fact that that they were present during the Great Depression and World War II.

ANTH 2 Museum Visit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ANTH 2 Museum Visit - Assignment Example they believed they controlled the nature hence they did everything to please them and have their favors (Kathleen 124) .They had a king called pharaoh to whom they believed came from the gods and all religious practices centered on him. The government of Egypt used most of its resources in performing rituals and building of temples. Each individual interacted with the gods through prayers and believed in magic. They believed in life after death and they performed various funeral practices. They offered much treatment to the dead so as to maintain their bodies and spirits hence they offered various goods to the grave. They had gods that represented various things, such as sun god Ra, the creator god Amun, and the mother goddess Isis. They had strong beliefs in a pantheon of gods, who represented various aspects of society and human nature and had different roles. They controlled the forces of the nature and existed in various forms. Gods were also closely interrelated and even had gods who existed as a family as it contained the father, mother and child and they worshipped them together. The Egyptian history is of two periods, that is the first and the second intermediate periods. The first intermediate (dark period) existed for close to 100 years. Two competing bases of powers characterized this period. The Upper Egypt in Thebes, and the Lower Egypt in Heracleopolis. The reason for splitting Egypt into two power bases was political in nature as the ruler Pepi II ruled for so long time hence creating difficulties in succession hence leading to splitting, but later the Theban king who resided at the lower base conquered the north hence leading to the reunification of Egypt. The second intermediate period was also marked with political wrangles of succession. It started after the fall of the 12 dynasty. After the queen died, there was no heir to succeed her. This marked the end of the first intermediate period and the start of the second intermediate period.

Blowfish Encryption Algorithm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Blowfish Encryption Algorithm - Essay Example Customers pay via credit cards for the purchased books that are delivered to them. In this scenario, any sort of security breach may inject an SQL injection or cross site scripting attack on the website can affect the business as well as customer confidence. Therefore, securing the systems as well as data communication on the web is essential to protect. This also implies to personal or customer data that is maintained and managed by the organization. For instance, E- commerce based organizations stores information of their customer related to credit card numbers, passwords, telephone numbers, address, bank details etc. It is the responsibility of the organization to protect and secure data privacy. However, there is not a single law that states how to handle customer information. For this reason, organizations sell or trade customer information with business partners and even to third parties. Likewise, sometimes the sole purpose of this personal data exchange is funds. Although, ev ery online organization has a privacy policy which states how they will handle and secure customer data but at the same time there is no verification criteria. In the following sections, we will discuss the protection of highly sensitive data by the best possible control i.e. encryption algorithms. Likewise, we will precisely discuss blowfish encryption algorithm and its integration with applications that are involved in handling customer highly sensitive data. Blowfish Encryption Algorithm As per computer desktop encyclopedia Blowfish encryption algorithm is defined as â€Å"A secret key cryptography method that uses a variable length key from 32 to 448 bits long. It uses the block cipher method, which breaks the text into 64-bit blocks before encrypting them. Written by Bruce Schneier, as a free replacement for DES or IDEA, it is considered very fast and secure† and as per network dictionary, it is defined as â€Å"Blow?sh is an encryption algorithm that can be used as a r eplacement for the DES or IDEA algorithms. It is a symmetric (that is, a secret or private key) block cipher that uses a variable-length key, from 32 bits to 448 bits, making it useful for both domestic and exportable use†. Blowfish is an encryption algorithm that was invented by Bruce Schneier in 1993 (Pachghare, n.d). It is constructed on a variable length key ranging from 32 buts to 448 bits that is considered to be perfect for both local and international use along with a solid encryption algorithm. After its recognition to be relatively solid encryption algorithm, it is gradually gaining acceptance. Some of the core features of blowfish algorithm include (Pachghare, n.d): Blowfish has a block cipher of block consisted of 64 bit The length of the key can be up to 448 bits On 32 bit microprocessor architecture, data encryption is supported at a rate of 18 clock cycles on every byte that is much quicker than DES and IDEA encryption. It is still free to use and is not patente d Memory requirements for blowfish are less than 5 kilobytes of memory. The semantics are simplified and is relatively easy to deploy. The design requirements for a blowfish encryption algorithm incorporates robust, simple to code, compact, easily modifiable and flat key space features (Anderson. n.d ). Likewise, flat key space facilitates random strings to be considered as a possible key from a required length. Moreover, it deploys data in massive byte

Quality management systems

Quality management systems INTRODUCTION This chapter reviews and peruses various quality management systems (QMS) and other literature work in the area of research. It will try to inquire into the view points and thoughts of scholars and academicians in relation to the field of study. It will also give an overview of Information Systems (IS). Quality and QMS Defined Quality is defined by ISO 9000 series as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements. In other words, quality can be regarded as fitness for purpose or conformance to users expectations since the user determines whether a product is of the desired quality. (Ghana Standards Board, International Trade Centre, P 109) The quality of goods and services results from many interrelated activities. These activities need to be coordinated through a Quality Management System. As indicated by John Ruskin, â€Å"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort. In order to survive in todays competitive marketplace, an organization has to consistently satisfy its customers needs and anticipate their future needs. This can be achieved by providing customers with the products they want, â€Å"getting it right first time†, without the need for rework. To satisfy customers, one must go higher along the production chain, right up to the suppliers not forgetting employee morale and commitment. Suppliers provide the raw materials or products for further processing by employees; if suppliers and employees do what is expected of them, â€Å"getting it right first time,† customers will be satisfied. As defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society. (ISO 8402:1994) A quality management system in the enterprise, based on prevention rather than cure, minimizes waste and rework by ensuring that products are made right first time and every time. In adopting a preventive approach by investing in plants and equipment, training staff and purchasing the appropriate raw materials/inputs, an organization can reduce inspection cost and more specifically, the costs of failure and/or delays. These costs arise from rework or discarding non-conforming in-process material and finished products. Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Management (QM) Models The publication of the ISO 9000 series of standards in 1987 heightened awareness of the benefits of QA requirements among SMEs, many of which implemented ISO 9000 QA models to improve their competitive position as well as to join the ranks of suppliers to large companies. While both the 1987 and 1994 versions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 were based on a QA model, the revised standard (ISO 9001) published in 2000 is based on QM principles (Ghana Standards Board, Export quality management, 2009) The broad relationships between inspection, quality control, quality assurance and quality management are summarized in the table below. System Objective Activities Applicability Nature Inspection Product conformance by screening out conforming products from nonconforming products Visual checks/ measuring; then testing and reporting the results. Generally, Production-related activities, such as checking incoming goods, in-process or final product, pre-dispatch, etc Detection after the event. Quality control Product Conformance by Eliminating causes of nonconforming products Inspection followed by appraisal of results and feedback to the process being controlled As above Detection and-or off-line correction. Quality assurance Generating confidence in product conformance Comprises all QC activities, plus documented quality systems and quality audits All functions of the company from design to after-sales service. Prevention. Quality Management Continual improvement of product conformance Continual improvement of processes in addition to all QA activities As above Prevention and improvement. What are the ISO 9000 series of Standards The ISO 9000 series consist of four primary standards supported by several other documents. The four primary standards are ISO 9000, Quality management systems Fundamentals and vocabulary; ISO 9001, Quality management systems Requirements; ISO 9004, Quality management systems Guidelines for performance improvements ISO 19011, Guidelines on quality and/or environmental management auditing. ISO 9000 is a starting point for understanding the standard, as it defines the fundamental terms used in the ISO 9000 family or set of standards for quality management. ISO 9001 specifies the requirements for quality management systems which enable you to demonstrate your ability to provide products that fulfil customer and applicable regulatory requirements; it also aims to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 9004 provides you with guidance on the continual improvement of your quality management system so that the needs and expectations of all interested parties are met. These interested parties include customers and end-users, directors and staff in the organisation, owners and investors, suppliers and partners, and society at large. ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 are consistent pair of standards that relate modern quality management to processes and activities of an organization, and emphasize the promotion of continual improvement and the achievement of customer satisfaction. ISO 9001, which focuses on the effectiveness of the quality management system in meeting customer requirements, is used for certification or for contractual agreements between suppliers and buyers. By contrast, ISO 9004 cannot be used for certification as it does not prescribe requirements but provides guidance for the continual improvement of an organisations performance. ISO 9001 focuses on effectiveness, i.e. doing the right thing in the right way. The ISO 9000 quality management system is generic in nature: it is applicable to both the manufacturing and services sectors, and to enterprises of all sizes, including the single entrepreneur. ISO 9001 specifies what an enterprise is required to do, but it does not indicate how this is to be done thus giving the enterprise much flexibility in running its business. (Crosby, 1992) Worldwide use of ISO 9000 The ISO 9000 standards are widely used around the world. A survey conducted by ISO indicated that at least 4008,631 ISO certificates were awarded in 158 countries in 2000, up by 64, 988 certificates over the figure for end of December 1999, when the total stood at 343,643 for 150 countries. The figures were also significantly higher than the 27,816 certificates issued in 48 countries by 31st January 1993, when the survey was first conducted. The number of certificates issued in Europe in 2000 was 220,127 or 53% of the total. The Far East had 20.05%, North America 11.82%, New Zealand and Australia 6.68%, Africa and West Asia 4.94%, and Central and South America 2.64%. Information on the sector covered by the certificates at the end of 2000 was obtained for 317,126 certificates. The highest number recorded was for basic metal products (40,713 certificates or 12.84% of the total), and the smallest number for nuclear fuel (115, 0.03%) The figures for various other sectors are as follows: electrical and optical equipment, 38,148 (12.0%); food products, beverages and tobacco, 11,440 (3.6%); information technology, 11,067 (3.5%); textiles and textile products, 5, 178 (1.6%); and hotels and restaurants, 1,187 (0.4%) Is quality management an issue only for management? A glance at the definition of quality Management-â€Å"coordinated activities to direct and control an organisation with regard to quality† gives an impression that it is an issue for management only. This impression is reinforced by the fact that the eight quality management principles that form the basis of the ISO 9000 series are all used by senior management as a framework for guiding the organisation towards improved performance. The eight management principles are: Principle 1 Customer focus Principle 2 Leadership, Principle 3 Involvement of people Principle 4 Process approach Principle 5 System approach Principle 6 Continual improvement, Principle 7 Factual approach to decision-making, and Principle 8 Mutually beneficial supplier relationships Herbert Simon argued years ago that the core of managing lies in decision making, which is best thought of as process comprising three phases: Finding occasions for making decisions, Finding possible courses of action, and Choosing among courses of action Looking at the quality management principles again, but from Simons point of view, one finds that some of them provide workers with ample scope for making decisions that influence quality. It would appear that the principles related to customer focus, leadership, system approach to management, and development of mutually beneficial supplier relationships are issues for management only. The other principles apply to employees at all levels in the organisation. Employees accept ownership of problems and their responsibility for solving them. The process approach is applicable to everyone, each person having a triple role (i.e. everyone in an organisation is seen as a customer, processor and a supplier). Continual improvement is within the reach of employees at all levels as they can be trained in the methods of continual improvement and the tools involve. Everyone can base his or her decision on accurate and reliable data, this being made available wherever decisions have to be taken. If everyone looks at quality management as managing of quality, then quality management is within the decision-making scope of both managers and workers. There is a Japanese rule that attributes quality problems to poor product design (40%), errors made during the manufacturing process (30%), and nonconforming materials purchased from suppliers (30%). Generally design and purchasing problems can be solved only through managerial intervention. One can say that quality problems in manufacturing are caused in equal proportion by managers (e.g. inadequate training of workers) and workers (e.g. inadequate attention to machine setting). One can conclude that 85% of the problems come under management control and 15% are under worker control. This ratio of 85:15 has been substantially documented in the literature of quality management. Only 15% of defective products can be attributed to production operators while the other 85% are caused by management. System problems like inadequate maintenance of equipment and faulty raw materials/components can be resolved only by top management. Quality management is regarded in ISO 9000 as comprising four elements: Quality planning, Quality control, Quality assurance and Quality improvement While all four elements are within the purview of management, workers are directly responsible for quality control conducted at the operational level. It should be noted that workers could also contribute to quality improvement if they have been trained in simple problem-solving techniques. FOOD SAFETY QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Food safety is related to the presence of food-borne hazards in food at the point of consumption, (intake by the consumer). As the introduction of food safety hazards can occur at any stage of the food chain, adequate control throughout the food chain is essential. Thus food safety is ensured through the combined efforts of all the parties participating in the food chain. The following are generally recognised key elements to ensure food safety along the food chain, up to the point of final consumption: Interactive communication; System Management; Prerequisite programmes; HACCP principles Communication along the food chain is essential to ensure that all relevant food safety hazards are identified and adequately controlled at each step within the food chain. This implies communication between organizations both upstream and downstream in the food chain. Communication with customers and suppliers about identified hazards and control measures will assist in clarifying customer and supplier requirements (e.g. with regard to the feasibility and need for these requirements and their impact on the end product). Recognition of the organisations role and position within the food chain is essential to ensure effective interactive communication throughout the chain in order to deliver safe food products to the final consumer. The most effective food safety systems are established, operated and updated within the framework of a structured system and incorporated into the overall management activities of the organization. This provides maximum benefit for the organisation and interested parties. ISO 22000:2005 has been aligned ISO 9001 in order to enhance the compatibility of the two standards. ISO 22000 integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. By means of auditable requirements, it combines the HACCP plan with prerequisite programmes (PRPs). Hazard analysis is the key to an effective food safety management, since conducting a hazard analysis assists in organising the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control assist in organising the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control measures. ISO 22000 requires that all hazards that may be reasonably expected to occur in the food chain, including hazards that may be associated with the type of process and facilities used, are identified and assessed. Thus it provides the means to determine and document why certain identified hazards need to be controlled by a particular organisation and why others need not. BUSINESS PROCESSES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS In order to operate, businesses must deal with many different pieces of information about suppliers, customers, employees, invoices and payments, and of course product and services. They must organise work activities that use this information systems to operate efficiently and enhance the overall performance of the firm. Information systems make it possible for firms to manage all their information, make better decisions and improve the execution of their business processes. (Laudon and laudon 2006). BUSINESS PROCESSES Information systems are all about improving business processes which lie at the very heart of a business. So it is important to understand what is meant by â€Å"business processes† Business processes, refer to the manner in which work is organised, coordinated, and focused to produce a valuable product or service. Business processes are workflows of materials, information, and knowledge-set of activities. Business processes also refers to the unique ways in which organisations coordinate work, information and knowledge, and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Every business can be seen as a collection of business processes. Some of these processes are part of larger encompassing processes. For example, almost every business has a way to hire employees. The process of hiring employees is a business process in the sense that it is a set of activities that a firm uses to hire new employees. To a large extent the performance of a business firm depends on how well its business processes are designed and coordinated. A companys business processes can be a source of competitive strength if they enable the company to innovate or to execute better than its rivals. Business processes can also be liabilities if they are based on outdated ways of working that impede organisational responsiveness and efficiency. Information systems enhance business processes primarily in two ways: Increasing the efficiency of existing processes and Enabling entirely new processes that are capable of transforming the business TYPES OF BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS There are different systems depending on the different business processes but all the systems could be viewed from two different perspectives: a functional perspective identifying systems by their major business function, and a constituency perspective that identifies systems in terms of the major organisational groups that they serve. Systems from a functional perspective From a historical perspective, functional systems were the first kinds of systems developed by business firms. These systems were located in specific departments, such as accounting, marketing and sales, production, and human resources. There are four main types of information systems that serve different functional systems: Sales and marketing information systems help the firm with marketing business processes (identifying customers for the firms products or services, developing products and services to meet their needs, promoting products and services) and sales processes (selling the products and services, taking orders, contacting customers, and providing customer support). Manufacturing and production information systems deal with the planning, development, and production of products and services, and controlling the flow of production. Finance and accounting information systems keep track of the firms financial assets and fund flows. The typical finance and accounting information systems found in large organizations. Senior management uses finance and accounting systems to establish long-term investment goals for the firms and to provide long-range forecasts of the firms financial performance. Middle management uses systems to oversee and control the firms financial resources. Operational management uses finance and accounting systems to track the flow of funds in the firm through transactions, such as paychecks, payments to vendors, securities reports, and receipts. Human resources information systems maintain employee records, track employee skills, job performance and training, and support planning for employee compensation and career development. The system can produce a variety of reports, such as list of newly hired employees, employees who are terminated or on leaves of absence, employees classified by job type or educational level, or employee job performance evaluations. Systems from a Constituency Perspective This is a perspective that examines systems in terms of the various levels of management and types of decision that they support. Each of these levels has different information needs given their different responsibilities, and each can be seen as major information constituents. Senior managers need summary information that can quickly inform them about the overall performance of the firm. Middle managers need more specific information on the results of specific functional areas and departments of the firm. Operational managers need transactional-level information, such as number of parts in inventory each day. Knowledge workers may need access to external scientific databases or internal databases with organisational knowledge. Production or service workers may need access to information from production machines, and service workers may need access to customer records in order to take orders and answer questions from customers. There are four main categories of systems from a constituency perspective. Transaction processing systems (TPS) are basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization by recording the daily routine transactions required to conduct business, such as payroll and sales receipts. Management information systems (MIS) serve middle managers interests by providing current and historical performance information to aid in planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level. MIS typically compress TPS data to present regular reports on the companys basic operations. Decision Support Systems (DSS), or business intelligence systems, help managers with non-routine decisions that are unique, rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance. DSS are more analytical than MIS, using a variety of models to analyze internal and external data or condense large amounts of data for analysis. Executive support systems (ESS) provide a generalized computing and communications environment that help senior managers address strategic issues and identify long-term trends in the firm and its environment. ESS addresses non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight because there is no agreed-on procedure for arriving at a solution. ESS present graphs and data from many internal and external sources through an interface that is easy for senior managers to use. Often the information is delivered to senior executives through a portal, which uses a Web interface to present integrated personalized business content. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TQM The importance of information technologies and the information systems function is no longer of debate among business people. The question, rather, is how an organization can take best advantage of IT in order to support its operations, add value to its products and services, and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. To be able to perform up to such high expectations, the IS function must develop an intimate understanding of the expectations of its varied clientele. As organizations embark on their journey to be more responsive to their customers and to continuously improve the quality of their products and services, IS must do the same. Unfortunately, it seems that despite the importance of IT to the success of most organizations, the function is not proactive when it comes to actively pursuing and implementing quality principles. Surveys of IS managers found that a minority of IS managers (41%) understood the basic principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), and thought the y will beuseful to the IS function. Even in the cases where TQM principles were understood, they often were not implemented in the IS function. Total IS quality is a multidimensional concept. (Antonis C. Stylianou and Ram L. Kumar, September 2000) Dimensions Of Information Systems Quality Infrastructure Quality: The quality of the infrastructure (hardware and enabling software) that is fielded and maintained by IS—includes, for example, the quality of the networks, and systems software. Software Quality: The quality of the applications software built, or maintained, or supported by IS. Data Quality: The quality of the data entering the various information systems. Information Quality: The quality of the output resulting from the information systems. In many cases, the output of one system becomes the input of another. In that respect, information quality is related to data quality. Administrative Quality: The quality of the management of the IS function—Includes the quality of budgeting, planning, and scheduling. Service Quality: The quality of the service component ofthe IS function—includes the quality of customer support processes such as those related to a help desk. These dimensions overlap considerably, and what impacts one dimension will in many cases impact other dimensions as well. For example, a decline in infrastructure quality (for example, persistent network service interruptions) is likely to cause real or perceived problems with data and service quality. And even though in the eyes of some IS customers the distinction may be insignificant, it is nevertheless important in being able to respond appropriately. An appropriate response may include actions to address infrastructure quality (such as replacing a defective network component), data quality (such as more frequent backups), and service quality (such as improved communication on cause and resolution of the problem). So far, research on IS quality has addressed individual components of quality and not the big picture. Pearson et al.s framework for introducing TQM into the IS function, although broad, does not provide an integrated and detailed enough perspective for managing quality in key processes and products. Also, Pitt et al. present a model of IS success that is broad but incomplete. That model does not capture the variety of stakeholders affected, the interaction between IS and business processes, the administrative component of IS quality, and environmental influences on quality. An extensive literature exists on data and information quality, and software quality. Administrative IS quality, although it has not received as much attention on its own, is very similar to the quality of other management processes examined in the general concept. INFLUENCES ON INFORMATION SYSTEM QUALITY While IS quality is a general concept, there may be significant differences between organizations in terms of how quality is defined. Different organizations may emphasize different dimensions of IS quality. Environmental factors, such as industry type and the nature of competition, affect the importance of IS in the organization. Managing IS quality is more complicated in IT-intensive industries such as banking because of the large number of IS-supported processes and the high degree of integration between IS and business processes. The impact of organizational investments in IT on IS quality may vary depending on organizational factors such as culture, politics, and senior management support. Stakeholder perceptions of what constitutes acceptable quality may also vary depending on those factors. Departmental factors such as differences in leadership style, employee skills, and IT intensity also impact IS quality perceptions and management. These environmental, organizational, and d epartmental factors impact the relative importance of different stakeholder groups, the weights assigned by each stakeholder group to different quality attributes, and the metrics used to measure them. As a result, deciding how to configure and manage the IS quality program requires sensitivity to these factors. (Antonis C. Stylianou and Ram L. Kumar, September 2000) HOW INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPROVE QUALITY Reduce Cycle Time and Simplify the production Process Studies have shown that probably the best single way to reduce quality problems is to reduce cycle time, which refers to the total elapsed time from the beginning of a process to its end. Shorter cycle times mean that problems are caught earlier in the process, often before the production of a defective product is completed, saving some of the hidden cost of producing it. Finding ways to reduce cycle time often means finding ways to simplify production steps. The fewer the steps in a process the less time and opportunity for an error to occur. Information systems help eliminate steps in a process and critical time delays. A company selling flowers by telephone or over the Web, used to be much smaller company that had difficulty retaining its customers. It had poor service, inconsistent quality, and a cumbersome manual order-taking process. Telephone representatives had to write each order, obtain credit card approval, determine which participating florist was closest to the delivery location, select a floral arrangement, and forward the order to the florist. Each step in the manual process increased the chance of human error, and the whole process took at least a half hour. A new information system that downloads orders taken in telecenters or over the Web to a central computer and electronically transmits them to local florists was installed. Orders are more accurate and arrive at the florist within two minutes Benchmark Companies achieve quality by using benchmarking to set strict standards for products, services, and other activities, and then measuring performance against those standards. Companies may use external industry standards, standards set by other companies; internally developed high standards; or some combination of the three. An outdoor clothing company used benchmarking to achieve an order-shipping accuracy of 99.9 percent. Its old batch order fulfillment system could not handle the surging volume and variety of items to be shipped. After studying Germans and Scandinavian companies with leading edge order fulfillment, the company redesigned its order fulfillment process and information systems so that orders could be processed as soon as they were received and shipped within 24 hours. Use Customer Demands to improve Products and Services Improving customer service, making customer service the number one priority, will improve the quality of the product itself. Improve Design Quality and Precision Computer aided design (CAD) software has made a major contribution to quality improvements in many companies, from producers of automobile to producers of razor blades. A computer-aided design (CAD) system automates the creation and revision of designs, using computers and sophisticated graphics software. Improve Production Precision and Tighten Production Tolerances For many products, quality can be enhanced by making the production process more precise, thereby decreasing the amount of variation from one part to another. CAD software often produces design specifications for tooling and manufacturing processes, saving additional time and money while producing a manufacturing process with far fewer problems. The user of this software is able to design a more precise production system, a system with tighter tolerances, than could ever be done manually. IMPLEMENTING AND MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM QUALITY In instituting an Information System quality program, lessons could and should be drawn from both successes and failures in quality programs implem

Use of Photographs in This Is a Photograph of Me and Photograph, 1958 :: Photograph

Use of Photographs in This Is a Photograph of Me and Photograph, 1958  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first glance, "This Is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood and "Photograph, 1958" by Patricia Young are strikingly similar works in that both poems utilize the imagery of a photograph as a communication device however, upon closer examination   they differ markedly in the approach each poet takes in utilizing this same device.   The similarities between these two poems are immediately obvious to the reader; both poems are written by female poets,   both poems have the poet as the speaker,   both poems describe how the poet feels about herself, and both poems utilize the photograph as a device to convey their message to the reader.   Less obvious, is the differing approaches taken by each poet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the poem "This Is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood, the photograph is used by the poet as a device to directly communicate her message to the reader.  Ã‚   The title of the poem announces in a direct and forthright way that the poem will be a self examination.   The poem begins with Atwood directly and literally describing the photograph itself: "It was taken some time ago. / At first it seems to be / a smeared / print: blurred lines and grey flecks / blended with the paper."   The poet's use of words like "smeared", "blurred" and "blended" immediately and directly communicates to the reader that the poet feels unclear, directionless and without focus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After this opening stanza, the poet begins to describe the contents of the photograph: "then as you scan / it, you see in the left-hand corner / a thing that is like a branch: part of a tree" and "to the right, halfway up / what ought to be a gentle / slope, a small frame house."   Margaret Atwood is gradually drawing the reader inward, from the outside edge of the photograph towards the center of the photograph, the poem, and the poet herself.   This can be seen clearly on the following lines: "I am in the lake, in the center / of the picture, just under the surface."  Ã‚   The atmosphere created is one of introspection and self examination: "but if you look long enough, / eventually / you will be able to see me."   Atwood is using the device of the photograph to draw the reader from the outside world inwards to her world in the center of the photograph.

Explore the presentation of Nick as a narrator in the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby

Nick comes across as an unreliable narrator throughout the first three chapters of ‘The Great Gatsby’, especially during Chapter two at the party, where his use of ellipses suggests to the reader that his knowledge is distorted. Also, nick is unable to give an accurate account of what has occurred in the society he has become acquainted with before he moved to West Egg and therefore his insights into events are based on hearsay and rumours. Jordan has become a source of Nick’s intelligence, and he demands information from her at Gatsby’s party – about Gatsby himself – however he then goes on to describe her as ‘incurably dishonest’, casting doubt on everything she has said previous to this. Furthermore, Nick does not confirm whether the information he has been told is truthful or not, he merely states what he has been informed without expanding on this, thus it is unclear to the reader if Jordan is a reliable source of information . Nick himself is going through an internal conflict, implying that he cannot give an accurate, unbiased account of what is going on in other people’s lives. It is clear that he is struggling between two contrasting lifestyles – the pleasure-orientated, fast-paced life of New York and the conventional, fairly nondescript background he came from where, he believes, morality is still valued. This suggests that he is so concerned with his own problems that he cannot afford to think through the events of other people. Despite this, Nick seems drawn towards the garishly ostentatious lifestyle that he is introduced to at Gatsby’s party and appears to forget his morals and ideals – ‘on my way to get roaring drunk’; this story is set whilst prohibition was in place, and so to get ‘roaring drunk’ was to go against the law. This contradicts his earlier statement, ‘wanting the world to be in uniform’ which implies that he wants the strict discipline and uniformity of society during the Great War back, despite him participating in many activities that would strongly go against this – for instance, his drunken fiasco at Myrtle’s apartment. Incidentally, the morals he so strongly believes in are questioned through his meeting with Myrtle – she is Nick’s cousins husbands mistress and yet he seems to have no objection to their affair, despite the seemingly close relationship he has with Daisy. Furthermore, the ease at which he has adapted his characteristics is similar to the ease that the disciplined society of the Great War changed at its sudden abrupt end; although he is being critical about the changes that have happened since that point in time he is actually changing in the same way, thus emphasising his hypocritical mannerisms. Nick seems to have been caught up in the moral decay of the society; the only mention of his engagement is from Daisy in Chapter 1, and in the form of the ‘certain girl’ that played tennis at the end of chapter three, but the lack of detail given about her suggests that he doesn’t believe that fact to be entirely important – especially considering that Nick is writing about past events. Based on the romantic imagery that he uses – ‘one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance’ – and the romantic ideals he appears to believe in, it seems out of character for him to skip over his engagement, thereby suggesting that he has been caught up in the moral decay within the society. Nicks character portrays something different to what Nick as a narrator thinks. Nick believes he is ‘inclined to reserve all judgements’, however he immediately contradicts this by stating he has been made ‘victim of not a few veteran bores’, reiterating his obvious hypocrisy. This is the narrator’s attempt to make the reader aware that although many opinions are not voiced, they are still there and various techniques are used throughout to novel to allow the reader to draw their own conclusion – especially symbolism. Whilst Nick realises that Tom, Daisy and Jordan are dishonourable people, he still spends a great deal of time with them, choosing to neglect their faults; it is more important for him to fit in with these rich, sophisticated people that to risk his friendship with them by pointing out their imperfections. It is this reservation of the truth that leads the reader to question Nick’s reliability and honesty, and it is also this that makes him conform to the majority of society; most people are dishonest and they sacrifice their honesty to fit in with the rest of society. Nick seems to be a bit of a wallflower throughout the first three chapters in that he doesn’t get involved in the events that are happening all around him and appears to blend in with the background. This is especially apparent in Chapter Two; whilst Nick is at Myrtle and Tom’s apartment he merely sits and watches everyone else in the room. It implies that he doesn’t have a mind of his own – he would rather sit and watch from the side-lines than actually get involved – and this is emphasised when Tom drags him off the train to meet Myrtle, ‘I followed him’. The valley of ashes appears to intrigue and repulse Nick almost simultaneously – this is made apparent through his use of imagery, ‘spasms of dust’. This is perhaps because, whilst Nick thinks that he has seen the ‘real world’ he has in fact only seen a shaded version of reality as he comes from a reasonably well-off background – implies through his great-uncle being able to send a ‘substitute to the Civil War’ in his place, which was something that only the rich could achieve. Part of Fitzgerald’s skill in ‘The Great Gatsby’ shines through the way he cleverly makes Nick a focal point of the action, whilst simultaneously allowing him to remain sufficiently in the background, thereby being able to comment on what events were unfolding; throughout the novel, Nick functions as Fitzgerald’s voice.

Free Essays on Illegal Women Trafficking

Illegal women trafficking in the world Introduction What is Illegal trafficking? What goes on in this trade? Women and children are promised jobs, money and better lives, then are forced into prostitution and terrible work environments. They are forced into this sick slave trade and are given little to no money for their work. It is disgusting and inhumane what they do to these women and children. This paper will describe events and horrors around the world. After the Tsunami disaster BAHRAINI authorities are being warned of a possible increase in human trafficking, from countries hit by the tsunami disaster. Human rights workers say they are particularly worried about a potential influx of underage women who may have lost their friends and relatives, homes and livelihoods in the disaster. They are especially concerned about countries such as Indonesia, from where human traffickers were already reportedly shipping girls to the Gulf and elsewhere. Human rights workers and immigration officials have described Indonesia as a significant source of illegal immigrants to Bahrain - girls as young as 14 are being shipped to the United States on fake as housemaids. passports to work Their employers allegedly beat them once they got here. In November 2003, a 14-year-old Indonesian maid ran away from her sponsor in Bahrain after being hit over the head with a glass. In another case, a 13-year-old Indonesian girl was sent home to her family after being allegedly beaten by her Bahraini employers for making mistakes. There are also reports of housemaids being raped or not being paid by their sponsors, who often go unpunished since domestic workers are not covered by labor laws. "A large percentage of women coming to the Gulf are below 18 years old," said Nabeel Rajab, president of the now-dissolved Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and founder member of the original Migrant Workers Group (MWG). "A lot were being trafficked from vi... Free Essays on Illegal Women Trafficking Free Essays on Illegal Women Trafficking Illegal women trafficking in the world Introduction What is Illegal trafficking? What goes on in this trade? Women and children are promised jobs, money and better lives, then are forced into prostitution and terrible work environments. They are forced into this sick slave trade and are given little to no money for their work. It is disgusting and inhumane what they do to these women and children. This paper will describe events and horrors around the world. After the Tsunami disaster BAHRAINI authorities are being warned of a possible increase in human trafficking, from countries hit by the tsunami disaster. Human rights workers say they are particularly worried about a potential influx of underage women who may have lost their friends and relatives, homes and livelihoods in the disaster. They are especially concerned about countries such as Indonesia, from where human traffickers were already reportedly shipping girls to the Gulf and elsewhere. Human rights workers and immigration officials have described Indonesia as a significant source of illegal immigrants to Bahrain - girls as young as 14 are being shipped to the United States on fake as housemaids. passports to work Their employers allegedly beat them once they got here. In November 2003, a 14-year-old Indonesian maid ran away from her sponsor in Bahrain after being hit over the head with a glass. In another case, a 13-year-old Indonesian girl was sent home to her family after being allegedly beaten by her Bahraini employers for making mistakes. There are also reports of housemaids being raped or not being paid by their sponsors, who often go unpunished since domestic workers are not covered by labor laws. "A large percentage of women coming to the Gulf are below 18 years old," said Nabeel Rajab, president of the now-dissolved Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and founder member of the original Migrant Workers Group (MWG). "A lot were being trafficked from vi...

Samuel Morse and the Invention of the Telegraph

Samuel Morse and the Invention of the Telegraph The word telegraph is derived from Greek and means to write far, which describes exactly what a telegraph does. At the height of its use,  telegraph technology involved a worldwide system of wires with stations and operators and messengers, that carried messages and news by electricity faster than any other invention before it. Pre-Electricity Telegraphy Systems The first crude telegraph system was made without electricity. It was a system of semaphores or tall poles with movable arms, and other signaling apparatus, set within physical sight of one another. There was such a telegraph line between Dover and London at during the Battle of Waterloo; that related the news of the battle, which had come to Dover by ship, to an anxious London, when a fog set in (obscuring the line of sight) and the Londoners had to wait until a courier on horseback arrived. Electrical Telegraph The electrical telegraph is one of Americas gifts to the world. The credit  for this invention belongs to Samuel Finley Breese Morse. Other inventors had discovered the principles of the telegraph, but Samuel Morse was the first to understand the practical significance of those facts and was the first to take steps to make a practical invention; which took him 12 long years of work. Early Life of  Samuel Morse Samuel Morse was born in 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His father was a Congregational minister and a scholar of high standing, who was able to send his three sons to Yale College. Samuel (or Finley, as he was called by his family) attended Yale at the age of fourteen and was taught by Benjamin Silliman, Professor of Chemistry, and Jeremiah Day, Professor of Natural Philosophy, later President of Yale College, whose teaching gave Samuel the education which in later years led to the invention of the telegraph. Mr. Days lectures are very interesting, the young student wrote home in 1809; they are upon electricity; he has given us some very fine experiments, the whole class taking hold of hands form the circuit of communication and we all receive the shock apparently at the same moment. Samuel Morse the Painter Samuel Morse was  a gifted  artist; in fact, he earned a part of his college expenses painting miniatures at five dollars apiece. He even decided at first to become an artist rather than an inventor. Fellow student Joseph M. Dulles of Philadelphia wrote the following about Samuel, Finley [Samuel Morse] bore the expression of gentleness entirely... with intelligence, high culture, and general information, and with a strong bent to the fine arts. Soon after graduating from Yale, Samuel Morse made the acquaintance of Washington Allston, an American artist. Allston was then living in Boston but was planning to return to England, he arranged for Morse to accompany him as his pupil. In 1811, Samuel Morse went to England with Allston and returned to America four years later an accredited portrait painter, having studied not only under Allston but under the famous master, Benjamin West. He opened a studio in Boston, taking commissions for portraits Marriage Samuel Morse married Lucretia Walker in 1818. His reputation as a painter increased steadily, and in 1825 he was in Washington painting a portrait of the Marquis La Fayette, for the city of New York, when he heard from his father the bitter news of his wifes death. Leaving the portrait of La Fayette unfinished, the heartbroken artist made his way home. Artist or Inventor? Two years after his wifes death, Samuel Morse was again obsessed with the marvels of electricity, as he had been in college, after attending a series of lectures on that subject given by James Freeman Dana at Columbia College. The two men became friends. Dana visited Morses studio often, where the two men would talk for hours. However, Samuel Morse was still devoted to his art, he had himself and three children to support, and painting was his only source of income. In 1829, he returned to Europe to study art for three years. Then came the turning point in the life of Samuel Morse. In the autumn of 1832, while traveling home by ship, Samuel Morse joined a conversation with a few scientists scientific men who were on board. One of the passengers asked this question: Is the velocity of electricity reduced by the length of its conducting wire? One of the men replied that electricity passes instantly over any known length of wire and referred to Franklins experiments with several miles of wire, in which no appreciable time elapsed between a touch at one end and a spark at the other. This was the seed of knowledge that led the mind of Samuel Morse to invent the telegraph. In November of 1832, Samuel Morse found himself on the horns of a dilemma. To give up his profession as an artist meant that he would have no income; on the other hand, how could he continue wholeheartedly painting pictures while consumed with the idea of the telegraph? He would have to go on painting and develop his telegraph in what time he could spare. His brothers, Richard and Sidney, were both living in New York and they did what they could for him, giving him a room in a building they had erected at Nassau and Beekman Streets. Samuel Morses Poverty How very poor Samuel Morse was at this time is indicated by a story told by General Strother of Virginia who hired Morse to teach him how to paint: I paid the money [tuition], and we dined together. It was a modest meal, but good, and after he [Morse] had finished, he said, This is my first meal for twenty-four hours. Strother, dont be an artist. It means beggary. Your life depends upon people who know nothing of your art and care nothing for you. A house dog lives better, and the very sensitiveness that stimulates an artist to work keeps him alive to suffering. In 1835, Samuel Morse received an appointment to the teaching staff of  New York University  and moved his workshop to a room in the University building in Washington Square. There, he lived through the year 1836, probably the darkest and longest year of his life, giving lessons to pupils in the art of painting while his mind was in the throes of the great invention. The Birth of the Recording Telegraph In that year [1836] Samuel Morse took into his confidence one of his colleagues in the University, Leonard Gale, who assisted Morse in improving the telegraph apparatus. Morse had formulated the rudiments of the telegraphic alphabet, or  Morse Code, as it is known today. He was ready to test his invention. Yes, that room of the University was the birthplace of the Recording Telegraph, said Samuel Morse years later. On September 2, 1837, a successful experiment was made with seventeen hundred feet of copper wire coiled around the room, in the presence of Alfred Vail, a student, whose family owned the Speedwell Iron Works, at Morristown, New Jersey, and who at once took an interest in the invention and persuaded his father, Judge Stephen Vail, to advance money for experiments. Samuel Morse filed a petition for a patent in October and formed a partnership with Leonard Gale, as well as Alfred Vail. Experiments continued at the Vail shops, with all the partners working day and night. The prototype was publicly demonstrated at the University, visitors were requested to write dispatches, and the words were sent around a three-mile coil of wire and read at the other end of the room. Samuel Morse Petitions Washington to Build Telegraph Line In February 1838, Samuel Morse set out for Washington with his apparatus, stopping at Philadelphia on the invitation of the Franklin Institute to give a demonstration. In Washington, he presented to Congress a petition, asking for a money appropriation to enable him to build an experimental telegraph line. Samuel Morse Applies for European Patents Samuel Morse then returned to New York to prepare to go abroad, as it was necessary for his rights that his invention was patented in European countries before publication in the United States. However, the British Attorney-General refused him a patent on the grounds that American newspapers had published his invention, making it public property. He did receive a French  patent. Introduction to the Art of Photography One interesting result of Samuel Morses 1838 trip to Europe was something not related to the telegraph at all. In Paris, Morse met  Daguerre, the celebrated Frenchman who had discovered a process of making pictures by sunlight, and Daguerre had given Samuel Morse the secret. This led to the first pictures taken by sunlight in the United States and to the first photographs of the human face taken anywhere. Daguerre had never attempted to photograph living objects and did not think it could be done, as a  rigidity of position was required for a long exposure. Samuel Morse, however, and his associate, John W. Draper, were very soon taking portraits successfully. Building of the First Telegraph Line In December 1842, Samuel Morse traveled to Washington for another appeal to  Congress. At last, on February 23, 1843, a bill appropriating thirty thousand dollars to lay the wires between Washington and Baltimore passed the House by a majority of six. Trembling with anxiety, Samuel Morse sat in the gallery of  the House  while the vote was taken and that night Samuel Morse wrote, The long agony is over. But the agony was not over. The bill had yet to pass  the Senate. The last day of the expiring session of Congress arrived on March 3, 1843, and the Senate had not yet passed the bill. In the gallery of the Senate, Samuel Morse had sat all the last day and evening of the session. At midnight the session would close. Assured by his friends that there was no possibility of the bill being reached, he left the Capitol and retired to his room at the hotel, broken-hearted. As he ate breakfast the next morning, a young lady with a smile, exclaimed, I have come to congratulate you! For what, my dear friend? asked Morse, of the young lady, who was Miss Annie G. Ellsworth, daughter of his friend the Commissioner of Patents. On the passage of your bill. Morse assured her it was not possible, as he remained in the Senate-Chamber until nearly midnight. She then informed him that her father was present until the close, and, in the last moments of the session, the bill was passed without debate or revision. Professor Samuel Morse was overcome by the intelligence, so joyful and unexpected, and gave at the moment to his young friend, the bearer of these good tidings, the promise that she should send the first message over the first line of the telegraph that was opened. Samuel Morse and his partners then proceeded to the construction of the forty-mile line of wire between Baltimore and Washington. Ezra Cornell, (founder of  Cornell University) had invented a machine to lay pipe underground to contain the wires and he was employed to carry out the work of construction. The work was commenced at Baltimore and was continued until the experiment proved that the underground method would not do, and it was decided to string the wires on poles. Much time had been lost, but once the system of poles was adopted the work progressed rapidly, and by May 1844, the line was completed. On the twenty-fourth of that month, Samuel Morse sat before his instrument in the room of the Supreme Court at Washington. His friend Miss Ellsworth handed him the message which she had chosen: WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT! Morse flashed it to Vail forty miles away in Baltimore, and Vail instantly flashed back the same momentous words, WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT! The profits from the invention were divided into sixteen shares (the partnership having been formed in 1838) of which: Samuel Morse held 9, Francis O. J. Smith 4, Alfred Vail 2, Leonard D. Gale 2. First Commercial Telegraph Line In 1844, the first commercial telegraph line was open for business. Two days later, the Democratic National Convention met in Baltimore to nominate a President and Vice-President. The leaders of the Convention wanted to nominate New York Senator Silas Wright, who was away in Washington, as running mate to  James Polk, but they needed to know if Wright would agree to run as Vice-President. A human messenger was sent to Washington, however, a telegraph was also sent to Wright. The telegraph messaged the offer to Wright, who telegraphed back to the Convention his refusal to run. The delegates did not believe the telegraph until the human messenger returned the next day and confirmed the telegraphs message. Improved Telegraph Mechanism and Code Ezra Cornell built more telegraph lines across the United States, connecting city with city, and Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail improved the hardware and perfected the code. Inventor, Samuel Morse lived to see his telegraph span the continent, and link communications between Europe and North America. Replacing the Pony Express By 1859, both the railroad and the telegraph had reached the town of St. Joseph, Missouri. Two thousand miles further east and still unconnected was California. The only transportation to California was by stage-coach, a sixty-day journey. To establish quicker communication with California, the Pony Express mail route was organized. Solo riders on horseback could cover the distance in ten or twelve days. Relay stations for the horses and men were set up at points along the way, and a mailman rode off from St. Joseph every twenty-four hours after the arrival of the train (and mail) from the East. For a time the Pony Express did its work and did it well. President Lincolns first inaugural speech was carried to California by the Pony Express. By 1869, the Pony Express was replaced by the telegraph, which now had lines all the way to San Francisco and seven years later the first  transcontinental railroad  was completed. Four years after that, Cyrus Field and  Peter Cooper  laid the  Atlantic Cable. The Morse telegraph machine could now send messages across the sea, as well as from New York to the Golden Gate.

Computer Science project reprot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Computer Science project reprot - Essay Example Live Search) had not introduced this concept initially and a smaller company as compared to Google, Yahoo and Microsoft had introduced this concept of personalized search. In case of personalized search various types of information’s from users are collected and based on that information’s the search content is filtered and displayed to users. Now these days internet (Web) contains lots of information and by searching and specific keywords there is possibility that irrelevant information is returned. Now search engines are working in this regards and comes with the solution of personalized search so as give its users search results based on the user demographic information and interests and taste. In addition these days search history can be also maintained by search engines which users can see on later days. Aim of Study: The study of â€Å"Profile-Based Web-Searching† will provide an opportunity to learn how different personalized search engines works and make use of user specific information for assisting web searching process. According to Johnson (2005), personalized search drives financial benefits both in short term and long term. In the short term, advertisers increase revenue by targeting ads and promotions at the users who are most likely to click and buy. In addition, consumers want personalization and are more willing to stay with sites and services that ‘know’ them and respond to their specific lifestyles and preferences. Moreover, sites that employ personalized search automatically filter the Web for consumers based on their individual preferences and saves consumers time and frustration, and bonds users to the site. The techniques used in personalizing Web content are used to personalize Web Search. According to Johnson (2005), there are many ways, but they all require ability that is discussed here. The first thing that a search engine requires is the preferences and demographic information of the users. This can be achieved by search

On the writers choose Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On the writers choose - Research Paper Example It would be important to consider some of the specific examples from the text as an illustration of the power of the media to shape public agenda and spread information that is essentially compromised and subject to the interests of some forces. In this novel, the tributes are brought in the media with the intention of creating some false kinds of impression regarding their lives and talents. The audience is treated to some superficial images and characters that have been blown out of normal proportion and beyond objective truth for achieving some patterns of thought from the audience. Katniss and Peeta are made to give some highlights about their unique abilities and shed light on certain issues that relate to their personal lives (Collins 21). In this manner, the media actively promotes the ideals of sensationalism and deliberate falsification of information for the sake of entertaining the audience. The unethical control and management of people’s minds is one of the strategies that the media uses to achieve its objectives. Rather than capturing the natural sequence of things, the media engages in calculated moves that are pointed towards a predetermined direction. In essence, it might be important to consider the fact that some of the issues that attend to the role of the media in controlling the society relate to its ability to privilege certain issues above others. The media sets the agenda for the society by assigning some issues a higher level of significance as compared to others. The author captures the media as particularly subjective. She also brings out the media as serving the interests of the powerful and dominant forces in the society. As such, the fate of Katniss and Peeta is reduced to the whims of the powerful individuals who seek to control the manner in which the two tributes will end up in the war. The