Fool Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE DEEP IN THE DUNGEON â€Å"My fool,† said Lear, as the guards dragged me into the dungeon. â€Å"Bring him here, and unhand him.† The old man looked stronger, more alert, aware. Barking orders again. But with the command he commenced a coughing fit that ended with a spot of blood on his white beard. Drool held a water skin for the old man while he drank. â€Å"We've a beating to deliver, first,† said one of the guards. â€Å"Then you'll have your fool, well striped as well as checkered.† â€Å"Not if you want any of these buns and ale,† said Bubble. She'd come down another stairway and was carrying a basket covered with cloth and steaming the most delectable aroma of freshly baked bread. A flask of ale was slung over her shoulder and a bundle of clothes tucked under her free arm. â€Å"Or we'll beat the fool and take your buns as well,† said the younger of the two guards, one of Edmund's men and obviously not aware of the pecking order at the White Tower. Bugger God, St. George, and the white-bearded king if you must, but woe unto you if you crossed the cantankerous cook called Bubble, for there'd be grit and grubs baked into all you'd ever eat until the poison finally took you. â€Å"You'll not want to press that bargain, mate,† said I. â€Å"The fool's wearing the kit of one of my servers,† said Bubble, â€Å"and the boy's shivering naked in my kitchen.† Bubble threw a bundle of black clothing through the bars into the cell with Drool and Lear. â€Å"Here's the fool's motley. Now strip, you rascal, and let me get back to my business.† The guards were laughing now. â€Å"Well, go on, little one, get your kit off,† said the older guard. â€Å"We've hot buns and ale waiting.† I undressed in front of the lot of them, old Lear protesting from time to time, like anyone gave a hot bootful of piss what he had to say anymore. When I was radiant naked, the guards unlocked the door and I crept over to the bundle. Yes! My knives where there, secreted in with the rest. With a bit of sleight o' hand and a distraction from Bubble handing out buns and ale, I was able to secure them inside my jerkin when I dressed. Two other guards joined the two outside of our cell and shared the bread and ale. Bubble waddled back up the stairs, shooting me a wink as she went. â€Å"The king are melancholy, Pocket,† said Drool. â€Å"We should sing him a song and cheer him up.† â€Å"Sod the sodding king,† said I, looking directly into Lear's hawk eye. â€Å"Watch yourself, boy,† said Lear. â€Å"Or what? You'll hold my mother down while she's raped, then throw her in the river? Have my father killed later, then? Oh, wait. Those threats are no longer valid, are they, uncle? You've carried them out already.† â€Å"What are you on about, boy?† The old man looked fearsome, as if he'd forgotten he'd been treated like so much chattel and thrown in a cage full of clowns, but instead faced a fresh affront. â€Å"You. Lear. Do you remember? A stone bridge in Yorkshire, some twenty-seven years ago? You called a farm girl up from the riverbank, a pretty little thing, and held her down while you commanded your brother to rape her. Do you remember, Lear, or have you done so much evil that it all blends into a great black swath in your memory?† His eyes went wide then, I could tell he remembered. â€Å"Canus – â€Å" â€Å"Aye, your poxy brother sired me then, Lear. And when no one would believe my mother that her son was the bastard of a prince, she drowned herself in that same river where you threw her that day. All this time I have called you nuncle – who would have thought it true?† â€Å"It is not true,† he said, his voice quivering. â€Å"It is true! And you know it, you decrepit old poke[44] of bones. A warp of villainy and a woof of greed are all that hold you together, thou desiccated dragon.† The four guards had gathered at the bars and peered in as if they were the ones who were imprisoned. â€Å"Blimey,† said one of the guards. â€Å"Cheeky little tosser,† said another. â€Å"No song, then?† asked Drool. Lear shook his finger at me then, so angry was he that I could see blood moving in the veins of his forehead. â€Å"You shall not speak to me in this way. You are less than nothing. I plucked you from the gutter, and your blood will run in the gutter on my word before sundown.† â€Å"Will it, nuncle? My blood may run but it will not be on your word. On your word your brother may have died. On your word your father may have died. On your word your queens may have died. But not this princely bastard, Lear. Your word is but wind to me.† â€Å"My daughters will – â€Å" â€Å"Your daughters are upstairs, fighting over the bones of your kingdom. They are your captors, you ancient nutter.† â€Å"No, they – â€Å" â€Å"You sealed this cell when you killed their mother. They've both just told me as much.† â€Å"You've seen them?† He seemed strangely hopeful, as if I might have forgotten to bring the good news from his traitorous daughters. â€Å"Seen them? I've shagged them.† Silly, really, that it should matter, after all his dark deeds, all his slights and cruelties, that a fool should shag his daughters, but it did matter, and it was a way to unleash a little of the fury I felt toward him. â€Å"You have not,† said Lear. â€Å"You have?† asked one of the guards. I stood then, and strutted a bit for my audience, plus it was a better position for grinding my heel into Lear's soul. All I could see was the water closing over my mother's head, all I could hear was her screams as Lear held her. â€Å"I shagged them both, repeatedly, and with relish. Until they screamed, and begged and whimpered. I shagged them on the parapets overlooking the Thames, in the towers, under the table in the great hall, and once, I shagged Regan on a platter of pork in front of Muslims. I shagged Goneril in your own bed, in the chapel, and on your throne – which was her idea, by the way. I shagged them while servants watched and in case you were wondering, because they asked, and as any princess should be shagged, for the pure sweet nasty of it. And they – they did it because they hate you.† Lear had been wailing while I ranted, trying to drown me out. Now he growled, â€Å"They do not. They love me all. They have said.† â€Å"You murdered their mother, you decrepit loony! They've put you in a cell in your own dungeon. What do you need, a written decree? I tried to shag the hate out of them, nuncle, but some cures lie beyond a jester's talents.† â€Å"I wanted a son. Their mother would give me none.† â€Å"I'm sure if they had known that they wouldn't have despised you so deeply and done me so well.† â€Å"My daughters wouldn't have you. You didn't have them.† â€Å"Oh, I did, on my black heart's blood, I did. And when it first started, each of them would shout Father when she came. I wonder why. Oh yes, nuncle, I did indeed. And they wanted you to know – that's why they accused me before you. Oh yes, I bonked them both.† â€Å"No,† wailed Lear. â€Å"Me, too,† said Drool, with a great juicy grin. â€Å"Beggin' your pardon,† he quickly added. â€Å"But not today?† asked one of the guards. â€Å"Right?† â€Å"No, not today, you bloody nitwit. Today I killed them.† The French marched overland from the southeast and sailed ships up the Thames from the east. The lords of Surrey on the south showed no resistance and since Dover lay in the County of Kent, the forces of the banished earl not only offered no resistance, but joined the French in the assault on London. They'd marched and sailed across England without firing a single bolt or losing a single man. From the White Tower the guards could see the fires of the French drawing a great orange crescent in the night that illuminated the sky to the east and south. When the captain made the call to arms at the castle, one of Lear's old knights or squires, under the command of Captain Curan, put a blade to the throat of any of Edmund's or Regan's men, demanding they yield or die. The personal guard forces within the castle had all been drugged by the kitchen staff with some mysterious non-lethal poison that mimicked the symptoms of death. Captain Curan sent a message to the Duke of Albany from the French queen that if he stood down, in fact, stood with her, that he could return to Albany with his forces, his lands, and his title intact. Goneril's forces from Cornwall, and Edmund's from Gloucester, camped on the west side of the Tower, found they were flanked on the south and east by the French, and on the north by Albany. Archers and crossbowmen were dispatched to the Tower walls above the Cornwall army and a herald fought his way through the panicked forces to a commander, carrying the message that the forces of Cornwall were to lay down their weapons on the spot or death would rain down upon them such as they could not imagine. No one was willing to die for the cause of Edmund, bastard of Gloucester, or the dead Duke of Cornwall. They laid down their weapons and marched three leagues to the west as instructed. In two hours it was all over. Out of nearly thirty thousand men who took the field at the White Tower, barely a dozen were killed – all of those, Edmund's castle guards who refused to yield. The four guards lay spread about the dungeon in various awkward positions, looking quite dead. â€Å"Dodgy sodding poison,† said I. â€Å"Drool, see if you can reach the one with the keys.† The Natural stretched through the bars, but the guard was too far away. â€Å"I hope Curan knows we're down here.† Lear looked around wild-eyed again, as if his madness had returned. â€Å"What is this? Captain Curan is here? My knights?† â€Å"Of course Curan is here. From the sound of the trumpets I'd say he's taken the castle, as was the plan.† â€Å"All your theater was misdirection, then?† said the king. â€Å"You're not angry?† â€Å"Burning, you old twat, but I was growing weary with keeping the tirade up while the bloody poison took hold. You're no less a turd in the milk of human kindness than I have said.† â€Å"No,† said the old man, as if my anger actually mattered to him. He began coughing again and caught a handful of blood for his effort. Drool propped him up and wiped his face. â€Å"I am king. I will not be judged by you, fool.† â€Å"Not just a fool, nuncle. Your brother's son. Did you have Kent murder him? The only decent bloke in your service and you turned him into an assassin, eh?† â€Å"No, not Kent. It was another, not even a knight. A cutpurse who had come before the magistrate. It was he who Kent killed. I sent Kent after the assassin.† â€Å"He is vexed by it still, Lear. Did you have a cutpurse kill your father as well?† â€Å"My father was a leper and necromancer. I could not bear his misshapen form ruling Britain.† â€Å"In your place, you mean?† â€Å"Yes, in my place. Yes. But I did not send an assassin. He was in a cell at the temple at Bath. Out of the way, where no one might ever see him. But I could not take the throne until his death. I did not kill him, though. The priests there simply walled him up. Was time that killed my father.† â€Å"You walled him up? Alive?† I was shaking now, I thought I might have forgiven the old man, seeing him suffer, but now I could hear my blood in my ears. The sound of boots on stone echoed in the dungeon and I looked up to see the bastard Edmund walk into the torchlight. He kicked one of the unconscious guards and looked at them like he'd just discovered monkey come in his Weetabix.[45] â€Å"Well, that's a spot of bother, isn't it?† he said. â€Å"I suppose I'll have to kill you myself, then.† He stooped and took a crossbow from one of the guards' back, fit his foot in the stirrup, and cocked the string. INTERMISSION (Backstage with the Players) â€Å"Pocket, you rascal, you've trapped me in a comedy.† â€Å"Well, for some, it is, yes.† â€Å"When I saw the ghost I thought tragedy was assured.† â€Å"Aye, there's always a bloody ghost in a tragedy.† â€Å"But the mistaken identity, the vulgarity, the lightness of theme and paucity of ideas, surely it's a comedy. I'm not dressed for comedy, I'm all in black.† â€Å"As am I, yet here we are.† â€Å"So it is a comedy.† â€Å"A black comedy – â€Å" â€Å"I knew it.† â€Å"For me, anyway.† â€Å"Tragedy, then?† â€Å"Bloody ghost is foreshadowing, innit?† â€Å"But all the gratuitous shagging and tossing?† â€Å"Brilliant misdirection.† â€Å"You're having me on.† â€Å"Sorry, no, it's pikeman's surprise for you in the next scene.† â€Å"I'm slain then?† â€Å"To the great satisfaction of the audience.† â€Å"Oh bugger!† â€Å"But there's good news, too.† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"It remains a comedy for me.† â€Å"God, you're an annoying little git.† â€Å"Hate the play, not the player, mate. Here, let me hold the curtain for you. Do you have any plans for that silver dagger? After you're gone, I mean.† â€Å"A bloody comedy – â€Å" â€Å"Tragedies always end with tragedy, Edmund, but life goes on, doesn't it? The winter of our discontent turns inevitably to the spring of a new adventure. Again, not for you.† â€Å"I've never killed a king,† said Edmund. â€Å"Do you think I'll be famous because of it?† â€Å"You'll not garner favor with your duchesses by killing their father,† said I. â€Å"Oh, those two. Like these guards, quite dead, I'm afraid. They were sharing some wine over maps as they planned strategy for the battle and fell down foaming. Pity.† â€Å"These guards aren't dead. Merely drugged. They'll come around in a day or so.† He lowered the crossbow. â€Å"Then my ladies are only sleeping?† â€Å"Oh no, they're quite dead. I gave them each two vials. One with poison, the other with brandy. Bubble used the knockout poison on the guards, so brandy was our non-lethal substitute. If either of them had decided to show mercy for the other, at least one would be alive. But, as you said, pity.† â€Å"Oh, well played, fool. But, that said, I'll have to throw myself on Queen Cordelia's mercy, let her know that I was brought into this horrid conspiracy against my will. Perhaps I'll retain the Gloucester title and lands.† â€Å"My daughters? Dead?† said Lear. â€Å"Oh shut up, old man,† said Edmund. â€Å"They was fit,† said Drool sadly. â€Å"But when Cordelia hears of what you've really done?† I asked. â€Å"Which brings us to our apex, doesn't it? You won't be able to tell Cordelia what has transpired.† â€Å"Cordelia, my one true daughter,† wailed Lear. â€Å"Shut the fuck up,† said Edmund. He raised the crossbow, sighted through the bars at Lear, then stepped back and seemed to lose his aim, as one of my throwing daggers sprouted out of his chest with a thud. He lowered the crossbow and looked at the hilt of the knife. â€Å"But you said pikeman's surprise?† â€Å"Surprise,† said I. â€Å"Bastard!† snarled the bastard. He pulled the crossbow up to fire, this time at me, and I sent the second dagger into his right eye. The crossbow twanged and the heavy bolt rattled off the stone ceiling as Edmund spun and fell onto the pile of guards. â€Å"That were smashing,† said Drool. â€Å"You'll be rewarded, fool,† said Lear, his voice rattling with blood. He coughed. â€Å"Nothing, Lear,† said I. â€Å"Nothing.† Then there was a woman's voice in the chamber: â€Å"Ravens cry pork from the battlements, there's dead Edmund on the wind and bird beaks water at his scoundrel scent!† The ghost. She stood over Edmund's body outside our cell, rather more ethereal and less solid than she'd been when last I'd seen her. She looked up from the dead bastard and grinned. Drool whimpered and tried to hide his head behind Lear's white mane. Lear tried to wave her away, but the ghost floated to the bars in front of him. â€Å"Ah, Lear, walled up your father, did you? And?† â€Å"Go away, spirit, do not vex me.† â€Å"Walled up your daughter's mother, didn't you?† said the ghost. â€Å"She was unfaithful!† cried the old man. â€Å"No,† said the ghost. â€Å"She was not.† I sat down on the cell floor, feeling light-headed now. Killing Edmund had made me queasy, but this. â€Å"The anchoress at Dog Snogging was your queen?† I asked, my voice sounding faraway in my own ears. â€Å"She was a sorceress,† said Lear. â€Å"And she consorted with my brother. I did not kill her. I could not bear it. I had her imprisoned at the abbey in Yorkshire.† â€Å"Well you damn well killed her when you had her walled up!† I shouted. Lear cowered at my veracity. â€Å"She was unfaithful, having dalliance with one of the local boys. I could not bear the thought of her with another.† â€Å"So you ordered her walled up.† â€Å"Yes! Yes! And the boy was hanged. Yes!† â€Å"You heinous monster!† â€Å"She did not give me a son, either. I wanted a son.† â€Å"She gave you Cordelia, your favorite.† â€Å"And she was true to you,† said the ghost. â€Å"Up to the time you sent her away.† â€Å"No!† The old king tried to wave the ghost away again. â€Å"Oh yes. And you had your son, Lear. For years you had your son.† â€Å"I had no son.† â€Å"Another farm girl you took near another battlefield, this one in Iberia.† â€Å"A bastard? I have a bastard son?† I saw hope rise in Lear's cold hawk eye and I wanted to strike it out the way that Regan had taken Gloucester's. I unsheathed the last of my throwing daggers. â€Å"Yes,† said the ghost. â€Å"You had a son, these many years, and you lie in his arms now.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"The Natural is your son,† said the ghost. â€Å"Drool?† said I. â€Å"Drool?† said Lear. â€Å"Drool,† said the ghost. â€Å"Da!† said Drool. And he gave his newfound father a great, arm-rippling hug. â€Å"Oh Da!† There was a cracking of bones and the sickly sound of air escaping wet, crushed lungs. Lear's eyes bulged out of his head and his parchment-dry skin began to go blue as Drool gave him a lifetime of son's love all in a moment. When the whistling sounds stopped coming out of the old man I went to Drool and pried his arms off, then lowered Lear's head to the floor. â€Å"Let loose, lad. Let him go.† â€Å"Da?† said Drool. I closed the old man's crystal-blue eyes. â€Å"He's dead, Drool.† â€Å"Tosser!† said the ghost. She spat, a tiny gob of ghost spit that came out as a moth and fluttered away. I stood then and spun on the ghost. â€Å"Who are you? What injustice has been done that can be undone so your spirit may rest, or will at least make you go away, thou ether-limbed irritation?† â€Å"The injustice has been undone,† said the ghost. â€Å"At last.† â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Who am I? Who am I? Your answer is in a knock, good Pocket. Knock upon your coxcomb, and ask that trifling machine of thought wherefrom comes his art. Knock upon your cod, and ask the small occupant who wakes him in the night. Knock upon your heart, and ask the spirit there who woke it to the warmth of its home fire – ask that tender ghost who is this ghost before you.† â€Å"Thalia,† said I, for I could, at last see her. I fell to my knees before her. â€Å"Aye, lad. Aye.† She put her hand on my head. â€Å"Arise, Sir Pocket of Dog Snogging.† â€Å"But, why? Why did you never say you were a queen? Why?† â€Å"He had my daughter, my sweet Cordelia.† â€Å"And you always knew of my mother?† â€Å"I heard stories, but I didn't know who your father was, not while I lived.† â€Å"Why didn't you tell me of my mother?† â€Å"You were a little boy. That's not the sort of story for a little boy.† â€Å"Not so little you wouldn't have me off through an arrow loop.† â€Å"That was later. I was going to tell you, but he had me walled up.† â€Å"Because we were caught?† The ghost nodded. â€Å"He always had a problem with the purity of others. Never his own.† â€Å"Was it horrible?† I had tried not to think of her, alone in the dark, dying of hunger and thirst. â€Å"It was lonely. I was always lonely, except for you, Pocket.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"You're a love, Pocket. Good-bye.† She reached through the bars and touched my cheek, like the slightest brush of silk it was. â€Å"Care for her.† â€Å"What?† She started to float toward the far wall where the body of Edmund lay. She said: â€Å"After grave offense to daughters three, Soon the king a fool shall be.† â€Å"Nooooooo,† wailed Drool. â€Å"My old da is dead.† â€Å"No he isn't,† said Thalia. â€Å"Lear wasn't your father. I was having you on.† She faded away and I started to laugh and she was gone. â€Å"Don't laugh, Pocket,† said Drool. â€Å"I are an orphan.† â€Å"And she didn't even hand us the bloody keys,† said I. Heavy footsteps fell on the stairs and Captain Curan appeared in the passage with two knights. â€Å"Pocket! We've been looking for you. The day is ours and Queen Cordelia approaches from the south. What of the king?† â€Å"Dead,† said I. â€Å"The king is dead.†

Battle of Algiers Analysis Essay

The Battle of Algiers is a 1966 film that depicts the Algerian uprising against the French rule in the city of Algeria. The cause of the conflict in the film is the constant oppression felt by the Arab Algerians because of French colonialism. The injustice suffered by the native Arabs is shown in a number of ways: the living space difference between the Arabs and French, the difference in occupation, and the condescending attitudes the French have towards the Arabs. The populations of Algeria (Arab and French), are separated into two locations. The French live in a modern city with stores, buildings, lights, and automobiles many things that people take for granted. While the Arabs live in poverty compressed in a dark Casbah; an old walled in citadel. The French seem to have a well-established middle class while the native Arabs of Algeria have to struggle to survive. The difference in occupations by the natives and the French is also blatantly shown. The Arabs are mainly engaged in manual labor and only work with the French when they work under them – the servant of the police commissioner. On the other hand the French have a deep-rooted monopoly on all civil affairs. These differences show the injustice experienced by the native population but it is more apparent by the condescending and arrogant perception the French have toward the Arabs. Throughout the film the French try to persuade the native population to quell their rebellion by showing how French occupation has given them â€Å"civilization and prosperity.† But this is not true because of the difference in living conditions between the two races of people. Also throughout the film the French refer to the native Algerians as â€Å"dirty Arabs,† and â€Å"rats.† The dehumanization of the Arabs is also shown when Lieutenant-Colonel Mathieu compares the Arabs to â€Å"tapeworms.† It is ironic that the French officer refers to the Arabs as parasites when it is truly the French who colonized the country and exploits its resources. Lieutenant Mathieu also shows his disrespect for the Arabs when he names his counter measures to the Arabs rebellion â€Å"operation champagne.† (Alcohol is forbidden to Muslims) The film The Battle of Algiers shows the constant injustice to the native population by the foreign imperialists. The movie shows the difference in location, occupation, and respect that both people have for each other. The film also shows the constant racism of the French toward the native population and depicts the various reasons as to why the Arabs rebelled.

Sartre Revised

Being condemned to be free is ironic. Condemn and free are two words not usually seen together in one sentence making a coherent and firm statement. To condemn is to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil usually after weighing evidence and without reservation. And to be free is to have the legal and political rights of a citizen. Joined together the words will over right their meaning. And yet philosopher Jean – Paul Sartre managed to make his point stand out and be heard by everyone, outliving 64 years of earthly, human living. What Sartre is trying to tell us, his thoughts and ideas about life here on earth, about our responsibilities, about the trifle things and actions in our everyday lives that we tend to ignore because we think life is bigger than us, that there's a bigger picture, is what being condemned to be free is all about. In today's modern world, freedom has become a necessity and has taken on many forms. Gone were the days when women are not allowed to vote, engage in politics and other manly jobs, cannot have a career and is obliged to stay home and manage the household, and be thrown to unwanted marriages arranged by their parents. Now everybody can choose. And many have viewed this right to choose as a form of freedom. One has the right to choose their schools, their career paths to take, their spouses, how many children are they going to have, what will they name their kids, it is just a matter of choosing and directing this freedom to what we think is the right thing to do. After all, not all of us are using this freedom to choose our actions wisely. It all starts with human beings being born free and equal in dignity and rights, the first article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Men are created equal, and it’s funny that there are people born carrying within them the royal blood. It already raises their political and monetary position above all the common men. They carry with them the noun King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Emperor, and Empress among others before their birth names. They have all the advantages in the world, not having to sit through traffic, not having to be the front liner in a war, not having to work hard to earn a living. In fact, they just sit and everything is done for them, all they have to do is make sure they keep their countries the same as it was before they were born. Up to what extent is this equality in dignity and rights applicable? Now that everybody seems to have a complete grasp of liberty, it appears that being free is not as wanted as it was before. History taught us well enough to know that there have been a number of wars fought for freedom and religion. The tales of man then tells us how others will try to conquer the lands where they have been born, and a leader will fight for their land and in the end they either merge with the conquerors or greatly celebrate their freedom. Religion, too, has been a great propeller of wars. Different beliefs, different doctrines, a different God for every religion, set the plot for a more massive movement that outlasted every century up to now, still counting fatalities. â€Å"The historical reality is that where religious freedom is denied, so too are other basic human rights. † (Why Religious Freedom? ) Religious freedom is just one of the many forms of freedom people are indulging in today. There is also what we call academic freedom. â€Å"The notion of academic freedom is invoked to justify statements by faculties that offend politicians, religious leaders, corporate executives, parents of students, and citizens. (Academic Freedom in the United States) That immediately removes your right as a person to say what you want to say, it obviously is a threat to be opinionated now a days. And it is not just academic; the press is also encountering some form of suppression. According to the Freedom House organization, there are several reasons as to why the media i s being stripped off of its independence. The media can be a source of political opposition, political upheaval, victims of violence, and finally, they can be threats to national security. (Map of Press Freedom) With all the overwhelming talk about freedom, liberty and human rights, one man tries to summarize all this into man being condemned to be free. Jean-Paul Sartre is said to be one of the brightest philosophers of the twentieth century. â€Å"French novelist, playwright, existentialist philosopher, and literary critic. Sartre was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964, but he declined the honor in protest of the values of bourgeois society. His longtime companion was Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), whom he met at the Ecole Normale Superieure in 1929. â€Å"(Jean-Paul Sartre 1905-1980) An Existentialist, Sartre is known for his public lecture, Existentialism and Humanism and his magnum opus, Being and Nothingness. Sartre's greatest work, Being and Nothingness is subtitled: Phenomenological Ontology. He starts his discussion with the description of two kinds of being. According to him there is the in-itself and the for-itself. The beings-in-themselves are the ordinary objects, while the being-for-itself are the human agents. (Jean-Paul Sartre) The beings-in-themselves or ordinary objects do not have the capability to change or create. A chair is nothing more than what it is, it cannot change its appearance on its own, nor can it create something out of its being. A human agent is a being-for-itself because it is a being with conscious plans, purposes and intentions. It is able to project forward from a given situation to a future possibility that is not yet realized. The uncertainty of human life and purpose, the venturing into the unknown is what makes and defines human life distinct from the others. As human life progresses, the things that he do, what kinds of act he gets himself involved in, becomes his definition, becomes his being. A person is born not knowing that he will pursue a career in medicine. As he grows up and goes to medical school he is defined. He has found a definition for his life, that of a doctor. For Sartre, if a being-for-itself starts to question its purpose and meaning, it starts to have a consciousness. The consciousness makes it possible for the human to know everything around him, and everything that is not around him. As it now knows that it is not an ordinary object but something else. Something undefined, something that is not yet known to him. So starts the journey to fill in an empty palette. In not knowing, in a human's nothingness, he is free. There is this whole notion that if you are inside a prison cell, you are not free. You are bounded by rows and rows of bars, controlled by correctional officers, undermined by more experienced inmates. But if we were to use Sartre's definition of freedom, no Alcatraz can set limits on our liberty. In fact, this will even define the person and not limit his being free. The core idea of the text is that man is condemned to be free, meaning that in this freedom that we have, we are still responsible for our actions. We cannot evade our responsibilities and say that we did not choose it to happen, because our actions are unmistakably ours alone. Nobody does our actions but us. Even if we are not inside jail cells, we are still attached to obligations and duties which we can only be held responsible to bringing upon ourselves. â€Å"Man being condemned to be free carries the weight of the world on his shoulders; he is responsible for the world and for himself as a way of being. † Every action that we do, we know and we are conscious of us doing it. We cannot clean our hands and say that we did not want that to happen. We are abandoned in the sense that we cannot but the blame on somebody else. We carry the burden; nobody can help us with it. Sartre pointed out a few arguments to support his view. He mentioned three reasons why human-reality is free. Human – reality is free because it is not enough. Human – reality is free because it is perpetually wrenched away from itself and because it has been separated by a nothingness from what it is and from what it will be. And finally, human – reality is free because its present being is itself a nothingness in the form of the reflection-reflecting. Basically what he is trying to say is that our life here on earth is not enough to explore everything that this world can offer us. We continue to be free in spite and despite of the fact that there is a limit to everything. Freedom is the nothingness which is made-to-be at the heart of man, it forces human – reality to make itself instead of to be. For human – reality to be is to choose oneself. Sartre tells us that if a person should make something out of his nothingness, then he makes use of his freedom. He has to make himself something out of this freedom. His freedom opens his world to a lot of choices. What one would want to do, what one would make out of the small money one has, what one will do when one wakes up in the morning. These things that one chooses to do will give him the being of man. Man cannot be sometimes slave and sometimes free; he is wholly and forever free or he is not free at all. For to be wholly free is to be given responsibility. And to not be free, one is not given responsibility, which will never be the case because only the beings-in-themselves or the ordinary objects are those that cannot assume responsibility. He must assume the situation with the proud consciousness of being the author of it. Our lives are like books. They have a plot, a setting and characters. But who makes things happen? Is it not us? We are the author of our own books, we make things happen. However bad the situation that we find ourselves in, we must assume responsibility and get through the challenge. Absolute responsibility is not resignation; it is the logical requirement of the consequences of our freedom. When free, man chooses to do things. And when man chooses to do things, these things will always have consequences. For example, man chooses to swim at high noon. After awhile, he finds himself with his skin burning from being exposed to the sun too long. This is the consequence of his actions. His freedom to choose his actions makes him absolutely responsible for whatever it brings to him. There is no non-human situation because all decisions are human. Even if we say that man does inhuman things, like that of nuclear war, murder and rape, this will never be a non-human situation simply because the decision to get involved is of human nature. You try to reason with yourself that maybe what you are doing is wrong and not just, and yet you still decide to do it. It is still a human who is behind the act; hence, it is not a non-human situation. There are no accidents in life. For lack of getting out of it, I have chosen it. It is a matter of choice. Here Sartre points out that what happens in life does not happen by chance. We get ourselves involved by our choice, and if we say we do not have a choice, and we cannot get ourselves out of it, we still have chosen it. Because we always have a choice. Even if that choice is suicide or not doing our duties, it is still an option to get out of a situation. Human – reality is without excuse. Lastly, Sartre tell us that one cannot ask, â€Å"Why was I born? or curse the day of his birth or declare that he did not ask to be born, for these various attitudes toward his birth – i. e. , toward the fact that he realizes a presence in the world – are absolutely nothing else but ways of assuming this birth in full responsibility and of making it his. When man becomes conscious of his p resence and being in this world, it follows that he accepts responsibility. Because now he knows and is fully aware of the things that he is doing, his freedom, and once aware of his freedom, he is found to be responsible. I think that Jean-Paul Sartre wants to find meaning in life just like everybody else. The answer to the question, â€Å"Why was I born? † Sartre answered simply. Unlike other schools of thought, namely the determinists and the proponents of free will, Sartre focused on man’s is being condemned to be free but with full responsibility. Sartre said that the proponents of free will are concerned with finding cases of decision for which there exists no prior cause or deliberations concerning two opposed acts which are equally possible and possess causes or motives of the same weight. Hence they try to reason that a person is born with the free will to find a cause for himself. However, the determinists reply saying that there is no action without a cause and that the most insignificant gesture refers to causes and motives which confer its meaning upon it. So for them, man is born with a cause already. Sartre simply answered this question when he said that man is born out of nothingness, and in this nothingness, he is free. And like most philosophical view points, Sartre is very much ridiculed for his existentialist values. There are objections to him mostly because of his atheistic ideals saying that he believes that we are living in a universe with no God, no morality, nothing absolute. Abandonment: Condemned to be Free) His stand on being free that leaves us with a feeling of abandonment because we are solely responsible for everything, comes from his realization that there is no supreme being, being God that guides us and supports us every step of the way. We are alone and we cannot ask for a God to help us in situations that we cannot possibly escape f rom. His definition of freedom permits everybody to do whatever we want, because we all have choices and responsibilities to bear. And if we have chosen to be a part of a non-human situation, we would still find ourselves deciding humanely. For example, a man participates in murdering another man, it is his choice to participate in the killing, and nobody forces him to do so. The other man is now dead, because man is free to choose what to do; he is not judged as doing something wrong. Instead, as long as he deems himself responsible for the killing, he is free. What we do not understand much is that our being free has to come with responsibility. Yes we get to do whatever we want, but we still have to consider the consequences and assume responsibility for it. By then, we cannot dare say that we did not want this. Nobody else is responsible for the things we do but ourselves. We choose, even if we say that we left it all to chance. Leaving it to chance is still an option that we choose. The life given to us, it is a choice. Everything we do, we do without regrets or remorse. There should be no excuses, for we are the authors of our situation, nobody else but us. In my own opinion, I greatly value Sartre’s work. He proves that there are so many reasons why we should enjoy our life here on earth and how much freedom we have. He points out a great deal of effort as to why we do things not needing a direct cause or a cause not to do it. But I do also possess a great amount of respect to the Supreme Being. I know that there are people who believe that they do not need a God, who believes that life here on earth is just passing and not really owed to him. But for me, that is not the case. I believe that we are not alone, and that there is someone out there who gives us hope and who makes us keep our faith. Yes, we have to be responsible for the things that we do. But that responsibility comes with great respect and consideration for other people around us. We just cannot hastily do things and hope that we do not get in the way of somebody. Life is governed by rules, by the law. If there will be none of these rules and laws, there is definitely chaos. And I do not think that suicide is neither an option nor a last resort. We cannot simply find the easy way out. What is the thrill in just killing yourself if you cannot overcome challenges and obstacles in your life? Why do you have family and significant others to share your dilemma with? I believe that our troubles are our responsibilities, but it does not stop us from asking help. There are now numerous numbers to call in case we decide not to confide to our family members or to our closest friends, especially if we want to remain anonymous. If other people find ways to help other people, especially those who established organizations like alcoholics anonymous, etc. , why can we not indulge in these as well? Yes we always have a choice, and suicide is not one of them. Yes we have the freedom to do that, but if you believe that everybody is given an equal and a second chance, would you do it? We do have our own burdens and crosses to carry, but everything is possible as long as we have faith. Faith in ourselves, to always have the courage to face our problems, faith in life, that it may not let us down and faith in the Supreme Being, to whom we know we are always taken care of.

Depend on you ( follow the instruction) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Depend on you ( follow the instruction) - Essay Example The initial impetus that was received from these kings and queens was required for the religious structures to attain strength after which it could fashion itself into a self-sustaining entity. A promotion of these religions also served important functions for these monarchs as it led to unity in realms other than religion in most cases. This effect was partially due to the emergence of alternative centres of power but it was also because of the individual philosophies that were a part of these religions. These philosophies may not have survived in the absence of the state sponsorship that it received but since the monarchs of this age extended their patronage to these religions, there was a certain kind of unity that was forced upon the people as a result of the royal patronage. Buddhism managed to create a certain kind of unity between sections of Hinduism, which was till then the main religion of the Indian subcontinent. The different philosophical views that existed in Hinduism became united owing to the fact that Buddhism was on the ascendant due to the patronage that was extended to it during the reign of Asoka, who reigned over India. Buddhism represented a challenge to traditional ideas of Hinduism which advocated the existence of the caste system and had many rituals that were present for the sake of upholding the structure of caste. With more egalitarian structures, Buddhism held great attractions for the downtrodden of the Hindu society. If not for the patronage extended by Asoka, Buddhism may not have survived the opposition from Hindu power structures. Asoka’s patronage, however, enabled there to be unity in the political realm. People of different religious affiliations came together because of the philosophy of peace that Buddhism preached, which was taken up by Asoka. The spread of the message of peace that Buddhism preached was largely owing to the patronage of Asoka and this fostered a

MPH502-Introduction to Public Health (Module 2 CBT) Essay

MPH502-Introduction to Public Health (Module 2 CBT) - Essay Example This site presents a very professional approach to tackle emergencies as H1N1 flu outbreak and has an excellent video posted on the site on H1N1 prevention by Dr Mark Horton, Director of California Department of Public Health. This site has separate and easily detectable and dedicated links for immunization for children and adults. The information provided in these links is also easily intelligible to all cross sections of the society. In conformity with The Government Modernization, Efficiency, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2005, this site also posts information about all proposed regulations, administrative proceedings, meetings, hearings and clearly explains how the public can participate and comment on all such issues. The mission of this department is to work in partnership with the community to ensure that optimal health and well being of all people is achieved. The department also recognizes that residents are more than mere consumers of public health services and is thus committed to collaborating with medical service providers, County departments, City agencies, community-based organizations, schools, civic groups, foundations, religious organizations, families to address myriad health and safety issues impacting individuals and populations in our county. Such an inclusive approach most surely echoes the IOM definition of public health. Vaccination and immunization schedules are easily available in several languages in this website. Such a multilingual dissemination of crucial and relevant information is most surely a welcome departure from routine procedure of government departments. This website has a separate page dedicated to data, reports and Public Health statistics useful for residents, clinicians, community-based organizations, grant writers, school districts, policy makers and academia. Though the mission statement echoes sentiments

Manhattan New School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Manhattan New School - Essay Example School's professional teachers are hired from Bank Street College of Education, Columbia University Teachers College, New York University and Fordham University. Manhattan New School resides in the heart of Manhattan in the former PS190, which was built in 1903 (About School, Manhattan New School). According to Karen Ruzzo, school's principal, "We pride ourselves at being a highly literate community, and we also understand our responsibility to prepare students to cope with the multiple demands of an ever-changing society. As a result, children learn within real-world contexts. Along with reading and writing, instructions in mathematics, science, social studies, technology, music and art engage young learners in meaningful explorations that develop critical thinking skills" (Karen Ruzzo, Mission Statement). School's vision is to grow in the near future as a role model organization for the greater national cause, while providing the students with the opportunity to investigate a range of big ideas, to ask and answer important questions, and to develop the self-management strategies that enable them to negotiate their daily life. This shows that the school's vision is broadly based and its process creates a commitment to lifelong learning. The Manhattan New School's goals include, committing to ensure that all students benefit from a shared educational experience, and continuing to develop strategies to ensure school-wide collaboration, continuity and accountability. Although all goals direct school towards its future vision, the later set certainly is very vital for its long-term vision's success. The school's objectives for its strategies to attain its long-term vision are to establish continuity of instruction both on and across grade levels, and aligning best instructional practices in all curriculum areas with positive performance outcomes for all students. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Recognition of programs and vision Empirical and interdisciplinary education, and opportunities for student leadership development Recognized educational activities with active community outreach Significant and ongoing faculty and alumni involvement at intermediate level Small classes Extraordinary emphasis on personal attention Friendly, supportive, and comfortable in-house environment Integration of technology into the curriculum Classes primarily taught by professionals incorporation of ecological sustainability due to diversified culture Early adoption Attractive campus building and facilities while having state of the art architecture Weaknesses Lower than optimal enrollment of out-of-state and international students Insufficient diversity among students and teachers Low ratio of spending per student Average class size increasing everyday Limited school capacity Not enough programs for extra curricular activities Too many language courses Opportunities Government's importance for schools playing a larger role in community development Higher market share due to increasing population and awareness Capacity to respond for future growth Capacity to help improve intermediate education Increased demand for professional and diversified education Increasing flow of funding Greater expertise in the use of technology in teaching Access to all parts of New York City Threats Lack of sufficient funding Replica of academic programs by

A New Earth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A New Earth - Essay Example It is true that one never realizes the importance of a person in his/her life unless that person is detached from him/her. Just like I realized the importance of my best friend in my life when he passed away in an air crash. I had never come across such a situation before. My entire existence clung like a thread on his presence in my life and I was nothing without him. His departure from this world brought me so close to reality, it taught me the biggest lesson of my life. The way others react to such a situation is both helpful and displeasing for you. Helpful in a way, that you can vent out your feelings. You can shout, cry and yell out at them. And displeasing in the sense that everyone directs his/her sympathies towards you. It makes you a victim of self pity and denial. It hurts your ego and your conscience. The worst part of it is that you cannot share the feeling of agony and excruciating pain with anyone else. My best friend’s death left an irreparable scar on my soul. It made me feel isolated and helpless. I thought I was the only one to be a victim of this folly while everyone else lived their lives normally. I thought some calamity had struck me and it is unnatural. However after reading A New Earth, I realized that this was not anything unnatural and a lot of people in this world have been through the pain of losing their loved ones. This book gave me a part of the peace that I was long looking for. In chapters two, three and four, Tolle talks about human ego. It explains how this sense of â€Å"us† against â€Å"them† leads to lethal rivalries. He talks about how others make us a victim of inferiority complexes. This was so true in my case. Whenever I’d see a pair of best friends together in my school, I’d plunge down into an inferiority complex. Why is my best friend separated from me? I thought. I asked myself some unanswerable questions and went down the memory lane of all the good times I had spent with my bes t friend. The laughter, the smiles and those moments of rejoice had all become memories. It was just so hard to believe in that. This book gave me a chance to understand that the accident that occurred, occurred by the will of God and hence I shouldn’t be the one blaming myself or feeling inferior. I felt that the grief had settled within and there was no way I could be happy or jolly again. I could never be the same hyper and fun-filled person again. There are different ways in which others react to accidents or losses of this magnitude. Either they become introverts and start suppressing their feelings or they find other ways of venting out their frustrations. Some become angry, some bitter. Some try to become self-destructive in trying to cope up with the pain better, while others become jealous of people around them. It’s the feeling of loss and deprivation that inflicts more pain on you. The most appropriate lines that I found in the reading are: â€Å"Apart from the obvious ones such as anger, hatred and so on, there are other more subtle forms of negativity such as impatience, irritation, being fed up and nervousness† (Tolle 148) If you just feel that your loved one is just around you, he can feel you, he is watching you, guiding you in every step of your life. The thought that my best friend is close to me even after his departure has made me feel better and has given me strength. So it’s a trick to not think about the loss deeply when you are in such situations.

World trade Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

World trade Organization - Essay Example The organization has the primary goal of necessitating business between producers, exporters, and importers of services and goods. This paper seeks to describe a number of aspects concerning the WTO. The paper will discuss the development of the W.T.O, when it developed, and interests, which supported its development. The paper will also focus on how the organization related to changes in the transnational flows of production and investment. In addition, the paper will address this organization developed as part of the broader network of transnational institution. The paper will also focus on the impact of world trade organization’s transnational regulation on equality and democracy within domestic states. The development of the world trade organization The world trade organization came into being in 1995. After the Second World War, organizations to deal with trade, such as General Agreement on Tariffs and trade were formed. The last talks of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs gave birth to the world trade organization. The WTO carried on with the negotiations initiated by the GATT. The world trade organization developed to end trade discrimination and enhance multilateral trade among nations. Thus, the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs contributed to the formation of the World trade organization (Aturupane 2000, p. 350). ... As a result, nations realized that GAAT did not have the appropriate answers to the complex nature of global trade. This saw the formation of the WTO following a series of negotiations referred to as Uruguay Round (UR). Interests which supported the development of WTO. Aturupane (2000, p. 351) observes that a number of interests supported the development of the World Trade Organization. These interests have to do with the improvement and enhancement of global trade within nations. One of the interests, which supported the formation of the WTO include the desire to increase trade in goods as well as services. Intellectual property rights also formed part of the reasons as to why the international organization came into being. Interests to enhance trade in agricultural goods also reinforced the formation of WTO. Other organizations such as GATT had minimal trade in agricultural goods. As a result, the World Trade Organization came into being to improve trade activities in agricultural goods. Non discrimination in trade activities also enhanced the development of WTO. Before its formation, countries saw the need to address the issue of non discriminatory trade agreements. On this regard, WTO had to be formed to eradicate discrimination in the imposition of tariffs. This could see an end to trade barriers within member states. The MFN principle ensured that WTO had the mandate to ensure eradication of trade barriers. Under this principle, a country cannot impose tariffs on other member states based on discrimination. Non discrimination became the basis of multilateral trade regimes (Janow et al 2008, p. 145). Dispute settlement can be regarded as an interest as to why the WTO came into existence. Before its development, dispute

Cultural difference between the eastern and western Assignment

Cultural difference between the eastern and western - Assignment Example For such cultures, it is not uncommon to have more than one family living in single house. People from the East tend to put their families and community first before engaging in any activity. Western culture on the other hand focuses less on the family and more on the individual. For example, it is rare to find two American families living together. Instead, western cultures encourage people to stand on their own as opposed to relying on the family and community. Western cultures are highly individualistic and therefore the benefits to the individual are more important than those to the family and society. Secondly, these cultures differ in the way hierarchy and leadership is viewed. According to Eastern cultures, a leader is a powerful individual who is elevated above the rest in the society. For this reason, individuals show tremendous respect to those above them in the society. As a result, Eastern cultures rarely question or challenge the decisions made by leaders. For instance, in the workplace, top management is likely to make and impose rules to the staff members without being challenged. However, Western cultures emphasize on equality. Leaders are not seen as God-like figures but are viewed and treated almost equally with the rest. Leaders in Western countries are likely to be challenged more compared to their Eastern counterparts. Thirdly, Eastern and Western cultures have differing views when it comes to gender equality. Many Eastern cultures still believe that women are supposed to focus on raising the family and taking care of their husbands. In these cultures, a woman’s professional life is not important but rather the family life. On the contrary, gender equality is highly practiced in the West. It is common today to find women in Western countries taking up jobs that were previously reserved for men. Women in the Western world have tremendous freedom compared to those in Eastern countries. Forth, Eastern cultures

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Financial Management - Essay Example This paper will explore the different ways by which business entities can deal with the exchange rate variations to protect the value of their assets and profits against unpredictable risks. In recent years derivatives have been developed in order to provide some sort of insurance in the face of uncertainty caused by the changes in the foreign exchange rates. Derivative, or hybrid, investments, unlike stocks and bonds, do not represent ownership of shares, such as stocks, or a promise of loan repayment, such as bonds, and are once or twice removed from a real product. For example, a crude oil futures contract is a bet on which way crude oil prices will move, but what happens to the product itself is of no interest to the investor When an individual converts one currency into another in an actual exchange, the risk inherent in this activity is called a transaction exposure. Multinationals often face translation exposure, or the risk that arises from the need to re-state one currency in terms of another currency for accounting purposes. The risk arises because exchange risk volatility can impact the value of net assets and profits at the time of their translation. (See Kolb 1997). Financial derivatives are based on an underlying instrument such interest as debt instruments or foreign currencies. Most predominant among these derivatives are forward contracts, but futures contracts, option contracts, and swap contracts are also used by businesses as means of hedging. Hedging is distinguished from speculation in that the hedger wants to shift risk to others while the speculator hopes to make profits for the risk he is taking. A futures contract is an agreement that one party will accept delivery of a particular asset – either real or financial – on some date in the future at a price determined today. If one is intending to buy an asset in the future, one could buy a futures contract (a long position) today to fix the

Glo Fish Case Essay Example for Free

Glo Fish Case Essay The GloFish was the first genetically modified animal to become available as a pet. It is a natural Zebrafish which has had genetic information from bioluminescent jellyfish added to its DNA. It was originally produced to provide a warning system for pollution but with the addition of further colors its viability for the pet market became clear. It was introduced to the US market in December 2003 by Yorktown Technologies of Austin, Texas. 9 Grapple The grapple is a relatively new fruit which is a genetic cross between an apple and a grape. The fruit combines the size of the apple with the texture of an grape and the flavor of both parent fruits. The grapple was originally designed to provide a much higher vitamin-c dose per fruit for third world aid. The majority of the funding for the fruit came from UNICEF. 8 Graisin The graisin [giant raisin] is a variety of raisin which has been modified to grow to enormous proportions. The graisin was produced by the National Institute of Genetics in Japan due to the Japanese love of large fruit and the recent popularity of western foods such as raisins. The texture and taste is identical to that of its genetically normal parent and it is served raw or thinly sliced in a stir fry. 7 Rubber Cork Tree Cork trees have long been used for producing cork-stoppers for wine though some wine producers have also begun using plastic corks. Wine enthusiasts have not taken to the rubber corks and so, in order to appease the traditionalists and the cost-cutting wine makers, SABIC innovative plastics have developed a tree which is a cross between a rubber tree and a cork tree. The corks taken from the bark of this new tree look like real cork and have the same porous qualities, but has the permanence and flavorlessness of rubber. Ghislain de Mongolfier, current manager and great grandson of the founder of champagne producer Bollinger, said: â€Å"This new cork is the greatest thing to happen to wine since the invention of bubbles†. 6 Umbuku Lizard This creature is the only one on the list which was not designed for a practical reason, but merely to prove that it could be done. Genetic Engineers in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) managed to unlock a dormant â€Å"flying† strand in the DNA of the Umbuku lizard, a very small and rare lizard native to Africa. It is believed that the lizard is a descendent of the Pterodactyl, which lost its ability to fly some millions of years ago. To date only 6 of these flying Umbuku have been produced and they are kept seperate from the natural Umbuku due the risk of cross breeding. 5 Paper Tree The paper tree has been developed to reduce production costs and loss of tree life in the paper manufacturing industry. The recent explosion in popularity of recycled paper products lead a Swiss based company to develop a tree which grows square leaves that, when dried, are already usable as writing paper. In the image above we see a company employee holding a dried leaf beside the trunk of one of the many Paper Trees now grown by the company. 4 Dolion This is probably the most remarkable example of how far science is able to go with modern DNA and cross fertilization techniques; the dolion is a cross between a lion and a dog. In order to produce this incredible rare animal (only 3 dolions exist in laboratories – the photo above is of Rex, the first ever produced), individual strands of DNA from each creature must be combined and re-inserted in to a host egg. This is similar to theliger (lion/tiger crossbreed) with the exception that the liger is able to be produced without prior manipulation of the DNA of either breed of animal. 3 Tiny Piney The Tiny Piney is a miniature pine tree which is a mere 2cm tall when fully grown. It was originally developed to provide a fast growing source for pine-tree smell to be used in the fragrance industry but in very little time its usefulness in other areas became obvious. This tiny pine tree is now hugely popular as an edible plant in Papua New Guinea where it is dipped in a batter made from coconut milk and shellac beetle shells and deep fried. The Tiny Piney (official trademark) has a very subtle pine flavor which is enhanced by the coconut milk. The Tiny Piney is usually eaten as a dessert. 2 Fern Spider The fern spider is unique on this list as it is the only combined plant and animal. At the time of writing this is the only animal that has successfully been crossed with a plant. The spider is a cross between a common Italian Wolf spider (Lycosa tarantula) and the ponga fern (Cyathea dealbata). The purpose of this bizarre crossbreed was to study the survival rates of spiders with built in camouflage versus those without in a series of studies on Natural Selection at Massey University in New Zealand. The results of the study have not been published yet. 1 Lemurat With the growing wealth of China, many rich Chinese women are seeking alternative and exotic pets to show off their money. This has lead to a number of Chinese medical and scientific research companies to compete for this new income source by producing cross breed animals. The most successful (financially) so far has been the Lemur Cat. It is (as the name suggests) a cross between a lemur and a cat. It retains the soft fur of the cat and the coloring, but has the striped tail and yellow eyes commonly found on a lemur. It is more ferocious than the average cat but it is generally no more dangerous than a Chihuahua dog. The scientific name for this new breed is Prolos Fira. This is not an exhaustive list of genetically engineered animals like bovine with massive growth and milk or the alergy free cats and super salmons. Here are probably best examples of how far bio-science can go with DNA technology and genetic re-engineering. The fundamental unit to control different properties of an organism are millions of genes in its DNA. And it is possible to isolate every single gene. Thus any biological property that exists in any living thing in any living world could be brought into any other living thing even of any other world. 1. GloFish Source The GloFish is a patented brand of genetically modified (GM) fluorescent zebrafish with bright red, green, and orange fluorescent color. The original zebrafish from which the GloFish was developed measures three centimeters long and has gold and dark blue stripes. In 1999, Dr. Zhiyuan Gong and his colleagues at the National University of Singapore were working with a gene called green fluorescent protein (GFP), originally extracted from a jellyfish, that naturally produced bright green bioluminescence. They inserted the gene into a zebrafish embryo, allowing it to integrate into the zebrafish’s genome, which caused the fish to be brightly fluorescent under both natural white light and ultraviolet light. Their goal was to develop a fish that could detect pollution by selectively fluorescing in the presence of environmental toxins. It is the first genetically modified animal to become publicly available as a pet. 2. Vacanti Mouse Source The Vacanti mouse was a laboratory mouse that had what looked like a human ear grown on its back. The â€Å"ear† was actually an ear-shaped cartilage structure grown by seeding cow cartilage cells into a biodegradable ear-shaped mold. The earmouse, as it became known as, was created by Dr. Charles Vacanti, at the University of Massachusetts in 1995. Created to demonstrate a method of fabricating cartilage structures for transplantation into human patients, a resorbable polyester fabric was infiltrated with bovine cartilage cells and implanted under the skin of a hairless mouse. The mouse itself was a commonly used strain of immunocompromised mouse, preventing a transplant rejection 3. Sudden-Death Mosquito Source Oxitec which is a British bio-tech company, has created genetically modified mosquitoes, which are programmed for sudden, early death. Oxitec’s technology is a variation of a proven process called â€Å"sterile insect technique† It involves irradiating male insects, causing mutations that make them sterile. When released into the wild, they mate with females passing on lethal genes which either kills the female or at least kills the youngs in her so then she fails to reproduce . Scientists at this British bio tech company said they have evidence that their genetically modified mosquitoes can by this way for sure control the spread of dengue fever. 4. Dolly the Sheep Source Not so cool or disturbing enough but dolly would hit this list for sure since she was the first ever cloned animal which means that she was produced from a single microscopic cell from a single parent (who hadn’t mated of-course). Cloning techniques might be used widely now in some part of worlds for food but dolly remains remarkable in being the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer. Normally off-springs are a result of interaction of sex cells but in case of dolly’s birth, sex cells weren’t involved. She was cloned by Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh in Scotland. She was born on 5 July 1996 and she lived until the age of six. She has been called â€Å"the world’s most famous sheep† by sources including BBC News and Scientific American. To good, dolly was fertile and produced 6 lambs in total. She died in 2003, living about half as long as a typica l sheep. She developed a lung disease common in older sheep. 5. See-Through Frog Source Dissecting animals for science has sparked controversies worldwide, even prompting some companies to create computer simulations as cruelty-free alternatives. For high school students everywhere, this revealing amphibian may be a cut above regular frogs. That’s because the see-through frog does not require dissection to see its organs, blood vessels, and eggs. You can see through the skin how organs grow, how cancer starts and develops. It’s a miracle of genetic engineering and surely a cool mutant gift to students. 6. Jake the Alligator Man Source Jake the Alligator Man is a half-man, half-alligator on display in apparently mummified condition at Marsh’s Free Museum, a tourist trap in Long Beach, Washington. He was discovered in Florida swamp in 1993. He was reported for his escape from captivity, killing of a Miami man, and giving birth. Residents fled the region’s beaches in fear of terrifying monsters lurking the sand dunes. Scientists are controversial about this creature. Some say its a missing link and some say it might be a distant ancestor of man. However some later theories claimed that it was an early secret genetically engineering project gone wrong and wild. Whatever Jake’s true origin be but he surely is a mutant. 7. Ruppy Source Ruppy (short for Ruby Puppy) is a cloned beagle from South Korea who glows red under ultraviolet light. Ruppy was created in 2009 by a group of scientists in South Korea, led by Byeong-Chun Lee. The dog was cloned using viral transfection of fibroblasts cells with a protein that expresses the red fluorescent gene. 8. Land Mines Detecting Plants Source Developed by Copenhagen firm Aresa Biodetection, these genetically modified plants can be handy when it comes to saving the world. Whenever flowers hit nitrogen dioxide (which leaches into the soil from buried land mines), the plant changes color to red. 9. Fuel Excreting Genetically Modified Bugs This isn’t made up nor it’s sci-fi, a researcher at silicon valley has found genetically modified bugs which eat agricultural waste and excrete diesel fuel. [via TimesOnline] 10. Enviropig Source A genetically engineered pig approved for limited production which produces 65 percent less phosphorous in animal waste thus very environmental friendly Enviro-Pig Already created the Enviro-Pig has been genetically engineered with edited DNA from a pig and genetic material from mice. The result is the Enviro-Pig, a pig that is able to break down phosphorus. Normally within a normal pigs biology phosphorus cant be broken down and it comes out in their feces. The feces is used as fertilizer for crops and eventually most of it runs off into streams and rivers. This is where the problems begin as the phosphorus drastically increases algae blooms and destroys habitats for fish. This is why the Enviro-Pig was engineered as very little phosphorus comes out in its feces. Although there is a great ethical and moral dilemma surrounding the creation of animals that dont exist I do think that within a controlled environment that the Enviro-Pig is one that people should consider breeding on a larger scale. There are currently talks to allow the Enviro-Pigs meat to be sold in supermarkets. Despite the picture Ive included (mostly for a laugh) consider that the enviro-Pig doesnt look much different than a normal pig and its meat would have all of the same nutrients and nutritional value as shown in extensive testing of the animal. COWS (with human genes) More recently in 2011 Chinese scientist have been breeding cows genetically engineered with genes from human beings to produce milk that would be the same as human breast milk. Would I support this? I must admit I am not quite sure as we are now mixing human with animal, I suppose where that line is ends is a little blurry on that one. GOATS (that produce silk in their milk?) As unusual as it is this is a reality. A company called Biosteel has genetically engineered goats to produce milk with strong spider web like silk proteins in their milk. These particles are used by the company to make bulletproof vests and anti-ballistic missile systems for military contracts. Glow in the dark pigs Source: Glow in the dark pigs PIGS (that glow in the dark!) In 2006 in Taiwan scientists used genetic material from a jelly fish and implanted it into pig embyros. The result? Pigs that glow bright green in the dark! During the daylight hours these pigs have a tinge of green on their skin, snout and teeth but as soon as night comes they are light very fat fireflies trotting around their pigpen. The pigs whole body including its internal organs and heart glow green. The Taiwan scientists have said that the pigs were created for stem cell research, but why do you need glowing pigs for that? It can be noted that south korean scientists have also created a florescent glowing red dog called Ruppy, which is short for Ruby Puppy. Apes (with human genes) Japanese scientists have implanted human genes into marmosets and are currently using the monkeys to work on a cure for huntingtons disease and strokes in humans. Again is it good to be putting human genetics into animals? Im not sure, as said earlier there has to be a line somewhere, but where? It should also be noted that for a very long time scientists have been replacing the genes in mice (known as knockout mice) to perform these types of tests for cancer, parkinsons and other such diseases.

Obama Represents Zeitgeist of 2008 Essay Example for Free

Obama Represents Zeitgeist of 2008 Essay Being born in a black-white family, experiencing hardships throughout the child and teen stages, Barack Obama, as the first African American President of the United States, embodied dreams of thousands of people, both black and white. Obama became a symbol of the new U. S. history and personifies the brand new page, which is uncertain for the world, but rather clear for American citizens. What was the turning point in the minds of Americans to choose African American, as a new president? What kind of precondition made them take a man out of former ‘slaves’ and ‘despised’ people? These answers will be followed up by the closer look at Barack Obama, yet, at this moment, it is clear that Americans have felt the spirit that communicates between black and white, suffering and freedom, revolution and stability – the spirit of 2008. Most agree that Barack Obama has already changed the U. S. and is going to change the world. What is so important in this man and why is he important to the United States? He was hurt at 3-year old age for the first time, when his parents divorced. As a result of a single-parent family, he was raised up without self-esteem in a segregated environment. There was no one behind or next to him to give a hand in daily hardships; therefore, he became drug addict and trouble maker during the high school. At that time, one could hardly tell that out of this unmotivated and self-degraded teen would raise a state senator, followed by the U. S. senator, and the U. S. President consequently. Though, Obama had no goal in life, because there was no one to show it, the spirit of revolt and revolution had been showing him the ways out of hopelessness. Being a member of isolated society, he managed to cope with odds and unequal opportunities. ‘Negroes’ were not allowed to attend the same schools, hospitals, institutions, as the ‘whites’ did. It was the page in history, when Obama was born and raised. But, these very restrictions and limitations had paved the way for Obama’s success, making his nature stronger and character unbroken. â€Å"77230472_Obama Represents Zeitgeist of 2008† â€Å"Page #1† As was mentioned by Nick Bryant, â€Å"to become a history-defying candidate he has been something of a history-denying figure. † (BBC News) And it is true. At present, Barack Obama had to solve the civil-right paradox, so that he could appear on the U. S. Capitol steps and show the whole world that skin does not matter, inner spirit – that’s what matters. This is the point that united Barack with America – there is no chance for hopelessness. No matter what the world is saying – let him turn away from you; no matter what society is saying – you may change it. Chance was not on his side, yet he has national identity. Barack Obama, as well as the United States, is focused on freedom, as the utmost human value. This very spirit gave the American colonies fight against oppression and misunderstanding, making the nation #1 in the world. No doubt, America is facing the hard times – shaking economy, unstable oil prices, mortgage crisis and global confrontation, headed by the EU. Yet, we may argue that the United States have already passed more severe tests and can put up with this one, having the right leader and right course. What is the difference in calling Obama inexperienced or naive, his inspiration reminds people that once the nation had ideals and dreams, had convictions and beliefs. Martin Luther King’s dream for America, which was spoken two years after Obama was born in 1963, is fulfilled now. Some things that seemed impossible are embodied now. Barack Obama, just like the United States, has made a leap over the illicit barrier to make something whole out of broken, to build on sinking ground. The American zeitgeist of revolution has been imbuing Obama, and the election 2008 has reflected the American notion of equal opportunity. The President of the United States is given a chance to make his values real and reveal life battle on a larger scale. The life of Barack Obama personifies confidence and victory now, rather than destruction and uncertainty at first. Hope to see the same results in the U. S. economy and its place on the global arena, as we look at American spirit that outpours in Obama’s beliefs. Work cited: Bryant, Nick. â€Å"How Barack Obama defied history†. BBC News. 5 Nov. 2008. 1 Dec. 2008 http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7710449. stm.

The Relationship between Science and Technology

The Relationship between Science and Technology The word science comes from the Latin scientia, meaning knowledge. How do we define science? According to Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of science is knowledge attained through study or practice, or knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world. What does that really mean? Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena. The term science also refers to the organized body of knowledge people have gained using that system. Less formally, the word science often describes any systematic field of study or the knowledge gained from it. What is the purpose of science? Perhaps the most general description is that the purpose of science is to produce useful models of reality. Most scientific investigations use some form of the  scientific method. You can find out more about the scientific method  here. Science as defined above is sometimes called pure science to differentiate it from applied science, which is the application of research to human needs. Fields of science are commonly classified along two major lines:     Ã‚  Ã‚   Natural sciences, the study of the natural world, and     Ã‚  Ã‚   Social sciences, the systematic study of human behavior and society. Due to the nature of contemporary society, the relationship between the domains of science and technology has never been stronger. Science and technology have different purposes, ways of viewing and knowing the world, and thus their relationship is often tense and complex. However, they serve to inform and extend each other in both intended and unexpected ways. Student learning in science and technology can be enhanced through their mutual study. By understanding the differences and relationship between these two domains, students in educational settings will gain an appreciation of the nature of each at a more philosophical level. This is important to the development of a both scientific and technological literacy that will allow for informed citizenship. Technology  is the usage and knowledge of  tools, techniques,  crafts,  systems  or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or create an artistic perspective. The word  technologycomes from the  Greek  technologà ­a  (à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±)   tà ©chnÄâ€Å"  (à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ­Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ·), an art, skill or craft and  -logà ­a  (-ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±), the study of something, or the branch of knowledge of a discipline.[1]  The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include  construction technology,medical technology,  information technology, or  high technology. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The human species use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The  prehistorical  discovery of the ability to control  fire  increased the available sources of food and the invention of the  wheel  helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the  printing press, the  telephone, and the  Internet, have lessened physical barriers tocommunication  and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of  weapons  of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from  clubs  to  nuclear weapons. Technology has affected  society  and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced  economies  (including todays  global economy) and has allowed the rise of a  leisure  class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as  pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of theEarth  and its  environment. Various implementations of technology influence the  values  of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of  efficiency  in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms. Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology improves the  human condition  or worsens it.  Neo-Luddism,  anarcho-primitivism, and similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, opining that it harms the environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such astranshumanism  and  techno-progressivism  view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientific studies indicate that other  primates  and certain  dolphin  communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to other generations. Introduction Due to the nature of contemporary society, the relationship between the domains of science and technology has never been stronger. Both domains are recognised as key forms of human activity, and stand alongside the arts and social sciences as fundamental to human achievement and expression. Essential to recognising the strength of the relationship between science and technology, is the acknowledgement that neither holds a subservient position. Rather, science and technology work together for the mutual benefit and/or growth of each domain in both intended and unexpected ways. In order to understand the complexity of the relationship between science and technology, it is first important to establish how the two domains differ, particularly given it is these differences that provide the strength of their current alliance. The differentiation between science and technology can be characterised by three key factors: the domains core business (its purpose); its view of what exists in the world (its ontological stance); and how it defines and validates knowledge (its epistemology). The following provides an overview of how these factors are articulated within current understandings of science and technology. Science a brief overview The overriding purpose of science is to explain the natural world through iterative intellectual and investigative practices that involve observations and controlled manipulations of that world. In support of this, science can be most comfortably argued today in terms of a critical realist stance. This reflects a view that things exist in the world and are as they are (Lopez and Potter, 2001). As such, the role of scientists is to interrogate the real things of the natural world in order to construct explanations of them. In keeping with the view of science as a human activity, resulting explanatory texts are embedded in the sociocultural world and as such will be human-mediated representations of the real things. Scientific knowledge therefore, is that which has real things as its referent. For new knowledge to be validated within the domain of science, this knowledge must adhere to logical reasoning and be internally coherent within the dominant paradigm. Alternatively, it must pro vide a substantiated challenge to the paradigm, while still operating within the tolerance levels of the wider domain. It must withstand peer review in order to be represented as a truth. Truth therefore, is not viewed as an absolute within science. Rather scientific truths are, in keeping with pragmatic theory, that knowledge that gains the consensus of experts within the domain. In contrast to traditional views of the existence of a scientific method, contemporary views of scientific methodologies include an understanding of their diversity and flexibility to meet the task at hand. Therefore, investigate methods employed both between, and often within, different subsets of science can differ markedly. Technology a brief overview The purpose of technology is to intervene in the world to produce something other to that which currently exists. It achieves this through iterative intellectual and design-based practices that involve multiple sources of input. These input sources include a mixture of that defined as natural, material, simulated, conceptual, emotional, and imagined. Technologists also draw from the past, current and a range of possible and probable futures. The stance that has been argued as best supporting an understanding of the domain of technology, is that of aprocess ontology. This stance challenges the critical realist notion that things exist as such, and instead argues that processes are what exist, and it is our interaction in process which allows the opportunity to categorise, and thus objectify, things as such (Neuman, 2003). Therefore, from such a technological viewpoint, we are both creators of the material world of technology in clear and tangible ways, and also symbolic creators of th e natural world. Technological knowledge does not attempt to make claims to truth in the same way as scientific knowledge does. Instead it has as its referent, the process of function. What validates technological knowledge therefore is success not truth. However, like science, the success of technological knowledge is determined within technological practice by experts within the domain of technology. Technological practices are situation specific, and therefore are as diverse and varied as the contexts and people involved in the endeavour. How do they relate? Scientific knowledge and methodologies themselves provide a major source of input into the development of technological practices and outcomes. They are also key tools in the establishment of explanations of why technological interventions were, or were not, successful. In short, science can provide powerful explanations for the why and why not behind technological intervention. However, as these interventions rely on more than an understanding of the natural world, they can only provide partial justification for technological practices and outcomes. Technological practices, knowledge and outcomes can provide mechanisms for science to gain a better view of its defined world, and in fact can provide serious challenges to the defining of that world. For example, the development of the technological artefacts that extend the observation capabilities of humans (such as the telescope and microscope), made visible and available new worlds for science to interrogate and explain. The Relationship Between Science and Technology Science, technology and innovation each represent a successively larger category of activities which are highly interdependent but distinct. Science contributes to technology in at least six ways: (1)new knowledge which serves as a direct source of ideas for new technological possibilities; (2) source of tools and techniques for more efficient engineering design and a knowledge base for evaluation of feasibility of designs; (3) research instrumentation, laboratory techniques and analytical methods used in research that eventually find their way into design or industrial practices, often through intermediate disciplines; (4) practice of research as a source for development and assimilation of new human skills and capabilities eventually useful for technology; (5) creation of a knowledge base that becomes increasingly important in the assessment of technology in terms of its wider social and environmental impacts; (6) knowledge base that enables more efficient strategies of applied research, development, and refinement of new technologies. Middle school students struggle with differentiating between science and technology. Engineers, architects, and others who engage in design and technology  use scientific knowledge to solve practical problems. They also usually have to take human values and limitations into account. This quote comes from Benchmarks, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an inspiration for the  National Science Education Standards  (NSES). The  NSESHYPERLINK http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/6d.html#st  Science and Technology standard  has two parts: abilities of technological design and understandings about science and technology. The following resources will help students understand the relationship between science and technology and the differences between the two. Technology and the Environment In this publication, teachers will find resources they can use when building or freshening a unit about the environment. Units about technology and the environment provide excellent opportunities for teachers of technology, science, and mathematics to collaborate. Students to assess the risks and benefits of individual and industrial uses of technology. The converse impact of technology on science is of at least equal importance: (1)through providing a fertile source of novel scientific questions and thereby also helping to justify the allocation of resources needed to address these questions in an efficient and timely manner, extending the agenda of science; (2) as a source of otherwise unavailable instrumentation and techniques needed to address novel and more difficult scientific questions more efficiently. Specific examples of each of these two-way interactions are discussed. Because of many indirect as well as direct connections between science and technology, the research portfolio of potential social benefit is much broader and more diverse than would be suggested by looking only at the direct connections between science and technology. Science and technology is the best thing society could ever ask for. Since the industrial revolution in the 18th century science has been in progress. Some sectors that have been boosted by science and technology are energy, physical sciences, information and communication. The society has greatly gained with the invention of technology. Infrastructure in the society has grown with the help of science and technology. Modes of transport like electronic railway lines were realized and these actually benefited the society by offering them a better means of transport. In the past, almost everything was analog but thanks to the science and technology we are now being digitalized by the day. The invention of the telephone and radio services has broadened human communication. Without society then there would be no science and technology and that is why the invention of certain tools and equipment have helped achieve big things. Society can not do without the industries we have today. The society needs science and technology. The creation of computers is work of art by individuals was a milestone that would come a long way in helping the society. A computer helps us to leverage ourselves by gaining valuable information that we can use to enrich our lives. The impact of science and technology can seriously be recognized. Many people around the world take for example scholars in colleges and universities have taken the lead examining the relationship between science and technology. The evaluation of this relationship has emerged as an important area of research. Public interest groups and academic organizations throughout the world are recognizing the importance of STS. The reason is that people need to recognize that there are people who are affected by the science and technology. Controversies such as modified foods, stem cell research are the issues that have brought policy makers and scientists together to have a way forward on this. Science and technology has actually largely contributed to the vision of man about himself. Science has been modified the opinion about the origin of man and place of origin too. Through the results of scientific discoveries the perception of man about his behavior and his place of origin has been modified diversly. Experiments in science today are in one way or another affecting the society.Take for example the experiment on cloning a human being. The experiment brought a lot of controversy since the society was skeptical about it. How is science and technology related to society: The developing world has a long tradition of participatory action research, popular education and community organization joining up to solve some science and technology issues that affect the society. How is science and technology related to the society is something that is calling even for the government intervention. Science and technology related issues are actually been discussed worldwide today. Progress in this has resulted to the ability to produce diverse types of material items. Answering the question how science and technology is related to society. Implications for Education in New Zealand From the above, it can be seen that science and technology have a fundamentally different purpose, and different ways of viewing and knowing the world. Just as science and technology work in mutually beneficial ways in the wider contexts of scientific and technological endeavours, within the context of education, their relationship can be profitably explored to enhance learning in both areas. Scientific knowledge and methodologies are useful, and in many cases critical, to students successful undertaking of technological practice and in the development of technological knowledge. Technological knowledge, practices and outcomes in turn can provide useful, and again in many cases critical, tools (both conceptual and material) for scientific practice and the development of scientific knowledge. Technological practices and outcomes can also provide authentic contexts which enable students to develop deeper more meaningful understandings of scientific knowledge and methodologies. However, perhaps even more significantly, exploration of the nature of both science and technology can provide fertile grounds for developing deeper understandings of both through reflecting on the differences between these key areas of being human. The converging boundaries between that perceived as the made and the natural world, the real and simulated, the currently impossible and future probable, all demand students develop such relational cross domain knowledge, in combination with in-depth understandings within both science and technology. This in turn allows for the development of a critical frame essential to the development of scientific and technological literacy that supports students towards informed citizenship.

Maintaining Marine Reef Aquarium Essay -- essays papers

Maintaining Marine Reef Aquarium Important Aspects in Maintaining a Marine Reef Aquarium There is something fascinating and relaxing in having an aquarium in a home. Like a fireplace’s warm glow and bright colors, the colors that are emitted from an aquarium can be just as warm and even more colorful. From the slow and graceful movement of the fish to the frantic feeding frenzy, an aquarium is different each time it is viewed. Although a freshwater tank can be full or color, it does not come close to the fiery colors that are present in a marine aquarium. Unfortunately, all the color and life that a marine aquarium holds is much more fragile and not as easy to keep as a freshwater tank. Therefore, the marine aquarium requires a plethora of devices working together and at optimum levels to maintain a successful tank. Items like protein skimmers, ultraviolet filters, sump filters, reverse osmosis units, and even wave-makers are just a few of the devices that are required to properly maintain a marine aquarium. With the exception to a properly constructed tank, nothing is as important to the marine aquarium as the water within the tank and the lighting given its inhabitants. Since water is the medium that the aquarium inhabitants must live in, it is the most vital component in any tank. The quality of the water used will directly effect how successful the aquarium is. The chemical balance of the water must be watched closely. If the salt content varies too much, or harmful chemicals build up, the water will kill the inhabitants of the tank. Since fresh pure sea water is not readily accessible, the easiest water source for the majority of hobbyists is the faucet. However, the tap water that comes from the local water treatment plants may be safe for human consumption but is most likely toxic to marine life. Water treatment plants remove most of the harmful chemicals, but the water delivered is anything but pure. Often this tap water contains high levels of phosphates and nitrates that can be harmful to aquarium inhabitants. Also, copper may leach from pipes, and it is deadly to marine invertebrates (Goldstein 8). This leaves very few options for water to the hobbyist. One of the last, and probably the best option for obtaining a pure water source is by using reverse osmosis water. Reverse osmosis is a process of filtering ... ...k monitoring water conditions and lighting quickly becomes only a minor chore as the aquarium begins to regulate itself. Considering the amount of work and money a fireplace requires, the aquarium is a much easier and cheaper centerpiece that can be added to any room. It becomes a landscaping of art that even the best painters have difficulty capturing, and can be enjoyed by everyone. Works Cited Dakin, Nick, The Marine Aquarium Problem Solver. Blaksburg, VA: Tetra Press, 1998. Friese, U. Erich. Keeping a Reef Aquarium. Neptune, NJ:YearBOOKS Inc, 1996. Gamble, Sam. Light Energy 5 October 1999. Goldstein, Robert J. Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc, 1997. Larson, Scott. Personal Interview. 10 September 1999. Madison, Pieter. â€Å"You Can Succeed with Marines.† Tropical Fish Hobbyist. August 1999: 38-46. Paletta, Mike. â€Å"Water Changes.† SeaScope, Fall 1997, 3. Reefkeeper’s FAQ. 18 September 1999. Shimek, Ronald L. â€Å"So, You Want to Join the Marines.† Aquarium USA, 1999: 61-75. Tullock, John H. Natural Reef Aquariums. Shelborne, VT: Microcosm Ltd, 1997. Walker, Matt. Personal Interview. 20 October 1999