Dickens presentation of the four spirits Essay Example for Free

Dickens presentation of the four spirits Essay In A Christmas Carol four spirits meet Scrooge and they haunt and warn him of how he disregards Christmas and how people look upon him. Dickens uses his own unique writing skills in portraying the spirits, making the appearance relevant to the purpose of the each spirit. The first supernatural being to visit Scrooge is the ghost of Jacob Marley Scrooges deceased working partner. The appearance of this spirit is directly similar to what Marley wore in his first life when he was a slave to money exactly like Scrooge. These same working clothes show how he is still chained down by the burden of money and that his afterlife has been made rather painful by being a slave to work. Marleys ghost is warning Scrooge that if he doesnt change his character, he will too be burdened in his afterlife. The spirit also foretells the appearance of three more ghosts. The chains clasped about his middle and all the different items that are wrought to the chain all symbolize money and greed of the spirit. The cash-boxes and the keys all represent the hiding away of money and keeping the wealth to themselves and not sharing the abundance of money. The imagery of heavy objects such as the padlocks and steel purses show how laden the ghost is with the weight of the money. The ledgers and deeds show the detailed accounts of money and proper ownership and this is a symbol that everything has to be accounted for, no money can pass by the scrutiny of the accountant which is so true to Scrooges life. Apart from being immensely weighted down by his possessions of greed which held back his life, Marley was transparent. This was so obvious that Scrooge could see the two buttons on the back of his coat. This transparency conveys the sense that this person was never a normal human, he was a chilling figure who lacked some human qualities that most usual persons have. This is a ghost which freezes the presence around him with his death cold eyes and his chilling influence, he is cold, like his life. He has no real substance and the only apparent clear images Scrooge can see of this spirit are the symbols of hoarding, selfishness and greed. The Ghost of Christmas Past reveals itself to Scrooge, shortly after the affair with Marley, and the purpose of this ghost is to show Scrooge of the times of his past life which involve his school and family life as well as his relationships with Fan and Belle. The first line of the description portrays excellently the appearance of this unusual spirit: It was a strange figure like a child; yet not so like a child as like an old man. Dickens shows that even though this spirit is a child, representing youth and looking back in to the past, it is strong bodied being able to be firm with Scrooge. This strength, and the indication of the spirit being old, shows that the ghost is wise and experienced, able to lift Scrooge out of the window with considerable ease and make the miser look up and pay attention. The spirit is also strangely attired with stark contrasts in its dress for the spirit has a holly branch in his hand and summer flowers lining the end of its dress. This displays the progression of time and the seasons which in turn reflect the stages of Scrooges past life and the progression of a mans life, which is slowly been clutched by the grasp of money. The spirit also possesses another unusual quality in that a bright clear jet of light springs out from his head as well as having extensive description of the whiteness of its being. This clear whiteness and the jet of light symbolizes the simplicity of what the spirit is showing It is making thing apparently clear to Scrooge. This ghost is not satisfied with a complicated face and bizarre attire for it also changes the form of its being from being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs and the changes vary so much that at one point the spirit has no head. This unusual distinction, I feel, represent the change in emotions and I think Dickens is trying to portray the alterations of Scrooges past and of all the feelings and events that changed him in to a tight-fisted businessman. The ghost of Christmas present is a bit simpler to understand for he represents the things and spirit of Christmas. His purpose is to show Scrooge the way people celebrate Christmas at present and to point out the abundance of Christmas joy there is in families, which is alien to Scrooge. The spirit is introduced with a large range of different Christmas foods such as long plum-puddings, mince pies, cherry-cheeked apples and immense twelfth cakes, just to mention a few of the items layering the floor. The abundance and feeling of plenty is conveyed with the magnificent quantities of tangible items on display, with the barrels of oysters and wreaths of sausages. Dickens eloquently describes the food making the reader feel tempted by these appetizing descriptions. All this is completely foreign to Scrooge. He has never seen this type of thing for he never shares his money to make these things happen, therefore this is appropriate so to open Scrooges eyes to the celebration of Christmas. The actual spirit is huge, happy and incredibly relaxed which is shown by his easy state upon which Scrooge finds him. This peaceful, kind and generous spirit holds Plentys horn which is a sign of abundance and a richness of possessions and atmosphere. He is full of Christmas spirit and he knows what it is like to have a good time and a laugh, he is only haunting Scrooge with good things he has not seen before. The spirit is radiant, full of light for it pours on to Scrooge, he cannot escape the joyous plentiful atmosphere. He cant run away for the light is so strong it grasps him. The spirit is kind to Scrooge yet he is not passive telling Scrooge in a firm manner to look upon his wide, inviting eyes. The ghost has clothes of a simple nature with a simple green robe bordered with white fur. This shows just how relaxed and unpretentious the spirit is, he is even bare-breasted showing that he just wants to present himself as he is with no false attachments even his feet are found without covering. The holly wreath which is seen on the spirit, is a symbol. Jesus once wore a similar wreath and he was peaceful and kind, just like the spirit who is compared to the son of God for they are both cheerful and immensely unconstrained. The ultimate peace of the spirit is displayed when Scrooge notices that in his scabbard there lay no sword but a hole of air polluted by the aging rust. The spirit is a provider, feeding his immense family of 1,800 well, with the full stuffing of Christmas spirit and all the joyous aspects this brings with it. This open hearted spirit is showing the true meaning of Christmas to Scrooge who has only ever lived for money seeing Christmas as a wasted day. There is a very stark difference between the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for the spirit which foresees the future is firstly described as moving slowly, gravely, silently. This is more a haunting spirit, he is meant to be scary and menacing and he certainly is introduced in this fashion for he is to show the grim tales of Scrooges future which are not pleasant. The overwhelming fear in Scrooge is seen, in that he quickly bends down on one knee and the atmosphere disperses in to one of gloom and mystery. There is definite sense of fear for the words convey ghostly imagery such as shrouded which is a dark word in that it is often associated with a funeral or a burial. The deep, piercingly solemn appearance of a hand is all Scrooge needs to fill him with ultimate fear for the ghost is incredibly hard to distinguish and the outstretched hand is all one can see. This mysterious invisibility makes the ghost even more harrowing for there is only one hand which brings about this dark and undistinguished presence, the ghost is a shape which is horribly not complete. As well as not being able to see all the parts of the ghoul, the spirit does not even talk which makes him even more fearful for it is impossible for Scrooge to communicate to this haunting phantom. Scrooge is desperate for the ghoul to utter a word but Dickens purposely does not let the figure talk for it adds to his mysterious and chilling demeanor. This spirit is one which people dread, it is of an appearance of a phantom which chills the surrounding air which others choke on in fear. The description continues, with Dickens using metaphorical speech to describe the ghoul: but a spectral hand and one great heap of black. The effect of the metaphor is once more of absolute fear and terror. The description ends with Scrooge requesting speech from the ghoul but it is not going to respond which rounds off the passage with a feeling of fear. Dickens shows skill in describing these ghosts so relevantly to what there immediate purpose is. Each ghost has its own specific meaning and Dickens presents this effectively giving each spirit a unique appearance which tells a story with a true moral which still applies today. Dickens is a storyteller with unique gifts and this is shown in these descriptions of the four spirits.

Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

Bargaining Power Of Suppliers This report serves a number of major purposes. First of all, it seeks to understand the development of Information Systems IS/ Information Technology IT theory. Secondly, it narrows the scope to enterprise value chain to evaluate the current practice in this area. Finally, it seeks to evaluate and analyze the future of the companies studied in relation to IS/ IT. 1.2 Definition of Key Concepts The terms e-business and e-commerce are often used interchangeably but they do not mean the same thing. E-commerce means using IT to buy and sell goods and services. E-business is a broader term, covering not just goods and services exchanges, but also all forms of business conducted using electronic transmission of data and information. E-business began when customers and suppliers recognized the advantages of exchanging documents such as purchase orders and invoices electronically, rather than through the postal service. This electronic data interchange EDI could speed ordering and fulfillment dramatically. The advent of the internet allowed businesses, organizations, and individuals to publish World Wide Web pages and communicate to broader audiences. At first, web pages were mirrors of paper documents. But as they increased in sophistication, users recognized that there were things that they could do with Web pages that were not possible with paper media. As internet usage and Web development evolved, managers learned to take advantage of the internets unique nature in many ways. For example, retailers realized changing the price of an item required a few key strokes on the internet versus reprinting promotional materials and price lists in an offline environment. The transparency of the internet, or the ability for mass instantaneous sharing of information also created an almost perfectly efficient marketplace for goods and services. The next stage in the evolution of e-business was to distribute its use throughout an organization. This came in the form of intranets. Businesses created these internal internets to allow employees to communicate with one another and exchange information. Once enterprises mastered internal communication through their intranets, they turned outwards. The link to customers occurred early on. The rest of the supply chain linkage took place in the next stage of the evolution as businesses began expanding on their connection to suppliers, customers and distributors. These included adding supply chain management and customer relationship management functionality. Portals allowed customers and suppliers to link more closely with an enterprise. The current state of e-business is really c-business where the c stands for collaborative. In c-business, the boundaries among enterprises become blurred. Businesses up and down the supply chain work together to achieve objectives that maximize profitability for all of them. 1.3 Overview of the Report Section 1: Introduction Objective of the report Definition of key concepts Overview of the report Section 2: Review of Literature 2.1 Literature review 2.2 General theory 2.3 Research area 2.4 Rationale 2.5 Importance of research area 2.6 Example of e-business application Section 3: Case Analysis 3.1 Case Study 1 3.2 Case Study 2 3.3 Case Study 3 Section 4: Evaluation of the Cases 4.1 Comparison 4.2 Recommendation Section 5 Executive Summary SECTION 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Literature Review IT/ IS has been used by companies for over forty years. Initially, their usage was primitive by todays standards, but over time, improvements in computer technology have rendered IS/ IT to be an integral part of the business. Yet, the study of IS/ IT in relation to management is a somewhat recent discipline. Initial research on IT/ IS tended to be more descriptive than empirical since the basic models that are currently used were not yet formulated. These research papers also tended to be overly optimistic about the future of IT/ IS in terms of the benefits they bring to business enterprises. Later on, research in the area took on a more balanced tone as the limitations of IS/ IT were also highlighted. It has also during this time than various strategic management models were incorporated into the framework for IS/ IT. 2.2 General Theory Now let us examine three theories that relate to e-business. 2.2.1 Porters Five Forces According to Michael Porter (1990), an industry is influenced by five major forces and he developed this idea into a comprehensive model. Termed the Five Forces Model, it has greatly influenced strategic management thinking for the past two decades. These five forces are the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the new entrants, the threat of substitutes, and rivalry. Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers refers to the influence consumers have on an industry. Generally, if consumers have very high bargaining power, there are many suppliers competing for a very limited number of buyers (Porter, 1990). As a result, it is the buyer who will dictate the price of goods and services. Buyers have greater power when there are few of them and they command a significant market share, or when they purchase a sizeable proportion of the goods produced in an industry (David, 2009). Also, buyers are powerful when they can threaten to buy products from rival firms. This is called backward integration (Griffin, 2001). On the other hand, buyers are weak if manufacturers threaten forward integration in which the manufacturers take over the distribution and retailing channels (Eitman et al, 2007). Buyers are also in a weak position if there is great difficulty in switching to alternative products and switching costs are high. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The second force is the bargaining power of suppliers (Porter, 1990). All companies that manufacture goods need to obtain raw materials from external parties or suppliers. Hence, it is imperative that companies establish good relationships with their suppliers so as to get favourable prices and a steady supply of raw material. Yet, the supplier-manufacturer relationship is rarely one of equals (Griffin, 2001). Normally, one party has the upper hand. Suppliers have greater bargaining power if there are few of them so they can dictate terms to the customers who are at their mercy (David, 2009). Threat of New Entrants The third force is the threat of new entrants (Porter, 1990). New entrants to a market can seriously affect the market share of existing members and this is a constant source of anxiety for companies. In an ideal free market system, a company can enter and exit a market with the greatest ease and that profits will be nominal. However, in the real world, there are numerous barriers to entry, some of which are the result of economics, while others are the outcome of government intervention (Rugman and Hodgetts, 1995). Threat of Substitutes The fourth is the threat of substitutes, which refers to products in other industries (Porter, 1990). If the costs of the products in a particular industry are too high, customers might switch to products in other industries. Price is not the only variable but changes in technology have the potential to make users flock to rivals (David, 2009). Rivalry Among Firms The final force in Porters framework is rivalry among firms (Porter, 1990). Rivalry is very high when there are a large number of firms in a saturated market, high fixed costs, high storage costs and low switching costs (Barney, 2007). According to Porter, an enterprise can adopt one of four strategies to deal with the five forces in its industry. They are cost leadership, differentiation, cost focus and focused differentiation. IT can assist a firm in achieving these strategies. For example, to attain low cost, the company can adopt production engineering systems whereas to achieve differentiation, it can use computer aided design. 2.2.2 Value Chain The value chain is defined as a sequence of activities that should contribute more to the ultimate value of the product than to its costs. Products produced by an organization rely on different activities of the organization and use different resources along the value chain depending on their specifications. Essentially, all products flow through the value chain, which begins with research, development and engineering and then moves through manufacturing and continues on to customers. The companys value chain is used to identify opportunities that give competitive advantage. Basically, there are two broad categories of a firms activities. They are primary activities, consisting of the creation, marketing and delivery of products and support activities which provide support for primary activities. IT is used to transform the way value activities are conducted and to improve linkages throughout the value chain to give the company greater flexibility. According to Porter and Miller 1985, IT plays a strategic role in an industry that has high information intensity in the product and value chain itself. 2.2.3 Scott Mortons Model Morton improvises and refines Porters model. Morton asserts that the five forces that influence an organizations objectives are its structure, management processes, individuals and roles, technology and strategy. These in turn contribute to five levels of IT-induced reconfiguration. At the lower degree of business transformation, they are termed evolutionary levels. At the lowest level, there is localized exploitation in which the main objectives are domestic effectiveness and efficiency. At level two, there is internal integration between different applications and systems. Cooperation and coordination enhance efficiency and effectiveness here. At a higher degree of business transformation, they are termed revolutionary levels. Level three involves business process redesign which consists of a rigorous change in the company value chain. Level four concerns business network redesign for the reconfiguration of the tasks and scopes of the enterprise network involved in the creation and delivery of products and services. The final and highest level is business scope redefinition in which there is a migration of functions across the companys borders that ultimately change the very nature of the business. 2.3 Research Area This paper focuses on the enterprise value chain of three very different companies. They are Tupperware, Toyota and Facebook. 2.4 Rationale The rationale for the selection of these three companies is to explain how e-business is applied to different industries. Tupperware is a well known manufacturer of high quality plastic containers, Toyota is the worlds largest car maker and Facebook is the biggest online social network site on earth. They are all very different businesses, yet they share one thing in common the usage of e-business in their value chain. The degree of success each business experiences through e-business vis-Ã  -vis their value chain will be discussed in the analysis section. 2.5 Importance of Research Area E-business has become an integral part of the modern corporation and is a means of achieving competitive advantage. Besides that, it also creates opportunities for many third party services. For these reasons, it is vital to critically examine what exactly e-business can do for an enterprise. To demonstrate, the following SWOT analysis is done: 2.5.1 Strengths Around the clock business operation Convenient, fast and effective Global outreach Lower operation cost Lower initial investment 2.5.2 Weaknesses No direct interaction between buyer and seller Low customer penetration 2.5.3 Opportunities The number of people using the internet is increasing daily Over time, people will grow accustomed to doing transactions online 2.5.4 Threats Considerable risks such as privacy issues, security concerns, transaction processing and business policy issues. 2.6 Examples of e-business Applications There are many examples of e-business applications, the most common being EDI which is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents. Another example is in collaborative commerce. For example, airlines have partnered to create Orbitz, an online travel service that searches the partner airline database for flights. The site also allows users to purchase hotel rooms, rent cars and other services. SECTION 3: CASE ANALYSIS 3.1 Case Study 1: Tupperware Tupperware is a multi-billion dollar United States based manufacturer of plastic food storage containers that has a presence in over 100 countries worldwide. Recently, the company altered its distribution model to a multilevel compensation structure. This inevitably increased the volume of paperwork faced by multilevel sales consultants who found less time to do actual sales. In addition, the order entry system was insufficient to cope with peak sales demands. To overcome these problems, the company implemented MyTupperware which is a web-based order management system. The first problem was solved because the task of entering orders was shifted from distributors to sales consultants. The second problem was solved because the integrated and streamlined communications between the relevant parties and provided better support in the promotion and sales of products. 3.2 Case Study 2: Toyota From its humble beginnings in Japan, Toyota Motors emerged as the worlds largest and most profitable car maker in April 2007. It accomplished this major feat through unparalleled excellence in its production process, and indeed throughout its entire value chain. Central to this success was the Toyota Production System TPS. Initially, Toyota faced the same problems as other automobile makers including slow product design time, uneven quality of production, wastage and obsolescence. These factors hampered the companys ability to achieve competitive advantage. Consequently, Toyota critically examined its strengths weaknesses, though not in the way Western companies do. Toyota adopted the Japanese approach of kaizen, which is a philosophy of continuous improvement by eliminating wastage. By harnessing the power of IS/ IT in its e-business, the company created the TPS as a means to achieve competitive advantage. Consequently, the company achieved tremendous success and its manufacturing process was deemed the gold standard in quality manufacturing at low cost. Unfortunately, this was not to last. In the last two years, Toyota suffered its worst catastrophe in years. Cars produced by its U.S. plant suffered from faulty brakes and there were defects in cars produced by other plants. Consequently, the company made a massive recall, which seriously eroded the reputation of the company. Perhaps the company overextended itself or was lulled into a false sense of complacency. Regardless, the much vaunted TPS has come under scrutiny as people question how a system that was deemed close to perfection could cause such egregious errors. It remains to be seen how Toyota will remedy the situation. 3.3 Case Study 3: Facebook By now, the story of Facebooks founding is well known, thanks to a number of books and the Hollywood movie The Social Network. A Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg founded the site in 2004 as an online social network for Harvard students before establishing it as a company. Though there are other online social network sites, the secret to Facebooks success lies not just in the features it provides, but the clear user interface which makes it appealing and easy to use. From its humble origins, Facebook has now over 500 million users and has been valued at US50 billion. While the company is phenomenally successful, it is constantly plagued by issues concerning its privacy. Since Facebooks business model is such that it does not charge users for the services it provides, its source of revenue comes from advertising and data mining. This has led to repeated concerns about the violation of users privacy by selling their personal information to advertising companies who publicly share such private information. In addition, there are concerns that users private information is accessible to the public with very dangerous consequences like identity theft. One major error that Facebook made was its Beacon advertising service which informed users when their friends made purchases and were involved in other activities outside of Facebook. Users did not agree to share this information and this caused a public backlash and the company had to rescind the service. Similarly, when Facebook launched its news feed feature, users baulked at the infringement of privacy. They did not want Facebook to post updates whenever they updated their profile, added friends or changed their settings. However, Zuckerberg addressed this problem much better by making a public apology and explaining the merits of this system. While some users were still resistant, the explanation won over many and today, the news feed is one of Facebooks most popular services and is emulated by other online social network sites. A third problem Facebook has is the handling of users personal information when they want to delete their profiles. Unlike other network sites, Facebook made it almost impossible for users to delete their accounts and copies of their personal information were stored indefinitely. This caused a backlash and Facebook has since made it much easier for users to delete their accounts. SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF CASES Case Security Ease of using site Transparency Effectiveness of e-business Case 1 High Average Low Highly effective Case 2 High Average Moderate Highly effective Case 3 Moderate Easy High Highly effective 4.1 Comparison Overall, it appears that of the three, Facebook has been the most successful in applying e-business since its entire business model is based on it. The other two are examples of traditional firms that employ e-business to improve their value chain. Tupperware uses the least extensive form of e-business as it is confined to its sales and after sales services rather than the manufacturing process. Toyota uses e-business extensively throughout its value chain as can be seen in the TPS. However, recent developments indicate that its e-business application may not be as successful as was previously thought. Hence, Facebook is the most successful of the three in harnessing e-business to gain competitive advantage though it must be reminded here that the company still struggles with some security issues. 4.2 Recommendation It is recommended that Tupperware uses e-business more extensively throughout its value chain to include the planning and design and manufacturing process. Toyota should reevaluate its TPS to identify weaknesses in the current system and improve them. Facebook on the other hand should use e-business to gather more feedback from its customers about its services, particularly privacy issues and take them seriously.

Risks Involved with The Human Genome Project Essay -- Argumentative Pe

Risks Involved with The Human Genome Project The man in the black suit solemnly steps out of the car. His wife scrambles to catch up with his swift pace. She offers an encouraging tone or two, but the man doesn’t listen. He plunges through the brass, a genetically altered combination of the common bush and grass species, both eyes set on his house. The next-door neighbors dash over to interrogate the deserted wife. The neighbors appear instantaneously in hot pink, plastic body suits, with tanks of oxygen attached to their backs. (This elaborate outfit, for those who may not know, is a common protection against identity impersonation. The decoding of the human genome inadvertently supplies criminals with an ideal method to steal another person’s identity; identity thieves need only a single cell from a person to detect everything about him or her. Body suits, in addition to setting a fashionable trend, safe-guard against this possibility by trapping all cells within the suit itself.) The wife struggles to suppress a deluge of tears as she warmly hugs her plastic encased neighbors. She briefly relates the day’s events. Her husband lost the court case. He was accused of harboring the gene for prostate cancer, and after a simple genetic test, the accusation was confirmed. Her husband had twenty-four hours to move into a quarantined house, located in an abandoned section of the city. He would live there indefinitely with other potential prostate cancer victims. By isolating all people predisposed to prostate cancer, officials hope to eliminate prostate cancer from the gene pool. The wife is purely devastated that reality is manifesting itself so harshly in her life. The neighbors attempt to console her, but they are quite reli... ...tter than another. It can be difficult to discern where exactly the comparisons should cease. The Human Genome Project deserves to have a few cautious skeptics. A breakthrough of this magnitude needs to be carefully examined before assimilated into our culture. Yet, at the same time, this breakthrough has become the very epitome of engineering feats for mankind. My mixed feelings parallel an exemplary quote from The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist by Richard Feynman. â€Å"Trying to understand the way nature works involves a most terrible test of human reasoning ability. It involves subtle trickery, beautiful tight ropes of logic on which one has to walk, in order not to make a mistake in predicting what will happen† (15). Work Cited Feynman, Richard P. The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist. Reading: Perseus Books, 1998.

Historic Model Of Science :: essays research papers

The ‘heroic model’ of science is one of the most influential phenomena in history. This surge of value-free knowledge, filled with realism, bold justification, absolute truth and complete objectivity, changed the way in which the world was perceived and how the future would be viewed. The ‘heroic model’ changed the rules and ushered western civilization into a new era, filled with wonderfully shocking scientific surprises. The backlash from the ‘heroic model’ was so powerful that it heavily influenced other subjects, such as history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ‘heroic model’ of science was a phenomenon of the western world, during the Enlightenment. This wonder aided in transforming scientists, philosophers and others among them into cultural heroes. Science became a part of home life, when in previous times science was seen as a threat to religion and thus proclaimed as wrong. Once science became a part of life and began to prove and bluntly say things that the bible and religion could not come near to explaining, it became the basis for fact. The ‘heroic model’ could easily be blamed for the breakdown of the religious-infested societies that plagued the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This became very important to everyone involved, which proved to be more people than expected. The ‘heroic model’ was an opening for scientist and others to express their opinions without the fear of being ostracized and labeled as a blasphemer. These people were no longer look down upon as sinners, against God and religion, yet they were praised for bring truth and secularity to the world. “Facts'; no longer were infested or influenced by religion, the truth was the real truth. “It replaced the fear and anxiety that nature once evoked with hope inspired by an ordered, harmonious, knowable world.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ‘heroic model’ boosted science to a level that nothing else had ever reached or attempted to attain. Science, during the Enlightenment and consequently afterwards, was used to measure the status of a country and their position of power. If a country was not as advance as another country was in the sciences then that country was obviously not civilized and was beneath the other country. Such as, the economy might be used to determine the status or worldly position of a country today that is how science was used during the Age of Enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The progression of science and the overwhelming success of the ‘heroic model’ not only yanked science to the forefront, but it also influenced and changed the way history was being perceived and studied.

Education and the Computer :: Teaching Education Essays

Education and the Computer There are many different ways to use the computer. For Elementary Education there is a great need to have computers in schools. â€Å"The use of computers, technology applications and hands-on learning enables each student to tie-in your classroom objectives and make a connection to real-world applications. This methodology gives each student equal access to a world of knowledge limited only by the imagination†. In modern school systems, almost every child is exposed to computers. They are asked to type things, access the Internet, and create projects, all using computers. These skills are important tools that can be used later on in life. Almost daily, Children are expected to type papers and other projects for their teacher. This is a good way for them to get acclimated to using a computer. They are also required to take computer classes that teach them how to type correctly. The papers and projects are a good way for students to practice their typing skills. Another thing that most Elementary schools have the children learn about is the Internet. Most children go to the library and the computer lab to do a project or a paper. The teacher usually teaches the students research techniques. These techniques are not just for looking up books, but can prove very valuable in finding other assorted information on the Internet too. Students can learn how to find a good credible source from all the useless â€Å"junk websites†. Then they can learn how to give the original author credit for their work. This is important because if they do not learn how to get the information from the computer and the library, then they will have a really hard time in Middle School and High School trying to complete research papers, and other projects. Another thing that these Elementary students need to learn is how to quickly find the answers to various questions using the Internet. For example, I was in an Elementary classroom for a High School class that I took. When we got there, the teacher asked us to help our buddy get information, find information on the Internet regarding an animal that they had previously picked. They had already read a book about their animal from the library, and they had a few generic questions that the teacher wanted them to find answers to.

Brain Cell Transplants

For decades the wonders of science have miraculously improved and given hope to the unfortunate individuals of the world. From stem cell research to cloning, there is not a day that goes by that there is not a lab that is not full of eager scientists working hard in effort to find a cure for some of the millions of illnesses that are present today. There are many disabled children living throughout the world today. In fact, they make up quite a large portion of the world.From mental illnesses, to physical disabilities, there are thousands  of different types of diseases that strike newborns and children every day. Causes attributed to such illnesses can be anything from hereditary reasons to environmental. Fortunately, we have our magnificent scientists striving to help these children. In August of 2000, scientists began developing brain cell transplants to treat the damage caused by a stroke. The procedure appeared to benefit some patients. What this means is that their is, in fac t hope for children with mental disabilities, because a stroke causes mild to sever brain damage.Rehabilitation plays an important role once the brain cell transplants have taken place. And, not all patients will show signs of improvements. This is an ongoing study that is still being worked on and has much room for improvement. In the laboratory, scientists have actually developed a process which uses several to transform cells called LBS-neurons into mature brain cells or neurons. The regular LBS-neurons originate from human tumor tissue composed of embryonic like cells. This is a long way from looking through a magnifying glass!

What Causes Racism

What causes Racism? Racism is one of the most revolting things within the vicinity of humanity. It haunts our past, many times degrading the future. The causes of racism aren't known to the majority of humans living on earth, however, a good fraction of them express it. In order to cure racism, or at least minimize its affects on humanity, we have to examine the root causes. Some of the causes of racism are: Stereotypes Unfamiliarity selfishness and environmental factors. | |One of the most common causes of racism is stereotypes. Through television, through radio, through the internet, through music, through books, and the like, the potential for stereo types to build are a definite possibility. When a person, especially one that is very young, is exposed to stereotypes of a specific group for the first time, then that person will assume all are that way. Likewise, when a source is constantly displaying negative things about a particular race, then that will affect the overall opinio ns as well.Another very common, and probably the most common cause of racism is unfamiliarity. People fear what they do not know or understand. If someone hasn't grown up around a particular race before, then there is more of a chance the person can be racist toward that particular group. Not all the time, but when the person has already been fed negative stereotypes, and does not have the actual real life experiences with at least one within the particular group, then the chances of racism are increased.This is why it is important for children to be around other races at a young age: to ensure they get their minds used and adapted to being around them, and also to help counterbalance any false stereotypes they may encounter in the future. Selfishness is another obvious cause of racism. Humans are sometimes very selfish creatures caring only about their own at the expense of others. If individuals aren't taught how to respect others, then the potential for the person to become racis t is increased as well. This is why you will find that most caring individuals aren't racist. Neither are they sexist or anything else.The lastly and probably the most surprising cause of racism is environmental causes. We are all made different biologically and genetically. Our physical environment can affect our biology and therefore, in many cases, affect our minds. This does not mean freewill and choice are not options, but that an individual's potential for racism could possibly be increased through certain environmental factors unknown to man. By default, racism is nonexistent. However, things such as improper health maintenance, excess chemicals, head injuries, or other factors may help contribute to it.This should not be used as an excuse that racism has to persist, but more of a better chance to cure racism by enhancing biological health and medical technology, rather than thinking it can only be done by other means. Those are the 4 main causes of racism. As previously stat ed, racism is one of the most revolting things that paralyzes humanity. To cure racism permanently, we must first address the root problems, which are: stereotypes, unfamiliarity, selfishness, and environmental aspects. When we cure and address those things, we will cure racism as well.