The Events of September 11 Attacks Research Paper

The Events of September 11 Attacks - Research Paper Example In Hamburg, most of the secondary planners and pilots became radical and better equipped to attack. In the morning of September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked by 19 militants said to be mostly of the Saudi Arabia origin who subscribe to the ideals of Al Qaeda, undertook attacks targeting the US. They used four California-bound flights, taking control soon after their take-off. Some of the terrorists took charge of two commercial airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center’s twin towers at about 8.45am. Another airliner was crashed into the Pentagon by another group of terrorists at 9.45am. Another group took charge of yet another commercial airliner that was headed to the White House, Washington DC but it crashed in Pennsylvania at 10.10am after the terrorists were overpowered by passengers. It is believed that the perpetrators were involved in a holy act aimed at killing as many westerners as possible considered to be enemies. The then President George W. Bush was shuttled around the country due to security concerns and was only back to the White House at about 7pm and addressed the nation and indeed the world at 9pm to restore confidence in America’s sovereignty. Operation Enduring Freedom was hatched to oust Taliban regime and destroy the terrorist network of Osama (Bodden, 2007). Arrival of first responders Immediately the World Trade Center, WTC was attacked, there was a concentrated response by emergency services. According to Flood (2011), over 100 emergency medical service, EMS units together with many dozens of private ambulances arrived at the site, setting up triage centers from where the injured would be ferried to hospitals. Over 2,000 Port Authority and NYPD police officers enforced security in the area, ransacked the twin towers and assisted in rescuing survivors. Being a five-alarm fire situation, 214 FDNY units, much more than the required 44 units responded to the emergency with 58 ladder trucks, 112 engines, seve n squad companies, five rescue companies, dozens of chiefs, four marine units and massive support, communication and command units. Unfortunately, many of these first responders were also killed in the process. Why the Attacks? The question of what caused the 9/11 attacks remains elusive but has been largely attributed to the failed foreign policy as was applied in the Middle East. According to Bodden (2007) and Seessel (2003), the US had attracted hostility due to its support for Israel, a Jewish state, to be established and sustained. The Palestinians had for over 60 years raised their plight of being homeless and brutalized but no one, not even the US paid attention to their woes. This support for Israel caused anger among Islamic nations thus causing the radical Islamists to call for the withdrawal of the US from the region. Other initiators of the attacks have been cited as the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia and the economic sanctions that were imposed against Iraq in 19 90. Therefore, Islamic fundamentalists called on supporters of radical Islam to declare war against the government and citizens of the US.

Services Of A CPA Essay Example for Free

Services Of A CPA Essay Apart from regular functions like auditing the accounts of a company, tax planning, investment planning, a Certified Public Accountant is having multifarious role in these ever-changing corporate climate and this essay reveals some of the new roles assigned to them. CPA’s advising role to Non Profit Organization: CPA can advise the non profit organisations to obtain tax exempt status. CPA’s playing in their role as Non Profit organization’s volunteers, employees, directors, advisors and auditors can provide help to improve NPO governance and transparency. CPAs should consider to ensure that an organization is not in danger of engaging in inurnment or an excess benefit transaction. CAP should advise the NPO’s to shun always from political and lobbying activities so as to retain their exemption status. A CPA can assist NPO’s in establishing strong oversight, governance policies and procedures, accountability and fiscal responsibilities as a director, independent accountant, and employee, volunteer. CPA’s as advisors in Changing Valuation Field: The business valuation field has undergone a remarkable change. The Uniform Standards of Professional appraisal Practice (USPAP) standardized the performance and reporting of the business valuations .The following court rulings Kumbo Tire Company v. Carmichael and Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals have had major ramifications on the field of USPAP. Daubert and Kumbo and the IRS’ regulations on sufficient disclosure on gifts have all poignantly enhanced what had been inconsistent and unreliable valuation practices. Hence CPA having skill, knowledge, experience, education, and training in business valuations can advice in this regard .A CPA runs the hazard of having testimony disqualified, or having a gift of stock pulled back into a decedent’s estate at fair market value years beyond the statute of limitations., if he errs in his valuation technique. CPA’s function in turnarounds: CPA have the experience and training to discover the financial deterioration of a company and factors signifying an incipient financial crisis and they have also talents to serve in keys roles in subsequent corporate turnarounds. The method is characterized by three stages: stabilization, crisis and rebuilding. A CPA can evaluate the financial implications of intermediate, alternate and long-term turnaround plans, supervise controls to achieve proper resource allocation, construct systems, and report turnaround strategy and they are vital in its successful implementation because they are accountable for performing diagnostic reviews and operational audits, preparing documentation and developing systems for internal control and financial reporting. REFERENCES: Claudia L.Kelly, Susan Anderson, (2006), The CPA’s Role in Governance, Accountability and Transparency, The CPA Journal Online, August 2006 Issue. Quintero, Ronald G (1989), The CPA’s role in turnarounds. The CPA Journal online, September, 1989 issue.

The History And Principles Of Lexicography

The History And Principles Of Lexicography Lexicography is separated into two types: Practical lexicography is the ability of accumulating, writing and editing dictionaries. The study or description of the vocabulary of a particular language, and the meaning that associates certain words to others in a dictionary, is recognized as Theotrical Lexicography. Theotrical Lexicography is particularly concerned with developing theories concerning the structural and semantic associations among words in the dictionary. As it involves theotrical analysis of the lexicon, Theotrical Lexicography is also identified as Metalexicography To gain a better understanding of lexicography, we should be familiar with lexicons. Lexicon is an expression used in linguistics to point out the archive of lexemes. Lexemes are abstract, smallest components in a language that connect interrelated forms of a word together. Lexemes, then, make up a lexicon which is the compilation of word meanings in a specified language. In a dictionary, the lexemes, sometimes loosely referred to as word stems, are given first and followed by variations of the base word. The lexicon also deals with semantics which is a field of linguistics. In addition to providing data on the morphology and semantics of a lexeme, the dictionary in addition offers structural information concerning the origin of the word, and chronological information about the development of the word into its present-day form. This is recognized as etymology. Lexicology took form to meet the demands of many diverse branches of applied linguistics. Its significance is that assists to motivate a systematic approach to the facts of vocabulary and an organised judgment of the foreign and native language. It is mainly helpful in building up the learners terminology by a useful selection, grouping and study of new words. The English Dictionary has not been created by a single man and not in one age. It has gradually developed through the ages. In the seventh and eighth centuries, Latin was the only language of books in Western Europe. Then, the education of Latin was the doorway to all the knowledge. Right about that time, a carrier of a Latin book came across difficult words which were not well known in Latin vocabulary. Upon discovering the meanings, he used to write them over the original text in easier Latin or a word in his own dialect. A Word written in such manner is called a gloss. Many examples of glosses have been found in old Latin texts. Professor Napier collected all the unpublished glosses. An assortment of glosses which was copied and put together into a single list comprised a Glossarium or Glossary; it was the distant forerunner of the seventeenth-century Table Alphabetical, or Expositor of Hard Words. In cooperation grammar and vocables were most likely communicated by oral teaching, and were passed down by speech from generation to generation. Records of vocables, with their meaning were sometimes preserved down in a paper or parchment leaves and a compilation of these composed a Vocabularium or Vocabulary.  [1]   The Vocabulary and the Glossary satisfied alike offices and so they were frequently united. When these documents were copied and re-copied, it was observed that their effectiveness can be improved by putting the words and phrases into alphabetical order, all the words with the same first letter was brought together. All the words beginning with A were extracted, then with B and so on. This is known as the first letter order. Another scribe sometime later selected the A words that began with Aa, Ab and so on. Now the vocabulary was to the extent of the second letter of each word. All these stages can be noticed in four of the earliest glossaries of English origin as the Leiden, the Epinal, the Erfurt, and the Corpus. The Leiden Glossary corresponds to the initial phase of such a work. Epinal Glossary, which uses part at least of the materials of the Leiden, adding in with them many others. This glossary has sophisticated to first-letter order. The third stage is characterized by the Corpus Glossary where the alphabetical arrangement second letters order. The MS. of the Corpus Glossary dates to the early part of the eighth century. The Leiden was created between 600 and 700 A.D. a lot of vocabularies were brought together between this time frame and the eleventh century. It is obvious that as time went by, these glossaries and vocabularies became more and it is noteworthy that those ancient glossaries and vocabularies not only became fuller and more systematic and more English. At first glosses were used to explain hard Latin words by easier Latin words. If an easier word was not known then the explanation was in Old English. In the Epinal Glossary the English words are therefore comparatively in a small amount. In the Corpus Glossary, and the glossaries that follow, the Latin explanations have become more eradicated and restored by English ones. In the tenth and eleventh centuries vocabularies were Latin-English. During the sixteenth century there were accumulated and published many important Latin-English and English-Latin vocabularies and dictionaries. In 1747, five or six London booksellers contracted with Johnson to create the preferred standard dictionary. From the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the lexicographical superiority of Johnsons Dictionary was undoubted. Noah Webster and Dr. Charles Richardson contributed independent works towards the development of lexicology. Noah Webster believed that America must have a dictionary of its own form of English. Richardson believed that definitions are unnecessary in a dictionar y, that quotations only are enough. He created a dictionary without definitions, but he exemplified each group of words by a large series of quotations. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Dr. Trench, then Dean of Westminster, called upon the Philological Society to take on the compilation of resources to complete the work already done by Bailey, Johnson, Todd, Webster, Richardson, and others, and to prepare a supplement to all the dictionaries, which must catalog all absent words and senses, and provide all the chronological information in which these works were deficient. From this urge the movement started which has concluded in the preparation of the Oxford English Dictionary, A new English Dictionary on Historical Principles, founded mainly on the materials collected by the Philological Society. Since then several large dictionaries have been accumulated.  [2]   3 What is the difference between a dictionary and an encyclopedia  [ ·]  ? The main differences between a dictionary and an encyclopaedia are that a dictionary makes definitions of words available for us, which are arranged alphabetically, gives information on how to pronounce the word, lexicons. Whereas an encyclopaedia is a set of books that contain articles on different subjects in alphabetical order. If we look at an example of the word table. The dictionary gives us different meanings of this word with sentences. When we look at an encyclopaedia for the same word, we get a range of articles that are related to the specific word with detailed information and even pictures. What jobs should dictionaries do? The following are some of the main jobs that dictionaries do: look up the meaning of an English word find the English translation of a word in your language check the spelling of a word check the plural of a noun or past tense of a verb find out other grammatical information about a word find the synonym or antonym of a word look up the collocations of a word check the part of speech of a word find out how to say a word find out about the register of a word find examples of the use of a word in natural language Dictionaries are used by people of different professions to help them at work. Below are some examples: Teacher: The dictionary means that the teacher is not required to investigate each word to find out if each of the students is able to recognise the use of this word in the specific circumstance. The skill to make use of a somewhat more highly developed vocabulary without risk strengthens this vocabulary for people who are familiar with it and to let others rapidly get hold of the vocabulary, giving them the self-assurance to take on more difficult texts. Additional, by presenting more than a few senses, the process of choosing the accurate one commences the cognitive course of disambiguation that the person who reads even having a superior vocabulary requiures to obtain. Out of all the likely meanings, the learner ought to single out the accurate one, therefore moving from a lexical to a semantic understanding of the term inside the text. Student: A thesaurus is a great tool if writing an essay. Teachers have a preference to writing where vocabulary is varied. Synonyms and related terms can be used for a particular meaning of the word. English learners: A dictionary is a great companion to prolong a diminutive vocabulary. If you find a word that you are not aware the meaning of, use of a dictionary will assist in defining that word and by providing examples of its usage in a sentence. When you are trying to find a word, you also get a chance to learn other new words which are related to that word. The word might contain more than a few meanings. The more you teach English, the larger the number of resulting meanings you desire to search for. These are frequently in sequence to how often the sense is used. The more your are improved in your English, the more senses you would like to become well-known with. This will keep away from confusion in the future as you start reading more difficult documents. It is also helpful to look for for synonyms whilst you are there. Looking up synonyms is a excellent way of authenticating that you have in fact understood the word. Are the synonyms listed by the dictionary the same in a sentence with the word you are looking up? If not, you might have the incorrect sense of the word. Another great tool for learning is related terms. You can look up additional universal or more definite terms. Looking up more general terms is great for reading; it helps better understand the word but letting look at words that have somewhat different meanings and understanding why they are not synonyms. An additional way of using a dictionary is to understand a term into your language. Learning another language: An online dictionary is great for people who are learning a new language. If you dont know a language at all, then you have probably tried one of the many online translators; these translators translate a page of a foreign language into English. You will not need to translate the matter if you have even a little understanding of that language. You can use a dictionary to find out the meanings of words that you are not familiar with. When writing: A dictionary is an important tool for writers. This is because they have to be certain that the words are spelled correctly. An automatic spell checker will not give you the same results as a dictionary would. Editors will always tell you to differ your vocabulary. You can look up in the thesaurus to find similar words to the ones you wish to use. 4 5 Consider more recent developments in modelling lexical meaning such as network representations. A Data-graphical Model of the Linguistic Sign. The triangle is the vital graphical formula of the sign. The semantic triangle is the first graphic model of the sign. This triangle imitates the proposition which has been acknowledged since the Middle Ages, that the form of a linguistic expression (Symbol) denotes the thing (Referent) by virtue of understanding (Thought). This is the logical triangle by the German logician and mathematician G. Frege. In this triangle, the graphical image separates and brings together denotation (Bedeutung), concept (Sinn), and sign (Form). The British linguist John Lyons in his model articulated the temperament of the word (Word) more accurately as a double-sided entity. He associates the meaning of a word with the concept (Concept) linked to the form of the word (Sing) in the minds of the speakers, thus continuing the medieval tradition. All the models considered above are semantic models, since they are associated only with the semantic dimension of semiotics. 6 The value of this idea is that the meaning of a word is formed as an autonomous unit belonging to the system, and not identified either with concept (Concept) or with a thing (Referent). Ferdinand de Saussure, the eminent twentieth-century Swiss linguist, warranted the sign character of language in his theory. The study of language as a system of signs articulating ideas holds an important place in his linguistic origin. For Saussure, the linguistic sign is the signifier. In this model by Novikov, the triangle is replaced by a trapezoid and distinguishes the scientific notion of an object and lexical meaning of a word which calls this object, and also distinguishes the internal sign and the external sign. The lexical meaning depends upon objective reality, thought (idea of an object), and the language system, which is reflected in the scheme as its relationship to the subject, scientific notion, and sign. Lexical meaning comprises of different characteristics, which are interrelated and work together among themselves. L.A. Novikov differentiates here the significative meaning, the structural, which in turn is subdivided into syntagmatic and paradigmatic, emotive, and denotative. Novikov projected however another model, which produces all the kinds of relationships that shape the structure of the sign: semantic, syntactic, pragmatic and sygmatic. Below is a modification of this model.

Contributions of Charles Darwin to Science

Contributions of Charles Darwin to Science Title: The contribution to science by a scientist of your choice. 3000 words This paper discusses the contribution to science made by the English scientist Charles Darwin, (1809-1882), author of The Origin of Species (1859), the originator of the Theory of Natural Selection or Evolution. It examines the manner in which the work of Darwin could be related into the existing science curriculum, considering his work as an exemplar of the scientific method. It also sets out to relate the scientific discoveries and principles involved to other aspects of the school curriculum, especially in the area of citizenship. The contentious nature of Darwin’s ‘discovery’ in his own time illustrates the fact that there is a common interest in the discipline: we are, in a sense, stakeholders in scientific facts and methods, since they help to determine the shape of our daily lives. As the House of Lords points out, ‘.this is not confined to scientists; it extends to those who make policy, whether public or commercial, on the basis of scientific opport unities and advice. Policy-makers will find it hard to win public support.on any issue with a science component, unless the publics attitudes and values are recognised, respected and weighed in the balance along with the scientific and other factors.’ (House of Lords, 2000, para 2.66). Despite its age, Darwin’s theory continues to be debated, and can inform us about the importance of observational skills and scientific integrity. It also provides precedents for the way science and society interact, which may be useful in our society. As the Royal Society observes, ‘It is thus not trust in science per se which is of concern but the speed of scientific and technological development, the uses to which science is put, and the ability of regulatory and institutional structures to keep pace with this change.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.13). Darwin’s work brought him notoriety, but also controversy and personal vitriol. (See illustrations). This is where the link between science and citizenship can be made. How does this contribution map to the science curriculum? As a 2002 Report by House of Lords acknowledges, ‘The foundations of an interest in science are laid at primary school, between the ages of 5 and 11.’ (House of Lords, para. 6.3) The principle benefit which could be obtained through the work of Darwin is a general accessibility, which would itself enable learners to engage with the curriculum. As Meadows points out, ‘Much of cognition and learning depends on identifying the relevant knowledge that the learner already has in existing memory so that this knowledge can be used as a starting point for learning what is new. Having no starting point†¦will hamper learning and reasoning†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Meadows, 2006: p.112). A variety of authorities and analysts have noted there that are continuing conceptual problems in the way learners, and the wider community engage with science. These are attributable to a variety of factors. Qualitative (i.e. phenomenological) research commissioned jointly by the DTI and the Well come Trust revealed public support for the idea that ‘Science makes our lives change too fast.’ (Wellcome Trust, 2000, p.23) Beyond this apparently simple picture there lay a more complex picture, with differentiated levels of understanding and interest claimed for different areas of science. Environmental concerns, health issues and medial discoveries held the greatest interest for 82-91 per cent of respondents, whilst new technology was considered more interesting by 74 per cent. Only 48 per cent of those questioned claimed that energy issues were the most significant for them. (Wellcome Trust 2000: p.21) The same research also discovered that it was possible to categorise respondents into different groups, determined by their interest in science, and the degree of trust they felt in science and scientists. Correspondingly, subjects characterised themselves as ‘confident believers’ at the end of the continuum most engaged with science, to ‘supporter s’ half way along the scale, right down to those who stated that science was ‘not for them’. (Wellcome 2000: pp.5-7) Correspondingly, there are several overlapping benefits which could be obtained through an expanded use of Darwin’s work. Firstly, an enhanced understanding of scientific method, secondly, an improved awareness of the operation of natural laws, and thirdly, the means by which research results are validated, interpreted and shared. The benefits of this could start to be felt even at the Primary phase, as Peacock et.al. argue, ‘Primary science is perhaps best regarded†¦as an intellectual, practical, creative and social endeavour which seeks to help children to better understand and make sense of the world in which they live†¦(and)†¦should involve children in thinking and working in particular ways in the pursuit of reliable knowledge.’ ( Peacock et al., 2007: p.1). It is in this way that a rigorous interpretation of the general principles established by Darwin might be very beneficial, in overturning and challenging pre-conceived ideas about identity and value, such as those often attributed to the so-called ‘hidden curriculum.’ As Bishop and Simpson point out, ‘The pressures of the hidden curriculum are also present with regard to structure. The children themselves can be very forceful in structuring science activities with preconceived social frameworks.’ (Bishop and Simpson, 1995: p.7). In thematic terms, Darwin’s work is thoroughly supportive of the Knowledge, Skills and Understanding element of the science curriculum, i.e. , Ideas and evidence in Science, Investigative Skills, and subsidiary disciplines such as planning and presenting evidence. By the time students reach Key Stage 3, these skills are being further developed under the headings of Practical and Enquiry Skills, Critical Understanding of Evidence, and Communication. In practical terms, principles developed from Darwin’s theory could be incorporated into the science curriculum as early as unit 1A, Ourselves, and then continued on through key Stage 2 in Life Processes and Living Things. Within the latter, it would be important to focus on sub-unit 4, Variation and Classification, and 5, Living Things in Their Environment, noting how living organisms vary and change according to their context. This theme could be carried on developmentally in the context of Key Stage Three, which incorporat es two highly relevant modules, Organisms, Behaviour and Health, and The Environment, Earth and Universe. Moving away from the formal curriculum, Darwin’s theory could help by developing the foundations of causal reasoning and also problem solving, contributing to a general improvement in science standards overall, across all units of study. How does the work of the scientist demonstrate the scientific method, or is it a counter example? From an educational and scientific perspective, Darwin’s work is interesting because it is based extensively on observation and deduction, rather than extensive or repeatable physical experimentation. Because of the enormous timescales involved in the evolutionary processes which preoccupied Darwin, it is in effect, impossible to prove, in absolute terms, whether the theory is correct or not. The theory still has its detractors, and direct opponents, who object to it on ideological or theological grounds. Despite this however, it has become a generally accepted scientific principle. Darwin’s work is therefore, in one sense, the purest expression of the scientific method, especially since it was formulated in a vacuum of worthwhile antecedents, and an atmosphere of considerable ideological opposition. The only possible way in which his work might be deemed a ‘counter example’ is the manner in which it ran directly contrary to much mainstream scientific think ing amongst his contemporaries. However, it definitely was a discovery made because of – rather than in spite of – scientific method. Essentially, what Darwin did was to propose an interpretation of events, extrapolated from a vast amount of biological and geological evidence: he then formulated a specific interpretation of causality which, in his analysis, had only one possible scientific outcome. It is this kind of observational model, based on causality, which can tap into the learner’s innate cognitive ability, even from the youngest age. As Meadows observes of children’s interpretative perception, ‘†¦By the beginning of school years, it follows basic causal principles, for example that causes precede effects rather than following effects, that they covary with their effects – the effect regularly and predictably appears after the cause and does not appear without it, and the cause and effect are close, or at least linked, in time and space.’. (Meadows, 2006: p.109) How can the work being discussed be used to address citizenship issues in schools? As Rose and Rose indicate, it has always been possible to take the view that, ‘science appears to advance in a more or less ordered manner, irrespective of the prevailing social environment in which it is performed.’ (Rose and Rose, 1970, p.241) The power of Darwin’s work lays in its ability to bridge the gap between science and the community, and it is here that his relevance to issues of citizenship may be found. Darwin’s contribution to science as mirrored to a great extent by the way his work reinforced other areas of academic, philosophical and social study: all of this makes it directly relevant to citizenship issues. As Wallace points out, ‘A reading of the Origin†¦make it difficult to assert that Darwin’s mind was ‘devoid’ of economic and philosophy. A more sustainable conclusion is that it was permeated by principles of political economy and philosophy in the form of a language which did not differentiate between the political and the biological.’ (Wallace 1995: p.11) In other words, Darwin’s work was implicitly bound up with the values of his host society: it is this which makes it an ideal link between science and citizenship. The only contrast is that we move from a Victorian context, to a present day one. This, it may be argued, has potential benefits for science, education, and society alike. As the Royal Society concluded with regard to the current science curriculum, ‘many students lacked enthusiasm for. the subject, and felt frustrated by a content-heavy curriculum which gave them little room to explore controversial and ethical issues that might interest them.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.21 ) Darwin’s work, it may be argued, is perfectly adapted to facilitate the latter: it is not remote, or obscure, and on certain levels it is highly accessible. The links between science and citizenship manifest themselves in various ways. Firstly, there is the whole issue of public understanding of, and trust in science. As Meadows points out, ‘†¦understanding cause builds up into what has been called a ‘naà ¯ve physics’, a coherent set of notions about how objects behave; if this gives rise to the formation and testing of hypotheses by observation and experiment, it becomes the basis for a physics which is scientific rather than naà ¯ve.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.109). Darwin’s work teaches us that it is not only the observation of a phenomena, but the cultural capacity to assimilate its meaning, which is important. Scientific matters are not the discrete concern of the scientific community itself, but spill over into the political sphere and eventually concern us all. This is especially true when ethical issues become involved, as they increasingly tend to do in the biological and life-sciences, affecting everything from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the health treatment we can expect, and even the degree of control we might have in determining the health, gender, and character of our children. The important point here is that attitudes vary, from a profound mistrust, to an almost myopic faith in science. As the House of Lords observed, neither position is entirely valid, a situation it attributes sqaurely to schools. ‘In common parlance, scientific is almost synonymous with certain. This perception, which is probably picked up at school, is virtually true of much old and well-established scientific knowledge. In many of the areas of current concern, from climate change to cancer, it is however very wide of the mark.’ (House of Lords, 2000, para. 4.1) It is not the fallibility of science which is useful from a citizenship point of view, but rather the necessity of maintaining an open mind and capacity for objective debate. It is also important to remember that we all share a collective responsibility for the way that society is conducted, and the manner in which scientific affair are run on our behalf. Again, this is not a remote or academic debate, and at its most intense, can demonstrate the relevance of scientific method in our everyday lives. As the Royal Society points out, contemporary crises such as that created by BSE illustrates this. ‘ BSE highlighted profound concerns about the science advice process and the role of scientists and government officials, the effectiveness policy making and action within departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the ability of Ministers to both gauge and communicate risk effectively, and fundamentally the relationship between science and politics.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.17) If we take the Key Stage Three Citizenship curriculum as an example, the continued relevance of Darwin’s ideas becomes apparent. In the sphere of political, legal and human rights, we must take account of the DFES guidance that every child is A unique child.every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured. (DFES, 2007: p.5). The essence of Darwin’s thought is that all people are descended from the same ultimate source, and therefore equality before the law, and of political rights, is a prerequisite of an equitable society and civil polity. This in turn leads into the principles of democracy and the idea everyone should have a voice in determining the legislative conduct of government. The importance of maintaining freedom of speech and allowing a diversity of views are also essential to the principles of citizenship as enshrined in the curriculum. It is important to remember that, without these facilities, Darwin’s scientific ideas might never have received public attention. In Section 2, Key Processes, the KS3 Citizenship curriculum requires that learners ‘†¦engage with and reflect on different ideas, opinions, beliefs and values when exploring topical and controversial issues and problems.’ (QCA 2007: p.30). Darwin knew that publishing his ideas about evolution in Victorian society would draw fierce opposition from many quarters, because of its dissonance with biblical teachings about the Creation. This opposition was likely to be immovable and resistant to logic: As Hull points out, those ‘†¦who rejected evolutionary theory primarily for theological reasons†¦would not have been able to accept it even if all the evidence had been overwhelmingly in its favour – which it was not.’ (Hull 1974: p.450). Similarly, his right to debate his theories with opponents and critics fo rmed an important part of the way in which he fundamentally changed attitudes, way beyond the purely scientific sphere. As Darwin himself wrote of one of his counter-theorists, ‘He will be dead against me, as you prophesied†¦but he is generously civil to me personally. On his standard of proof, natural science would never progress, for without the making of theories I am convinced there would be no observation.’ (Hull 1974: p.229). As can be seen from this, it should be possible, in a tolerant and progressive society, to express and discuss opposed views in a reasonable way: the freedom to do this, and determination to protect such freedoms, are important tenets of contemporary citizenship. As the Key Stage Three citizenship curriculum puts it, responsible citizens should be able to ‘†¦communicate an argument, taking account of different viewpoints and drawing on what they have learnt through research, action and debate†¦justify their argument, givi ng reasons to try to persuade others to think again, change or support them.’ (QCA 2007: p.30). In contemporary UK society, responsible citizenship also requires us to understand diversity of cultures and identities, and that movement of people, either temporarily or permanently, is an intrinsic feature of our society and economy. This is fully reflected in the citizenship curriculum, which states that learners should recognise †¦the hanging nature of UK society, including the diversity of ideas, beliefs, cultures, identities, traditions, perspectives and values that are shared.’ (QCA 2007: p.33) Darwin’s theory of natural selection is supportive of such perspectives in a variety of ways. By teaching us that we all have common origins, his thinking undermines any ideas of intrinsic racial difference, or any barriers erected around such ideas. Since we all developed from the same biological source, there can be no justification for valuing any individual differently: in other words, concepts of ‘biological determinism’ are invalidated. Moreover, a ny attempt to do so can, by Darwin’s teaching, at once be revealed as arbitrary, subjective and unscientific. There are obvious cross-curricular links to be made here, both historically and in terms of contemporary societies, where such conditions still endure. Children are natural observers of the phenomenon around them, and Darwin’s ideas are profoundly supportive of this. Meadows points out that children ‘†¦appear to draw inferences about the causes of events they see, to discriminate between self-caused and other-caused movement, to categorize living things that are agents as different from inanimate objects.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.109). Being citizens also accrues us the responsibility to change things for the better: correspondingly, although we have rights in society, we have a duty to ensure that such rights are exercised responsibly, without impinging on the rights of others. Darwin’s theory also taught us that we are, as social actors, en tirely interdependent upon each other. Bibliography Amigon, D., and Wallace, J., (1995), Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species: new Interdisciplinary essays. : Manchester University Press, Manchester. Anderson, R.D., (1992), Universities and Elites in Britain since 1800, MacMillan, Basingstoke. Bishop, A., and Simpson, R., (1995), Strategies for Structured Play in Science in the Nursery’, Primary Teaching Studies, Autumn, Vol.9, No.3, pp.5-8. Burgess, R.G., (1989), The Ethics of Educational Research, Falmer Press, Lewes. The Children’s Plan: Building Brighter Futures, (2007), Department for Children, Schools and Families. HMSO, London. DeFalco, J., ‘Trade-Offs, Risks and Regulations in Science and Technology: Implications for STS Education.’, in Kamur, D.D., and Chubin, D.E., (eds), (2000), Science, Technologyand Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. DFES, (2007), Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for Children from Birth to Five, HMSO, London. House of Lords, (2000) ScienceandTechnology, 3rd Report, downloaded from http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldselect/ldsctech/38/3801.htm Hull, D.L., (1974), Darwin and his Critics, Harvard University Press, Mass. Kamur, D.D., and Chubin, D.E., (eds), (2000), Science, Technologyand Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. Lenton and McNeil, (1991), ‘Primary school teachers understanding of the biological concepts in the National Curriculum’ Primary Teaching Studies, Oct., Vol.6, No.2, pp.196-203. Mackenzie, D., and Wacjman,J., (eds), (1994), The Social Shaping of Technology: How the Refrigerator got its Hum, Open University Press, Milton Keynes. Mauther, M., Birch, M., Jessop, J., and Miller, T., (2002), Ethics in Qualitative Research, London, Sage. Meadows, S., (2006), The Child as Thinker: The Development and Acquisition of Cognition in Childhood, Routledge, London. Pursell, C., (1994), White Heat, BBC Books, London. QCA, (2007), Citizenship: Programme of Study for Key Stage 3 and Attainment Target, QCA. Rose, H., and Rose, S., (1970), Science and Society, Penguin, Harmandsworth. The Royal Society, (2004) Excellence in Science: Science in Society, London. Rose, H., and Rose, S., (1970), Science and Society, Penguin, Harmandsworth. Scruton, R., (1982), A Dictionary of Political Thought, MacMillan, London. Science and the Public: A Review of Science Communication and Public Attitudes to Science in Britain, A Joint Report by the Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, (2000), HMSO, London. Wakeford, T., and Walters, M., (eds) (1995) Science for the Earth: Can Science Make the World a Better Place? John Wiley and Sons,Chichester. Wallace, J., (1995) ‘Introduction: difficulty and defamiliarisation-language and process in the Origin of Species’, in Amigon, D., and Wallace, J., (1995), Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species: new Interdisciplinary essays. : Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp.1-46. Winner, L., ‘Do Artefacts Have Politics’, in Mackenzie, D., and Wacjman,J., (eds), (1994), The Social Shaping of Technology: How the Refrigerator got its Hum, Open University Press, Milton Keynes.

Heartbreak Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

Salty tears of frustration streamed down my checks into the steaming mineral water that surrounded me. No one noticed; no one cared. I was just another stranger in the crowd drifting along in Glenwood Pool. There was only one difference; I was alone. Everyone else in the pool seemed to have someone, and everywhere I looked couples were kissing! If someone had been surveying the whole thing they would have found happiness in every corner ... then they would have seen me; sulking in my corner of the pool with fat, old, wrinkly, bald men swimming past me repeatedly. I let out a withered sigh, which caused me to choke in the middle of yet another sob. I had had enough. I weakly pulled myself out of the pool and walked to my towel. I grabbed the huge, orange and white stripped thing and wrapped it around my shivering body, hoping to find some warmth and comfort; but even my monstrous beach towel could not cut the chill I felt inside. I started to walk to the changing room past the hundred faces I knew nothing of, but by now were familiar. I had searched each face a hundred times hoping to see someone I knew. Finally, I realized that I knew none of them, and the person I was looking for just wasn't coming. A little boy with a toothless smile came running toward me. I stopped him and gave him my water slide tickets. He gave me a smile that said I had given him the world and ran away squealing after his daddy. I sighed again and thought, "Well, at least he's happy!" My throat tightened as I swallowed another sob. I quickened my pace to the changing room. I wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible. I opened the door and walked in. The smell of sulfur, soap, and shampoo assaulted my nostrils, while the sight of naked wom... ...seen. Three hours I had waited by myself in the pool, but Thomas had never come. I walked to my locker, retrieved my things, and headed for the shower. All I wanted was to get away from the pain I felt. The car was hot and stuffy when I slipped back into the driver's seat. I found the most depressing music I owned and drove out of Glenwood as the sun started to set. Two more hours until I was home, two more hours of thinking what a terrible day I had gone through, and two more hours of cussing myself for being so naà ¯ve. The drive was a long one. On the way home, tears of frustration again stung my eyes. There was no stopping them. Another "being stood up" mark was added to the ever growing list. This one had pierced my heart and the resolve of my soul was to never date again. Thus, the book of dating was slammed shut and the key sank to the bottom of the pool.

The Mathematics of Bubbles in Beer :: Math Carbonation

Refraction Refraction is what happens to light when it passes from one medium to another. For example, things appear differently from the bottom of a swimming pool than on the top. Simplistically, refraction is the bending of light. The explanation for this phenomenon, however, can be described with light as rays and light as waves. No matter the case, it is important to remember that the speed of light is constant in every homogeneous medium, regardless of shape, size or form. The index of refraction Light travels ( in certain substances ) at a fraction of the velocity if it travelled in a vacuum. The index of refraction is the inverse of this fraction. Thus, this number is greater than or equal to 1. This index is also specific to light, so different light in different mediums have different indices. For example, here is a table of indices: Material Index Vacuum 1.00000 Air at STP 1.00029 Ice 1.31 Water at 20 C 1.33 Acetone 1.36 Ethyl alcohol 1.36 Sugar solution(30%) 1.38 Diamond 2.417 So let's observe the effect of refraction in terms of rays. A ray strikes the surface between substance I and substance R. The angle i between the incoming ray and the normal vector at the boundary is called the angle of incidence, and the angle r between the refracted ray and the normal vector on the opposite side is called the angle of refraction. This is related in the following law, called Snell's Law: ni sin i = nr sin r. For red light in air hitting water this gives sin r = sin i/1.33 Solving for Snell's Law for r gives the relation r = arcsin (sin i/n) Explicit Calculation In simple ray tracing, a ray originates at a point P at a directional vector v, which is of unit length. This is the set of all points P+tv where t is a non-negative scalar. When the ray hits the boundary between two different substances, it will refract, and begin a new ray. The Mathematics of Bubbles in Beer :: Math Carbonation Refraction Refraction is what happens to light when it passes from one medium to another. For example, things appear differently from the bottom of a swimming pool than on the top. Simplistically, refraction is the bending of light. The explanation for this phenomenon, however, can be described with light as rays and light as waves. No matter the case, it is important to remember that the speed of light is constant in every homogeneous medium, regardless of shape, size or form. The index of refraction Light travels ( in certain substances ) at a fraction of the velocity if it travelled in a vacuum. The index of refraction is the inverse of this fraction. Thus, this number is greater than or equal to 1. This index is also specific to light, so different light in different mediums have different indices. For example, here is a table of indices: Material Index Vacuum 1.00000 Air at STP 1.00029 Ice 1.31 Water at 20 C 1.33 Acetone 1.36 Ethyl alcohol 1.36 Sugar solution(30%) 1.38 Diamond 2.417 So let's observe the effect of refraction in terms of rays. A ray strikes the surface between substance I and substance R. The angle i between the incoming ray and the normal vector at the boundary is called the angle of incidence, and the angle r between the refracted ray and the normal vector on the opposite side is called the angle of refraction. This is related in the following law, called Snell's Law: ni sin i = nr sin r. For red light in air hitting water this gives sin r = sin i/1.33 Solving for Snell's Law for r gives the relation r = arcsin (sin i/n) Explicit Calculation In simple ray tracing, a ray originates at a point P at a directional vector v, which is of unit length. This is the set of all points P+tv where t is a non-negative scalar. When the ray hits the boundary between two different substances, it will refract, and begin a new ray.

Education †Teacher Essay

Discussion of aim of education is a function of the philosophy of education or ‘educational theory’. The aim of education – in the fullest and deepest sense of the word – is in keeping with the nature of the human personality or ‘human nature’. Human nature is defined in terms of the cultivation and development of perceptive intelligence based on experience i. e. ‘creative intelligence’. Creative intelligence or ‘intuition’ combines reason of understanding with wisdom of compassion†¦ depends on human ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’†¦. aim of education is to cultivate creative intelligence required for adaptation to changes in the social environment i. e. ‘adaptability’. Life is very complex and complicated. But an aim in life can make the complex life simple and purposeful. Aims give us direction to work and without aim, destination, or objective life becomes incomplete and haphazard. Individual has different interests, attitudes and needs. Every individual wants to achieve certain goals in life. But a clear-cut aim makes the road of life easy. Educational aims are varied. They have their different role in different fields. Some specific aims are listed below: (i) Knowledge Aim: The aim of education is the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. It helps to adjust properly in one’s own environment. Knowledge helps the man to overcome the nature and satisfy human wants. It links the teacher and taught with social situation. It helps with certain skills to live in a society as human being and civilized one. Philosophers and educationists of the world believe in knowledge. It is the valuable asset of life, which helps the individual to overcome misery and problems of life. (ii) Vocational Aim: Knowledge aim of education is narrow by nature. The theoretical knowledge will never meet our basic needs of life. We need bread and butter to fill up our belly. We can get it if education is vocationalised. Gandhiji realized it in 1937 when he introduced Basic Education. Vocational aim develops the social efficiency of the individual. It reduces mental tension after completion of education. Those who are lower, intelligence in vocational education or training are a blessing for them. Realizing this aspect. Indian Education Commission (1964-66) introduces work-experience in the curriculum. (iii) Character Building Aim: The Indian concept of education believes in self-realization. Self-realization is possible through moral education. So the individual should cultivate moral virtues or values which constitute character. Swami Vivekananda said, â€Å"We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. † (iv) Complete-Living Aim: The individual has various aspects to be developed. Every aspect of the personality is reflected in various activities to be performed. Education should help the individual to fulfill the various needs and necessities of life like self-preservation, fulfilling necessities of life, rearing and bearing of children, performing civic responsibilities and utilizing his leisure time properly. Firstly, the individual must know the art of self-preservation. Secondly, education should enable to him to earn his living. Thirdly, he should know how to take care of his own children. Lastly, he must have the idea how to utilize the leisure hours properly in a profiting manner. (v) Harmonious: Development of the personality aim- Gandhiji said, â€Å"By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit. † The meaning itself indicates to develop all-round aspects of individual-physical, intellectual, social and spiritual. All these aspects of the individual should be harmoniously developed. True education is development of 3H’s instead of 3R’s. The development of Head, Heart and hand of an individual makes him happy. (vi) Democratic Aim of Education: One of the important aims and objective of education suggested by Secondary Education Commission (1952-54) is to develop the democratic citizenship. India is a democratic country. Even citizen must have to realize the duties and responsibilities carefully. So the aim of education is to train carefully the future citizens. Training should be provided to develop the following qualities of the individual. (i) Capacity for clear thinking (ii) Receptivity of new idea (iii) Clarity in speech and writing (iv) True patriotism Further the democratic aim of education develop vocational efficiency, personality and leadership quality. Indian Education Commission (1964-66) under the chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari suggested the following as the aims of education in a democratic set-up. (i) Increasing productivity (ii) Developing social and national integrity (iii) Making education modernized and (iv) Cultivating of social, moral and spiritual values. Each individual teacher has an opinion about what the aim of education should be, not only in their own classroom but also in school in general. Many issues occur when differing opinions about the purpose of education collide. It is important to recognize that other people, including many of your coworkers, administrators, and your students’ parents might have a different point of view concerning what education should be all about. Following is a list of different aims of education that individuals might espouse. 1. Knowledge to Get By. This old school belief holds that school is important in providing students with the knowledge they need to get by in their day-to-day lives. They need to know how to read, write, and do arithmetic. Even though these core topics form the foundation of a student’s education, most educators today would probably not agree that this should be the extent of a student’s school career. 2. Knowledge of Subject Matter Being Taught The purpose of education to some teachers is to impart knowledge about the subject matter they are teaching without much thought to other classes. When taken to the extreme, these teachers focus on their own subject matter as being more important than what students are learning in other classes. For example, teachers who are unwilling to compromise their own subject matter for the good of the students can cause problems for the school at large. When the school I taught at tried to implement senior projects, we got push back from a couple of teachers who were not willing to change their lessons to include cross curricular activities. 3. Desire to Create Thoughtful Citizens. This might be considered another old school belief. However, this is held by many individuals, especially within the larger community. Students will some day be a part of a community and need the skills and mores to exist within that society as thoughtful citizens. For example, they will need to be able to vote in presidential elections. 4. To Gain Self Esteem and Confidence While the self esteem movement often gets ridiculed, we do want our students to feel confident about their learning abilities. The problem comes in with inflated self esteem not based on reality. However, this is often cited as an aim of the educational system. 5. To Learn How to Learn Learning how to learn is one of the key elements of education. Schools need to teach students how to find information they will need once they leave school. Therefore, the specific subject matter being taught is not as important for future personal success as is the ability for students to understand how to find answers for any questions and problems that might arise. 6. Lifelong Habits for Work. Many of the lessons that schools teach are necessary for success in their students’ future lives. As adults, they will need to be able to get to work on time, dress and behave appropriately, and get their work done in a timely manner. These lessons are reinforced on a daily basis in schools around the nation. Some individuals see this as one of the main reasons for sending students to school. 7. To Teach Students How to Live Finally, some individuals look at school in a more holistic manner. They see it as the means towards right living for the rest of their lives. Not only do students learn information in their individual subjects, but they also learn life lessons in and out of class. As previously explained, proper work etiquette is reinforced in the classroom. Further, students have to learn how to deal with others in a cooperative manner. Finally, they learn about how to learn information they might need in the future. In fact, one of the things that many business leaders cite as being necessary for future workers is the ability to work as part of a team and problem solve.