Emerson essays

Emerson essays My life should be unique; it should be an alms, a battle, a conquest, a medicine. Two years ago this December, I began taking bag lunches to downtown Charlotte to aid homeless people. I was inspired after participating in an activity called Room in the Inn. The Room in the Inn provides a place for those who do not have homes to sleep, or a warm meal for an evening. I was not only shocked after participating in such an event, I was ashamed of myself. I was ashamed that I could have ever been so ignorant not to notice these types of people before, but furthermore, I was ashamed that I took every simple luxury I possessed for granted. I learned that the soup kitchen located in the city did not provide sufficient service to those that needed food and a place to say. This was extremely disheartening. Charlotte, just the one year before had been voted the Third most unfriendly city to homeless. At the time, I was two years less mature and needless to say, I was naive. My idea of service was to begin a valiant conquest to make an enormous difference in a huge area. As I began to take action, I started over a vast area of city, and tried to help hundreds of people. In reality, the affect I was making was miniscule. As time passed, and my thoughts of service evolved, so did my approach. I realized that the only way to help was to start from the inside and work my way out. So I started working on a much smaller, more personal level. I actually took the time to get to know those I was attempting to help, and develop personal relationships. I took down far less food and allowed myself to spend more time in a certain area, to become recognized, and hopefully even accepted. This, in retrospect, was the most intelligent thing I have ever done. It is also the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I learned more valuable lessons from those I met on the streets than I could ever ...

The New SAT vs. the ACT Full Breakdown

The New SAT vs. the ACT Full Breakdown SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips For the past decade or so, the SAT has come under increasingscrutiny for its confusing structure, trick questions, and obscure vocabulary. Meanwhile, the ACT is often seen asthe fairer test, more closely based in what students learn in school. As you might have heard, the College Board undertook a radical overhaul of the SAT that went into effect in March 2016 and, in many ways, made it much more similar to the ACT. Adding to the confusion is the fact that ACT, Inc., also made some minor changes to the ACT. What are the main differences between the current versions of the two tests?The short answer is that the SAT and ACT are now quite similar.The changes have eliminated many of the two tests' major differences in both style and content. Nonetheless, there remain important variations- some long-standing and some newly introduced. I'm going to start by talking about what the SAT and ACT look like in general, and then I'll break down the new similarities and unique characteristics of each test, section by section: Test Structure (Timing/Sections and Scoring) Reading Writing/English Math Science Essay Brief Timeline of Changes to the SAT and ACT Before we get into the key differences between the two tests, I've included a basic timeline of when the changes to each exam went into effect below: Early 2015 and earlier Slight changes to ACT question distribution Paired passages on ACT Reading Fall 2015 New ACT Writing test RedesignedPSAT March 2016 Redesigned SAT As you can see, the ACT, the SAT, and even the PSAT have all undergone noticeable changes in the past few years. Yet while the content and format of the ACT has stayed mostly the same, both the SAT and PSAT have been completely revamped (or, rather, redesigned). Now that you understand when these big changes happened, let's begin our analysis by comparing the overall structures of the current SAT and ACT. SAT vs ACT: Overall Test Structure One of the goals of the SAT overhaul was to make the testmore straightforward, so many of its structural oddities, such as the wrong-answer penalty, were eliminated.The College Board also streamlined the SAT structure by including only one section of each type (except for Math, which has two subsections now) rather than three. The ACT structure, on the other hand, hasstayed mostly the same.The biggest changes to the test mainly targeted the Writing (essay) section, and that's it. Let's go over the specific layouts of the two tests so you can better understand the similarities and differences between them. Timing and Sections The current SAThas one Reading section and one Writing section. The Math section is divided into a No Calculator Test and a Calculator Test (meaning you may not use your calculator on the former but may on the latter). In addition, there is one Essay section, which is optional. The four sections are always in the same order. The entire SAT is three hours without the Essay, and three hours and 50 minutes with the Essay. The exact breakdown looks like this: SAT Section Total Time # of Questions 1. Reading 65 minutes 52 2. Writing and Language 35 minutes 44 3. Math No Calculator 25 minutes 20 4. Math Calculator 55 minutes 38 5. Essay (Optional) 50 minutes 1 prompt By contrast, the basic ACT structure and timing have not changed, with the exception of the new essay section, which is longer.Here is the breakdown of the ACT's timing and questions: ACT Section Total Time # of Questions 1. English 45 minutes 75 2. Math 60 minutes 60 3. Reading 35 minutes 40 4. Science 35 minutes 40 5. Writing (Optional) 40 minutes 1 prompt As you can see, the format of the current SAT is more similar to that ofthe ACT than to that of its previous incarnation. While there's no Science section on the SAT, it contains sections on Reading, Writing/English, and Math, just like the ACT does. It also has an optional Essay section like the ACT (before, the SAT Essay was mandatory!). Scoring The 2016 SAT redesign also involved major changes to the scoring system; we'll go through these one at a time: Scoring returned to the 400-1600 scale:In 2005, when the College Board last implemented major changes to the SAT, it added the Writing section; this meant there were three scores (each on a scale of 200-800) to combine, making the top possible score 2400. Nowadays, the Writing and Reading sections count toward the same Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score, which are combined with your Math score to get a final score between 400 and 1600. There's no wrong-answer penalty:You're no longer penalized by 1/4 point for every wrong answer! The original idea behind this policy was to discourage guessing on the SAT, but the College Board's research found that eliminating it doesn't affect scores that much and cuts down on students' reliance on test-taking strategies (a major goal for this overhaul). The Essay is given three scoresand no longer affects your total SAT score:Since it's now optional, the SAT Essay works a lot more like the ACT essay- you get a separate Essayscore that does not factor into your final score (on the 400-1600 scale). Essay scoring also changed: rather than getting onescore between 2 and 12, you'll get three scores, for Reading, Analysis, and Writing, between 2 and 8. You get lots of subscores:As part of its attempt to provide more helpful information to colleges, the College Board now provides several subscores and cross-test scoresfor the SAT: Analysis in History/Social Studies, Analysis in Science, Command of Evidence, Words in Context,Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions,Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math. That said, it's unclear how (or if) colleges use these scores, so don't worry about them for now. On the other hand,ACTscoringstayed mostly the same. You get four section scores, each on a scale of 1-36. These are then averaged to create a composite ACT score, also on a scale of 1-36. The exceptionis ACT Writing. This section is separate from your composite ACT score and scored on a scale of 2-12. Like the SAT Essay, it'sscored across multiple domains, which are as follows: Ideas and Analysis Development and Support Organization Language Use Each of these subscores is between 2 and 12, and the average of these four subscores is your ACT Writing score. Now that we've covered the big-picture changes, let's move on to the nitty-gritty of each section of the SAT and ACT. Jason Parrish/Flickr SAT/ACT Reading Section SAT Reading is the section that's most similar to its previous incarnation. However, there are still some big changes to note. One is that the SAT Reading section only includes longer passages.Without Sentence Completions or short passages, this section now looks a lot more like the ACT Reading section, which contains a series of 500-750 word passages followed by several questions. Also,thanks to a recent change to the ACT,both tests feature paired passages. These are just the basic similarities of the two tests' Reading sections, but how specificallydo these two sections differ? The chart below shows the specifications for each test: SAT Reading ACT Reading Total Time 65 minutes 35 minutes # of Questions 5 passages, 52 questions 4 passages, 40 questions Passage Types 1 US/World Literature, 2 History/Social Studies, 2 Science 1 Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative, 1 Social Sciences, 1 Humanities, 1 Natural Sciences Question Types Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Evidence Support, Data Reasoning, Technique, Detail-Oriented Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Detail-Oriented SAT Reading Although the Sentence Completions and short passages have been eliminated, the remaining long reading passages look more or less the same as they always have, with a few exceptions: Inclusion of classic texts:As part of the plan to make the Reading passages more complex and therefore more similar to what you might read in school, the SAT Reading section now includes excerpts from texts from the Western canon, including stories and essays by famous authors, US founding documents, and other historically important works. Because these are often quite old, they tend to include more challenginglanguage. Evidence questions:One of the big changes to SAT Reading that you might've heard about is the addition of evidence questions, which ask you to indicate what part of a passage supports your answer to a previous question. As these questions are quite tricky, you'll definitely want to learn effective ways to approach them. Questions go in chronological order (for a passage):This is one aspect of the SAT Reading section that didn't change and that really sets it apart from the ACT Reading section, in which questions do not follow the order of the passage. Charts and figures in science passages:Two of the five SAT Reading section passages cover scientific topics and include charts and figures. Here's an example of the types of charts and data you'll see, taken from an official SAT practice test: ACTReading The big difference between ACT Reading and SAT Reading remains how you need to budget time. Also, while the SAT is more focused on analyzing specific points in a passage and understanding how the author constructs an argument, the ACT deals more withreading comprehension. Here are some of the key features of ACT Reading, in comparison with SAT Reading: Randomly ordered questions:SAT Reading tells you where to look for the answers to most questions, but one of the biggest challenges on ACT Reading is finding the information you need. The questions are ordered randomly and often do not give line numbers, which can makefinding specific details very tricky. Less time per question:The strict time constraint is the other challenge many students face on ACT Reading: you have roughly eight and half minutes per 10-questionpassage on the ACT,compared with 13 minutes per 10- to 11-minute passage on SAT Reading. SAT Writing/ACT English Section Of the three SAT sections, Writing underwent the biggest changes (though if you've taken the ACT, its new format is going to look familiar). The current SAT Writing and Language section uses the same passage-based format as the ACT English section. Here's an official example of an SAT Writing passage and the questions that follow: SAT Writing also includes more ofthe same grammatical concepts as ACT English,most notably of which is punctuation. SAT Writing ACT English Total Time 35 minutes 45 minutes # of Questions 4 passages, 44 questions 5 passages, 75 questions Content Tested Standard English Conventions: 20 questions (45%), covering sentence structure, conventions of usage, and conventions of punctuation Expression of Ideas: 24 questions (55%), covering development, organization and effective language use Usage and Mechanics: sentence structure (20-25%), grammar and usage (15-20%), and punctuation (10-15%) Rhetorical Skills: style (15-20%), strategy (15-20%), and organization (10-15%) Despite the massivesimilarities between the SAT Writing and ACT English sections, there are still some noticeable differences. Let's go through them one at a time. SATWriting and Language As I noted above, the SAT overhaul involved a complete redesign of the Writing section so that all of the questions are now presented in the context of reading passages.Here are other major changes to note: The Writing section is included in your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score: With the current SAT, the Writing section is part of the same final section score as the Reading section is; this change returned the SAT to its original 400-1600 scale (as opposed to the previous 600-2400 scale). Slightly more focused on writing style:These days, SAT Writing has slightly more questions dealing with Expression of Ideas (writing style and argument) than it does targeting Standard English Conventions (grammar and sentence structure). Includes charts and graphs:Like the SAT Reading section, SAT Writing includes charts and graphs with its passages. However, there are only a few questions of this type per test. Some word choice questions involve challenging vocab:While word choice questions on the ACT are more focused on nuanced differences between common words, this type of question on the SAT sometimes tests knowledge of more traditional vocabulary words like those that wereincluded in old Sentence Completion questions. ACTEnglish Again, the similarities between these sections are much greater than their differences, but the ACT does emphasize slightly different skills than the SAT does. Here are the main features of the ACT English section and how they differ from the SAT Writing section: A lot more questions:ACT English has almost twice as many questions as SAT Writing. This doesn't necessarily make it more difficult, but it does necessitate a slightly different approach. Read our guide for more suggestions on how to approach ACT English passages. Slightly more focused on grammar and conventions:While the SAT has more questions about writing style, the ACT has theemphasis reversed: it's primarily focused on Usage and Mechanics questions, which coversentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Big-picture questions:Though the two tests cover almost all the same material, ACT English hasone type of question that SAT Writing does not have: main idea questions. Both tests ask questions such as "What is the purpose of this passage?" on their Reading sections, but only the ACT includes these on the English section as well: SAT/ACT Math Section SAT Math is the section that remains the most similar structurally, but there were some pretty big changes in terms of its content. Like the ACT Math section, SAT Math now includes somemore advanced math topics, such astrigonometry and complex numbers, though there are only a few questions on these concepts. SAT Math questions are also closer to ACT Math questions in style: they're more straightforward and test the kinds of math you learn in school rather than more obscure topics. Here's an overview of the two Math sections: SAT Math ACT Math Total Time Calculator: 55 minutes No Calculator: 25 minutes 60 minutes # of Questions Calculator: 38 questions No Calculator: 20 questions 60 questions Topics Tested Heart of Algebra - 33% Problem Solving and Data Analysis - 28% Passport to Advanced Math - 29% Additional Topics in Math - 10% Pre-algebra - 20-25% Elementary algebra - 15-20% Intermediate algebra - 15-20% Coordinate geometry - 15-20% Plane geometry - 20-25% Trigonometry - 5-10% SAT Math The changes to SAT Math were designed to make it more similar to the tests you take in math class, meaning you're asked harder questions in a more straightforward way. Here are some of the key changes to note: Divided into a Calculator section and a No Calculator section:SAT Math is now split into two sections, one for which you're allowed to use a calculator and one for which you aren't. Don't worry about the No Calculatorsection too much, though, as it only requires basic calculations you can easilydo by hand or in your head. Heavily focused on algebra:As I mentioned above, one of the goals of the SAT was to make it more similar to what you learn in school and what you'll need for college. One part of this change was shifting the focus of the test toward algebra. Now, 61% of Math questions deal with algebra topics, including manipulating equations and expressions, writing equations to solve word problems, solving quadratics, and working with formulas. More data analysis: The proportionof data analysis questions has also increased. Almost one-third of SAT Math questions focus on manipulating ratios and percents, in addition to understanding graphs and charts. Very little geometry:With so much of the SAT Math section devoted to algebra and data analysis, there's very little room for geometry. In fact, only six questions ask about geometry and trigonometry, though the test still provides most of the common formulas you'll need. Still has grid-ins:Like the old version of SAT Math, the current Mathsectionhas 13 student-produced response questions, commonly known as grid-ins. These questions require you to write in your own answer instead of choosing one from the options given to you. ACT Math ACT Math stayed more or less the same, despite some tweaks to topic distribution. However, the changes to the SAT have created some new differences between the tests: Farmore geometry and trigonometry:If you like geometry, the ACT's the test for you. One-quarter to one-third of ACT Math questions deal with geometry or trig. However, unlike the SAT, the ACTdoesn't provide you with any formulas, so you'll absolutely have to know the common ones. A wider range of material:In fact, ACT Math tests more topics in general than the SAT does. You might see questions about logarithms, graphs of trig functions, and matrices- none of which appear on the SAT. SAT/ACT Science Section While there still isn't a Science section on the SAT, the College Board has attempted to incorporate these skills into the other three sections. According to the College Board website, "[the redesigned SAT]call[s] on the same sorts of knowledge and skills that students will use in college, in their jobs, and throughout their lives to make sense of recent discoveries, political developments, global events, and health and environmental issues." The current version of the SAT includes questions that ask you to analyze a chartorgraphin all three sections, as well as two reading passages on scientific topics. The ACT continues to have a lot more science questionssince it has a dedicated Science section. It also asks more complex questions than the SAT does, particularly with regard to experimental design. SAT Essay/ACT Writing Section The Essay is the one section for whichboth tests underwent a major overhaul.Moreover, both the SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections became more complex and are nowoptional. Ideally, the changes to the essay create results that better reflect your ability to understand and build arguments, though it remains to be seen how many schools will require the essay section onceit's optional for both tests. SAT Essay ACT Writing Total Time 50 minutes 40 minutes Optional? Yes Yes # of Prompts 1 prompt 1 prompt Scoring Domains Reading, Analysis, Writing Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, Language Use SAT Essay The College Board shifted the SAT essay task from one that asks you to make an argument to one that asks you to dissect an argument. Take a look at the official sample prompt below to get a sense of the type of question you'll be asked on test day: Here are some of the main features of the redesigned SAT Essay section and how it differs from the old SAT Essay: You're given a text and asked to analyzethe author's argument:Unlike the prompt for the old SAT Essay,the current essay assignment asks you to read and and analyze an argumentative essay. You're thengraded on three skills: reading, analysis, and writing. They don't want your opinion: According to each SAT Essay prompt, it doesn't matter what your opinion on the issue is- rather, you need toexplain how the author makes his point. More similar to essays in English class and on AP tests:In keeping with the College Board's goal to make the SAT more accurately reflect the skills you learn in school, the SAT Essay task is now much closer to the types of essays you write in school. ACT Writing The Writing (essay) section is the only part of the ACT that underwent major changes. Nonetheless, it's remaining more similar to itsold format than the current SAT Essay did to its. Take a look at the official sample prompt below to see what you'll be asked to write about: Here are some key ways in which the ACT Writing section differs from the SAT Essay section: Asked to analyze three perspectives on an issue:Rather than simply laying out a question, the prompt gives you three perspectiveson an issue and asks you to evaluate them. Must argue your opinion:Like the previous ACT and SAT essay prompts, the current ACT Writing task requires you to argue your own position on the issue at hand. Need to generate specific examples:Since the prompt itself only provides perspectives on the issue, not facts, you'll need to come up with specific examples to bolster your argument. Caleb Roenigk/Flickr What Do These SAT and ACT Differences Mean for You? I've written an in-depth breakdown of how to decide whether you should take the SAT or ACT here if you want to read through it. But for now, here are the important takeaway points as you create a long-term study plan. Content Differences Between the SAT and ACT The redesigned SAT is much more content-based than the old SAT, so if you're planning to take it, make sure you understand exactly what will be on it. Also, keep in mind that the ACT still tests more grammar and math concepts than the SAT does. Check Whether You Need to Take the Essay Both the ACT Writing test and SAT Essay are optional, so before registeringfor either test, check whether you need to take the essay. Requirementsvary depending on the schools you're applying to. Even if you aren't sure where you want to apply, I recommend signing up for the essay anyway. What's Next? If you've decided to takethe SAT,check out our in-depth study guideas well as our expert guide to a perfect 1600 SAT score, written by a full scorer. On the other hand, if you think the ACT might be the test for you, try an official ACT practice test, calculate your goal score, and learn how to get a perfect 36 ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Kant says that we should treat humanity.....never simply as ameans but Essay - 1

Kant says that we should treat humanity.....never simply as ameans but always at the same time as an end in itself. What does this mean Can a Kantian form of - Essay Example Is there, as Kant argues, a universal set of guiding principles that are applicable in all situations and all cultures? Are human rights and mans existence an end in itself, and not merely a means to reach an end? For the individual, a better sense of responsibility, obligation, and duty have become paramount in a social environment where individuals have the authority to make decisions that have the potential to do great good or intolerable harm. The purpose of this paper is to define and explain the meaning of Kants Categorical Imperative as it applies to individuals and moral agents in todays world of globalisation. The paper will further discuss humanity as an end in itself, rather than simply a means to an end. It will illuminate and demonstrate the paradoxes and challenges that are faced when we attempt to apply Kantian ethics to the modern world of globalisation. As human beings living in a world of interdependence, our actions not only reflect upon our own moral essence, but also impact others. Nobody lives in a vacuum and everything we do involves other people that have an equivalent moral and ethical value. Kant has contended that the treatment that is afforded the other agents in our transactions is not the means that we use to accomplish our goals, but is the goal in and of itself. According to Kant and Paton (1948, p.55), an imperative is categorical if it represents "an action as objectively necessary in itself apart from its relation to a further end". The categorical imperative removes any consideration for context and does not mitigate on the basis of time, space, situation, or culture. Kants categorical imperative is a guiding principle that invokes a sense of duty and obligation even when it contradicts the moral agents own feelings and emotions. Kantian ethics additionally contend that there are moral absolutes that must be adhe red to without regard

Epidemiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Epidemiology - Essay Example The professionals in this field rely on biostatistics, biology, disciplines of social science, and assessment of exposure. Epidemiologists involve themselves in study design, data collection, statistical analysis of the data collected, and interpretation of the results, as well as the distribution of the results. This dissemination can be done in systematic reviews, which are occasional, and peer reviewed articles. It helps to inform institutions on policy decisions and medicine that is evidence based via the identification of disease risk factors and preventive medicine targets. This paper aims to take two case studies and address how epidemiology was concerned with efforts to describe, explain, predict, and control the examples. Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis and has been known for more than a few thousand years (Preston, 2002). The causative organism was first described in the 1850s and was used as poof by Koch of Henle’s postulates. The first anthrax vaccines were developed by Toussiant and Greenfield, and the public demonstration was handled by Louis Pasteur in the year 1881 (Preston, 2002). The two vaccines exist in both human and animal form. Bacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive, spore forming, capsulated rod and survives by killing other cells. Its spores can survive for decades in the environment. Its pathogenicity depends on the pX01 and the pX02 plasmids, and it has two key strains. Strain A is found all over the world, while strain B is limited essentially to the southern part of Africa (Preston, 2002). Anthrax acts on the body cells by releasing toxins (Preston, 2002). PA or protective antigen binds itself to the receptor of the host cell, after which furin cleaves off and lets PA20 go free. PA83 undergoes heptamer formation with the enzymes acting as toxin binding to PA63. It is internalized into the cell via endocytosis that is receptor mediated. Acidification of this endosome is causes there to be

Life today is better Essay Example for Free

Life today is better Essay Nowadays life is more comfortable, convenient and better than it was a century before. Modern facilities for health, education, communication and transport have added a lot in bringing betterment to the life of people. Advances in technology have provided people with many ways to spend their leisure time and they also have more opportunities to utilize their physical and mental abilities to achieve a better living standard. Technology and education have got much better as compared to the past as there are more schools, colleges and universities giving basic and modern education. Subsequently, it has revolutionized all the sectors of society. For instance, in the past 100 years, research surveys indicate that millions of people died due to disease outbreaks and absence of cures and appropriate health facilities. But now the mortality rate has significantly reduced because there are hospitals available almost in every town, equipped with basic emergency requirements. Medical research and inventions have eradicated many diseases from the world. Communication has become much easier and fast as internet, mobile phones, television are available nowadays. There is no need to write long descriptive letters and wait for the response for long time. One can talk and even watch his loved ones with only a single click. They provide a better source of recreation too, thus helping to get rid of boredom. Similarly, infrastructure has been improved hence it has upgraded the standard of travelling. One can travel long distances using airplane in few hours while it was not possible some years ago. People had to travel for days to cover long distances on animals, keeping heavy luggage and food with them. Development in industrial sectors has opened new areas for work to earn a living. It has introduced a wide range of career choices so that one can opt for what he likes to do instead of sticking with the occupation of ancestors. It can be inferred from the above arguments that standard of life is far better than it was in the past. People have more facilities and choices for spending and maintaining their lives. It has all happened due to the advent of education and technology that was absent in the past.

Computer Storage: Are memory sticks and disks likely to be obsolete by

In the first quarter of 2012, a German business software firm (SAP) recorded a 10 per cent increase in profits from the previous year of  £478 million from cloud, a method of computer storage (SAP sounds upbeat note as profits continue to rise, 2012). It is clear that methods of storing data on computers have developed rapidly in the past 60 years, from the earliest type of data storage on cylinders to data storage in cloud. The purpose of this essay is to describe this development and show that individual physical memory such as memory sticks and disks are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. By way of background, before the invention of computers, various methods had been used to store and retrieve data. For example, 1725 saw the invention of the ‘punch card’ widely used in looms and in primitive calculating machines. Although this was a significant development in storage, these cards were not made â€Å"general purpose† until 1928. The need to store and retrieve data as one continuous stream and not individual cards brought about the invention of the punch tape in 1846. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented a device known as the ‘Phonograph’. This device recorded sound vibrations on a metal cylinder with a recording needle and played the recordings back when needed. These storage developments served as a background for the development of computer storage. Professor Federick C. Williams and colleague Tom Kilburn developed the first random access computer memory in 1948 known as the ‘Williams-Kilburn tube’. This device allowed for storage of 1024 bits but was later upgraded to 2048 bits. In 1951 the ‘Delay line memory’ was invented. This form of memory consisted of a column of mercury with piezo crystal to aid in the transfer of data. W... ...owstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-storage.htm on 8 May 2012. - Paul Lilly. (3 February 2009). Computer Data Storage Through the Ages – From Punch Cards to Blu-Ray. Retrieved from http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/computer_data_storage_through_ages on 8 May 2012. - Pingdom. (8 April 2008). Retrieved from http://royal.pingdom.com/2008/04/08/the-history-of-computer-data-storage-in-pictures/ on 8 May 2012. - Retrieved from http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php?id=187 on 8 May 2012. - Ryan Nichols (31 August 2010). Cloud computing by the numbers: What do all the statistics mean? Retrieved from http://blogs.computerworld.com/16863/cloud_computing_by_the_numbers_what_do_all_the_statistics_mean on 24 May 2012. - SAP sounds upbeat note as profits continue to rise. (25 April 2012). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17836653 on 8 May 2012. Computer Storage: Are memory sticks and disks likely to be obsolete by In the first quarter of 2012, a German business software firm (SAP) recorded a 10 per cent increase in profits from the previous year of  £478 million from cloud, a method of computer storage (SAP sounds upbeat note as profits continue to rise, 2012). It is clear that methods of storing data on computers have developed rapidly in the past 60 years, from the earliest type of data storage on cylinders to data storage in cloud. The purpose of this essay is to describe this development and show that individual physical memory such as memory sticks and disks are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. By way of background, before the invention of computers, various methods had been used to store and retrieve data. For example, 1725 saw the invention of the ‘punch card’ widely used in looms and in primitive calculating machines. Although this was a significant development in storage, these cards were not made â€Å"general purpose† until 1928. The need to store and retrieve data as one continuous stream and not individual cards brought about the invention of the punch tape in 1846. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented a device known as the ‘Phonograph’. This device recorded sound vibrations on a metal cylinder with a recording needle and played the recordings back when needed. These storage developments served as a background for the development of computer storage. Professor Federick C. Williams and colleague Tom Kilburn developed the first random access computer memory in 1948 known as the ‘Williams-Kilburn tube’. This device allowed for storage of 1024 bits but was later upgraded to 2048 bits. In 1951 the ‘Delay line memory’ was invented. This form of memory consisted of a column of mercury with piezo crystal to aid in the transfer of data. W... ...owstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-storage.htm on 8 May 2012. - Paul Lilly. (3 February 2009). Computer Data Storage Through the Ages – From Punch Cards to Blu-Ray. Retrieved from http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/computer_data_storage_through_ages on 8 May 2012. - Pingdom. (8 April 2008). Retrieved from http://royal.pingdom.com/2008/04/08/the-history-of-computer-data-storage-in-pictures/ on 8 May 2012. - Retrieved from http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php?id=187 on 8 May 2012. - Ryan Nichols (31 August 2010). Cloud computing by the numbers: What do all the statistics mean? Retrieved from http://blogs.computerworld.com/16863/cloud_computing_by_the_numbers_what_do_all_the_statistics_mean on 24 May 2012. - SAP sounds upbeat note as profits continue to rise. (25 April 2012). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17836653 on 8 May 2012.

From Modernism to Post-Modernism

The Modernists wanted to free art from the constraints of classicism and to promote critical, free thought but whether or not they succeeded is still a matter of debate.   It began with Manet’s Impressionism on to the outrageousness of Dali’s Surrealist Manifesto. It was an intellectual attack on classical thought. Modernism and its successor, Post-Modernism indulged the artistic world in the subject of intellectual critical thinking and individualism and could be seen as the bravest contradiction to what art was previously believed to be. Modernism infiltrated every form of thought including philosophy, law, music, literature and architecture. It wanted the world to have their own thoughts and not believe what they were told to believe. Yet how different was Post-Modernism from Modernism? Did it succeed in changing the way people think and is it really ‘art for art’s sake? In this essay we examine these questions with reference to artist who were prominent Modernists. By definition ‘modernism’ is â€Å"period dating from roughly the 1860’s through the 1970’s and is used to describe the style and ideology of art produced during that era.†(Witcombe, 1997). Therefore this era of art included styles such as Impressionism, Surrealism and Realism. It is a broad spectrum from which to work. Arguably, Monet was the father of Impressionism, who saw the value of art no longer in reproducing the subject in detail and to perfection, but rather to capture the moment in time that could never be captured again. Professor Witcombe of Sweet Briar College says that it is generally agreed that Edouard Manet was the first of the ‘modernist’ painters (Witcombe, 1997). Classical artists had been preoccupied with classical subjects, particularly in the ‘Romantic’ period such as Delacroix and David (Witcombe, 1997). Modernism appeared to have failed in the early 20th Century, with the collapse of the Communist movement. It seems that at that stage looking at Surrealism for example, free thought and freedom of expression was about to be tested again with the onset of the World Wars. Yet where Modernism itself began and where it ended is still largely a mystery to most people. For instance, looking at the work of Cezanne in the early stages of the Modernist period, the essential ‘breaking down’ of subjects to their smallest most geometric states gave rise to a form of minimalism that contradicted the complexity of the Modernist age. Sigmund Freud ushered in the ‘new age’ of mental evaluation with world-shaking consequences and his ideas stretched from philosophical thought through to the film industry. Acceptably known to have influenced the work of painter Salvador Dali and film-maker Alfred Hitchcock, Freud’s ‘modern’ thought was seeking to ‘free’ the mind of the constraints of classically accepted reality. Essentially (as with the Cezanne’s art), this meant breaking humanity down to its smallest and simplest parts. As Witcombe describes it, â€Å"it should be clear that modernist culture is Western in its orientation, capitalist in its determining economic tendency, bourgeois in its class character, white in its racial complexion, and masculine in its dominant gender.†(Witcombe, 1997). As art became freed of the bonds of classical feudal law, so society attempted to pursue ‘liberalism’ with Karl Marx’s Utopia rising and falling abruptly with the failure of Communist Russia. There was at this stage too a profound interest in understanding the human interaction. The old idea of science as a purely empirical discipline gave rise to the human element in the work of sociologist Max Weber (Ludington, 2000). Artists no longer wished to conform to a particular style of art but preferred to create their own signature style. Even in the Impressionist school, a distinguishing factor could be found in each of the artists making them individual: Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas and Van Gogh. Picasso’s solid external outline and geometric shape can be seen distinctly in the work of Paul Cezanne, meaning that his idea was not entirely original but influenced by previous artists. The idea of being unique and ‘inventing’ a new art was and always will be contested by the reality that and ‘influence’ ‘recreates’ the already created. Modernism was meant to free the artist of this exact emotion as well as being representative of the present social climate. This could be seen effectively in the work of Gustav Klimt and Antoni Gaudi in the early 1900’s. The Art Nouveau period specifically identified the new-found freedom of money and if there was none, to at least pretend there was. Casa Battlo (1906-1908), Antoni Gaudi architectural piece, resembled the carefree nature of the Art Nouveau period. Being completely fantasy and out of this world it appears it could have been made from an assortment of candy rather than brick and mortar. The dream-like realm for which Surrealism became known is subtly different to this in its pure indulgence and decadence. Previously the Church had been the patron of the arts, meaning that most of the art that was endorsed was done so with the understanding that it would be classical in nature, therefore ranking Gaudi as particularly rebellious in this aspect. The Renaissance architect Brunelleschi, who’s Dome of the Cathedral in Florence can be seen as poles apart from Gaudi’s offering, was controlled by the needs of the Church rather than pure self-indulgent imagination like Gaudi’s. Another aspect of Modernism that came into dramatic play was the advent of photography. With this reproduction of images it was no longer necessary to reproduce subjects as they were in reality or to record events. It did not take long for philosophical writers such as Roland Barthes to recognise that even with these remarkable prints of the past, they could never truly represent the subject they captured. With a photograph of his mother he was convinced that yes, this was his mother but, no it was also not his mother. It was in effect a picture of his mother. Rene Magritte in this era also painted his famous pipe entitled Ce n’est pas une pipe, which said that while it was a pipe, it also wasn’t. The reasoning behind this was that if you cannot actually smoke it, it cannot be a pipe. The question was to what extent does Modernist ‘unpacking’’ become ‘over unpacking’? The ‘unpacking’ process of Modernism in terms of art is perhaps best seen in the work of Salvador Dali. â€Å"[Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams was] one of the capital discoveries of my life†¦I was seized with a real vice of self-interpretation, not only of my dreams but of everything that happened to me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The Great Artists. Vol 73: 2311). The Persistence Of Memory 1931, by Salvador Dali is oil on canvas and is 9  ½ inches by 13 inches in size. It shows a series of stopwatches melted over the motifs and there is ‘double imagery’. It includes a side profile of Dali himself. Completely Surrealist, Dali worked alongside Breton on the Surrealist Manifesto which attempted to free mankind of the constraints of the mind. â€Å"Surrealism will usher you into death, which is a secret society. It will glove your hand, burying therein the profound M with which the word Memory begins.†(Breton 1924). This was the core of Modernist thinking, that man should by all intents and purposes link beyond the real (or imagined reality) to what he really is (unpack himself). Like Freudian psychology the belief in Surrealism is that repressed memory locates itself in the subconscious constantly. This was called the superego, the responsibility of man to appease this memory leads to unexplained and unresolved dreams that often recur (Freud.1949:77). Compare this to the era we now live in, (the Post-modern era into which we have slipped) and the difference is that we are now trying to free ourselves from the constraints that Modernism has put on us. Post-Modern artists still toy with the idea that what is chiefly within us is expressed through creativity. But now the addition of technology to the equation makes us the ‘controller’ of the said creativity. Computer technology replaces the need for composed qualities in artwork (specifically graphic) meaning that there has to be a marriage of technological advancement and artistry in order for the artist to survive. Going back in time to the first expressions of rebellion in art such as Grunewald and Bosch, who represented dreams in their art and compare this to Dali who interprets the dreams. It becomes clear that what is believed to be an entirely new movement in art is really only a manifestation of experiments used in the past. With World War I & II the former quest for world domination attempted once again to put the world of art under the scrutiny of the powers that be but did not succeed. This means that the completed change was here to stay, that the movement from Impressionism to Surrealism and through to Pop Art and Op Art was free to mobilize itself into the future. â€Å"Earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust†, 1970, Lawrence Weiner, Guggenheim Museum, was what Post-modernism has offered us. In comparison to the fine art of the past few centuries, this piece does not seem to amount to much, but then it is an example of what humanity has become and therefore holds specific importance. A plain grey, white and black plaque with the words ‘earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust’ written across it reveals to us an human race that is really and honestly empty. It is not entirely correct to say Modernism has succeeded in its purpose, but to say that it has failed is also untrue and perhaps a little unfair. Times have changed and continue to do so. The greatest archives we have in memory of the evolution of man are in our art. Modernism as an ideal failed, communism failed and to a degree Freud failed, but the gift they gave us was a solid movement into a time that has been littered with the ‘new’. Modernism failed in that it became the cult-like movement of constraint that it tried so hard to break. It succeeded in producing an art that was truly indicative of the individual. Modernism is, regardless of its successes and failures, a distinct mark in history in the same way that the Renaissance was to the 1400’s-1500’s. We no longer paint young ladies on swings with farthingales and voluminous skirts, because they do not exist in our world. We hardly go to war in kilts and with battleaxes either because so much of our time has changed. The continuum of thought and critical thinking still plagues us with the knowledge that there are some things we will never explain or understand. However the world changes, our creativity is always there. Sources: Breton, Andre. 1924. The Surrealist Manifesto. (http://www.screensite.org/courses/Jbutler/T340/SurManifesto/ManifestoOfSurrealism.htm) Freud, S. 1949.The Ego and the Id. (The Hogarth Press Ltd: London) Ludington, Townsend. 2000. A Modern Mosaic: Art and Modernism in the United States. The University of North Carolina Press. http://uncpress.unc.edu/chapters/ludington_modern.html The Great Artists.1986. Vol 73: Dali.(Marshall Cavendish Ltd: London) Witcombe, Christopher Professor. 1997. â€Å" Art &Artists: The Roots of Modernism.† Part One: What is Art? Sweet Briar College. http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/artartists/modernism.html Witcombe, Christopher Professor. 1997. â€Å"Art & Artists: Modernism and Post Modernism.† Part 4: What is Art? Sweet Briar College. http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/artartists/modpostmod.html                                    

Tiger Woods

Yes, we all know the stories given to us by the news, media, and internet. Tiger Woods did wrong and shared his spotlight of shame and pain. True enough he was not liked by many, but who don’t make mistakes? As an outsider that doesn’t watch golf as much, I feel that time has passed and it can be forgiven.For sake of an argument Tiger has won 95 tournaments, 71 of those on the PGA Tour, including the 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005 Masters Tournaments, 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007 PGA Championships, 2000, 2002, and 2008 U.  S. Open Championships, and 2000, 2005 and 2006 Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Tiger became the first ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time.He is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA Tour, and is the career money list leader. Not surprisingly, several of Tiger’s sponsors have now opted to abandon their alliance with him, citing his moral indiscretions as sufficient justification for this decision. But is this the right thing to do?Does the fact that Tiger Woods is not the high-quality person that we took him to be somehow negating the fact that he is an excellent golfer? Are we guilty of a category mistake if we suggest that Tiger’s sponsorships, or his opportunities to play golf, should be taken away because of his ridiculous behavior? There are two ethical questions at work here. The first question is whether one should be punished in their professional life for actions in their personal life. The second is whether it is morally justified to break a contract because of immoral behavior.I will here argue that the answer to the first question is no, while the answer to the second question depends on the nature of the contract. Some individuals, rightly appalled by Tiger’s actions, have suggested that the PGA should punish him, perhaps by suspending him from future tournaments. There are two reasons for rejecting this suggestion. There is a strong precedent against doing so, and such a response threatens to unacceptably blur the line between the public and the private sphere.Many famous people have committed scandalous actions that irreparably damage their public image. Kobe Bryant’s recent Colorado rape trial is a prime example of this. But no one suggested that Kobe not be allowed to play basketball. Magic Johnson contracted HIV through extramarital sex, but he was treated with warmth and benevolence rather than scorn. Michael Jordan had a notorious gambling problem, but he is hailed as the greatest player of all time. Why should Tiger be treated differently? There is a more general concern with abandoning this precedent.Golf is Tiger Woods’s job. There is no expectation, or requirement of employment stating that one must be a good person in order to be a good golfer. We tend to think that whether one ought to be retained in a particular job position depends on whether they are qualified for the job, rather than whether they are a generally decent person. Suggesting that Tiger, Kobe, Magic, or Jordan should not be allowed to pursue their profession in virtue of their personal indiscretions would amount to a unique kind of discrimination.From the standpoint of employment qualifications, one’s sexual behavior is usually an irrelevant consideration. This brings me to the second consideration concerning punishment in one’s professional life based on actions in one’s personal life. We tend to think that there is an important separation between one’s public life and one’s private affairs. When one is a celebrity like Tiger Woods, this line is blurred considerably, and one might claim that the loss of this distinction is the price one pays for fame.However, this imposes an arbitrary constraint on a person’s individual freedoms. If one has a right to the maintenance of a public and a private sphere, the fact that a person is famous is n ot obviously a reason for violating this right. The second ethical question raised by the Tiger Woods affair scandal concerns whether it is ethical to break a professional contract based on a person’s actions in their personal life. This is a complicated question, and I will limit the discussion to one pertinent facet of it.If Tiger Woods was hired as an endorser because of his public image and persona, and not merely because he is a good golfer, his sponsors are justified in abandoning their professional relationship for his personal actions. Consider the nature of the contract in question. Companies have hired Tiger because they believe an association with him will help them to sell their products. Tiger’s role in the contract is presumably to maintain himself as a positive force for this purpose.If Tiger has agreed to this type of relationship, anything he does that hinders his effectiveness as a marketing tool would be a violation of the contract. While we have rea son not to punish Tiger professionally, as a golfer, for what he has done in his personal life, we also have reason to punish him professionally, as an endorser, for the same actions. Virtue ethics is somewhat helpful in understanding this distinction. Tiger’s extramarital affairs do not make him a bad golfer, but they do make him a bad endorser.Different standards are at work when we evaluate Tiger the golfer and when we evaluate Tiger the endorser, and only in the latter case does his personal conduct make a relevant difference. We have thus reached an interesting conclusion. First, standards of personal conduct are only relevant to one’s professional life if the nature of one’s profession dictates as much. This leaves us with a mixed evaluation of Tiger Woods. It seems we can endorse his lost endorsements, but not any punishment from the PGA, for his extramarital affairs. It also helps us to understand how other celebrity scandals have been perceived.While Ma gic, Kobe, and Jordan are still good basketball players even though they are not particularly good people, someone like Bill Clinton harms his credibility as President in virtue of inappropriate personal conduct, because appropriate personal conduct is part of the President’s job description (or so it would seem). Our own mixed reaction to Tiger suggests that he is somewhat unique, a mixture of celebrity and quasi-statesman that we want to hold to a higher standard of conduct, despite having no good reason to do so. References (PGA TOUR, Inc. , 2010) http://www. pgatour. com/players/00/87/93/

12 Greek Words You Should Know

12 Greek Words You Should Know 12 Greek Words You Should Know 12 Greek Words You Should Know By Daniel Scocco Along with Latin, Greek is probably the language that most influenced other languages around the world. Many English words derive directly from Greek ones, and knowing their origin and meaning is important. Below you will find 12 Greek words that are commonly used in our society. The next time you hear someone saying Kudos to you, you will know where it comes from. 1. Acme The highest point of a structure. The peak or zenith of something. One could say that Rome reached the acme of its power on 117 AD, under the rule of Trajan. The acme of modular, factory-built, passively safe reactor design, however, is found in South Africa. People there have been experimenting with so-called pebble-bed reactors for decades. (The Economist) 2. Acropolis Acro means edge or extremity, while polis means city. Acropolis, therefore, refers to cities that were built with security purposes in mind. The word Acropolis is commonly associated with Greeces capital Athens, although it can refer to any citadel, including Rome and Jerusalem. The Beijing Olympics torch relay reached the ancient Acropolis in Athens on Saturday amid heavy police security and brief demonstrations by small groups of protesters. (New York Times) 3. Agora The Agora was an open market place, present in most cities of the ancient Greece. Today the term can be used to express any type of open assembly or congregation. The most characteristic feature of each settlement, regardless of its size, was a plaza- an open space that acted as a cemetery and may have been a marketplace. It was also, the archaeologists suspect, a place of political assembly, just as the agora in an ancient Greek city was both marketplace and legislature. (The Economist) 4. Anathema Anathema is a noun and it means a formal ban, curse or excommunication. It can also refer to someone or something extremely negative, disliked or damned. Curiously enough, the original Greek meaning for this word was something offered to the gods. Some thinkers argue that while collaboration may work for an online encyclopedia, its anathema to original works of art or scholarship, both of which require a point of view and an authorial voice. (USA Today) 5. Anemia Anemia refers to a condition characterized by a qualitative or quantitative deficiency of the red blood cells (or of the hemoglobin). Over the years, however, the term started to appear in other contexts, referring to any deficiency that lies at the core of a system or organization. In comments to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, the lone dissenter in last week’s decision to keep the federal funds target at 2%, said the U.S. faces â€Å"a sustained period of anemia† and that â€Å"in the second half of this year we will broach zero growth.† Last week Fisher wanted higher rates, his fifth-straight dissent in favor of tighter policy. (The Wall Street Journal) 6. Ethos Translated literally from the Greek, ethos means accustomed place. It refers to a disposition or characteristics peculiar to a specific person, culture or movement. Synonyms include mentality, mindset and values. Consumerism needs this infantilist ethos because it favors laxity and leisure over discipline and denial, values childish impetuosity and juvenile narcissism over adult order and enlightened self-interest, and prefers consumption-directed play to spontaneous recreation. (Los Angeles Times) 7. Dogma Dogma refers to the established belief or set of principles held by a religion, ideology or by any organization. Dogmas are also authoritative and undisputed. Outside of the religious context, therefore, the term tends to carry a negative connotation. Notice that the plural is either dogmata or dogmas. Its not a new type of web, its just where the web has got to – its also a terrific excuse for much chatter on the blogging circuit, and a huge amount of dogmatism. (Financial Times) 8. Eureka The exclamation Eureka is used to celebrate a discovery, and it can be translated to I have found!. It is attributed to the famous Greek mathematician Archimedes. While taking a bath, he suddenly realized that the water displaced must be equal to the volume of the part of his body he had submerged. He got so excited with the discovery that he left his home and started to run and shout Eureka! through the streets of Syracuse. Those eureka moments in the shower or on the bus when something suddenly starts to make sense only happen if you keep plugging away. (The Guardian) 9. Genesis Genesis means birth or origin. There are many synonyms for this word, including beginning, onset, start, spring, dawn and commencement. Genesis is also the name of the first book of the Bible. And when Mr McCain headed to the safe shoals of policy wonkery, Mr Obama flayed his idea of calling for a commission to investigate the genesis of the financial crisis as the resort of politicians who don’t know what else to do. (The Economist) 10. Phobia Many people wrongly think that a phobia is a fear. In reality it is more than that. Phobia is an irrational and exaggerated fear of something. The fear can be associated with certain activities, situations, things or people. Poorer communities have a phobia of undercooked food. Very advanced societies enjoy their fish and meat either raw or very close to it. To the French their idea of cooking a steak is so perfunctory one might as well hack the thing off the cow and tuck in. (Financial Times) 11. Plethora You have a plethora when you go beyond what is needed or appropriate. It represents an excess or undesired abundance. In California, for example, some neighborhoods have been blighted by the plethora of empty homes. Joe Minnis, a real estate agent for Prudential California, knows foreclosed homes in San Bernardino that have been systematically stripped, trashed and tagged by gang members. (Business Week) 12. Kudos Kudos means fame or glory, usually resulting from an important act or achievement. It is interesting to notice that in Greek and in the Standard British English, Kudos is a singular noun. Inside the United States, however, it is often used in a plural form (e.g., You deserve many kudos for this accomplishment!) They deserve the kudos because they could be deemed responsible for the marked improvement in the commercials during Super Bowl XL last night. (New York Times) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About NumbersTop 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)I wish I were...

Pre-Pottery Neolithic - Farms and Feasts Before Pottery

Pre-Pottery Neolithic - Farms and Feasts Before Pottery The Pre-Pottery Neolithic (abbreviated PPN and often spelled as PrePottery Neolithic) is the name given to the people who domesticated the earliest plants and lived in farming communities in the Levant and Near East. The PPN culture contained most of the attributes we think of Neolithicexcept pottery, which was not used in the Levant until ca. 5500 BC. The designations PPNA and PPNB (for Pre-Pottery Neolithic A and so forth) were first developed by Kathleen Kenyon to use at the complex excavations at Jericho, which is probably the best known PPN site. PPNC, referring to the terminal Early Neolithic was first identified at Ain Ghazal by Gary O. Rollefson. Pre-Pottery Neolithic Chronology PPNA (ca 10,500 to 9,500 BP) Jericho, Netiv Hagdud, Nahul Oren, Gesher, Dhar, Jerf al Ahmar, Abu Hureyra, Gà ¶bekli Tepe, Chogha Golan, BeidhaPPNB (ca 9,500 to 8200 BP) Abu Hureyra, Ain Ghazal, Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k, Cayà ¶nà ¼ Tepesi, Jericho, Shillourokambos, Chogha Golan, Gobekli Tepe PPNC (ca 8200 to 7500 BP) Hagoshrim, Ain Ghazal PPN Rituals Ritual behavior during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic is quite remarkable, indicated by the presence of large human figurines at sites such as Ain Ghazal, and plastered skulls at Ain Ghazal, Jericho, Beisomoun and Kfar HaHoresh. A plastered skull was made by modeling a plaster replica of skin and features onto a human skull. In some cases, cowry shells were used for eyes, and sometimes they were painted using cinnabar or other iron-rich elements. Monumental architecturelarge buildings constructed by the community for use as gathering spaces for those communities and allied peoplehad its very first beginnings in the PPN, at sites such as  Nevali Çori and Hallan Çemi; hunter-gatherers of the PPN also constructed the significant site of  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Gà ¶bekli Tepe, an apparently nonresidential structure built for ritual gathering purposes. Crops of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Crops domesticated during the PPN include the founder crops: the cereals (einkorn and emmer wheat and barley), the pulses (lentil, pea, bitter vetch, and chickpea), and a fiber crop (flax). Domesticated forms of these crops have been excavated at sites such as Abu Hureyra, Cafer Hà ¼yà ¼k, Cayà ¶nà ¼ and Nevali Çori. In addition, the sites of Gilgal and Netiv Hagdud have produced some evidence supporting the domestication of fig trees during the PPNA. Animals domesticated during the PPNB include sheep, goats, and possibly  cattle. Domestication as a Collaborative Process? A recent study at the site of Chogha Golan in Iran (Riehl, Zeidi and Conard 2013) has provided information concerning the apparently wide-spread and perhaps collaborative nature of the domestication process. Based on the exception preservation of the botanical remains, the researchers were able to compare the Chogha Golan assemblage to other PPN sites from all over the Fertile Crescent and extending into Turkey, Israel and Cyprus, and have concluded that there might very well have been inter-regional information and crop flow, which might account for the nearly simultaneous invention of agriculture in the region. In particular, they note that crop domestication of seed plants (such as emmer and einkorn wheat  and barley) seems to have arisen throughout the region at the same time, leading the Tà ¼bingen-Iranian Stone Age Research Project (TISARP) to conclude that inter-regional information flow must have occurred. Sources This Guide to Prehistory is part of the About.com Guide to the Neolithic and the Guide to European Prehistory. Garrard AN, and Byrd BF. 2013. Beyond the Fertile Crescent: Late Palaeolithic and Neolithic Communities of the Jordanian Steppe. The Azraq Basin Project. Oxford: Oxbow Press.Goren Y, Goring-Morris AN, and Segal I. 2001. The Technology of Skull Modelling in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB): Regional Variability, the Relation of Technology and Iconography and their Archaeological Implications. Journal of Archaeological Science 28(7):671-690.Haber A, and Dayan T. 2004. Analyzing the process of domestication: Hagoshrim as a case study. Journal of Archaeological Science 31(11):1587-1601.Hardy-Smith T, and Edwards PC. 2004. The Garbage Crisis in prehistory: artefact discard patterns at the Early Natufian site of Wadi Hammeh 27 and the origins of household refuse disposal strategies. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 23(3):253-289.Kuijt I. 2000. People and Space in Early Agricultural Villages: Exploring Daily Lives, Community Size, and Architecture in the Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 19(1):75-102. Lev-Yadun S, Abbo S, and Doebley J. 2002. Wheat, rye, and barley on the cob? Nature Biotechnology 20(4):337-338.Pinhasi R, and Pluciennik M. 2004. A Regional Biological Approach to the Spread of Farming in Europe: Anatolia, the Levant, South-Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean. Current Anthropology 45(S4):S59-S82.Riehl S, Pustovoytov K, Weippert H, Klett S, and Hole F. 2014. Drought stress variability in ancient Near Eastern agricultural systems evidenced by d13C in barley grain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111(34):12348-12353.Riehl S, Zeidi M, and Conard NJ. 2013. Emergence of agriculture in the foothills of the Zagros mountains of Iran. Science 341:65-67.

Kiosk Technology Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kiosk Technology - Research Proposal Example Kiosk point-of-sale systems provide 24 x 7 availability to the customers where they can make transactions in an easy, user-friendly manner. The ease, with which transactions can be made, provides an important element towards an organization's ability to attract customers; as the customers look for user-friendly and always available systems that can take care of their needs. Kiosk promises to be the technological advancement that can take care of this need. In addition, kiosks provide customers with product information and interactive features that improves the overall image of the company in customers' minds. Kiosks are available in various types and for various purposes. Ranging from a simple cash register to a complex and integrated ATM (Automated Teller Machine), kiosks are believed to improve customer relationships, reduce headcounts for manual/ traditional operations, to take benefit of technology boom, to achieve accuracy and efficiency in operations and to improve customers' p erception about the company by providing various marketing and product/ services information on the kiosk terminals. This research will concentrate on evaluating the use of kiosks at var... Presenting Problem Any strategic investment in technology is made only if there are visible benefits and high expected returns from the investment. Kiosks have been used at POS sites with a hope to increase customer visits and their satisfaction levels that might ultimately lead to an increase in business revenue. However, there are no measurements and or performance evaluation mechanisms to find out the effectiveness of kiosks in adding to customer delight at the point of sale sites; and if at all there are some benefits to it. My research will help establish a relationship between kiosks and the POS systems to determine if kiosks add value to the overall productivity of POS sites and how can this value be measured, if at all. This can be used as part of feasibility analysis for strategic IT investment in kiosk technology by companies at their point of sale systems sites. Scope and Scale The scope of this research can not be restricted to few organizations or customers only. Since kiosks are being used by a variety of companies in a number of instances, it is wise to sample different sets of businesses and customers to develop a representative output for the entire universe of customers and businesses. The scope of this research includes surveys to be conducted with both customers who make use of kiosk technology and businesses that employ kiosk systems at the point of customer interaction. I will gather surveys from approximately 25 respondents belonging to various sites and areas, and then will attempt to compile the results. The number of surveys and interviews is only an estimate with an expected variation of ten percent for the number of respondents for the survey. Target The relationship between customer interaction with kiosk at POS systems and