Wednesday, October 30, 2019
3 questions to be answered Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
3 questions to be answered - Essay Example The strain is caused by the unexpected change in the number of patients requiring attention and care (Kaplan, Sadler and Little). Such changes may strain the organization’s infrastructure and lead to serious challenges to the organization if there is not government support for the operations. Natural calamities are uncontrollable and may lead to displacement of a large population while also encouraging the outbreak of vector borne diseases that may spread faster. Global or international conflicts may lead to war which affects political stability and the provision of the necessary services. Peace facilitates easier accessibility to the affected population, but if the area is marred with conflict the cost of operation may be increased due to the engagement of security personnel in the process. Conflicts pose a greater challenge than natural calamity because of it is influenced by the action of the state or individuals within the government. They may intimidate the population requiring the medical attention (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare organizations). For example, the Alshabaab militia group forced the population not to engage in vaccination which in turn affected children’s health. Such actions in conflict areas led to poor health among the population. In addition, the organization working in the area is forced to leave as a result of intimidation. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare organizations. Health Care at the Crossroads: strategies for creating and sustaining community-wide Emergency preparedness Systems. New York: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare organizations, 2002. Online Kaplan, Susan, et al. Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve? 12 November 2012. 25 November 2012 .
Monday, October 28, 2019
Sugar Ray Robinson Essay Example for Free
Sugar Ray Robinson Essay In the 1940s America had become a more technologically advanced country. The television had been invented, along with the world’s first computer and Americans were encouraged that ownership of this technology would make their lives better. This gave people financial problems. At this time the national debt was 43 billion dollars. Willy followed this trend by having the car, the refrigerator, the washing machine and the vacuum cleaner. Willy could not afford to buy these things out right, therefore was under pressure to make payments each month. This affected his mental state because not only did he have to provide for his family, but also had to earn extra to give his family these items that Americans were being persuaded were necessary. The American Dream is to be successful and envied without using a lot of effort. As Lorraine Hansberry says something has indeed gone wrong with at least part of the American Dream, and Willy Loman is a victim of the detour. I believe that there is a lot wrong with the American and how it is misleading many people into believing that America is the key to success. However, not all of Willys mistakes can be blamed on the American society, because Willy is able to think for himself. Also not everybody was miserable in the 1940s. This is also the era where people were successful, such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis in boxing, Gary Cooper, Betty Davis, Judy Garland and Marlon Brando in film, and, Irving Shaw and Doctor Spock in literature. Aristotle’s tragic theory is that the character in question is a great man, who dies, after: undergoing a fall, having a tragic character flaw, at some point being subjected to some recognition of his flaws and making an audience feels pity and catharsis. One point that Aristotle made was that the hero of the story had to be a great man. In this play, it is the opposite. Willy is a common man living in America, with a stereotypical job, money problems, living in a normal house with a typical American family. He hasnt done anything great for society, or even for his family. But, does the fact that he is not a great man, make the audience less impressed or moved by his downfall? This is dubious. On one hand, the audience feel less sympathetic because he is quite ignorant of what is happening, and he didn’t try to help any situations. For example when he is in the garden planting seeds, he didn’t listen to what Linda said about nothing being able to grow in the garden. Also his flaws could have made him gain less sympathy because in some cases he was to blame, for example the way that he treated Linda, telling her to shut up all the time makes him seem rude and disrespectful. By treating Linda this way, he will not gain the audiences respect, making him fail in being a tragic hero. On the other hand, the audience are able to connect with Willy. As Popkin says Willy is Everyman meaning that he is a recognisable character in a realistic world. Another point that Aristotle made was that the character had a downfall or a reversal of fortune. This is true of Willy in the play for he creates pity from the audience when he loses his job and has to tell his sons, I was fired and Im looking for a little good news to tell your mother, some audience members could also feel pity for Willy because he is losing his mind and recalling his past memories, for example whenever he speaks to Ben. Ben is both a character and a representation of the American Dream. One example of Ben’s representation of the American Dream is when Willy is playing a game of cards with Charley, Ben says â€Å"I must make a train, William. There are several properties I’m looking at in Alaska. †This shows Ben’s success by the fact that he is looking to buy property whereas the audience know that Willy has to pay debts. This is also showing a contrast between the two characters. Another point made in Aristotle’s theory is that the character must have a flaw or be flawed. Once again this is true of Millers character, Willy. In my opinion, Willys biggest flaw is how he is unfaithful to his wife, and how Biff, his son, finds out. You you gave her mamas stockings. I dont think flaws like this make an audience feel pity for the character, they could feel angry for the way he disrespected Linda, and maybe feel sympathetic for Biff who had to keep what he found out a secret. An audience would realise that he is keeping this secret when Linda talks about Willy’s attempted suicide, when Biff says, â€Å"What woman? †An audience would be able to comprehend what Biff is talking about from seeing previous flashbacks, of Willy’s. Willy also has other flaws, for example, his mental illness plays a big part throughout the play, and an audience could feel pity for him because it is not necessarily his fault that he is suffering from mind loss. Personally, I dont feel sympathetic to Willy because he is flawed. I feel that Willy has made unforgivable mistakes, such as making Happy crave attention by ignoring him, when Willy has a flashback remembering old times with his sons, Happy says,Im losing weight, you notice, Pop? But Willy doesn’t respond to him. Also he practically tells Biff that it is acceptable to steal during another flashback with Ben, Go right over to where theyre building the apartment house and get some sand. Although Willy is mentally ill, he is still conscious of what he is doing, therefore able to correct his mistakes. An additional point within Aristotle’s theory was that the character creates catharsis within an audience member. Catharsis is a relief of strong suppressed emotions, in this case through a piece of drama. Vogal agreed with this point when he said, Miller has awoken catharsis in us. I believe that this all depends on how sympathetic the audience feels towards Willy. Somebody who feels upset about how Willy had spent his life would feel this way at the end of the play. But, if somebody didnt feel sympathetic about what happened to Willy throughout the play, would not feel catharsis, and could feel as if it was his own fault that all these bad things have happened to him. An arguable point made is whether Willy has a moment of self recognition, which is another point that Aristotle made. Some people may argue that Willy does have a point of self recognition because he kills himself, thinking that the family would come into money therefore making himself realise that he had failed to support his family. Another argument would be that Willy knew because of the way Ben spoke to him. For Ben, the American Dream made him successful. But, even though he was a strong believer, the American Dream didnt do anything for Willy. Other people may say that Willy didnt have a moment of self recognition because when times were hard, for example when he came back home from his business trip. He still had to do it all over again to try and gain success. People could also say that Willy didnt kill himself to help his family, but because of his mental illness. In my opinion Willy does have a moment of self recognition, because he thinks that killing himself and getting the insurance money is the best thing for his family. I also think that it is his mental illness that stops him from realising that they wont get any money because he is committing suicide. In conclusion, I think that Willy is partially successful in being a tragic hero and evoking sympathy from an audience. I agree that what has happened to him is very upsetting, such as his death and him losing his job. However, I feel that in some cases he deserves to be punished for his terrible errors. Such as the way he treats his family. Willy is quite naive, with believing that practically wasting his money will make him successful. However, I do agree with Miller when he says (About Aristotle’s theory being out of date. ) Because a modern audience may suffer the same common tragedy as Willy does on this play.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The Positouch System :: essays research papers
The POSitouch System      Convention and Group Sales      Sunday, April 06, 1997 POSitouch The POSitouch system was conceived in 1982, by the Ted and Bill Fuller, owners of the Gregg's Restaurant chain. They were looking to increase the efficiency of there restaurants through the use of computer technology. During there search they found systems but none meeting there total needs. That is why the Fullers created the company, (R.D.C) Restaurant Data Concepts. RDC keeps developing better and more efficient equipment to be used in the food service industry.      ADVANTAGES                    DISADVANTAGES 1.) Timely information, and speeds operations. 1.) People will become dependent                                    on technology. So when it fails they will      2.) Tighter labor controls.          probably not be trained or prepared to be                                    with out it. 3.) No need to hire or pay a bookkeeper.     2.) Takes time to train people to work                                    efficiently on POSitouch. 4.) Calculates food costs and menu mix.                                             3.) POSitouch is expensive to the small      5.) Tighter controls over orders taken. business owner. The smallest system      Cuts down on free meals waiters give out. that they have installed cost under                                    $10,000. 6.) Can order (via modem) and keep track of inventory. 7.) Built-in modem allows technical support via modem, and on line access to reports available at anytime, even historical reports..               8.) Sales trend analysis. 9.) Credit Card authorization with draft capture.      10.) Easy to customize, to meet the needs of many different types of operations. 11.) Increased speed means, increased turnover. Overall, I feel that POSitouch is well worth the initial expense. It should be looked at as an investment, saving time, and money in all areas needing tight controls. This management tool has been shown to cut labor, and food costs in many food service establishments, not to mention the speed of the system, which could easily increase turnover.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Swot of Disneyland
SWOT – HOW DISNEYLAND HK CAN RELATE TO THE EMERGENCE OF ANOTHER DISNEYLAND IN SHANGHAI IN COMING DECADES : HOW HONG KONG CAN FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE EXISTENCE OF DISNEYLAND IN HK FOR BREAKEVEN SAKE: WHAT OTHER STRENGTH HK DISNEYLAND CAN SUSTAIN TO SURIVIVE FOR SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND BEING OPENED IN FEW YEARS LATER WITH DECREASE OF VISITORS FROM MAINLAND . WHAT IS THE WEAKNESS OF HONG KONG DISNEYLAND THAT CANNOT ATTRACT ENOUGH VISITORS TO MAINTAIN BREAKEVEN WITHOUT SUBSIDY FROM HK GOVERNMENT FOR EXAMPLES, POOR INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES IN DISNEYLAND, LIKE LITTLE FOOD CHOICES OPEN TO FIT FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE . SPACE IS SMALL AND THE AMUSEMENT FACILITIES DID NOT UPDATE FREQUENELTY. MOVEROVER,THE ROAD SHOW LAST FOR SEVERAL MONTH WITHOUT CHANGE. THE TRANSPORATION FARES IS ABNORMALLY HIGH WHICH DETER HONGKONGESE TO VISIT AGAIN . OPPORUNTITIES : RE-BRANDING OF DISNEYLAND,MORE NEW THEME DRAMA , ROAD SHOW AND MUSICAL SHOW AND INNOVATIVE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL ELEMENTS THERE . THREAT – COMPETITION FROM HK OCEAN PARK BECAUSE LOWER ENTRANCE FEES AND BETTER TRANSPORATION NETWORK AND FARES. MORE LOCAL AND MULTI-CULTURAL ELEMENTS EMBEDDED INTO THE FACILITES AND VISUAL AIDS. MOST IMPORTANT IS THE EMERGENCE OF SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND . BASED ON ABOVE 4 ELEMENTS TO SEE WHEHTER THERE IS A DRASTIC CHANGE TO EXISTING HK DISNEYLAND MARKETING GLIMMSPE. IF HK GOVERNMENT NEED TO HAVE COLLATERAL CONTRACT WITH US DISNEYLAND, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HK SHOULD BOUND THE AGREED PERIOD OF TIME TO REPRESENT DISNEYLAND TO PROVIDE MINIMAL LEVEL OF SERVICE TO VISITORS. AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF ALL THE CONTRACT SERVICING PERIOD, HK WOULD CHANGE THE STRUCTURE/MARKETING STRATEGIES BY WHATEVER MEANS.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Importance of Library in Our Life Essay
Libraries are only next in importance to schools, colleges and universities as means of educating the public. A library is a store-house of books-books of all kinds and on all subjects under the sun. A good modern library usually subscribes to practically all the important newspapers and periodicals. Books, newspapers and periodicals are the main features of a library and they represent the endeavours, achievements and glory of writers, statesmen, scientists, philosophers and saints. For a person of average means it is difficult to purchase more than one or two daily newspapers, but it is the keen desire of educated people to know all possible shades of opinion as expressed in various newspapers. The obvious course for them is to visit a library during their leisure and glance through the relevant pages of many newspapers which they think are worth the trouble. Generally a person does not subscribe to more than one or two magazines or periodicals and yet in these days of abundant supply of illustrated and pictorial journals most of us would like to have a look at the most attractive and interesting among them. This can be done only in a library which usually subscribes to most of the popular magazines. The best feature of a library is that it either makes no charge upon the readers or collects a negligible membership fee for making available to them newspapers and journals. This fact is immensely helpful to the ill-paid and poor members of society who, notwithstanding their poverty, are interested in the political, social and religious developments reported by newspapers. To those who are vociferous book readers, a library is all the more useful. Only a very rich man can afford to have a large private collection of books, while the desire to read books is now- a-days becoming more and more common. Besides, no private collection can be as big, up-to-date, and varied as the collection of books in a library; one can find books on history, economics politics, philosophy, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, literature, and languages. As the needs of various readers are different, a library serves a very useful purpose by meeting the requirements of all readers. The poorest man can go to a library, take out any book he needs and read or take notes from it without having to pay for the privilege. In this way, a single library benefits thousands of readers. Again, some books are priced so high that they are beyond the means of average reader, but they are usually to be found in a library. It is evident that a library confers incalculable advantages on the public only if they care to make use of it. A library has always a studious atmosphere. As we enter a library, we find ourselves surrounded by books and readers. We see books of all kinds and sizes reposing in their respective places, and earnest readers eagerly devouring the contents of the books they have picked up from the shelves. What is more, all possible facilities are provided to the readers. Comfortable chairs with tables in front, adequate lighting arrangements, and a librarian to help and guide the reader all these factors make the place a veritable sanctuary fit for even the most serious and zealous students. A library is even more useful to research students. A research scholar working on a difficult, obscure subject usually needs books that are very expensive and that are often not available in the market. Sometimes he may need to refer to original manuscripts not otherwise available. In all such cases he will find it very advantageous to visit the various libraries and collect his material. It is a stimulus to reading. It helps us develop a reading habit. Since its gates are open to all and sundry, to rich and poor, to professors and students, to scholars and lay-a-taste in books. In short, a library is a standing invitation to the public to come and read books as well as newspapers and periodicals. There is a wide choice of books and the library helps us to escape from the practical necessities of this world. And while there is a charge for traveling m a bus, for entering a cinema or a circus, for seeing a cricket match, there is no such charge for entering a library and becoming engrossed in a book.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
World War II - Women and the Military
World War II - Women and the Military During World War II, women served in many positions in direct support of military efforts. Military women were excluded from combat positions, but that didnt keep some from being in harms way- nurses in or near combat zones or on ships, for instance- and some were killed.​ Many women became nurses, or used their nursing expertise, in the war effort. Some became Red Cross nurses. Others served in military nursing units. About 74,000 women served in the American Army and Navy Nurse Corps in World War II. Women also served in other military branches, often in traditional womens work- secretarial duties or cleaning, for instance. Others took traditional mens jobs in non-combat work, to free more men for combat. Figures for Women Serving With the American Military in World War II Army - 140,000Navy - 100,000Marines - 23,000Coast Guard - 13,000Air Force - 1,000Army and Navy Nurse Corps - 74,000 More than 1,000 women served as pilots associated with the US Air Force in the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) but were considered civil service workers, and werent recognized for their military service until the 1970s. Britain and the Soviet Union also used significant numbers of women pilots to support their air forces. Some Served in a Different Way As with every war, where there are military bases, there were also prostitutes. Honolulus sporting girls were an interesting case. After Pearl Harbor, some houses of prostitution- which were then located near the harbor- served as temporary hospitals, and many of the girls came to wherever they were needed to nurse the injured. Under martial law, 1942-1944, prostitutes enjoyed a fair amount of freedom in the city- more than theyd had before the war under civilian government. Near many military bases, reputed victory girls could be found, willing to engage in sex with military men without charge. Many were younger than 17. Military posters campaigning against venereal disease depicted these victory girls as a threat to the Allied military effort- an example of the old double standard, blaming the girls but not their male partners for the danger.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Consumerism -- Definition and Discussion
Consumerism Definition and Discussion While consumption is an act that people engage in, sociologists understand consumerism to be a characteristic of society and a powerful ideology that frames our worldview, values, relationships, identities, and behavior. Consumerism drives us to consume and to seek happiness and fulfillment through consumption, serving as a necessary counterpart to a capitalist society that prioritizes mass production and unending growth in sales. Consumerism According to Sociology British sociologist Colin Campbell, in the book Elusive Consumption, defined consumerism as a social condition that occurs when consumption is â€Å"especially important if not actually central†to most people’s lives and even â€Å"the very purpose of existence.†When this occurs, we are bound together in society by how we channel our wants, needs, desires, longings, and pursuit of emotional fulfillment into the consumption of goods and services. Similarly, American sociologist Robert G. Dunn, in Identifying Consumption: Subject and Objects in Consumer Society, described consumerism as â€Å"an ideology that seductively binds people to [the] system†of mass production. He argues that this ideology turns consumption â€Å"from a means to an end,†so that acquiring goods becomes the basis of our identity and sense of self. As such, â€Å"[a]t its extreme, consumerism reduces consumption to a therapeutic program of compensation for life’s ills, even a road to personal salvation.†However, it is Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman who offers the most insight on this phenomenon. In his book, Consuming Life, Bauman wrote, We may say that ‘consumerism’ is a type of social arrangement that results from recycling mundane, permanent and so to speak ‘regime-neutral’ human wants, desires and longings into the principal propelling force of society, a force that coordinates systemic reproduction, social integration, social stratification and the formation of human individuals, as well as playing a major role in the processes of individual and group self-policies. What Bauman means is that consumerism exists when our wants, desires, and longings for consumer goods drive what happens in society, and when they are primarily responsible for shaping the entire social system in which we exist. They channeled through consumption, are inspired by and reproduce the dominant worldview, values, and culture of society. Under consumerism, our consumption habits define how we understand ourselves, how we affiliate with others, and overall, the extent to which we fit in with and are valued by society at large. Because our social and economic value is largely defined by our consumer practices, consumerism as an ideology becomes the lens through which we see and understand the world, what is possible for us, and how we might go about achieving what we want. According to Bauman, consumerism â€Å"manipulat[es] the probabilities of individual choices and conduct.†Echoing Marx’s theory of the alienation of workers within a capitalist system, Bauman argues that individual desire and longing becomes a social force separate from us that operates on its own. It then becomes the force that propels and reproduces norms, social relations, and the overall social structure of society. Consumerism shapes our wants, desires, and longings in such a way that we want not simply to acquire goods because they are useful, but more so, because of what they say about us. We want the newest and the best in order to fit in with, and even outshine, other consumers. Because of this, Bauman wrote that we experience an â€Å"ever-increasing volume and intensity of desire.†In a society of consumers, consumerism is fueled by planned obsolescence and premised not only on the acquisition of goods but also on their disposal. Consumerism both functions upon and reproduces an insatiability of desires and needs. The cruel trick is that a society of consumers thrives on the inability of the system of mass production and consumption to meet our desires and needs. While the system promises to deliver, it does so only for brief periods of time. Rather than cultivating happiness, consumerism is fueled by and cultivates fear fear of not fitting in, of not having the right stuff, of not being the right kind of person. Consumerism is defined by perpetual non-satisfaction.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
The Definition of a Solid in Chemistry and Science
The Definition of a Solid in Chemistry and Science A solid is a state of matter characterized by particles arranged such that their shape and volume are relatively stable. The constituents of a solid tend to be packed together much closer than the particles in a gas or liquid. The reason a solid has a rigid shape is that the atoms or molecules are tightly connected via chemical bonds. The bonding may produce either a regular lattice (as seen in ice, metals, and crystals) or an amorphous shape (as seen in glass or amorphous carbon). A solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter, along with liquids, gases, and plasma. Solid state physics and solid state chemistry are two branches of science dedicated to studying the properties and synthesis of solids. Examples of Solids The matter with a defined shape and volume is solid. There are many examples: A brickA pennyA piece of woodA chunk of aluminum metal (or any metal at room temperature except mercury)Diamond (and most other crystals) Examples of things that are not solids include liquid water, air, liquid crystals, hydrogen gas, and smoke. Classes of Solids The different types of chemical bonds that join the particles in solids exert characteristic forces that can be used to classify solids. Ionic bonds (e.g. in table salt or NaCl) are strong bonds that often result in crystalline structures that may dissociate to form ions in water. Covalent bonds (e.g., in sugar or sucrose) involve the sharing of valence electrons. Electrons in metals seem to flow because of metallic bonding. Organic compounds often contain covalent bonds and interactions between separate portions of the molecule due to van der Waals forces. Major classes of solids include: Minerals: Minerals are natural solids formed by geological processes. A mineral has a uniform structure. Examples include diamond, salts, and mica.Metals: Solid metals include elements (e.g., silver) and alloys (e.g., steel). Metals are typically hard, ductile, malleable, and excellent conductors of heat and electricity.Ceramics: Ceramics are solids consisting of inorganic compounds, usually oxides. Ceramics tend to be hard, brittle, and corrosions include silicon and gallium arsenide. Nanomaterials: Nanomaterials are tiny solid particles at the nanometer size. These solids may display very different physical and chemical properties from large-scale versions of the same materials. or example, gold nanoparticles are red and melt at a lower temperature than gold metal.Biomaterials: These are natural materials, such as collagen and bone, that are often capable of self-assembly.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Community Acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Article
Community Acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - Article Example As the research stresses the etiology of CA-MRSA infections includes presentation of small series of soft tissue infections, pneumonia or bacteremia in both adult and pediatric patients. Strains of CA-MRSA produces symptoms that range from subtle to life threatening. The most common lesions were abscesses and cellulitis which presented as single lesions involving extremities. Patients with abscesses may have no fever or leukocytosis. Abscesses are mostly accompanied by central necrosis and surrounding cellulitis. Multiple boils are usually characteristics and occur in outbreaks but is a less frequent presentation of CA--MRSA. In addition, scalded skin syndrome and impendigo are usually uncommon. Myositis and pyositis are also rare infections that involve pelvis or lower extremities. Some patients may also have associated bacteremia and septic shock. According to the report there is an increasing rate of drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus that has led to study of potential medicinal herbs for treatment. Some plants extracts have antimicrobial activity and can be great significance in therapeutic treatment. Strains of Staphylococcus aureus were vulnerable to extracts of Punica granatum and Tabebuia avellanedae, which are Brazillian traditional medicinal herbs. Two naphthoquinones isolated from T. avellanedae and ellagitannins isolated from P. granatum were mixed and they exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.
Friday, October 18, 2019
European Union (different policies) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
European Union (different policies) - Essay Example The European Council have agreed to extend the EU scope to countries in the South and East Europe including Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Turkey (European Commission). These candidates are then given financial assistance "so they can introduce the necessary political, economic and institutional reforms in line with the EU standard" (European Commission). It provides for economic reform leading to economic growth and better employment prospects (European Commission). One of the necessary tracks for the regional enlargement is the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). This is particularly done by having one currency which is the Euro. The adoption of the Euro is the culmination of the three stages of economic policy (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). But prior to adopting the Euro, "a member state has to have its currency in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) for two years" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). So far, sixteen of the members have adopted the Euro. Only the United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden have not accepted the third stage and they still use their own currency. To pursue a sustainable growth in agriculture, the EU adopted a fundamental reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). "The new CAP will be geared towards consumers and taxpayers, while giving EU farmers the freedom to produce what the market wants" (European Commission). This will create a 'single farm payments' "which will be linked to the respect of environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards" (European Commission). To give much authority to the Member state to oversee production, they "may choose to maintain a limited link between subsidy and production under well defined conditions and within clear limits" (European Commission). The Europan union has high dreams of economic prosperity among its members, being the largest regional economy in the world. The question however is what would happen to the diaparity betweena nd among the Member States. There are two opposing theories to look at: the convergence theory which predicts that countries will even out in the future and the cumulative causation which will exacerbate divergence and economic differences. With the way the EU supports its members, we see that convergence is more likely to happen, especially that the poorer countries are given the chance to strengthen their economy before finally doing direct trade and contact with other Member States. This necessary preparation for all EU members is what differentiates the European Union from other regional economic group. Envioronmental Policy The European Union believes that "the environment is essential for the quality of life of current and future generations" (SCADPlus). "The EU's priorities are combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, reducing the impact of pollution on health and better use of natural resources" (SCADPlus). Since climate change poses great danger to the entire region, the EU has formulated policies in combating them. Starting from the European Climate Change Program, "the European Union has come up with realistic climate change strategies advocating practical action to prevent temperatures from increasing to
Alexander Gorsky Russian Choreographer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Alexander Gorsky Russian Choreographer - Essay Example The end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century were characterized by a recovery period of the arts in Moscow, only ballet didn't experience any advances. The Moscow Ballet suffered the longest decline in its history. The theatre didn't have a position of choreographer, even in the staff list; the popularity of the theater was so low that hall was seldom filled to a one-third, and the company of the theatre included only 70 dancers. The only functioning department of the Moscow Ballet was the ballet school, for the most part, due to the talents and enthusiasm of V. Tikhomirov and I. Nikitin. Nevertheless, the Moscow Ballet required strong manager-director to change the situation with attendance and the theater repertory.Alexander Gorsky started on the position of the Moscow Ballet' choreographer with famous ballet Don Quixote". Actually, it wasn't a new development but a revision of Petipa's version. Alexander Gorsky spent 18 months to prepare the ballet for staging. He invited the famous painters Korovin and Golovin to develop the design and produce scene settings and dressing for dancers. Gorsky managed to revive the atmosphere of Spain in the ballet. Although I must admit that Gorsky staging of Don Quixote" was quite different to Petipa's one, he left some sections without a change. Gorsky interpreted ballet as an instrument in understanding a unity of art and performance."Don Quixote" was staged in 1900 and it became the herald of the Moscow Ballet recovery.... Alexander Gorsky as a director. The end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century were characterized by a recovery period of the arts in Moscow, only ballet didn't experience any advances. The Moscow Ballet suffered the longest decline in its history. The theatre didn't have position of choreographer, even in the staff list; popularity of the theater was so low that hall was seldom filled to a one-third; and the company of the theatre included only 70 dancers. The only functioning department of the Moscow Ballet was the ballet school, for the most part due to the talents and enthusiasm of V. Tikhomirov and I. Nikitin. Nevertheless the Moscow Ballet required strong manager-director to change the situation with attendance and the theater repertory. Alexander Gorsky started on the position of the Moscow Ballet' choreographer with famous ballet Don Quixote". Actually it wasn't a new development but a revision of Petipa's version. Alexander Gorsky spent 18 months to prepare the ballet for staging. He invited the famous painters Korovin and Golovin to develop design and produce scene settings and dressing for dancers. Gorsky managed to revive atmosphere of Spain in the ballet. Although I must admit that Gorsky staging of Don Quixote" was quite different to Petipa's one, he left some sections without a change. Gorsky interpreted ballet as an instrument in understanding a unity of artistism and performance. Don Quixote" was staged in 1900 and it became the herald of the Moscow Ballet recovery. In spite of the mixed comments of ballets critics, the theatre attendance began to increase. The next great
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Gender and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Gender and the Media - Essay Example The masculine is attributed to males while the feminine to the females. The document below analyzes the way media displays husbands as commercial or entrepreneurs while wives are always linked with kitchen or home matters (Carter 2). Mixed sentiments always feature concerning this matter some aiming to support while others stand to condemn it. I wish to counter this statement. Media is vital in creating social norms. This is because various media forms including television, film, and advertisements are available everywhere in the world today. The existence of gender roles is sole as a result of society choosing to accept them. However, the media tends to perpetuate them. According to Carter (2011), mass media like news industries, entertainment and advertising tend to portray men as well as women with stereotypes whereby ladies or wives are placed in deprived situations such as submissive and passive roles. Men or husbands, on the other hand, are usually revealed to have a likelihood of succeeding and always concerned with their occupations. Consequently, power relations and the traditional gender roles have become deeply interiorized in the sub-consciousness via the mass media. Biblically as well as according to the social set up, men are obligated to provide for the family. They are, therefore, required to be aggressive so as to put something on the table for their wives and children. The scenario of husbands being revealed as commercially oriented persons while wives as people dealing with domestic matters is an understandable fact. This is because for husbands to provide, they have to be entrepreneurs or focused on their occupations (Warren 2). Wives, on the other hand, have the right to be at home minding the domestic matters since the husband is providing. It is hence justifiable to say that husbands are commercial while wives are only meant for the kitchen matters.
The rights and responsibilities that the Constitution gives American Research Paper
The rights and responsibilities that the Constitution gives American citizens - Research Paper Example It meant that a citizen, as a matter of right, cannot be arrested, detained nor its property be seized without justifiable cause and procedures. Each American has the right to the â€Å"due process of law that protects all these rights. The principle of due process clause is found in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments and states that no person shall be deprived of â€Å"life, liberty, or property, without due process of law†(Rights and Responsibilities of American Citizens). The principle of due process ensures that the laws must be fair and reasonable, must be in accordance with the Constitution, and must apply to everyone equally. b. Right to equality The right to equality is one of the crowning glories of American society where everybody has the same rights and privileges from where the lowest menial worker in the country has the same right and privilege of that of the highest officer or richest man in the land. The right to equality is guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amend ment. It meant that every citizen is entitled to the same equal protection of laws in the United States regardless of race, creed or political orientation. This right protects every American from discrimination and arbitrary treatment that ranges from work opportunities to availing of social services. c. Right to liberty This guaranteed right of each American made United States the proverbial â€Å"land of the free†. ... r the constitution Vote in federal elections Serve on a jury Bring family members to the United States Obtain citizenship for children born abroad Travel with a U.S. passport Run for federal office Become eligible for federal grants and scholarship These rights however come with a duty to ensure that such rights are enjoyed by every citizen and to ensure the perpetuity of the political condition that make the enjoyment of such rights possible. Duties are mandatory and are subjected to penalty under the law while responsibilities are done voluntarily and are a positive response from a citizen to contribute to the government and community that his or her enjoyment of rights may continue. Duties every American citizens Obey the law Pay taxes Defend the country Serve in court Attend school Responsibilities of every American citizen Know your right as a citizen that they may be preserved Respect the rights of others Serve the community II. Questions: a. To what extent does the Constitutio n protect the right of privacy? The â€Å"right to privacy†is not literally stated in the Constitution of the United States. In fact, the word â€Å"privacy†cannot even be found. And so are other important rights like the right to marriage and family. It is because the constitution only spells out what the government can do what the people can do. The constitution limits or delineates the powers that the government is authorized to exercise. Examples of these are the prohibition of the authorities to keep a person in jail indefinitely without the benefit of a fair trial, nor can it search or seize properties without due process of law nor the government can enact laws that will abridge the rights of the freedom of speech, assembly, religion etch. This explains the absence of the literal
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Gender and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Gender and the Media - Essay Example The masculine is attributed to males while the feminine to the females. The document below analyzes the way media displays husbands as commercial or entrepreneurs while wives are always linked with kitchen or home matters (Carter 2). Mixed sentiments always feature concerning this matter some aiming to support while others stand to condemn it. I wish to counter this statement. Media is vital in creating social norms. This is because various media forms including television, film, and advertisements are available everywhere in the world today. The existence of gender roles is sole as a result of society choosing to accept them. However, the media tends to perpetuate them. According to Carter (2011), mass media like news industries, entertainment and advertising tend to portray men as well as women with stereotypes whereby ladies or wives are placed in deprived situations such as submissive and passive roles. Men or husbands, on the other hand, are usually revealed to have a likelihood of succeeding and always concerned with their occupations. Consequently, power relations and the traditional gender roles have become deeply interiorized in the sub-consciousness via the mass media. Biblically as well as according to the social set up, men are obligated to provide for the family. They are, therefore, required to be aggressive so as to put something on the table for their wives and children. The scenario of husbands being revealed as commercially oriented persons while wives as people dealing with domestic matters is an understandable fact. This is because for husbands to provide, they have to be entrepreneurs or focused on their occupations (Warren 2). Wives, on the other hand, have the right to be at home minding the domestic matters since the husband is providing. It is hence justifiable to say that husbands are commercial while wives are only meant for the kitchen matters.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Power over Peoples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Power over Peoples - Essay Example Western Imperialism or ‘the expansion of Europe’ manifested itself in two phases: the Old Empires of the 16th century, and the New Imperialism of the mid 19th centuries. Technology counts as one of the major contributing factors to the success of the western imperialism mostly in the New Imperialism as it advantaged the Europeans and their associates, making them succeeded in controlling many states of the globe. They could travel over long seas in steamships and boats, travel and transport widely by use of railways, conquer more states because they had better armor, and lastly their development in medicine saw them withstand such in the different cultures they embarked on. Technology here refers to the extensive ability that humans can acquire from the use of environmental energy and materials in doing what the body cannot do on its own. When technology changes for the better, or advances, it is referred to as superior technology, superior in that it gives one powers mo re than nature, such as using a machine to travel farther, and faster. Technology favored the Western Imperialism as they had two main sources of innovation that is culture and the competitive nature of the West. Culture enabled them to rule over nature through scientific experiments and research. The competitiveness of the western states made each state to strive for gain of advantage over the other in a bid to control more of the outside world than other states. Historians have long tried to define some occurrence in the Western Imperialism without much success. The myth in it is that the New Imperialism spread so fast in less time, and was more successful than the Old Imperialism. Did the use of fast growing technology facilitate the success of the New Imperialism in a shorter time than did the Old Empires? In addition, did the impact of imperialism force the affected to react by innovating means of survival? From Chapter 1: Discovery and conquering of the Seas Headrick (2010) ex plains the mastering of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, revealing that the move was not for exploration. Rather, it was due to the quest of religious, commercial, and military dominance over other cultures. He uses Portugal to elaborate the onset of nautical innovations that saw it rise to form an empire of the Indian Ocean. At first, it was so unlikely for Portugal to raise to such heights, owing to its approximate population of a million people, most of who were fishermen and farmers, and its lack of resources that made it a poor state. In addition, it appeared unstable because of its ever-in-war status with North African Muslims and the Castile (Headrick, 2010). However, they defied these odds and went on to acquire their empire status, a first in Europe, powered by some factors such as the urge of Christians to fight Muslims even after leaving Portugal that made them find means of pursuing them. Then there was the craving for gold and spices, both of which led to them inventing navigation and ships. To add to their success was Henry the Navigator, son of King John I, an explorer and soldier who trained people in map-making and navigation. He is responsible for the success of the Portuguese in sailing to the African West Coast to defeat the Muslims, spread Christianity, and establish new trade routes (Headrick, 2010). The English and Dutch later joined in exploring the Asian coasts and offered stiff
The Economic History of the United States Essay Example for Free
The Economic History of the United States Essay Today, the United States has the most foremost economy in the global industry. It is the leader in trade and exchange and has embraced ideologies and policies that directly affect the performance of its economy. Among this is the policy of free trade which was strongly pursued and promoted by well known economist and scholar, Milton Friedman. Friedman has become an advocate of Adam Smiths writings and highly agree with his ideas of free trade, competition in the markets, and the â€Å"invisible hand†. Friedmans contention is that the act of embracing free trade by the United States is one which will definitely benefit the economy in the long-run as opposed to embracing an economy that is highly protected and regulated by the government. The government is indeed essential to provide security and to make sure that orderly, stable, and lawful conditions are sustained and provided. However, governments cannot help but heavily intrude in economic and business affairs. Friedman sees this as a hindrance to the furtherance of achieving economic prosperity as well as a suppression of the freedom to choose. The film provided valuable insights about the different developments of other nations to provide an overview of how free trade and government intervention and control has affected the development of these nations. Take for example Britain who used to suffer from smuggling and numerous lawbreakers. It removed all the duties and tarriffs on goods in 1846 and has become the workplace of the world, achieving an unprecendented rate of economic wellness. Japan is also among those countries which embraced a certain aspect of free trade when it broke away from its feudal society and isolation in 1868. It has been rooted in the traditional and because of the opening of its market to the West traders and its embrace of free trade, Japan has since then become an economy that is highly competitive. It has adopted modern ways of production in its various industries which caused its economic boom. This economic freedom has further promoted human freedom. On the other hand, India after its freedom from Britain, has adopted a system that strongly relied on the government for central planning and control. The weaving industry of India was heavily regulated and keenly controlled by the government. It never really prospered and the energy coming from human capital was stifled which would have produced more dynamic actvity. In this respect, other industries were sacrificed and until the present, India has never really modernized. In the case of the United States, its employment of free enterprise has currently provided an economy that is noteworthy because it provided the enjoyment of low prices, products that are satisfactory in terms of quality and high wages. Adam Smith, in his book The Wealth of Nations, introduced the â€Å"invisible hand†which has been one of the foundations of free enterprise. This is very manifest in the United States economy in a way that it is human nature. The behavior of the Americans which places a big importance on the freedom to choose, provides an environment that is highly characteristic of the invisible hand at work. Self-interest which is very common to all, is the main key in the propagation of this phenomenon. The difference of the United States however, is its open acceptance of the cultivation of self-interest. Because of the individual pursuance of self-interest, different producers have manufactured products in the aim of achieving profit from them. This in turn provided the needs for the consumers, who in the pursuance of their self interest, paid for goods that became the profit for the producers. This spontaneous order definitely explains the economic prosperity that the United States enjoy today. Furthermore, because of the invisible hand at work, competition at the market place has been cultivated and encouraged. More producers have made goods that provided variety for people to choose. It is a known fact that consumers would definitely opt for goods that are of the cheapest price, and this competition definitely promotes a healthy economic environment when it is coupled by the sellers option to sell at a higher price. This applies to the domestic economy as well as to international exchange and trade. United States has suffered from protectionism as a political disease but it has risen above it and has not coward out of competing in the international market. The lifting of constraints from the government with regards to international competition facilitated the United States advantageous strategies that explored the minimization of costs and maximization of profits. It has tapped cheaper overseas labor in the processing of raw materials and assembling of goods that are then sold domestically and exported abroad. However, arguments saying that this process will mean lesser jobs for Americans has been voiced out by others. Despite the negative implication that this outsourcing of labor has, the United States has found means of going around it. It has took advantage of the free market of foreign exchange in the birth of export industries that have replaced jobs that might have been lost. This was only possible because of the alleviation of government intervention in international exchange and trade. Another instance is the support of small businesses that are currently motivated by the free enterprise policy of the United States. This small businesses provide more jobs for the American citizens currently. Summing up, it can be assumed that free trade accounts for the United States being able to enjoy a high standard of living and if more barriers are removed, it promises an even brighter economic future. Free trade allows more goods and services to reach the United States allowing the American consumers to choose and enjoy goods at lower prices. This means more spending income or savings for a household. However, the positive effects of free trade is not limited domestically because it extends to a global scale. With the embrace of a free enterprise, the freedom to choose is extended globally and influences more nations. With the right attitude of acceptance and undertaking the challenge of competition, other nations could take the steps that the United States have taken. With the right market reforms, economic improvement is definitely at hand. Works Cited PBS Free to Choose 1990 Vol. 2 of 5 The Tyranny of Control http://video. google. com/videoplaydocid=2798161794328252652q=Milton+Friedman+Free+to+choose+duration3Alongtotal=15start=10num=10so=0type=s
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The effects of smoking in the human body
The effects of smoking in the human body Hazardous Effects of Smoking on the Human Health Since modern people live and eat satisfactorily, they began to concern themselves more about their health. These days we frequently can see many male adults who are smoking. Moreover, the smoking rate of teenagers and women has lately been getting higher; thus, the problem becomes very serious. Although people know that smoking is bad and harmful, they seem difficult to quit smoking. People might not fully know negative effects of smoking. They must attempt to learn how horribly undermine their health while they are smoking. Once they understand the serious relation between smoking and its effects, then they would be more determined and easier to quit smoking with obtained knowledge for preventing smoking. Then what does smoking actually cause on human health, and how seriously appalling are its effects? Smoking causes various diseases such as chronic bronchitis and various kinds of cancer: lung cancer, larynx cancer, cancer of the esophagus, etc. Tobacco, which people smoke, is a toxic substance, and a main ingredient that causes the toxic is nicotine. This nicotine has a medical action which is similar to toxic substance such as a narcotic. When it is the first time to smoke or when a smoker smokes a lot, it gives various symptoms such as vomiting, giddiness, headaches, etc. by nicotine. Nicotine is very poisonous; therefore, if a humans body absorbs too much nicotine in their blood at once, most of the people die. The most important medical action of nicotine is a mental effect. Nicotine makes smokers feel a sense of mental stability and gives a sedative effect that helps to relieve the tension. Most of all, these medical actions of nicotine cause a habit which makes people smoke continually. The smoke of tobacco includes carbon monoxide; therefore, smokers could be in hypoxia, because the use rate of oxygen by smokers is much lower than the use rate of oxygen by nonsmokers. Smoking makes smokers feel headache, dizziness, and fatigue, makes eyes get flickering, gives a sense of vomiting, makes the heart beat faster, gives an oppressive feeling of the breast, and makes a smoker have difficulty in breathing, and even a state of stupor follows. If these states get worse, it gives a state of unconsciousness and finally makes people die. Smoking does not only give people these states, but it also causes various diseases: coronary heart disease, lung cancer, esophageal carcinoma, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, kidney cancer, cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, et cetera. There is also the addiction of nicotine in tobacco. According to the Department of Health and Human Services in the United States, â€Å"Cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addicting. Nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. The pharmacologic and behavioral processes that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.†It is obviously true that many smokers are having trouble quitting smoking even though many campaigns for smokers health are still going on. Only the reason why a lot of smokers keep smoking with the determination for quitting smoking is because nicotine gets their bodies addicted to smoking. As long as smokers are exposed to the addiction of nicotine, they would need more cigarettes to suffice for their impulse to smoking. However, people discovered that many of these toxic substances could be useful for medicinal purposes and also gave pleasure when consumed. The modern neuro-physiology has proven that nicotine is more effective when inhaled into the lungs. The smoke is mild enough to be inhaled deeply into the alveoli of the lungs from where it is rapidly absorbed. In addition, it takes about seven seconds for nicotine to be absorbed through the lungs to reach the brain. On the other hand, it takes 14 seconds for nicotine to travel from the arm to brain after an intravenous injection. Nicotine could unlock and combine with receptors throughout the body, thus it could activate other neurotransmitters, namely serotonine and dopamine. The small doses of nicotine could result to a sense of well-being while large doses may cause depression and overdoses may kill. Nicotine is highly addictive, as explained by West and Grunberg (as cited in Goodman, 1993), tobacco smoking could get regular and compulsive a nd the withdrawal syndrome usually accompanies tobacco abstinence. During the 1990s, the US Surgeon General reported that â€Å"smoking represents the most extensively documented cause of disease ever investigated in the history of biomedical research†(as cited in Goodman, 1993, p. 242). Passive smokers or second hand smokers are also affected since they also inhale the smoke. There are several studies linking human genes to nicotine addiction like the the Swedish and Finnish twin registries (Kaprio, Koskenvuo, Sarna, 1981) that support the conclusion of a significant contribution of genetic effects to smoking. Genes are the basic biological units of heredity and the segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) needed to contribute to a function. To make new proteins, the living cell uses the genetic code of the macromolecule DNA, which stores all the information about the sequence of amino acids in the cells proteins. The identity and position of each amino acid in the protein chain is coded by nucleotides on the DNA, called codons. Among the numerous neurochemical effects of nicotine is its initial action on the nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Nicotine produces an increase in the rate of release and turnover of acetylcholine and catecholamines. It has been hypothesized that nicotine enhances the experience of pleasure through its effects on the dopaminergic system, while its ability to reduce anxiety and tension is mediated through stimulation of ACTH and cortisol; nicotines ability to enhance task performance may be due principally to its action on the cholinergic and noradrenergic pathways (Pomerleau Pomerleau, 1984). This only shows that it is possible that gene variants play a role in receptor functioning in one or more of the systems on which nicotine exerts an effect. In a research conducted by Tapper, et al. (as cited in Secko,2005), they discovered that a â€Å"mutation in the ÃŽ ±4 nAChR subunit lowers the threshold of nicotine dependence in mice†(p. 175). The same article implicates that ÃŽ ±4 and ÃŽ ²2 nAChR subunits could affect nicotine dependence. One of the disadvantages of the relationship of gene variance and nicotine addiction is the heterogeneity of human beings. Thus, genetic make-up of every human is different from each other. Also, the genetic influences on different stages of smoking may also not be identical. Thus, researchers have to study well-defined subgroups of smokers with clearly characterized phenotypes to avoid problems of population stratification. The advantages of the new findings regarding the relationship of gene variance and nicotine addiction is that as more genetic variations are discovered that are associated with the addiction, the medical field would be able to better understand how to prevent and treat human addictive disorders. The insights on genetic variance could contribute to more effective strategies to reduce smoking. Moreover, since there is no single medication that is likely to be safe and efficacious for a majority of persons with nicotine dependence, it will be useful to develop gene tics-based methods and other tools to predict therapeutic response in subgroups of nicotine-dependent persons. Female smokers do harm to embryonic health, and smokers cause nonsmokers to inhale indirect smoking, which causes damage similar to smoking, by breathing in the smoke made by smokers. In addition, teenage smoking is very bad, because smoking is more harmful for teenagers, and starting smoking at teenage makes it easier to fall deeper into toxic symptoms of nicotine. Teenage smoking is connected to juvenile delinquency and also is causing serious effects to emotional and social problems. The problem of smoking is this serious; however, as the time goes, the population increases, and as the population increases, the smoking quantity increases. In order to solve this problem, there is one method always suggested: people must stop smoking for themselves and others. Smokers have to know the reason why they smoke, so they could take on other habits or other work instead of smoking. References Goodman, J. (1993). Tobacco in History: The Cultures of Dependence. London and New York: Routledge. Kaprio J, Koskenvuo M, Sarna S. (1981). Cigarette smoking, use of alcohol, and leisure time physical activity among same-sexed adult male twins. In L. Gedda, P. Parise, W. E. Nance (Eds.), Twin Research 3: Part C, Epidemiological and Clinical Studies (pp. 37-46). New York: Liss. McGee, H. (1986) On Food and Cooking. The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. London: HarperCollins. Pomerleau, O. F. Pomerleau C. S. (1984). Neuroregulators and the reinforcement of smoking: towards a biobehavioral explanation. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 8, 503-513. Secko, D. (2005). Craving nicotine: Its in the genes. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 172 (2), 175-176.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Laura Equirels Like Water for Chocolate Essays -- Esquivel Like Water
Laura Esquirel’s, Like Water for Chocolate, is a modern day Romeo and Juliet filled with mouthwatering recipes. It has become a valued part of American literature. The novel became so popular that it was developed into a film, becoming a success in both America and Mexico. Alfonso Arau directs the film. After reading the novel and seeing the movie, I discovered several distinct differences between the two as well as some riveting similarities. The novel begins with the main character, Tita, being born on the kitchen table. "Tita had no need for the usual slap on the bottom, because she was already crying as she emerged; maybe that was because she knew that it would be her lot in life to be denied marriage †¦Tita was literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of the table and flooded across the kitchen floor" (Esquirel 6). Although this is included in the film with tremendous accuracy, the movie begins with a different scene. The m ovie opens with Tita’s father going to a bar to celebrate the birth of his daughter. On the way a friend informs him of his wife’s, Mama Elena, affair with a man having Negro blood in his veins. The terrible news brings on a heart attack killing him instantly. In the book, this information is not given until the middle chapters. As the novel continues, another character is introduced, Gertrudis. Gertrudis, the older sister of Tita, is the first to rebel against her mother’s wishes. Wanting to escape the securities of home, Gertrudis is overwhelmed by her lustful passions. A soldier, not too far away, Juan, inhales the aroma of her desire and heads her way. "The aroma from Gertrudis’ body guided him†¦The woman desperately needed a man to quench the red-hot fire that was raging inside her†¦Gertrudis stopped running when she saw him riding toward her. Naked as she was, with her loosened hair falling to her waist, luminous, glowing with energy, she might have been an angel and devil in one woman†¦Without slowing his gallop, so as not to waste a moment, he leaned over, put his arm around her waist, and lifted her onto the horse in front of him, face to face, and carried her away†¦The movement of the horse combined with the movement of their bodies as they made love for the first time, at a gallop and with a great deal of difficulty " (Esquirel 55). This imagery is tremendous. Every sense that Esquir... ...said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Another striking difference between the movie and the book is that both are developed by different sexes. This obviously could effect the compare and contrast views of this paper. For example, being male, I found that the two images that left the greatest impression were of sexual nature, Gertrudis making love with the soldier, and Tita being intimate with Pedro. The different views of the sexes may also be the answer to some of the contrasts between the movie and novel. For instance, the death of Mama Elena. Esquirel’s version fits the emotional death, suicide, geared toward the female audience, while Arau’s shows a more sexual and violent death, extinguishing the male desire for action. In conclusion, I found the novel more entertaining than the movie. The reason the movie fell short in expectations is because Esquirel does a great job in allowing the reader to draw on their imaginations. However, Arau is able to captu re this imagery occasionally throughout the movie. Furthermore, most of the changes added to the movie were grand, which added to the thrill and plot of the story. Overall, both are memorable and deserve their legacy.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
CSC 1208 – BASIC COMPUTING ASSIGNMENT 2 Technology is evolving from time to time. As time goes by, new technology has come into place replacing the aged technology. However, we realized that without the previous technology, it is impossible for the new generation to enjoy the benefit of the technology we have today. To appreciate the golden aged technology, discuss in your group about an elder technology right from the beginning until how their evolved and improved to the latest technology today in a variety of fields including in education, finance, government, health care, science, publishing, travel, manufacturing, hospitality and media.Marking Scheme This assignment is 10% of coursework. Your assignment must include the following: 1. Assignment Cover Page 2. Assignment Marking Scheme 3. Assignment Question 4. Table of Content 5. List of Figures 6. List of Table 7. Introduction – Synopsis 8. Objectives 9. History 10. Evolution 11. Latest technology 12. Contribution o f the technology 13. Room for Improvement 14. Conclusion 15. References 16. Appendix – Presentation slides . Table of Contents: Acknowledgementvi Technology in Robotics based on Artificial Intelligence Perspective. 1. 1 Objectivesvii 1. Introduction to Robotics based on Artificial Intelligenceviii . Introduction to Roboticsix 3. Introduction to Artificial Intelligencex 4. History of robotics. xii 5. History of Artificial Intelligencexiii 6. History of robotics based on artificial intelligencexiv 7. Evolution in technology in robotics. xvi 8. Evolution of Artificial Intelligencexvii 9. Latest Technology in Roboticsxix 10. Contribution of Robots to the human society. xx 11. Latest Technology in Artificial Intelligencexxi 12. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Artificial Intelligencexxiii 13. Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligencexxv 14. Conclusionxxix 15.Appendixxxx * Acknowledgement We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Mr. NorShahriel f or his guidance and help in carrying out this project. We also wish to thank INTI’s library, Tan Sri Abdul Majid for the resources that was used for this research. We would like to thank the creators of google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin for creating such a wonderful website and helping us save time from having to travel to the library. * Technology in Robotics based on Artificial Intelligence Perspective. 1. 1 Objectives * To understand the computer science branch, ‘Artificial intelligence’ To appreciate the benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Robotics. * To be aware of the growth of Artificial Intelligence in Robotics. * To keep updated with the evolution in the technology in Robotics. * To learn how human’s view on robots have changed according to different times. * To bring attention to the contribution of artificially intelligent robots in the human society. * To understand how Artificial Intelligence came about. Introduction to Robotics based on A rtificial Intelligence In robotics, you can never deny that artificial intelligence is the most exciting field you can find.Despite that, it has it controversial moments as well because as we all know robot can do work as it has been programmed, but can it ever be as intelligent as a human? This question lingers in the mind of researchers and to resolve this particular statement, it will definitely take a long time. Therefore, people should put it aside and continue to improve robots for the sake of a better future. As everyone is aware, robots can only absorb a certain amount of knowledge compared to humans but what humans don’t have is a guaranteed error free day.Robots can be programmed to not make the same mistakes that humans always do. But then again, even if humans are smarter, it is hard to avoid certain habits which lead to repeated mistakes over and over again. To see the ability of robots, recently in Japan, researchers have taught robots how to dance. Dancing used to be a skill only a human was able to do, but now even robots are able to do it. This shows how technology has improved through the years. Robots are able to help in the education field too, as robots can now interact socially with humans.Since the world’s population has limited working educationist/teachers/lectures in this modern world, robots would make a great addition to the educational field. Although this might take a few more years to make it perfect, the base is already in progress now, and as time passes by, robots will get even better. Robots are also key in the manufacturing sector as quantity is important when it comes to gain in profit. A robot can work 24 hours in a day without stopping and this makes everything move faster and therefore increases production.Fewer work forces will be used and thus it will not be time consuming anymore. But the presences of humans are still necessary in the manufacturing sector to keep a watchful eye on these robots to make su re that it is error free. In the future, robots will continue to evolve in line with artificial intelligence itself and will benefit the society in so many ways. There will be a time when people go to a supermarket one day, and see it all operated by robots and not a single human in sight except for the manager in charge.This will be an amazing sight to see but it needs a lot of planning and work. Researchers are currently working on both of these elements to create and modify what people have now into something great. One day, yes. Introduction to Robotics As a generation very dependent on technology, robots have certainly played a major role in the modern day society. Over the years, the definition of robots has varied from person to person. Many may perceive them to be androids, human-like dolls made out of metal with computerized brain that has been instructed to obey everything a human says.Others might identify robots as a device, programmed to do various tasks in places such as factories where human abilities are inadequate and labor cost are high. In anyway, robots have been created and developed to make peoples’ work easier and their lives more comfortable. Robots for many years have been a subject of interest for many sci-fi movies, books and animations while also being one of the most challenging fields in science where scientist have struggled to create the most human-like mechanical doll movies and cartoons have portrayed robots to be. Cool Japan’, one of the programs belonging to the Japanese news channel, NHK world recently discussed on the view of robots around the world and it was proven that the Western side of the world viewed humanoid robots negatively and didn’t encourage the creation of the robots that are able to feel and think like a man, as they have been stereotyped by books and movies that to be life threatening that could cause the human race to be enslaved by them.Meanwhile, the Eastern side of the world (count ries such as Japan, Korea, China, etc) viewed robots in more open minded ways and actually promoted building robots that can act and think like a human. Scientists have still yet to create the a perfect robot that can act and respond to any actions or words out of their programmed instructions but as technology develops in a rapid speed, it might not be long before the robot who can feel and think like humans might be invented. Introduction to Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence is a branch of Science that is embedding human characteristics into the machineries by performing simple tasks by fixing specifically programmed rules. It’s also commonly known to be Computer Science but however it branches out to many more fields such as Mathematics, Psychology, Biology and Philosophy. The fundamental point of Artificial Intelligence is that every programmed set of rules is expressed as an algorithm. There’s no denying that computers are able to process logic but th e ability if a machine can think remains unknown to scientist and researchers.Figure 1 – The four approaches of Artificial Intelligence Figure 1 – The four approaches of Artificial Intelligence As you can see in Figure 1 – It shows Four Approaches of Artificial Intelligence. We can then divide the approaches into ‘human centered approach and rationalist approach’. The first human centered approach would be The Cognitive Modeling Approach where machines are able to think humanly. Basically, this approach relies more on Human Psychology. We would have to analyze how the mind works so then it would be implement and express the theory as a computer program into the machine.If the computer program is able to match the timing and human behaviors then it would be possible to program machines like the operations that are already in humans. Then you have the first rationalist approach of â€Å"Laws of Thought†which is when machines are able to think rationally. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher was the first to attempt to classify â€Å"right thinking†. He basically provided the given argument structures which will always generate the correct conclusions given that it is in right environment.The laws that he laid out for the future, became the operation of the mind which then was categorized as logic. With this as their basis, it allows Logicians to build programs within Artificial Intelligence to create intelligent systems in the future. The second human centered approach is the Turing Test approach when computers are able to act humanly when given a set of questions that were prepared by a human. In order for the computer to pass the test it would have to fulfill these criteria: To enable the computer/machine to communicate successfully in English * To store what the computer/machine what it knows or hears * To use stored information to answer questions and to draw new conclusions * To adapt to new circumstances and to detect and conclude patterns Lastly, you would have the second rationalist approach which is the Rational Agent approach where machines are able to act rationally. An agent is something that acts and computer agents have attributes that differentiate them from the other typical programs.A Computer Agent is able to operate by observing their environment, persistence, adapting to change and capable to take on another goal – like humans do. Rational Agent is when it acts to achieve the best outcome even when the situation is vague it is still able to give the ‘best expected outcome’. History of robotics. The early name for Robots was ‘Automaton’ and was very different from modern day robots. They were merely mechanical (often made out of wood), operating in a limited amount of steps. They were mainly created as toys.However, the origin of robots can be dated all the way back the early civilizations and even in myths and legends. The earliest concept of Automaton recorded in history was in 400 B. C when Archytas of Tarentum, a Greek mathematician (also the inventor of screws and pulley) built a mechanical bird of which he called, â€Å"The Pigeon,†This mechanical bird is also believed to serve as one of the first models for modern airplanes. In the period when building robots was believed to be impossible due to lack of resources and limited knowledge, various individuals had their own description/ idea of how a robot should be.They all had different versions but the basic concept was a piece of man-made doll built to serve mankind. The famous artist, Leonardo DaVinci himself had drawn a design consisting of what resembled an armored knight from the medieval times. During the time when computer was yet to be invented, the earlier form of robots came with the use of simple Physics principles consisting of few processes that were repeated throughout and none of them had a brain like today’s robots. Such forms include t he Flute player which played 12 different songs, invented by a French Inventor, Jacques de Vaucanson in 1738.The 19th century was the peak for most robot creations. The term ‘robot’ was first coined by a Czech author, Karel Capek in 1921, where it was introduced in his play, R. U. R (Rossuum’s Universal Robots). The first invention of modern robots only arrived in the early 1950s by George Charles Devor, who invented the first industrial robots (machine arms used in factories). Robots enjoyed their popularity in the 1970s mainly due to the Hollywood movie, ‘Star Wars’ by George Lucas where the plot was set in a future where human beings lived together with robots.The movie allowed people to visualize themselves in the far future and therefore its fame was celebrated widely all over the world. History of Artificial Intelligence The first time that Artificial Intelligence was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy in the Dartmouth Conference. He is one of the founders of AI research and he defined the field by ‘getting a computer to do things when done by people, are said to involve intelligence’. However, in 1950 it was Alan Turing that introduced the Turing Test which is machine learning, genetic algorithms and reinforcement learning.This discovery was not categorized as Artificial Intelligence but Turing was articulate in his 1950 article â€Å"Computing Machinery and Intelligence†which became the step before Artificial Intelligence was recognized by John McCarthy in 1956. The Dartmouth Conference was a stepping stone as it expanded due to a range of theories and principles by dedicated researchers. The first computer was built back in 1941 – but it was not until 1950’s that scientists realized that the link between human intelligence and machines weren’t too farfetched.The concept of Artificial Intelligence was a slow on-going process as it took nearly a decade for scientists and researchers to re-examine the ideas that were formed in the Dartmouth Conference. Nevertheless, it introduced all the major figures of Artificial Intelligence to each other. Evidently, for the next 20 years Artificial Intelligence was dominated by lecturers, students, and colleagues at MIT, CMU, Stanford and IBM. After the Dartmouth Conference, two researchers from Carnegie Tech Newell and Simon developed the ‘Logic Theorist’. In the eyes of other researchers and scientists it was an ‘overoptimistic vision’ from the two scientists.Logic Theorist was a theory that was based on Even though it was a breakthrough for the newly found Artificial Intelligence branch it led them to a bigger success which was the ‘General Problem Solver’. The two researchers Newell and Simon redeemed themselves with their creation of the ‘GPS’. It is a computer program that imitates the way humans solve problems. History of robotics based on artificial intelligence Ro botics is one of the sub divisions in artificial intelligence and as you might not know, it definitely has a rich history behind it. As we all know, history is very important when it comes to understanding a certain topic.We might know a certain something based on what it is now, but what we usually do not know is where it all started. History is something that will enrich your mind about a certain something and will definitely be a helping factor in understanding certain topics. Since, robotics has a really long and wide history, understanding and doing research about it needs a proper timeline to help us keep track of the progressions of it. In 1932, the first real robot was made in Japan. This specific robot was called ‘Lilliput’. It was just merely 15 cm tall and was made out of tinplate.The Japanese had made a big step in innovation and they have been evolving ever since. In 1950, the great Alan Turing proposed a test to determine a fact that stated if a machine ha d the power to think for itself. In order to determine if the machine could pass the test, it was required to be indistinguishable from a human during conversation. This test was named the ‘Turing test’. During the year 1954, the first robot arm was invented by George Devol and John Engleberger. This creation became the first robot to complete general and tasks including multitasking on a factory assembly line in the company General Motors.In 1957, ‘Sputnik’ was launched by the Soviet Union and was called the first artificial orbiting satellite. This marks the beginning of the space race between them and the American people. In 1964, the first computer started to mass produced by IBM 360. The computers we are using today are all based on this particular computer by IBM. In 1969, the United States finally made themselves on to the moon. Using the latest technology of space and robotics, they sent Neil Armstrong onto the moon. The famous ‘R2D2’ f rom the movie Star Wars is now famous among all of us as the talking robot could interact with humans and also perform certain tasks.In 1986 Honda launched the making of a walking humanoid robot. Based on the images describe in movies, Honda wanted to build a similar object which was real. Although it was tough, Honda tried their best. Also in the same year, LEGO started producing educational products that was done to contribute to younger generation to give them a clearer picture of how robots were like. Until today, we can see LEGO products still on shelves at supermarkets and toy stores. From the small picture of robot, to the real thing, it shows that it all started from an idea to a real one. In 1994, the University of Carnegie invented an eight-legged walking robot.This spectacular robot was used for a historic evolution in robotics. This robot was used to collect volcanic gas samples from Mt spur. The name of this robot was ‘Dante II’. After the successful projec t, it proved that humans were able to build a robot that was heat-resistant. This was important because humans managed to achieve an incredible feat because robots could now be used to go to places that even humans will have a hard time going. On May 11 1997, a world was chess champion was defeated at this own game by an IBM built computer which was called ‘Deep Blue’.This achievement was amazing due to the fact that now a machine built by humans could now challenge a complex human mind. In the same year, Lego launched the first Robotics invention system that used small components that are also educational for kids. This small model was key to the development of robots because humans could experiment future creations. In 1999, Sony released the first version of AIBO which was robotic dog which had the ability to entertain, learn and also communicate with its owner. This invention was a hit in the market and SONY made plenty of profit from t and production was continued with newer and more sophisticated models. The main target market for this product was for children, many of them were amazed by the abilities of this robotic dog, and all of this was made possible by the evolution of robotics itself. In the millennium of 2000, Honda made an improved version of its creation by introducing the robot ASIMO which was a new generation of humanoid robots. Honda which is a car company took a risk of venturing out of their field to robotics and all of it paid off when the robot made an incredible display at many international technology exhibitions worldwide.In 2008, robotics made a grand entrance into the household department by the introduction of the Roomba robotic vacuum which has since sold over 2. 5 million units worldwide. A huge demand was set for this robotic mechanism and is still being produced until today. Lastly, by the timeline explained above, we get to see how robotics has vastly improved in the field of artificial intelligence. It was also beneficial from the olden times until the new era of today. Without the inventions and ideas that were given by inventors of the past, robotics has since developed into a field that humans need in their daily lives.Status is temporary, history is permanent. Evolution in technology in robotics. The birth of robots were mainly celebrated in the West but as time passed, the East had done more for the development and growth in technologies in the robotic field of which Japan is one of the leading countries, contributing to positive opinions among the public regarding humanoid robots. For a form of entertainment for the aristocrats in the 18th century to helping hands in the 19th century, robots have almost taken over job sectors where accurate thinking and high workforce is needed.From Mechanical automatons made partially out of wood that were just invented to awe the public, technology in robots have been developed to act autonomously, which means a robot can do a task without the pres ence of a human. The field of artificial intelligence has given life to modern day robots. Hundred years back, it would have been controversial for a robot to replace a man’s job but robots have been slowly implemented into the contemporary society over the years that it has become a norm to find a factory once filled with people, now with just the presence of the repetitive monotonous sound of machines.Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence as it is today, had taken a lot of improvements and is still improving. All of this was made possible by the evolution of it. Evolution plays an important role in anything. Without evolution a new technology could not be vastly improved. To start if off, in 1941 the first electronic computer was named Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) and was introduced to the world. At this time artificial intelligence was not fully recognized yet but this was where it all started. In 1949, the first computer stored program was created . This program was also made commercial.BINAC was a big success because it made a big leap for technology as a whole. In ran a test program which consisted of 23 instructions. Although, it did not have full working functionality, it was still considered the first commercial stored program. In 1956, the Dartmouth conference was held in Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. This was where artificial intelligence was born. This particular conference gave scientists and idea of the benefits of artificial intelligence to humans around the world. Furthermore, this conference did set some critical goals to be achieved in the future. In 1958, the lisp language was invented.This is a programming language which was created to develop a clear list of programming language. In addition to that, lisp machines were specially designed to run lisp programs. Without the creation of these machines, the lisp language could not used to its fullest potential. Today, lisp language still dominates the artifi cial intelligence category and is still widely used around the world. In 1963, ‘DOD’ started their advanced research projects. Now, ‘DOD’ is called DARPA which stands for Defense Advanced Research Project Agency was created after the launch of ‘SPUTNIK 1’ which was the first artificial satellite to be placed in orbit.This agency first dealt solely on space-related projects. When all the agenda’s were taken over by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, they were almost closed down. But that did not prevent them from continuing their verge into the depths of artificial intelligence; they started to conduct research into stealth technology and continuously branched out step by step. Without this particular agency, research into Artificial Intelligence would have stopped long ago. This agency played a big role into the evolution of artificial intelligence as a whole unit.In 1968, the first Micro world Program was invented. This program was named SHRDLU. This program was created to improve the evolving nature of artificial intelligence. Usually, normal scientist will tend to ignore less relevant details. They want to concentrate more on the important details. In artificial intelligence, this could not be done due to the delicate and in-depth nature of it. With this program, artificial intelligence could ensure that programs were capable of intelligent behavior in such a way that simpler forms of the artificial world can be accessed to micro worlds.In 1970 the first expert system was developed. This system was developed by Edward Feigenbaum and Joshua Ledeberg from the University of Stanford in California. Basically, this program was invented to overcome manpower. This program is able to do tasks that regularly need human expertise to complete. With this creation, manpower was reduced significantly. In the year 1972, Prolog Language was revealed. This programming language became a serious competitor to LISP which was widely used before. Until today, these two programming languages are still competing with each other until present.The new significant difference that Prolog Language brought to the world was its ability to make us give emphasis on logical relations between object and entities that are relevant to a certain problem rather than taking procedural steps to deal with it. This gave people a choice of which programming language they preferred. In the year 1986, a total of 425 million U. S dollars was earned from the sales of artificial intelligence based software. During this time artificial intelligence proved that it had an actual stronghold area in the market which was demanded by the world.In 1991, the Artificial Intelligence system was put to test in a military test system which was called ‘Desert Storm’. This was an effective evolution in artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence system was used in missile systems by the military and also other military advancements. In addition to that, Apple Macintosh and IBM started to use voice recognition systems that make computers more user-friendly. Day by day the demand for the Artificial Intelligence technology has risen more and more day by day.New advancements and technologies have started to become available to us. Artificial Intelligence has become inevitable for us not to use on a daily basis. In the future, the evolution of artificial intelligence will continue to prosper with time. If evolution stops, things will stay stagnant as it is and we would stop improving. Latest Technology in Robotics In recent years, there’s this ideology that ‘Robots could replace Humans in the Future’. It is a debatable subject in Robotics that due to the constant evolution of technology is making it easier for robots to replace Humans.However, there’s still time for scientists to realize the full potential of Robotics with help from technology. This statement might be proven right as there’s already known robots that are able to execute tasks by thinking analytically by using the set of algorithms and rules that are already built into the robots in order to ‘think like a human’. Robots are the most commonly known examples of Artificial Intelligence and scientists are being more and more innovative by creating more sophisticated and user friendly robots to society.Robots are applicable to any kind of field; it’s already used in Healthcare, Entertainment, Business, Communication and Psychology. So far, no machine is able to pass the ‘Turing Test’ but there are a few machines that made a mark in Artificial Intelligence History. Watson – IBM’s supercomputer that was able to defeat two human beings at the trivia game show Jeopardy. Not only that, this supercomputer managed to beat the reigning world chess champion Garry Kasparov. There’s still room for improvement but so far Robotics is just able to perform only a fraction of what human is able to do.The latest technology is ECCEROBOT 2 (Embodied Cognition in a Compliantly Engineered Robot). It’s basically the first robot to mimic human form with not just the outward form of a human but it also copies the inner structures such as bones, joints, muscles, etc. With this new found breakthrough, researchers are still investigating its human like actions and interactions which has potential and should be built upon for the mere future. The Humanoid robots are finally getting recognition in society and are gaining support from all sci-fi geeks all over the world.Contribution of Robots to the human society. In this modern era, where it has become easier for humans to lose social skills and the ability to take care of others, artificially intelligent robots have taken their place in society; doing the jobs that originally belonged to human. As people’s obligation to take care of their elderly has dissipated in most dev eloped society where individuality mindset have been encouraged, technologies in the robotics fields like nursing robots have filled in the places of nurses and care takers.Robots have not only been created to help the elderly and disabled but has been invented in order to keep children pre-occupied and entertained as the once male-dominated society slowly adapts to the emancipation of woman and the balance in the gender equality. Robots have filled in both the roles of younger caring generation and the elderly watchful eyes. Autonomous robots have been sent as far to space as well where human beings cannot survive due to the condition of it. They have brought back the evidences of outer space, travelling further than human beings and feeding nswers to curious minds. Mankind has created robots in order to serve them but as years have passed, these artificially intelligence machines have surpassed their own masters. Latest Technology in Artificial Intelligence Technology in artificia l intelligence has never stopped developing since we stepped into the millennium due the abundance of technology that is found day by day. With that, latest technology in this field is an important thing to highlight due to the fact that it continues to amaze us by the things artificial intelligence can manage to do.First of all, recently in 2011, an artist and composer by the name of Benjamin Grosser invented an interactive robotic painting machine. This was done after he decided to explore the realms of artificial intelligence and art. Basically, what the robot could do was it could listen to itself with the microphones placed into the machine. After listening to itself, it would paint out an image based on what it interprets after listening to the sounds. Two trays of paint would be placed in between a piece of canvas, and a mechanical arm will perform the painting.Although this technology could not be classified as pass or a fail, it depends on different people. Some would like the fact that a robot can paint, and some would just prefer the old fashioned way. Furthermore, the invention of the SOINN robot by the Japanese has managed to impress us. SOINN which stands for Self Organizing Incremental Neural Network is a revolutionary robot which is able to perform tasks that are related to exploring a new situation and learning how to do it. For example, the robot is able to learn how to pour water into a glass and make it cold by placing ice cubes into the glass.After that, it gives the water to a person. Before the robot starts the task, it tries to acclimatize itself to what is located around it. With this, it performs it tasks better. Moreover, what amazes us even more is when the robot has both of its hands full because it has to decide which item to put down in order to pick up another one. What the researches in Japan have done is create a robot with no specific list of pre-created commands that it has to follow. Therefore the robot is able to think by itself and decide what to do in any given situation.The SOINN robot can also connect itself to the internet and also other robots to help gather information from the web. The researches have provided the robot with power to gain knowledge for it in order to complete any given task that is assigned to it without fail. What we gain for this is a generation of robots that are independent enough to think for itself and complete human related tasks that may seem impossible to complete before the invention of this prime piece of technology. As the research goes on, a new found technology by Toyota has been able to attract many people around the world.Toyota has been able to create a prototype of a smart car which is fitted with voice recognition and also able to detect human motion. This smart car was inspired by video games and mainly the XBOX360. The reason behind this is mainly due to the kinect technology that has been introduced by Microsoft into its game platform. What kinect does i s basically detecting human motion and turning it into a physical action that a human was supposed to perform. But now, with this technology, all a human has to do is just ensure that the machines understand the motions that are made.For example, when a person is walking towards the car, this prototype is able to detect it and will open the car door. All of this was inspired by the revolution of video gaming consoles. This prototype car will be power by a 100 volt AC voltage and is expecting to have many more features. Although this car is still at prototype level, it will take a few more years to make it into reality. With time, more improvements can be made to ensure the car is suitable for everyone in the world. In the health care industry, artificial intelligence has combined with biochemical understanding to help those in needs.For example, recently it was Memorial Day for soldiers in the United States who have served in Iraq. And for one lucky soldier, Lt. Col. Greg Ganson, hi s dreams of walking again came to life when he was gifted a pair of prosthetic legs. These pair of prosthetic legs is called Power Knee2 which will enable amputees the walk again with more safety and confidence combined together. This is no ordinary prosthetic leg because this one users the combination of artificial intelligence and sensors to make the walking process a better one.Furthermore what the inventors did was connect the prosthetic leg via sensors using Bluetooth to a laptop. This was done during the process of walking to make some required adjustments to the legs to ensure comfort. It is also fully customizable and differs from person to person. Moreover it gives everyone a better chance of achieving what they can get out of real legs. So far, this new invention has made some improvement based on the early 2006 model which was called power knee. This new model is able to adapt to situations such as if a person wants to sit down, climb a fleet of stairs or even lie down.Th e inbuilt sensor will detect these situations and adjust the stiffness of the prosthetic legs. All in all, the latest technology in artificial intelligence has surpassed a lot of expectations and will definitely have the capability to expand even more with the sands of time. Regardless in any field, artificial intelligence benefited. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Artificial Intelligence Technology in Artificial Intelligence is quite a controversial topic – the society’s opinions are quite divided but they cannot stop the Future of Technology as it is constantly evolving.The pros and cons are quite straight forward. Based on several articles, there are several advantages that was constantly brought up * Evolving Relationship of Humans with Computation * Increases Job opportunities * Machines complete the task faster than a human The first point to be discussed would be the ‘Evolving Relationship of Humans with Computation’. The newer and old er generation is welcoming this new era of Modern Technology being used in Artificial Intelligence. It’s at the society’s dispense – it will be there whenever users wants to use it.The second point will be the increased job opportunities for humans to be more specialized in a specific field in order to be more innovative in building new and improved versions of Artificial Intelligence theories. The last and final point will be about technology constantly evolving. This would then increase the level of Artificial Intelligence which will make it even harder for humans to execute the tasks. Which means that it doesn’t require much resources as the machine has the ‘best outcomes’ possible built into the program.This becomes less time consuming as it requires less time for the machine to gather information and resources in comparison if a human was handed this task. This is when Artificial Intelligence is at its advantage – they are emotion less, more efficient and lightens the burden on the human when it comes to doing dangerous or far too complex problems. Along with the pros, there will always be cons that go along with it. There are several disadvantages of Technology in Artificial Intelligence that is not really supported by the intelligent educated people that dare question the theories of Artificial Intelligence in Technology in general.These are the several disadvantages that was brought up * Human Feel * Misuse of this technology * Ability to replace a human job The first disadvantage will be the ‘human feel’ – robots inability to feel the emotional understanding for humans. This will cause the machines lacking in the ability to sympathize with the human situation and this would cause them to act irrationally as a consequence. It’s beyond the company’s responsible for the robots – which results to no-one getting the blame for the machine’s faults. The second disa dvantage will be the ‘misuse of this technology’.Countries are always prepared for war, so with countries in the race of getting the best defense systems if this technology gets into the wrong hands it can inevitably cause mass damage. Artificial Intelligence is also getting incorporated into military training – getting autonomous robot troops to get sent first before the human troops. For example, in the US – they are already testing on this theory which cost them almost twenty five million dollars for just a test run. Its quite a huge risk to take if the technology aren’t able to support the specific needs to minimize damage on the humans.Also, with technology evolving – people are able to hack the system of these robotic troops which can backfire the source control. The third and last disadvantage is that with technology constantly evolving humans are feeling threatened in fear of losing their jobs. Technology has different branches of Art ificial Intelligence and robotics has played a major role in this new era of Technology taking over society. This would then lead to mass unemployment in the future if the future of Technology in Artificial Intelligence is progressing forward. Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial IntelligenceIn everything single that you do in this world, no matter in what field, there will always be advantages and disadvantages. It’s how they co-relate with each other in everything that we do. In artificial intelligence, different people have different views about it and because of that this research aims to see what those advantages and disadvantages are and how they relate with us. First of all we will talk about the disadvantages of artificial intelligence to give us a better picture of the bad side to this technology phenomenon. The first one is over dependency.When we feel too reliable towards something, we forget that those machines were made by humans. Therefore, machines are no t perfect in every sense and can malfunction and any given point or time. If we are too reliable on them and they fail on us, we will be stuck at a point without any solutions to deal with the situation at hand. We always need to have some sort of backup plan to ensure that if the machines fail, we can overcome the situation straight away and not make any losses or any sorts. The second disadvantage is the lack of human feel. We humans always have a certain touch towards something and of course we have emotions as well.For machines, they don’t have the emotional values to relate with us humans therefore some decisions made could be fatal to us. The more we try to eliminate the number of manpower in our industries; we lack the human feel day by day. It might be good at a point of time or even fatal at another point of time. To stick on the safe side, we should keep the human feel present at all times to keep rationality present in what we do. Besides that, some people think th at artificial intelligence is unethical in a way. To us, we believe intelligence is a gift from god and should be valued not cloned into something.This form of so called ‘playing god’ is not fancied by many. On the other hand we can look at this in different ways. Some people might want to keep their intelligence to themselves but others might want to share it to the world in different forms. With this, everything goes both ways because if our intelligence is captured by the wrong people, misuse of it can lead to unwanted events. On the other hand, if we keep our knowledge to ourselves, the world will not expand in such a way because if we share it with many, more theories and more development will be present and therefore expand the network on artificial intelligence.This is definitely crucial at this era. If machines are able to do all our jobs, we will definitely lose our jobs at the hands of those machines. When everything task is done by machines, the human workfor ce will definitely have a significant decline. The ones most affected will be the ones at the lower levels of management. The higher ones will act as supervisors and with a click of button, machines can be controlled. With many people not having jobs, the crime rate will definitely go up and people will end up committing suicide just to ease their pain.Although machines are able to perform our daily tasks, we still need a workforce to operate them and ensure that everything is running smoothly. If the machines malfunction and there is no workforce, more money will be spent in fixing the machines rather than the salary of every single person working. Having a machine do something will definitely be less time consuming, but having a person operating it and making sure that it is running at full efficiency is something that will benefit us.Furthermore, if machines keep on doing everything for us, the new generation will be born and labeled as a lazy bunch. The new generation will not k now what doing work feels like because machines are doing everything for them. This will also lead to health issues such as obesity. More and more people will be staying at home instead of going out to work. This health issue poses a serious health risk for every country in the world. More and more people will be unhealthy and soon many problems will occur in this world.We should move forward with time and technology but sometimes we just have to think of the consequences before doing a certain thing to ensure both time and consequence are well taken care of in every aspect possible. All these disadvantages stated should be always lingering in our minds so that we remember what will happen if we fail to deal with it. Although the disadvantages of artificial intelligence sounds bad in a way, but there is always some good in it. Listing the disadvantages first opened us up to the possible bad effects of artificial intelligence.In the following page I will continue on discussing the ad vantages of artificial intelligence. When both of this combines, you will get to see a brighter picture on what artificial intelligence really mean to us. Seeing the disadvantages only might give us a bad impression straight away but when we the see the following advantages I will change our mind on our lives of artificial intelligence. To say it is a bad thing, we would jump to conclusions because we our ourselves are the ones who created artificial intelligence and for us not to see the good part it would be a waste to humanity.We only live once and we must make the most of it every single time. The first advantage of artificial intelligence is dealing with the jobs that require human intelligence. Humans are complex organisms with a huge amount of capabilities. For a machine to clone the human brain is amazing and can be considered a good technology innovation. If machines are able to cope with jobs that are supposed to be done by humans, we will be more productive as now we have two brains working as one. With that, it expands the human knowledge in such a way to keep improving time.Before the invention of these things, humans will have to risk their lives during things that seemed very hard to get done. Now, with machines being able to take over their place, it will be a safer method for humans to get work done and no lives have to be risked in the line of work. Safety is one of the main factors of job application in the working world. When people see that a job that used to be risky now has a new method to reduce it, more people would be interested in joining the workforce and thus eliminates the rater of poverty and also homeless people.With more jobs offered, a country will prosper more in the economic sector due to more people working and will contribute in giving the company more help in combination with the machines. Secondly, machines do not stop and get tired. Machines are strictly powered by electric sources and therefore will keep on going no ma tter what are the odds. Humans on the other hand get tired and have certain hours of work; therefore they can only work for certain period of time. For example, if a company is producing cigarettes and needs to have more production done day by day.If this needs to be done, humans can only do it to a certain extent because they need breaks and need to go home. If machines are there to continue the work left off during the night, by the next day double the production will be present. When machines are at work humans can rest and this makes everyone happier in such a way. Artificial intelligence also reduces the risk of anyone getting sick with illness. If a person has to work overtime and is always at the office, the risk of that person getting ill with be high.And what was just pointed out was only for one person, what if it was a whole group of people? More and more people will be affected by this and increase the health risk posed. When machines are there, humans will not have to p ush to limit in everything they do, machines can do it for them and this will save all the hassle of getting ill and having to be admitted to hospital. If this is eliminated, everyone will be living healthy and happy at the same time due the good relationship between man and machine. Next, artificial intelligence has lead to serve as aids. Mainly it has contributed as health aids.People with disabilities now have a place to turn to and technology to help them get through life which is already tough at hand. Nowadays, more and more health related problems are thrown to us with a big bang without a certain solution. With the help of artificial intelligence and research, now medical treatment for these diseases and even machines have been created to help us get through these tough times. Now not only adults have health problems or disabilities, children are now climbing up the list of people with health problems. The death rate will definitely go down with these new inventions as we al l have something that may help us n a way to cure the pain and the sickness. If we manage to overcome all these health problems with the help of technology, the world would turn into a happier place and not a place which leads us to endure suffering instead of happiness in our lives. Lastly, the power that artificial intelligence holds is limitless in such a way that it has the power to do everything that is thinkable and not thinkable. Humans tend to make errors and by us knowing this fact, we are able to program a certain machine to ensure that the machine does not make the same mistakes.By doing this less mistakes will be made and everything will run smoothly as planned. Rather than us learning from our mistakes, we should program it to a computer because a computer does not make any mistakes. We would then expand the boundaries of everything on this earth because if we stop moving forward we will stop the flow of technology as a whole and thus stop improving on what we have now. At the end of the day, all we can do is look at the future and ensure that we have now will get better in time.We definitely are not able to predict the future and the challenges we are going to face but what we can do is take good care of the resources in technology that we have now and nurture and improve them day by day until we reach the future. All we can do is hope for the best and that everything we have now will be relevant in the upcoming years of our lives. We should ensure that the advantages of artificial intelligence do not turn into disadvantages and the disadvantages should be always remembered and not turn into something far more worst.We strongly believe that artificial intelligence has gave us and is going to give us more good than bad because it was invented by humans for a reason and the main reason is to help other humans. If it was bad, we could have seen far worst consequences. Even though I think of it as a good thing, we should always remember not to let it fall in the wrong hands with crazy minds to protect this world. Conclusion As the world becomes very advanced in technology, it has been hard to keep up with the ever-so growing advancement into the computerized world. The robotic technology has benefited the human kind greatly in various ways.However, as people lose their heads in this advanced society, they have failed to realize that robots are a helping hand and a guide, not a replacement. There are fields robot cannot fill in the position for a human but as robots become more intelligent, people find themselves turning lazier. Half of the population in the developed world has become dependent on robot personals and misuses robots by over-using them. Robots have made people’s lives comfortable and safer. However, at the same time they have caused the world’s employment rate to plummet and some jobs to extinct.As the popular belief goes â€Å"If you suffer now, you will enjoy later- if you enjoy now, you will suff er later†, this is a very true saying that shows that in order to achieve happiness, people have to go through hardship but however, if we are lazy and don’t go through any hardship, there will be a time we pay the price for it which here could be set as an example for a sluggish human being relying on robots to do everything. For people who encourage the full implementation of robots with artificial intelligence into the working sector, they have failed to see beyond their own comfort and at other people’s situation.If the society was one day supposed to be run by robots, then there wouldn’t be any need for human kinds. Therefore, although there is the resource and the knowledge to create robots, while appreciating the tasks they have done for us, we also have to realize our limits and set a bar to how dependant on robots do we really want to be? Appendix Anonymous, [No Date], Automata, mechanical toys, http://www. mechanical-toys. com/History%20page. htm , [Accessed time: 7/11/2012] Anonymous,1998, Robotics: A brief history, http://www-cs-faculty. stanford. edu/~eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1998-99/robotics/history. tml, [Accessed time: 6/11/2012] Bambi Turner, 2012, 10 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Affect Our Lives, http://dsc. discovery. com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/ways-artificial-intelligence-will-affect-our-lives. htm, [Accessed time: 7/11/2012] Dr. E, 2011, Advantages and Disadvantages for Artificial Intelligence, http://www. infobarrel. com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_for_Artificial_Intelligence_The_Pros_and_Cons_of_AI, [Accessed time : 8/11/2012] Hans Moravec, 2009, Rise of the Robots- The future of Artificial Intelligence, http://www. scientificamerican. com/article. cfm? d=rise-of-the-robots, [Accessed time: 7/11/2012] Ian Paul, 2011, Tech of the Future, Today: Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, http://www. pcworld. com/article/220685/tech_of_the_future_today_breakthroughs_in_artificial_intelligence. html, [ Accessed time: 9/11/2012] James Isom, , 2005, Brief history on robots http://robotics. megagiant. com/history. html [Accessed time: 5/11/2012] Marcus du Sautoy, 2012, AI robot: how machine intelligence is evolving, http://www. guardian. co. uk/technology/2012/apr/01/ai-artificial-intelligence-robots-sautoy, [Accessed time : 5/11/2012]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)