Prelude to Foundation Chapter 7 Mycogen

MYCOGEN-†¦ A sector of ancient Trantor buried in the past of its own legends. Mycogen made little impact on the planet. Self-satisfied and self-separated to a degree†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 31. When Seldon woke, he found a new face looking at him solemnly. For a moment he frowned owlishly and then he said, â€Å"Hummin?† Hummin smiled very slightly. â€Å"You remember me, then?† â€Å"It was only for a day, nearly two months ago, but I remember. You were not arrested, then, or in any way-â€Å" â€Å"As you see, I am here, quite safe and whole, but-and he glanced at Dors, who stood to one side-â€Å"it was not very easy for me to come here.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'm glad to see you.-Do you mind, by the way?† He jerked his thumb in the direction of the bathroom. Hummin said, â€Å"Take your time. Have breakfast.† Hummin didn't join him at breakfast. Neither did Dors. Nor did they speak. Hummin scanned a book-film with an attitude of easy absorption. Dors inspected her nails critically and then, taking out a microcomputer, began making notes with a stylus. Seldon watched them thoughtfully and did not try to start a conversation. The silence now might be in response to some Trantorian reserve customary at a sickbed. To be sure, he now felt perfectly normal, but perhaps they did not realize that. It was only when he was done with his last morsel and with the final drop of milk (which he was obviously getting used to, for it no longer tasted odd) that Hummin spoke. He said, â€Å"How are you, Seldon?† â€Å"Perfectly well, Hummin. Sufficiently well, certainly, for me to be up and about.† â€Å"I'm glad to hear it,† said Hummin dryly. â€Å"Dors Venabili was much to blame in allowing this to happen.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"No. I insisted on going Upperside.† â€Å"I'm sure, but she should, at all costs, have gone with you.† â€Å"I told her I didn't want her to go with me.† Dors said, â€Å"That's not so, Hari. Don't defend me with gallant lies.† Seldon said angrily, â€Å"But don't forget that Dors also came Upperside after me, against strong resistance, and undoubtedly saved my life. That's not bending the truth at all. Have you added that to your evaluation, Hummin?† Dors interrupted again, obviously embarrassed. â€Å"Please, Hari. Chetter Hummin is perfectly correct in feeling that I should either have kept you from going Upperside or have gone up with you. As for my subsequent actions, he has praised them.† â€Å"Nevertheless,† said Hummin, â€Å"that is past and we can let it go. Let us talk about what happened Upperside, Seldon.† Seldon looked about and said guardedly, â€Å"Is it safe to do so?† Hummin smiled slightly. â€Å"Dors has placed this room in a Distortion Field. I can be pretty sure that no Imperial agent at the University-if there is one-has the expense to penetrate it. You are a suspicious person, Seldon.† â€Å"Not by nature,† said Seldon. â€Å"Listening to you in the park and afterward- You are a persuasive person, Hummin. By the time you were through, I was ready to fear that Eto Demerzel was lurking in every shadow.† â€Å"I sometimes think he might be,† said Hummin gravely. â€Å"If he was,† said Seldon, â€Å"I wouldn't know it was he. What does he look like?† â€Å"That scarcely matters. You wouldn't see him unless he wanted you to and by then it would all be over, I imagine-which is what we must prevent. Let's talk about that jet-down you saw.† Seldon said, â€Å"As I told you, Hummin, you filled me with fears of Demerzel. As soon as I saw the jet-down, I assumed he was after me, that I had foolishly stepped outside the protection of Streeling University by going Upperside, that I had been lured up there for the specific purpose of being picked up without difficulty.† Dors said, â€Å"On the other hand, Leggen-â€Å" Seldon said quickly, â€Å"Was he here last night?† â€Å"Yes, don't you remember?† â€Å"Vaguely. I was dead tired. It's all a blur in my memory.† â€Å"Well, when he was here last night, Leggen said that the jet-down was merely a meteorological vessel from another station. Perfectly ordinary. Perfectly harmless.† â€Å"What?† Seldon was taken aback. â€Å"I don't believe that.† Hummin said, â€Å"Now the question is: Why don't you believe that? Was there anything about the jet-down that made you think it was dangerous? Something specific, that is, and not just a pervasive suspicion placed in your head by me.† Seldon thought back, biting his lower lip. He said, â€Å"Its actions. It seemed to push its forepart below the cloud deck, as though it were looking for something, then it would appear in another spot just the same way, then in another spot, and so on. It seemed to be searching Upperside methodically, section by section, and homing in on me.† Hummin said, â€Å"Perhaps you were personifying, Seldon. You may have been treating the jet-down as though it was a strange animal looking for you. It wasn't, of course. It was simply a jet-down and if it was a meteorological vessel, its actions were perfectly normal†¦ and harmless.† Seldon said, â€Å"It didn't seem that way to me.† Hummin said, â€Å"I'm sure it didn't, but we don't actually know anything. Your conviction that you were in danger is simply an assumption. Leggen's decision that it was a meteorological vessel is also only an assumption.† Seldon said stubbornly, â€Å"I can't believe that it was an entirely innocent event.† â€Å"Well then,† said Hummin, â€Å"suppose we assume the worst-that the vessel was looking for you. How would whoever sent that vessel know you would be there to seek?† Dors interjected, â€Å"I asked Dr. Leggen if he had, in his report of the forthcoming meteorological work, included the information that Hari would be with the group. There was no reason he should in the ordinary course of events and he denied that he had, with considerable surprise at the question. I believed him.† Hummin said thoughtfully, â€Å"Don't believe him too readily. Wouldn't he deny it, in any case? Now ask yourself why he allowed Seldon to come along in the first place. We know he objected initially, but he did relent, without much fight. And that, to me, seems rather out of character for Leggen.† Dors frowned and said, â€Å"I suppose that does make it a bit more likely that he did arrange the entire affair. Perhaps he permitted Hari's company only in order to put him in the position of being taken. He might have received orders to that effect. We might further argue that he encouraged his young intern, Clowzia, to engage Hari's attention and draw him away from the group, isolating him. That would account for Leggen's odd lack of concern over Hari's absence when it came time to go below. He would insist that Hari had left earlier, something he would have laid the groundwork for, since he had carefully showed him how to go down by himself. It would also account for his reluctance to go back up in search of him, since he would not want to waste time looking for someone he assumed would not be found.† Hummin, who had listened carefully, said, â€Å"You make an interesting case against him, but let's not accept that too readily either. After all, he did come Upperside with you in the end.† â€Å"Because footsteps had been detected. The Chief Seismologist had [been] witness to that.† â€Å"Well, did Leggen show shock and surprise when Seldon was found? I mean, beyond that of finding someone who had been brought into extreme peril through Leggen's own negligence. Did he act as though Seldon wasn't supposed to be there? Did he behave as though he were asking himself: How is it they didn't pick him up?† Dors thought carefully, then said, â€Å"He was obviously shocked by the sight of Hari lying there, but I couldn't possibly tell if there was anything to his feelings beyond the very natural horror of the situation.† â€Å"No, I suppose you couldn't.† But now Seldon, who had been looking from one to the other as they spoke and who had been listening intently, said, â€Å"I don't think it was Leggen.† Hummin transferred his attention to Seldon. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"For one thing, as you noted, he was clearly unwilling to have me come along. It took a whole day of argument and I think he agreed only because he had the impression that I was a clever mathematician who could help him out with meteorological theory. I was anxious to go up there and, if he had been under orders to see to it that I was taken Upperside, there would have been no need to be so reluctant about it.† â€Å"Is it reasonable to suppose he wanted you only for your mathematics? Did he discuss the mathematics with you? Did he make an attempt to explain his theory to you?† â€Å"No,† said Seldon, â€Å"he didn't. He did say something about going into it later on, though. The trouble was, he was totally involved with his instruments. I gathered he had expected sunshine that hadn't showed up and he was counting on his instruments having been at fault, but they were apparently working perfectly, which frustrated him. I think this was an unexpected development that both soured his temper and turned his attention away from me. As for Clowzia, the young woman who preoccupied me for a few minutes, I do not get the feeling, as I look back on it, that she deliberately led me away from the scene. The initiative was mine. I was curious about the vegetation on Upperside and it was I who drew her away, rather than vice versa. Far from Leggen encouraging her action, he called her back while I was still in sight and I moved farther away and out of sight entirely on my own.† â€Å"And yet,† said Hummin, who seemed intent on objecting to every suggestion that was made, â€Å"if that ship was looking for you, those on board must have known you'd be there. How would they know-if not from Leggett?† â€Å"The man I suspect,† said Seldon, â€Å"is a young psychologist named Lisung Randa† â€Å"Randa?† said Dors. â€Å"I can't believe that. I know him. He simply would not be working for the Emperor. He's anti-Imperialist to the core.† â€Å"He might pretend to be,† said Seldon. â€Å"In fact, he would have to be openly, violently, and extremely anti-Imperialist if he was trying to mask the fact that he is an Imperial agent.† â€Å"But that's exactly what he's not like,† said Dors. â€Å"He is not violent and extreme in anything. He's quiet and good-natured and his views are always expressed mildly, almost timidly. I'm convinced they're genuine.† â€Å"And yet, Dors,† said Seldon earnestly, â€Å"it was he who first told me of the meteorological project, it was he who urged me to go Upperside, and it was he who persuaded Leggen to allow me to join him, rather exaggerating my mathematical prowess in the process. One must wonder why he was so anxious to get me up there, why he should labor so hard.† â€Å"For your good, perhaps. He was interested in you, Hari, and must have thought that meteorology might have been useful in psychohistory. Isn't that possible?† Hummin said quietly, â€Å"Let's consider another point. There was a considerable lapse of time between the moment when Randa told you about the meteorology project and the moment you actually went Upperside. If Randa is innocent of anything underhanded, he would have no particular reason to keep quiet about it. If he is a friendly and gregarious person-â€Å" â€Å"He is,† said Dors. â€Å"-then he might very likely tell a number of friends about it. In that case, we couldn't really tell who the informer might be. In fact, just to make another point, suppose Randa is anti-Imperialist. That would not necessarily mean he is not an agent. We would have to ask: Whom is he an agent for? On whose behalf does he work?† Seldon was astonished. â€Å"Who else is there to work for but the Empire? Who else but Demerzel?† Hummin raised his hand. â€Å"You are far from understanding the whole complexity of Trantorian politics, Seldon.† He turned toward Dors. â€Å"Tell me again: Which were the four sectors that Dr. Leggen named as likely sources for a meteorological vessel?† â€Å"Hestelonia, Wye, Ziggoreth, and North Damiano.† â€Å"And you did not ask the question in any leading way? You didn't ask if a particular sector might be the source?† â€Å"No, definitely not. I simply asked if he could speculate as to the source of the jet-down.† â€Å"And you†-Hummin turned to Seldon â€Å"may perhaps have seen some marking, some insigne, on the jet-down?† Seldon wanted to retort heatedly that the vessel could hardly be seen through the clouds, that it emerged only briefly, that he himself was not looking for markings, but only for escape-but he held back. Surely, Hummin knew all that. Instead, he said simply, â€Å"I'm afraid not.† Dors said, â€Å"If the jet-down was on a kidnapping mission, might not the insigne have been masked?† â€Å"That is the rational assumption,† said Hummin, â€Å"and it tray well have been, but in this Galaxy rationality does not always triumph. However, since Seldon seems to have taken no note of any details concerning the vessel, we can only speculate. What I'm thinking is: Wye.† â€Å"Why?† echoed Seldon. â€Å"I presume they wanted to take me because whoever was on the ship wanted me for my knowledge of psychohistory.† â€Å"No, no.† Hummin lifted his right forefinger as if lecturing a young student. â€Å"W-y-e. It is the name of a sector on Trantor. A very special sector. It has been ruled by a line of Mayors for some three thousand years. It has been a continuous line, a single dynasty. There was a time, some five-hundred years ago, when two Emperors and an Empress of the House of Wye sat on the Imperial throne. It was a comparatively short period and none of the Wye rulers were particularly distinguished or successful, but the Mayors of Wye have never forgotten this Imperial past. â€Å"They have not been actively disloyal to the ruling houses that have succeeded them, but neither have they been known to volunteer much on behalf of those houses. During the occasional periods of civil war, they maintained a kind of neutrality, making moves that seemed best calculated to prolong the civil war and make it seem necessary to turn to Wye as a compromise solution. That never worked out, but they never stopped trying either. â€Å"The present Mayor of Wye is particularly capable. He is old now, but his ambition hasn't cooled. If anything happens to Cleon-even a natural death-the Mayor will have a chance at the succession over Cleon's own too-young son. The Galactic public will always be a little more partial toward a claimant with an Imperial past. â€Å"Therefore, if the Mayor of Wye has heard of you, you might serve as a useful scientific prophet on behalf of his house. There would be a traditional motive for Wye to try to arrange some convenient end for Cleon, use you to predict the inevitable succession of Wye and the coming of peace and prosperity for a thousand years after. Of course, once the Mayor of Wye is on the throne and has no further use for you, you might well follow Cleon to the grave.† Seldon broke the grim silence that followed by saying, â€Å"But we don't know that it is this Mayor of Wye who is after me.† â€Å"No, we don't. Or that anyone at all is after you, at the moment. The jet-down might, after all, have been an ordinary meteorological testing vessel as Leggen has suggested. Still, as the news concerning psychohistory and its potential spreads-and it surely must-more and more of the powerful and semi-powerful on Trantor or, for that matter, elsewhere will want to make use of your services.† â€Å"What, then,† said Dors, â€Å"shall we do?† â€Å"That is the question, indeed.† Hummin ruminated for a while, then said, â€Å"Perhaps it was a mistake to come here. For a professor, it is all too likely that the hiding place chosen would be a University. Streeling is one of many, but it is among the largest and most free, so it wouldn't be long before tendrils from here and there would begin feeling their soft, blind way toward this place. I think that as soon as possible-today, perhaps-Seldon should be moved to another and better hiding place. But-â€Å" â€Å"But?† said Seldon. â€Å"But I don't know where.† Seldon said, â€Å"Call up a gazeteer on the computer screen and choose a place at random.† â€Å"Certainly not,† said Hummin. â€Å"If we do that, we are as likely to find a place that is less secure than average, as one that is more secure. No, this must be reasoned out.-Somehow.† 32. The three remained huddled in Seldon's quarters till past lunch. During that time, Hari and Dors spoke occasionally and quietly on indifferent subjects, but Hummin maintained an almost complete silence. He sat upright, ate little, and his grave countenance (which, Seldon thought, made him look older than his years) remained quiet and withdrawn. Seldon imagined him to be reviewing the immense geography of Trantor in his mind, searching for a corner that would be ideal. Surely, it couldn't be easy. Seldon's own Helicon was somewhat larger by a percent or two than Trantor was and had a smaller ocean. The Heliconian land surface was perhaps 10 percent larger than the Trantorian. But Helicon was sparsely populated, its surface only sprinkled with scattered cities; Trantor was all city. Where Helicon was divided into twenty administrative sectors; Trantor had over eight hundred and every one of those hundreds was itself a complex of subdivisions. Finally Seldon said in some despair, â€Å"Perhaps it might be best, Hummin, to choose which candidate for my supposed abilities is most nearly benign, hand me over to that one, and count on him to defend me against the rest.† Hummin looked up and said in utmost seriousness, â€Å"That is not necessary. I know the candidate who is most nearly benign and he already has you.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"Do you place yourself on the same level with the Mayor of Wye and the Emperor of all the Galaxy?† â€Å"In point of view of position, no. But as far as the desire to control you is concerned, I rival them. They, however, and anyone else I can think of want you in order to strengthen their own wealth and power, while I have no ambitions at all, except for the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"I suspect,† said Seldon dryly, â€Å"that each of your competitors-if asked-would insist that he too was thinking only of the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"I am sure they would,† said Hummin, â€Å"but so far, the only one of my competitors, as you call them, whom you have met is the Emperor and he was interested in having you advance fictionalized predictions that might stabilize his dynasty. I do not ask you for anything like that. I ask only that you perfect your psychohistorical technique so that mathematically valid predictions, even if only statistical in nature, can be made.† â€Å"True. So far, at least,† said Seldon with a half-smile. â€Å"Therefore, I might as well ask: How are you coming along with that task? Any progress?† Seldon was uncertain whether to laugh or cage. After a pause, he did neither, but managed to speak calmly. â€Å"Progress? In less than two months? Hummin, this is something that might easily take me my whole life and the lives of the next dozen who follow me.-And even then end in failure.† â€Å"I'm not talking about anything as final as a solution or even as hopeful as the beginning of a solution. You've said flatly a number of times that a useful psychohistory is possible but impractical. All I am asking is whether there now seems any hope that it can be made practical.† â€Å"Frankly, no.† Dors said, â€Å"Please excuse me. I am not a mathematician, so I hope this is not a foolish question. How can you know something is both possible and impractical? I've heard you say that, in theory, you might personally meet and greet all the people in the Empire, but that it is not a practical feat because you couldn't live long enough to do it. But how can you tell that psychohistory is something of this sort?† Seldon looked at Dors with some incredulity. â€Å"Do you want that explained.† â€Å"Yes,† she said, nodding her head vigorously so that her curled hair vibrated. â€Å"As a matter of fact,† said Hummin, â€Å"so would I.† â€Å"Without mathematics?† said Seldon with just a trace of a smile. â€Å"Please,† said Hummin. â€Å"Well-† He retired into himself to choose a method of presentation. Then he said, â€Å"-If you want to understand some aspect of the Universe, it helps if you simplify it as much as possible and include only those properties and characteristics that are essential to understanding. If you want to determine how an object drops, you don't concern yourself with whether it is new or old, is red or green, or has an odor or not. You eliminate those things and thus do not needlessly complicate matters. The simplification you can call a model or a simulation and you can present it either as an actual representation on a computer screen or as a mathematical relationship. If you consider the primitive theory of nonrelativistic gravitation-â€Å" Dors said at once, â€Å"You promised there would be no mathematics. Don't try to slip it in by calling it ‘primitive.' â€Å" â€Å"No, no. I mean ‘primitive' only in that it has been known as long as our records go back, that its discovery is shrouded in the mists of antiquity as is that of fire or the wheel. In any case, the equations for such gravitational theory contain within themselves a description of the motions of a planetary system, of a double star, of tides, and of many other things. Making use of such equations, we can even set up a pictorial simulation and have a planet circling a star or two stars circling each other on a two-dimensional screen or set up more complicated systems in a three-dimensional holograph. Such simplified simulations make it far easier to grasp a phenomenon than it would be if we had to study the phenomenon itself. In fact, without the gravitational equations, our knowledge of planetary motions and of celestial mechanics generally would be sparse indeed. â€Å"Now, as you wish to know more and more about any phenomenon or as a phenomenon becomes more complex, you need more and more elaborate equations, more and more detailed programming, and you end with a computerized simulation that is harder and harder to grasp.† â€Å"Can't you form a simulation of the simulation?† asked Hummin. â€Å"You would go down another degree.† â€Å"In that case, you would have to eliminate some characteristic of the phenomenon which you want to include and your simulation becomes useless. The LPS-that is, ‘the least possible simulation' gains in complexity faster than the object being simulated does and eventually the simulation catches up with the phenomenon. Thus, it was established thousands of years ago that the Universe as a whole, in its full complexity, cannot be represented by any simulation smaller than itself. â€Å"In other words, you can't get any picture of the Universe as a whole except by studying the entire Universe. It has been shown also that if one attempts to substitute simulations of a small part of the Universe, then another small part, then another small part, and so on, intending to put them all together to form a total picture of the Universe, one would find that there are an infinite number of such part simulations. It would therefore take an infinite time to understand the Universe in full and that is just another way of saying that it is impossible to gain all the knowledge there is.† â€Å"I understand you so far,† said Dors, sounding a little surprised. â€Å"Well then, we know that some comparatively simple things are easy to simulate and as things grow more and more complex they become harder to simulate until finally they become impossible to simulate. But at what level of complexity does simulation cease to be possible? Well, what I have shown, making use of a mathematical technique first invented in this past century and barely usable even if one employs a large and very fast computer, our Galactic society falls short of that mark. It can be represented by a simulation simpler than itself. And I went on to show that this would result in the ability to predict future events in a statistical fashion-that is, by stating the probability for alternate sets of events, rather than flatly predicting that one set will take place.† â€Å"In that case,† said Hummin, â€Å"since you can profitably simulate Galactic society, it's only a matter of doing so. Why is it impractical?† â€Å"All I have proved is that it will not take an infinite time to understand Galactic society, but if it takes a billion years it will still be impractical. That will be essentially the same as infinite time to us.† â€Å"Is that how long it would take? A billion years?† â€Å"I haven't been able to work out how long it would take, but I strongly suspect that it will take at least a billion years, which is why I suggested that number.† â€Å"But you don't really know.† â€Å"I've been trying to work it out.† â€Å"Without success?† â€Å"Without success.† â€Å"The University library does not help?† Hummin cast a look at Dors as he asked the question. Seldon shook his head slowly. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Dors can't help?† Dors sighed. â€Å"I know nothing about the subject, Chetter. I can only suggest ways of looking. If Hari looks and doesn't find, I am helpless.† Hummin rose to his feet. â€Å"In that case, there is no great use in staying here at the University and I must think of somewhere else to place you.† Seldon reached out and touched his sleeve. â€Å"Still, I have an idea.† Hummin stared at him with a faint narrowing of eyes that might have belied surprise-or suspicion. â€Å"When did you get the idea? Just now?† â€Å"No. It's been buzzing in my head for a few days before I went Upperside. That little experience eclipsed it for a while, but asking about the library reminded me of it.† Hummin seated himself again. â€Å"Tell me your idea-if it's not something that's totally marinated in mathematics.† â€Å"No mathematics at all. It's just that reading history in the library reminded me that Galactic society was less complicated in the past. Twelve thousand years ago, when the Empire was on the way to being established, the Galaxy contained only about ten million inhabited worlds. Twenty thousand years ago, the pre-Imperial kingdoms included only about ten thousand worlds altogether. Still deeper in the past, who knows how society shrinks down? Perhaps even to a single world as in the legends you yourself once mentioned, Hummin.† Hummin said, â€Å"And you think you might be able to work out psychohistory if you dealt with a much simpler Galactic society?† â€Å"Yes, it seems to me that I might be able to do so.† â€Å"Then too,† said Dors with sudden enthusiasm, â€Å"suppose you work out psychohistory for a smaller society of the past and suppose you can make predictions from a study of the pre-Imperial situation as to what might happen a thousand years after the formation of the Empire-you could then check the actual situation at that time and see how near the mark you were.† Hummin said coldly, â€Å"Considering that you would know in advance the situation of the year 1,000 of the Galactic Era, it would scarcely be a fair test. You would be unconsciously swayed by your prior knowledge and you would be bound to choose values for your equation in such a way as to give you what you would know to be the solution.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Dors. â€Å"We don't know the situation in 1,000 G.E. very well and we would have to dig. After all, that was eleven millennia ago.† Seldon's face turned into a picture of dismay. â€Å"What do you mean we don't know the situation in 1,000 G.E. very well? There were computers then, weren't there, Dors?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"And memory storage units and recordings of ear and eye? We should have all the records of 1,000 G.E. as we have of the present year of 12,020 G.E.† â€Å"In theory, yes, but in actual practice- Well, you know, Hari, it's what you keep saying. It's possible to have full records of 1,000 G.E., but it's not practical to expect to have it.† â€Å"Yes, but what I keep saying, Dors, refers to mathematical demonstrations. I don't see the applications to historical records.† Dors said defensively, â€Å"Records don't last forever, Hari. Memory banks can be destroyed or defaced as a result of conflict or can simply deteriorate with time. Any memory bit, any record that is not referred to for a long time, eventually drowns in accumulated noise. They say that fully one third of the records in the Imperial Library are simply gibberish, but, of course, custom will not allow those records to be removed. Other libraries are less tradition-bound. In the Streeling University library, we discard worthless items every ten years. â€Å"Naturally, records frequently referred to and frequently duplicated on various worlds and in various libraries-governmental and private-remain clear enough for thousands of years, so that many of the essential points of Galactic history remain known even if they took place in pre-Imperial times. However, the farther back you go, the less there is preserved.† â€Å"I can't believe that,† said Seldon. â€Å"I should think that new copies would be made of any record in danger of withering. How could you let knowledge disappear?† â€Å"Undesired knowledge is useless knowledge,† said Dors. â€Å"Can you imagine all the time, effort, and energy expended in a continual refurbishing of unused data? And that wastage would grow steadily more extreme with time.† â€Å"Surely, you would have to allow for the fact that someone at some time might need the data being so carelessly disposed of.† â€Å"A particular item might be wanted once in a thousand years. To save it all just in case of such a need isn't cost-effective. Even in science. You spoke of the primitive equations of gravitation and say it is primitive because its discovery is lost in the mists of antiquity. Why should that be? Didn't you mathematicians and scientists save all data, all information, back and back to the misty primeval time when those equations were discovered?† Seldon groaned and made no attempt to answer. He said, â€Å"Well, Hummin, so much for my idea. As we look back into the past and as society grows smaller, a useful psychohistory becomes more likely. But knowledge dwindles even more rapidly than size, so psychohistory becomes less likely-and the less outweighs the more.† â€Å"To be sure, there is the Mycogen Sector,† said Dors, musing. Hummin looked up quickly. â€Å"So there is and that would be the perfect place to put Seldon. I should have thought of it myself.† â€Å"Mycogen Sector,† repeated Hari, looking from one to the other. â€Å"What and where is Mycogen Sector?† â€Å"Hari, please, I'll tell you later. Right now, I have preparations to make. You'll leave tonight.† 33. Dors had urged Seldon to sleep a bit. They would be leaving halfway between lights out and lights on, under cover of â€Å"night,† while the rest of the University slept. She insisted he could still use a little rest. â€Å"And have you sleep on the floor again?† Seldon asked. She shrugged. â€Å"The bed will only hold one and if we both try to crowd into it, neither of us will get much sleep.† He looked at her hungrily for a moment and said, â€Å"Then I'll sleep on the floor this time.† â€Å"No, you won't. I wasn't the one who lay in a coma in the sleet.† As it happened, neither slept. Though they darkened the room and though the perpetual hum of Trantor was only a drowsy sound in the relatively quiet confines of the University, Seldon found that he had to talk. He said, â€Å"I've been so much trouble to you, Dors, here at the University. I've even been keeping you from your work. Still, I'm sorry I'll have to leave you.† Dors said, â€Å"You won't leave me. I'm coming with you. Hummin is arranging a leave of absence for me.† Seldon said, dismayed, â€Å"I can't ask you to do that.† â€Å"You're not. Hummin's asking it. I must guard you. After all, I faded in connection with Upperside and should make up for it.† â€Å"I told you. Please don't feel guilty about that.-Still, I must admit I would feel more comfortable with you at my side. If I could only be sure I wasn't interfering with your life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dors said softly, â€Å"You're not, Hari. Please go to sleep.† Seldon lay silent for a while, then whispered, â€Å"Are you sure Hummin can really arrange everything, Dors?† Dors said, â€Å"He's a remarkable man. He's got influence here at the University and everywhere else, I think. If he says he can arrange for an indefinite leave for me, I'm sure he can. He is a most persuasive man.† â€Å"I know,† said Seldon. â€Å"Sometimes I wonder what he really wants of me.† â€Å"What he says,† said Dors. â€Å"He's a man of strong and idealistic ideas and dreams.† â€Å"You sound as though you know him well, Dors.† â€Å"Oh yes, I know him well.† â€Å"Intimately?† Dors made an odd noise. â€Å"I'm not sure what you're implying, Hari, but, assuming the most insolent interpretation- No, I don't know him intimately. What business would that be of yours anyway?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† said Seldon. â€Å"I just didn't want, inadvertently, to be invading someone else's-â€Å" â€Å"Property? That's even more insulting. I think you had better go to sleep.† â€Å"I'm sorry again, Dors, but I can't sleep. Let me at least change the subject. You haven't explained what the Mycogen Sector is. Why will it be good for me to go there? What's it like?† â€Å"It's a small sector with a population of only about two million-if I remember correctly. The thing is that the Mycogenians cling tightly to a set of traditions about early history and are supposed to have very ancient records not available to anyone else. It's just possible they would be of more use to you in your attempted examination of pre-Imperial times than orthodox historians might be. All our talk about early history brought the sector to mind.† â€Å"Have you ever seen their records?† â€Å"No. I don't know anyone who has.† â€Å"Can you be sure that the records really exist, then?† â€Å"Actually, I can't say. The assumption among non-Mycogenians is that they're a bunch of madcaps, but that may be quite unfair. They certainly say they have records, so perhaps they do. In any case, we would be out of sight there. The Mycogenians keep strictly to themselves.-And now please do go to sleep.† And somehow Seldon finally did. 34. Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili left the University grounds at 0300. Seldon realized that Dors had to be the leader. She knew Trantor better than he did-two years better. She was obviously a close friend of Hummin (how close? the question kept nagging at him) and she understood his instructions. Both she and Seldon were swathed in light swirling docks with tight-fitting hoods. The style had been a short-lived clothing fad at the University (and among young intellectuals, generally) some years back and though right now it might provoke laughter, it had the saving grace of covering them well and of making them unrecognizable-at least at a cursory glance. Hummin had said, â€Å"There's a possibility that the event Upperside was completely innocent and that there are no agents after you, Seldon, but let's be prepared for the worst.† Seldon had asked anxiously, â€Å"Won't you come with us?† â€Å"I would like to,† said Hummin, â€Å"but I must limit my absence from work if I am not to become a target myself. You understand?† Seldon sighed. He understood. They entered an Expressway car and found a seat as far as possible from the few who had already boarded. (Seldon wondered why anyone should be on the Expressways at three in the morning-and then thought that it was lucky some were or he and Dors would be entirely too conspicuous.) Seldon fell to watching the endless panorama that passed in review as the equally endless line of coaches moved along the endless monorail on an endless electromagnetic field. The Expressway passed row upon row of dwelling units, few of them very tall, but some, for all he knew, very deep. Still, if tens of millions of square kilometers formed an urbanized total, even forty billion people would not require very tall structures or very closely packed ones. They did pass open areas, in most of which crops seemed to be growing-but some of which were clearly parklike. And there were numerous structures whose nature he couldn't guess. Factories? Office buildings? Who knew? One large featureless cylinder struck him as though it might be a water tank. After all, Trantor had to have a fresh water supply. Did they sluice rain from Upperside, filter and treat it, then store it? It seemed inevitable that they should. Seldon did not have very long to study the view, however. Dors muttered, â€Å"This is about where we should be getting off.† She stood up and her strong fingers gripped his arm. They were off the Expressway now, standing on solid flooring while Dors studied the directional signs. The signs were unobtrusive and there were many of them. Seldon's heart sank. Most of them were in pictographs and initials, which were undoubtedly understandable to native Trantorians, but which were alien to him. â€Å"This way,† said Dors. â€Å"Which way? How do you know?† â€Å"See that? Two wings and an arrow.† â€Å"Two wings? Oh.† He had thought of it as an upside-down â€Å"w,† wide and shallow, but he could see where it might be the stylized wings of a bird. â€Å"Why don't they use words?† he said sullenly. â€Å"Because words vary from world to world. What an ‘air-jet' is here could be a ‘soar' on Cinna or a ‘swoop' on other worlds. The two wings and an arrow are a Galactic symbol for an air vessel and the symbol is understood everywhere. Don't you use them on Helicon?† â€Å"Not much. Helicon is a fairly homogeneous world, culturally speaking, and we tend to cling to our private ways firmly because we're overshadowed by our neighbors.† â€Å"See?† said Dors. â€Å"There's where your psychohistory might come in. You could show that even with different dialects the use of set symbols, Galaxy-wide, is a unifying force.† â€Å"That won't help.† He was following her through empty dim alleyways and part of his mind wondered what the crime rate might be on Trantor and whether this was a high-crime area. â€Å"You can have a billion rules, each covering a single phenomenon, and you can derive no generalizations from that. That's what one means when one says that a system might be interpreted only by a model as complex as itself.-Dors, are we heading for an air-jet?† She stopped and turned to look at him with an amused frown. â€Å"If we're following the symbols for air-jets, do you suppose we're trying to reach a golf course? Are you afraid of air-jets in the way so many Trantorians are?† â€Å"No, no. We fly freely on Helicon and I make use of air-jets frequently. It's just that when Hummin took me to the University, he avoided commercial air travel because he thought we would leave too clear a trail.† â€Å"That's because they knew where you were to begin with, Hari, and were after you already. Right now, it may be that they don't know where you are and we're using an obscure port and a private air-jet.† â€Å"And who'll be doing the flying?† â€Å"A friend of Hummin's, I presume.† â€Å"Can he be trusted, do you suppose?† â€Å"If he's a friend of Hummin's, he surely can.† â€Å"You certainly think highly of Hummin,† said Seldon with a twinge of discontent. â€Å"With reason,† said Dors with no attempt at coyness. â€Å"He's the best.† Seldon's discontent did not dwindle. â€Å"There's the air-jet,† she said. It was a small one with oddly shaped wings. Standing beside it was a small man, dressed in the usual glaring Trantorian colors. Dors said, â€Å"We're psycho.† The pilot said, â€Å"And I'm history.† They followed him into the air-jet and Seldon said, â€Å"Whose idea were the passwords?† â€Å"Hummin's,† said Dors. Seldon snorted. â€Å"Somehow I didn't think Hummin would have a sense of humor. He's so solemn.† Dors smiled.

Jose Rizal: Reaction Paper Essay

Jose Protacio Mercado Alonzo y Realonda Rizal (June 19, 1861 – Dec 30, 1896) Is most venerated and acclaimed patriot in the Philippines recognized for his unselfish contribution in the historical and social transformation in the country, he is one of the National heroes of the Philippines together with Andres Bonifacio. He also writes El Filibusterismo and Noli me Tangere. Rizal as a child was a lover of a Literature arts and wrote a poem named â€Å"Ang aking mga kabata† . Rizal was born from wealthy Family in Calamba, Laguna and Seventh of eleven children of Francisco engracio Rizal and Teodora Alonzo Realonda de Quintos. Rizal had a Spanish and Japanese Ancestors. The grandfather and father of Teodora was a Half Spaniard engineer named Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo. His maternal great-great-grandfather was Eugenio Ursua, a descendant of Japanese settlers. Before he enrolled in Ateneo Municipal de Manila, Paciano Rizal advice Rizal dropped the last three names to make up his full name as â€Å"Jose Protasio Rizal†. Rizal writes â€Å"My family never paid much attention [to our second surname Rizal], but now I had to use it, thus giving me the appearance of an illegitimate child† Rizal first study under Justiniano Aquino Cruz in Binan, Laguna. Before he sent in manila he take entrance examination in Colegio de San Juan de Letran and at age 11, He enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (now Ateneo de Manila), earn a Bachelor of Arts diploma and studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, he continued his studies of medicine in Universidad Central de Madrid in Madrid, Spain, earning the degree of Licentiate in Medicine, make him eligible to practice medicine. He also attended the University of Paris and earned and second doctorate at the University of Heidelberg. The 25 year-old Rizal he finished eye specialization in 1887 under professor Otto Becker. By 1896 he was arrested en route to Cuba via Spain and imprisoned in Barcelona. He was sent back to manila to stand in trial and imprisoned in Fort Santiago by issued a manifesto. And sentence in death by court martial by Rebillion, sedition and conspiracy. At December 30, 1896 before his execution by the squad of Filipino soldier of Spanish, a backup force of regular Spanish army stood ready to shoot before he was shot he requested to be shot in looking at the  shooter and without a blindfold but they disagree but they agree on without a blindfold. Before be shot he shout his last word â€Å"consummatum est† (â€Å"it is finished) He was secretly buried in Paco cemetery in Manila with no identification on his grave but they mark the site with â€Å"RPJ† his initials in reve rse.. â€Å"He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish† -Jose Rizal – This quotes means if we use our own language to communicate with the same Filipino we will understand what we talk and to share. But we use other language to communicate to other countries to share ideas and talk to them.

My Friend- Donna

It’s really fantastic to have friends because you can never get more amused than by communicating with them, and learning every little feature of their characters. Sometimes, they may seem annoying and tiresome, but overall you can stop being amazed at how nice those little annoying features make a person, and you don’t want to change them. My friend Donna is a great example of such a character. Her little flaws just make her even more perfect. Donna is simply too smart. Once you start talking to her, you realize that no matter how much you learn, she will always beat you. Can there be anything more annoying than realizing how inferior you are in comparison with her? Another annoying feature you notice at once is that Donna simply can’t stop making witty comments about anything she doesn’t approve of, and she keeps adding and adding more comments. One should be ready for lots of teasing if he wears some weird-looking hat, or didn’t have time to comb his hair. Donna simply can’t stop. She isn’t balanced at all. She has to point at everything what she finds funny and strange. Besides, Donna likes to give advice whenever she needs and doesn’t need to do that. She thinks she analyzes everything so much better than anyone else does, so she wants to give advice to the whole world on any subject: when the best time to attend the hair-dresser is, how to budget money to get enough savings for a new super short dress, what kind of house to build, how to administer a beauty salon, what color of makeup to buy in this season. Donna drives people really crazy with her advice on any point. But perhaps her most annoying feature is that she is too crazy about herself. She wants to attract the attention to herself every second. Every single spare minute she looks in the mirror, and seems to admire the reflection too much. From time to time people have to wonder whether she is going to act in movies very soon- it is very possible she will finally achieve that. Donna just attracts attention to herself in all the situations, even when it’s not appropriate at all. Have you heard stories about how parties go when Donna arrives? Let me tell you one. Imagine everybody assembled at the birthday party, talking, eating, drinking, congratulating the birthday-boy, and not worrying about anything. Then the door opens, and Donna not walks but flies in. That’s her usual manner of walking- flying as if she has a couple of eagles carrying her on their wings. The world gets turned upside down at the party right away after Donna’s arrival. Everybody gets shut up, even the guy having a birthday party. Nobody even notices him anymore because the â€Å"real† star has arrived, and everybody is almost feeling her radiant beams. The party becomes completely centralized in Donna’s hands. Donna talks about everything what comes into her mind, and it’s always too interesting. It drives everyone crazy because Donna gets all the attention but nothing can be done about that. Here she is already checking the food supply and arranging on the telephone the order of some more food and drinks for the party because she sees that something is missing. She is running around the house bringing new dishes in. She invents a hundred different contests to entertain the guests at the party. She is telling anecdotes and making everyone fall off their chairs of too much laughing. One will never forget a birthday party with the participation of Donna. You might think she is crazy for having as much energy as a jet aircraft, but that is just the way she is. You will definitely find it annoying how she wants the world to turn around her- but she is really worth that! Have you ever seen Donna shopping in the store for her next party? That’s a show to see. It looks as if she is getting ready for her first ball like girls were getting ready in England many centuries ago. At that time every girl thought that during the first ball she will meet her future husband. She had to prepare very carefully. Donna is the same way, but about every party. Everything needs to be too perfect from her point of view. She will not buy a dress unless it fits her like a princess. Donna can waste hours and go from one store to another driving sales girls crazy with her requests, but she will eventually find something what will make her a goddess. The sales girls will be sweating from carrying more and more clothes to Donna to try. But she doesn’t care how many items she has to try on. She stands near the mirror and gazes at herself for as much time as she wants. Donna knows will get her dream-dress this way or another. One always gets amazed where she finds all that stuff, but she somehow does. It’s really annoying that Donna wants everything in her life to be so perfect. However, it makes her really cute. She is just different from others. Donna is certainly an outstanding character. Even though some of her features are really annoying, they seem that way to many people only because they envy her. They envy Donna’s industriousness, her thirst for knowledge and perfection, and her insatiable energy. Some people even suspect she is out of this world because she is never sad, always in a great mood, and willing to change everything what she considers not perfect enough. Everybody who knows Donna well is already used to those features of her character, and simply neglects those which seem annoying in many ways. There are no perfect people in the world. That is why it’s just necessary to take people the way they are. Donna definitely rings sunshine into the world. Everybody who knows her well can’t get enough of her. Whenever she is around, there is no stop for jokes and laugh. Nobody can be sad. If you ever want to get a smile on your face, just go see my friend Donna.

Friendship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Friendship - Essay Example This implies that in virtuous friendships, one must simply appreciate loving others rather than being loved, and always wish the best for others; in that case, Aristotle’s view of virtuous friendship is that it can only be found among a few people of high moral standing. It is evident that not many virtuous friendships exist in real life since it is human nature for people to want things in exchange for friendship, which explains why most friendships do not last even a fortnight. In many cases, friendships arise and survive on the products of the relationship rather than love; implying people are friends as long as the benefits of the relationship last and as soon as there is nothing to gain from friends, friendship is dissolved as quickly as it emerged. In that respect, it is true to say that love only exists in virtuous friendships that are based on the selfless love for others. Human beings are incapable of unity because they often pursue friendship not for the love of others, but for their own selfish gains, particularly because they are generally political creatures by nature. In that case, human friendships are plain and easily dissolvable as soon as there are no gains to be made in them, this is because an individual who only seeks their own personal gains at the expense of their so-called â€Å"friends† is not worth of the title of â€Å"friend†. A friend should be capable of sacrificing themselves for the sake of others, and to always want what is in the best interest of others too, rather than merely pursuing their ends. Unfortunately, this is a highly ambitious ideal, which is rarely achievable in normal circumstances considering the fact that the world is full of scheming individuals always preying on others for their own gains (Sivertsen, 2003). Aristotle acknowledges that indeed most relationships in life are based on love of utili ty and love of pleasure (Pangle 2002), and in that respect, most

Business simulation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business simulation - Assignment Example Computer Repair business averages ?8,900 in gross monthly profits. The owner/manager believes that it can achieve ?12,000 in gross monthly profits, through promotions and expansion of product lines. Currently, the business employs two part time sales staff and one full time book keeper/receptionist. Though the space currently available for formatting new machines is adequate, nearly one third of it is used to store inventory, which includes new product models for resale. With expansion of services and the need to utilise space more efficiently, the business must consider alternative supply chain processes, such as JIT systems. It must also consider the types of products to offer, such as business machines with networking capabilities. Aside from increase monthly gross sales, the business has identified objectives of greatly increasing its individual customer base and greatly increasing the number of business customers, so that dividing the products into separate business units is fea sible. A thorough analysis of the business environment will allow the computer sales business to make decisions about expansion that are most suitable and to develop a marketing and promotions programme that aligns with expansion of product lines. ... Political Business tax rate remains 21% at projected profit increase, according to Adam & Brown (1999, p.13). Employee vs. Self employment (2 National Insurance taxes for self-employed, affects pool of applicants. Relationship with nearby University critical for technician. Environmental concerns of policymakers and citizens. Consumers want ‘green business’ initiatives. Costs of ‘going green’? Economic Consumers tightening budgets, spending less on new products or choosing more affordable products. Costs for fossil fuels may influence supply costs. Social Social networking for younger users (teens and young adults) may offer an additional channel for promotion. Consumers want value and personal relationship in product sales. Technical Requirements for networking and customization rely on technical knowledge. Use of JIT inventory systems reduces inventory related costs. The SWOT analysis helps the computer sales business determine the type of growth strategy and promotions strategy to be developed, by conducting an honest assessment of the organizations physical and financial assets, its potential capabilities, current shortcomings and potential future challenges. The SWOT analysis table below provides management with greater insights, to develop a successful business strategy. The analysis considers the most important and influential factors in expanding Computer Sales. Strengths Located in business centre of city, exposure can be greatly increased. Relationships with suppliers already established (Dell and Hewlett Packard). Weaknesses Lack of promotions plan, currently relies on word of mouth. Too much physical inventory takes up space and increases costs. No technical expertise for customization. Opportunities Increase awareness through

Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example The qualitative approach will include the use of observations and focus of multinational corporations. The quantitative approach will involve the use journals, magazines, and online stuff from different websites. The marketing plan will further elaborate few key issues like will Windows 7 is able to conquer the market share from existing operating systems like XP, Vista, and Mac? What will be the strategic issues that may arise from the application of technology by other competitors? What marketing strategy must be adopted by Microsoft to release its new operating system in successful manner? Microsoft is a US based multinational and world’s largest organization in computer and software industries with its areas of operations in each and every country of the world. The organization is headquartered at Redmond, Washington and was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on 4th April, 1975. Microsoft has earned a high level trusted reputation by conducting its business worldwide with integrity, innovation, and respect. The company has delivered hundreds of different software related brands at global scale. It also manufactures, licenses, and offers a wide range of products which are related to computer field. The company has $73.72 billion dollars revenue by the end of 2012 while its total assets are more than $121 billion dollars. More than 94,000 employees are working under Microsoft at global level (Microsoft Corporation Financial Statements, 2011). Microsoft has promoted a culture of progression and innovation. The company has invested a huge amount of money in its operating system sector to gain competitive advantage on product innovation. Millions of people across the globe today enjoy a wide range of operating systems offered by Microsoft in all segments of retail from operating systems of XP and Vista to other software and hardware tools. The most successful products that Microsoft has offered are its

South East Asia Currency Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

South East Asia Currency Crisis - Essay Example These factors included currency speculation, financial imbalances, exchange rate collapse, high inflation rates, excess borrowing and investment in the these countries that were facing crisis, trade deficits, political inflexibilities, and to some extent restrictions imposed by IMF package. As a result, the impacts resulted in the stock market failure, currency depreciation, decline in per capita GDP, excessive borrowing to save the economies, investment withdrawal, international agencies bank ratings to those exposed to the crisis, and fluctuation of imports and exports affecting the countries’ return. Some countries relied on the IMF to provide capital to stabilize the exchange rates and prevent further liquidity in those countries. Other measures involved reforming the monetary policies, financial regulation and asset management. While a country like Japan solved their bankruptcy case with their reserves, other comparative nations in the crisis had depleted theirs. Studying the crisis is a constant reminder of how worse a currency and stock market failure can become a contagion in linked markets. It also allows researchers to examine how each economy solved the crisis after spreading from Thailand, exploring the differences in policies taken and

Representation of New Zealand masculinity in beer advertising Essay

Representation of New Zealand masculinity in beer advertising - Essay Example This "Representation of New Zealand masculinity in beer advertising" essay outlines the connection between traditional New Zealand's sports games, masculinity and how media used this in a beer commercial. During peace times rugby was one of the sporting events in which the Kiwis took pride. Rugby gave a feeling of masculinity and enhanced manhood to the Kiwis in the early years. When Edmund Hillary along with tensing reached the world’s highest peak, it was taken as an expression of New Zealand’s Anglo-Saxon manhood. He depicted colonial honesty. This Kiwi hero had a warm and caring heart who dedicated his life to the concern and welfare of the people of the Himalayas. Peter Snell, a gold medalist at the Rome Olympics, became the personification of Kiwi manhood. He too had immense muscular strength and was extremely modest. These were connected with masculinity but along with these, the culture of beer and alcohol added to the image of manhood. The New Zealand man had an image of being strong, resilient, and modest. He could hold his own drink, yarn with his mates, and eventually settle down as a family man. Hence, beer, alcohol, muscles, murder, adventurous activities, was all associated with masculinity. What added to the image was that after all this, such a man was even a successful family man. These ‘good keen men’ of Barry Crump won secret admiration from the male counterparts. As family bond strengthened in New Zealand, men started identifying themselves with the traditional heroes and the male culture.

Lawsuits against Counselors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lawsuits against Counselors - Essay Example In 2001, a high school counselor was sued because a student claimed he was told a particular English class was accredited, but he later lost his scholarship because it wasn't. The guidance counselor denied giving the student that advice, but the courts ruled in favor of the student. Karla Scoon Reid's news report reads, "A high school counselor can be sued for dispensing academic advice that has an adverse effect on a student." In this instance, the counselor could have saved himself the trouble by double-checking to make sure the class was properly accredited, especially since it was new to the high school's curriculum. With recent allegations having come forth regarding Catholic priests and molestation/rape, it is no wonder that failure to report child abuse is a huge faux pas. Child abuse charges that need to be reported are not only ones of a sexual nature, but also physical abuse. As well, clergy counselors are especially susceptible. A website report on clergy counselors reads, "At least nine states have permitted adults who were abused as children to sue clergy counselors (para. 1)." Since each state has different laws, counselors who are made aware of child abuse need to stay updated on exactly what allegations need to be reported, and which officials are appropriate to contact in each specific case. The most common cause of lawsuits against counselors, perhaps, is failure to prevent suicide.

There Are No Children Here Essay Example for Free

There Are No Children Here Essay Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate. (Anonymous)† In the 1980 Chicago slums this quote couldn’t be truer. The slums were/are a terrible place for not just children, but everyone to live. The Henry Horner homes in particular are full of death, drugs, and poverty. This may not seem like the greatest place for children to be raised, but for some, they know nothing different. The constant gang trouble, drug trafficking, and hiding from stray bullets are an everyday occurrence for people living in these government housing complexes. The devastation is a never-ending cycle. The parents get into drugs and violence, and the children have no choice but to imitate their parents and everyone around them as they grow up. The end of the cycle is unseen for most, but for some, such as Lajoe Rivers that cycle will end with her youngest five children. â€Å"But you know, there are no children here. They’ve seen too much to be children. (Lajoe)† The plot begins in the summer of 1987, the boys, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers are enjoying their time near the tracks searching for snakes. Here, the boys could be children. They could let their imaginations run wild and they could just take a break from the horrible life they have waiting at home. Lafeyette and Pharoah are a part of large family living in the Chicago projects. Their mother, Lajoe, has eight children; the three older ones have slowly fallen off the deep end, but the five younger have a chance to do good. Lajoe takes great pride in her children and does everything she can to raise them to be upstanding citizens and stay out of trouble. She is greatly disappointed in the way her first three turned out, so she makes it a point to keep the younger kids under strict supervision. Because of the absence of their drug addicted father, Lafeyette, a child himself, takes the role of man of the house. He looks out for his siblings and takes care of his mother. Even when Lajoe loses her welfare check, her Lafeyette stands strong and reassures her it will all be ok. During the course of their lives, the children face everything from drugs, violence, rape, imprisonment, and worse of all, death. They learn quickly that they must grow up fast to overcome the despair that shadows their everyday lives. Lajoe tries hard to preserve the youth of Pharoah and the triplets. Because of this, most of the responsibility gets put on Lafeyette and his childhood is quickly taken from him. Throughout the boy’s lives, there are significant events that shape the way they grow up and how they learn to cope with their surroundings. For Lafeyette, losing several close friends to violent deaths results in him hating gangs, and also resenting police officers. Pharoah eventually finds himself having bad feelings towards the white people that just offer ridicule and never help, to the worthless black boys. Racism plays a huge role in the boy’s lives, and the older they get the more they can see and understand it. But, in the end, Lajoe is successful in what she dreamed and hoped for. Lafeyette, Pharoah, and the triplets all turn out to be good kids and for the most part, stay out of trouble. The housing complex is fixed up with the arrival of Vincent Lane, and news of Terence getting his GED warms his mother’s heart. Among the main characters is a young boy, Pharoah Rivers. Pharoah, around nine years old in the beginning of the book is the fifth child born of Lajoe Rivers. Life in the projects takes a great toll on poor young Pharoah. He is old enough to know what is going on, but still young enough that he hides behind his youth to shield himself from the terrifying experiences of most children living in the Henry Horner homes. Throughout the story, Pharoah’s character changes on an up and down roller coaster. In the beginning he is a very shy, innocent, youthful young boy who tends to keep to himself. He spends most of his days daydreaming to escape his scary life. He thinks about the trees, the dog, the snakes, all the smaller things in life and it makes him happy. He is often ridiculed for being small for his age, but his drive for knowledge makes up for his size and he excels in school. Although Pharoah struggles with a stutter and it seems to get worse throughout most of his childhood, he manages to overcome it and takes great pleasure in answering questions and speaking out in class. His mother relished in the fact that her son was so brilliant for his age, and often bragged about the young boy. Pharoah is Pharoah. He’s going to be something,† she would tell friends. â€Å"When he was a baby, I held him up and asked him if he’d be the one. I’ve always wanted to see one of my kids graduate from high school. I asked him if he’d be the one to get me a diploma. † (Lajoe, 116) I feel that out of all the characters in the book, I relate most to Pharoah. Although I am not a small black boy living in the projects, nor do I have any similar life experiences; our personalities parallel in several different ways. Growing up I was the small stick girl that everyone else would make fun of. Because of my bony figure I was often teased and thought to be younger than I really was. And like Pharoah, I learned to look past how small I was and build all my strength and power with my mind. I excelled in school every year of my life. Through elementary school I was awarded certificates for my achievements and enrolled into the â€Å"Talented and Gifted† program at my school. I was smart for my age, almost a couple years ahead in some subjects. This persisted through middle school, high school, and even through college. I strive to do my best, just as Pharoah does. I can imagine that Pharoah’s mind looks somewhat like mine did when I was his age. I had the biggest imagination and often used it as an escape from normal life. No, normal life for me was not drugs, gangs, and street violence; but I still had a sometimes empty and scary reality. My military family and I lived overseas all of my childhood and my father was often absent due to fighting for our country. Every day he was gone my siblings and I would wonder if we would ever get to see him again, or if he would be killed doing his job and never return. That was my scary reality, and the constant absence of my father caused me to daydream and life in a fantasy world most of my days. Because of this, I can understand why Pharoah tries so hard to hold onto his childhood and how he can life every day in a daydream to escape the harsh reality of his life. â€Å"As the young children pursued each other from one end of the parking lot to the other, Pharoah stood by himself on the building’s back stoop. He leaned on the black metal bannister. Chin in hand, and stared into space, paying little attention to the shrieking children just a few yards away. (Kotlowitz, 61) Poverty, the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor (Webster Dictionary). Poverty is a constant issue for not only the America, but all over the world. This theme runs the course of the books narrative, and is clearly shown in the lives of Project inhabitants. Throughout the story the cycle of poverty is clea rly shown. The living conditions and dependence on welfare is a definite example of what poverty looks like. Gangs run the streets, drugs run the gangs; and with both of these comes violence. For most in the Projects, the only way to live is through illegal activity. Often it is easier to get into and faster to make money. And for most, it is nearly impossible to escape. In the book there is mention of â€Å"The Other America†, referring to the projects. Because America strives to be the greatest country citizens often try to hide the poverty that runs our inner city streets. For the wealthy it is easier to just turn away and pretend this â€Å"other America† doesn’t exist. â€Å"Horner sat so close to the city’s business district that from the Sears Tower observation deck, tourists could have watched Lafeyette duck gunfire on his birthday. (Kotlowitz, 13) Poverty is a reality for many Americans. The constant reliance on food stamps, welfare, and government housing is what these people live like. The sad thing is that Americans would rather pretend this doesn’t go on in our country than do anything to fix it. For me, this doesn’t make any sense. Because my mother works for First Steps; a government funded program for underprivileged families with children with disabilities, I have seen firsthand what poverty in America looks like. When I help my mother on her job and we enter the run down unsubsidized houses or the broken down trailers and shacks it gives me the overwhelming feeling of hate and anger towards our government and people. There is no reason there should be so much poverty in our country. I feel if American citizens would stop worrying about everyone else in the world and just try to fix our country; a majority of poverty could be eliminated. â€Å"Many times, American citizens talk about helping abroad in underdeveloped countries. As an international student, I appreciate that. However, if there is poverty right across the street, why not help those of where you live? † (Molina, 1) Exactly! Why are we sending so much money out of our nation? In the end all that is going to do is hurt us. America is not the only country to have problems with sending money away; a British writer states that it would be immoral to withdraw their funds to lesser countries, but the rich should also be more generous in the sense that they give more to their own country, not everyone else (Glennie). A little generosity is all it takes. Ther are many people in America that have millions of dollars. It doesn’t take much to feed a needy family, so why do they hoard the money? Due to the governmental changes, and the economy failing, the American Government is putting more and more of its people into poverty. The numbers of jobless, homeless, starving families is reaching new heights and isn’t going to stop until people help each other out (Shaft). The first step to fixing poverty in America is to look and realize it’s here. There should not be people growing up in the â€Å"Other America†, this should not exist. Americans need to come together and get the country straight. I know it is easier said than done, but nothing will get done until someone first says something about it. People like Lajoe and her family don’t need to live in fear, not in the greatest country in the world.

Porters Five Forces Analysis of Yahoo!

Porters Five Forces Analysis of Yahoo! The World Wide Web brings about new products and services every day for any consumer to access at any time with the simple click of a mouse. Consumers may look at the local weather forecast, find address and phone number of a business, or simply use the Internet for entertainment. All of these activities and many more are all accessible on Yahoo!s website. Terry S. Semel, Chief Executive Officer at Yahoo! and the Porters Five Forces analysis model along with Porters Differentiation strategy helps Yahoo! compete intensely among its competitors. From an internal perspective, Porters Five Forces gives Yahoo! a sustainable competitive advantage by analyzing the Threat of New Entrants, the Bargaining Power of Buyers, the Bargaining Power of Suppliers, the Threat of Substitute Products and Services, and the Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors in an industry. Semel analyzes each piece of Porters Five Forces model to determine the best route for Yahoo! to boost its competitive advantage in the Internet industry. First, Yahoo! analyzes the Threat of New Entrants coming into the Web industry. The Threat of New Entrants refers to the possibility that the profits of established firms in the industry may be eroded by new competitors (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2007, pg. 59). In Yahoo!s industry, it is relatively easy for any firm to have an eye-catching website. A new entrant can be a firm in its beginning years who does not have a significantly large budget, but could better serve consumers wanting specific products or services because of new technology it owns. Distributors and manufacturers may also reach more consumers through the Internet, so they enter the market. Semel bought technology such as the Inktomi search engine for Yahoo! to better serve the Internet world and keep a sustainable competitive advantage using product differentiation to create a higher barrier of entry for those smaller or newly established firms. The second of Porters Five Forces discusses the Bargaining Power of Buyers in an industry. Buyers threaten an industry by forcing down prices, bargaining for higher quality or more services, and playing competitors against each other (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007, pg. 61). Buyers are generally not loyal to a specific brand of product or service. Buyers have any information available to them 24 hours a day and they use this to their advantage. Consumers want the best deal for them at that time, so they will take a few minutes, click the mouse a few times, and find the best opportunity for their needs. Buyers use this tool to their advantage. It is difficult for suppliers to retain repeat customers because the customers have the opportunity to shop around to best satisfy their quality and price needs. With Yahoo! expanding their search capabilities by adding new features like its alliance with SBC communications, adding WUF Networks Inc., and HotJobs.com, Semel is aiming to keep more of Yahoo!s consumers within the Yahoo! website and prevent them from exiting to search on a competitors sites. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers is another of Porters Forces that Yahoo! needs to keep in mind. Suppliers involve providing products or services to other businesses, therefore use the term B2B-that is, business-to-business (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007, pg. 285). Yahoo! is an intermediary between some buyers (consumers) and sellers (advertisers) and is business-to-business oriented. Suppliers can make arrangements on the Internet to make searching and buying easier for consumers and prevent them from switching. Yahoo! relies heavily on several different advertisers to keep consumers searching on the Yahoo! site. Semel has built Yahoo! into a site that can offer surfers many different services, with several of them requiring the customer to pay a small fee (Shamsie, pg. 795). The customer is more likely to stay on one site if everything he/she is searching for is there, letting Yahoo! and the advertising supplier profit. Any company in an industry needs to keep a watchful eye for the Threat of Substitute Products and Services. This may be the most important of Porters Five Forces for Yahoo! to stay on top of. Substitutes limit the potential returns of an industry by placing a ceiling on the prices that firms in that industry can profitably charge (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007, pg. 63). Again, consumers can compare prices, quality, and customer service between companies, but companies can do the same. A firm can research what products and services other firms are selling and make substitute products or services. This is the case for Yahoo!s digital theme part Semel is pushing into effect. AOL and MSN are also envisioning a digital theme part and they have many substantial advantages from competitive software and programs to money on hand. Semel has pushed through with new advanced technology to give Yahoo! the edge they need to compete with companies such as AOL and MSN (Shamsie). The last of Porters Five Forces Model is the Intensity of Rivalry Among Competitors in an Industry (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007). Because the Internet creates more tools and means for competing, rivalry among competitors is likely to be more intense (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007, pg. 288). Rivalry among competitors on the Internet is extremely high because technology is constantly changing. New, better software is being introduced every day to give certain companies a competitive advantage and leave others trying to catch up. Google is Yahoo!s biggest competitor, and is regarded as the most prominent search engine in most parts of the world (Shamsie, pg. 796). Semel and his team have been dedicated to increase Yahoo!s search engine capabilities to compete with competitors like Google, MSN, and AOL. Semel has done a wonderful job turning Yahoo! around from the falling company it was before he joined the team. Using Porters Five Forces, Semel has wisely used the companys funds and resources to gain new technology to push Yahoo! to the top of the bar. Implementing Porters Differentiation strategy by building an animated theme park as Yahoo!s Web site to keep people wanting more from Yahoo! might just give Yahoo! the edge it needs to move forward and take over the number one spot for search engines. Differentiation consists of creating differences in the firms product or service offering by creating something that is perceived industrywide as unique and valued by customers (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007, pg. 169). Differentiation can have a huge influence on customers because of unique service and product offerings and positive brand image (Dess, Lumpkin Eisner, 2007). Semel is creating differentiation through features and technology with Yahoo! having multiple services in one location in Yahoo!s digital theme park. He is building brand image by investing in billion dollar companies like SBC Communications and Inktomi so Yahoo! will have the technology and the freedom to adapt to changes in the fast-paced Internet industry by owning their own technology. Semel is aiming for Yahoo! to be a whole, small world in itself and enticing customers to stay in Yahoo!s website for all of their service and product needs. Semel comments, The more time you spend on Yahoo!, the more apt you are to sample both free and paid services, (Shamsie, pg. 795). The total revenue for Yahoo! leaped tremendously from 2002 to 2003 and continues to rise because of Yahoo!s CEO Terry Semel. Yahoo! hired Semel to pull the company out of ruins and he did so successfully with Michael Porters Five Forces Analysis model and by implementing Porters Differentiation strategy. He acquired excellent technology and made strategic alliances with companies to give Yahoo! a step-up from its competition. Semel is differentiating Yahoo! by building a digital Disneyland-a souped-up theme park for the Internet Age (Shamsie, pg. 792). His goal is to keep current customers in Yahoo!s site by offering everything to fill their needs. The more time a customer spends on a specific site, the more likely he/she is to do business on that sight, letting Yahoo! profit from his/her requests. Semel using Porters Five Forces and the Differentiation strategy continues to push Yahoo! to the top of the leader board. References Dess, G. Gregory, Lumpkin, G.T., Eisner (2007). Strategic Management 3e. McGraw-Hill. Shamsie, Jamal. Yahoo!. Michigan State University, 792-797. Porters Five Forces and Differentiation The Threat of New Entrants Easy for anyone to have eye-catching websites that compete with large companies New entrant can be any firm who will do well because of technological advances Distributors and manufacturers can reach more consumers through the Internet, so they enter the market The Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers can get information off of Internet about competing products and services Most Internet buyers are not loyal to a specific brand. Want what is good now Suppliers have a hard time keeping loyal customers because they shop around for the best quality, prices, and customer service The Bargaining Power of Suppliers Yahoo! is intermediary between some buyers and sellers B2B oriented Suppliers can make arrangements on the Internet to make searching and buying easier to prevent customers from switching Yahoo! is intermediary between some buyers and sellers B2B oriented Suppliers can make arrangements on the Internet to make searching and buying easier to prevent customers from switching Yahoo! uses several different types of suppliers on their site to keep customers within their walls The Threat of Substitute Products and Services Any company can research and find a better way to accomplish the same task Yahoo! was threatened by AOL and MSN for the theme park The Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors in an Industry Rivalry is very intense because there are many tools and excellent technology for competing firms Google, MSN, and AOL are major rivals Differentiation Huge influence because of the unique services and products Yahoo!s alliance with big companies Yahoo!s buying of outstanding technology Yahoo! wants to keep people in their site. They are more apt to pay a small fee for something if they can stay in one place

Each Individuals Outlook on Life and How Its Formed :: essays research papers

Humdrum Conundrum: Does or does it not make sense to insist that how each person sees things depends entirely on that persons unique time, place, and subjective judgement? on their cultural background? I would like to point out that this paper is written assuming there is an absolute reality...and there is actually a table sitting there, and it is not just a figment of our imagination, as it were. Pardon the assumption, I have to have somewhere to work from. â€Å"Did You Just See That?† I believe it makes perfect sense to insist how someone sees something depends entirely on his or her point of view. A great modern philosopher, Bertrand Russell’s, idea of appearance and reality explains that perception of a table and its distribution of colors, shape, and sense, vary with each point of view. Commenting on the distribution of color, Russell states that, "It follows that if several people are looking at the table at the same moment, no two of them will see exactly the same distribution of colors, because no two can see it from exactly the same point of view, and any change in the point of view makes some change in the way the light is reflected." What one person sees the table as green, one might see as red at another viewpoint. And what might seem to have color is actually colorless in the dark. What one might perceive as being rectangle, may look oval in another view. What may sense the table to be hard by a touch of the fingertips may be soft by the touch of the cheek. Determining hardness of the table depends on pressure applied and judge of the sensation. No assumptions can be absolutely true because there is no determining factor in choosing the right angle to look at or sense the table. There are no determining factors in which angle or measurement is better to judge than the other in sense of color, shape, and feel of an object. So, depending on an individual’s point of reference, or point of view, will alter their sense of perception of any object, thing, or mass. It is the same idea with a photograph. Depending on the lighting, time of day, and position the picture was taken from, a table can be made to look like any number of things. If it is night, the table may look like a darker lump against a dark backdrop.

Gangs and Violence in The Prison System Essay -- Criminal Justice

Gangs and Violence in the Prison System Introduction Gang violence is nationwide and is one of the most prominent problems in the prison system today. Gangs are known to attempt to control the prisons/jails, instill fear within the prison system and throughout the society, and bring negative attention to the system. â€Å"Gang affiliated inmates comprise about 18 percent of the 18000 inmate population.†(Seabrook) A growing numbers of inmates and a large amount of them serving longer sentences for violent crimes suggest a notable increase in gangs and violence in the prison system in the upcoming future. History â€Å"Prisons began to bulge with gang members when states enacted tougher laws for gang-related crime in the mid to late 1980s.†(Martinez) On one hand the laws enacted helped get gang members off the street, but in another way it backfired by not stopping the gangs’ activity. â€Å"In many ways their number and power grew even more in prison.†(Martinez) The problem of gangs and violence has been addressed many times throughout the years by the United States Correctional Board but the board has yet to take the problem seriously. Background Most gang members in prisons are introduced to the â€Å"gang life† at an early age and enter prison a member, but some become a member once behind bars mainly for the protection the gangs are known to provide. Gangs are known to purposely intimidate other inmates, thus reinforcing the reason why â€Å"one out of every ten male inmates† becomes a member once behind bars. (Knox) Most of the people who enter prison a member were sentenced for drug offenses. Prison gangs are well known for the handling of illegal substances, alcohol, or tobacco inside the correctional facilities, this is only a ... ... of Gangs and Security Threat Groups." National Gang Crime Research Center. 2005. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. . Martinez, Pila. "Novel Attempt to Curb Prison Gang Violence." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 1999. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. . "Prison Gangs -- Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness." Florida Department of Corrections. Florida Department of Corrections. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. . Seabrook, Norman. "Prison Violence on the Rise." USA Today. Buisness Library, Sept. 2005. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. . Yanez, Dominick. â€Å"Security Threat Group’s in the Correctional System Overview.† Sam Houston State University, Huntsville. 13 April. 2012. Lecture.

Chaos In William Shakespeares King Lear :: essays research papers

A device which Shakespeare often utilized to convey the confusion and chaos within the plot of his plays, is the reflection of that confusion and chaos in the natural environment of the setting, along with supernatural anomalies and animal imageries. In King Lear, these devices are used to communicate the plot, which is summarized by Gloucester as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   …This villain of mine comes under the prediction: there’s son against father. The King falls from bias of nature: there’s father against child. (Act 1, Sc.1, 115 - 118) The “bias of nature'; is defined as the natural inclination of the world. Throughout the play King Lear, the unnatural inclination of nature, supernatural properties and animal imageries are used by Shakespeare to illustrate the chaotic state of England, which was caused by the treacheries of the evil characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gloucester is a character in the play who firmly believed that man’s fate has supernatural properties that are controlled or reflected by the heaven and stars:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These late eclipses in the sun and moon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Portend us to no good. Though the wisdom of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  itself scourged by the sequent events. (Act 1, Sc. 2, 109 - 113) This is proclaimed by Gloucester as he is told by Edmund of Edgar’s supposedly treacherous plot to remove him from power. Gloucester’s trust in Edgar faltered as a result of Lear’s irrational banishment of Cordelia and Kent, coupled with recent anomalies in the heavens. Gloucester believed that Lear’s actions also came as a result of the star’s unusual behaviour. Edmund, the treacherous and bastard son of Gloucester, exploits Gloucester’s blind believe in the stars in his plot to oust Edgar out of the inheritance and ultimately to gain all of Gloucester’s wealth and land:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the excellent foppery of the world, that when we are sick in fortune (often the surfeits of the sun, the moon, and stars, as if we were villains on necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treacherous by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. (Act 1. Sc. 2, 125 - 133) As a result of the irrational acts of trust by Lear and Gloucester, the state of England crumbled due to corruptness and treachery of Regan, Goneril and Edmund. At the point of ultimate chaos, Lear is disdained by his two evil daughters and has none of the power and honour of his kingship, and the state of nature reflects this chaos in the form of a tumultuous storm:

Dispersion and Its Types in Fiber Optics

Dispersion: The speed of light is slower in various materials than it is in a vacuum or outer space. When the light passes into a material at an angle, the light beam is bent or refracted according to Snell’s Law and the index of refraction of the material. But also, the speed of light through a material varies slightly with the wavelength or frequency of the light. Thus, each wavelength is refracted at a slightly different angle when passing through a material at an angle. This spreading out of beam of light is called dispersion. Types of Dispersions and ways to reduce: Chromatic Dispersion: Chromatic dispersion results from the spectral width of the emitter. It is a term used to describe the spreading of a light pulse as it travels down a fiber when light pulses launched close together(high data rates) spread too much and result in errors and a loss of information. The spectral width determines the number of different wavelengths that are emitted from LED or laser. One way to reduce chromatic dispersion is to narrow the spectral width of the transmitter. Chromatic dispersion can be compensated for with the use of dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF). Laser has a more narrow spectral width than LEDs. A monochromatic laser emits only one wavelength and therefore, does not contribute to chromatic dispersion. Modal Dispersion: Modal dispersion deals with the path (mode) of each light ray. Most transmitters emit many different modes. Lower order modes travel a shorter distance. Some of these light rays will travel parallel to the center of the fiber while repeatedly bounce off the cladding/core boundary to high order modes their way the waveguide. The modes that enter at sharp angles are called high-order mode, which having direction towards cladding. These modes take longer path to travel through the fiber than the low-order modes and therefore it cusses of modal dispersion. One way to reduce modal dispersion is to use graded-index fiber. The graded-index fiber’s cladding is doped so that the refractive index gradually decreases over many layers. Graded Index Fiber has a different core structure from single mode and multimode step index fibers. In Graded index fiber the value of the refractive index changes from the centre of the core. With a graded-index fiber, the light follows a more curved path. The high-order modes spend most of the time traveling in the lower-index cladding layers near the outside of the fiber. These lower index core layers allow the light to travel faster than in the higher index center layers. Modal dispersion can be completely eliminated by using a single-mode fiber. Single mode fiber transmits only one mode of light so there is no spearding of the signal due to modal dispersion. Material Dispersion: Material dispersion is the phenomenon whereby material causes a bundle of light to spread out as it propagates. We know that a laser pulse contains a continuum of wavelengths in a small range. The index of refraction of a material is dependent on the wavelength, so each frequency component actually travels at a slightly different speed. Material dispersion contributes to group delay, along with waveguide delay distortion, differential mode delay and multimode group delay spread.

Historical Foundations in the Field of Psychology Essay

Abstract This final assignment is a reflective paper in which the historical, philosophical, and empirical foundations of the field of learning in psychology and its applications will be discussed. Additionally, there will be a discussion of the ways that history has helped to shape important contemporary learning theories and issues. Lastly, the paper will provide an explanation of how specific topics and information such as instrumental conditioning techniques and the usefulness of different learning styles may impact my personal and professional life and how the different aspects of the ield of learning have added value to my body of knowledge as a student and future professional in the field of psychology. Historical Foundations Of the Field of Learning & Shaping Important Contemporary Issues It is a natural course of action for the field of learning to fall under the umbrella of the field of psychology. A branch of philosophy and science, the field of learning, Just as the field of psychology, was created through the movements of empiricism and rationalism, along with the development of evolution theory (Terry, 2009). These movements fostered interest in scientific investigation thus giving way to pistemology, which means, theory of knowledge. Questions concerning nature and nurture sparked interest in how we came to have knowledge, which is the main tenet of the field of learning (Terry, 2009). In the field of psychology, the learning theories provide a way to explain how we learn and attain knowledge; how we think. While philosophers agreed with the basic definition of knowledge and learning, which is defined as the acquisition of knowledge, their opinions varied in how acquisition occurs (Terry, 2009). Descartes suggested that although we learn, other sources of knowledge exist. He introduced the ideas of nativism and rationalism. He proposed that we have innate knowledge of our ideas of God, infinity, and perfecton (Terry, 2009). Also, that other knowledge is derived by a reasoning, logical, and intuiting mind (Terry, 2009). Additioally, this knowledge is present and independent of particular experiences with the world (Terry, 2009). Therefore, he believed in the process of learning, but he didn’t believe that all knowledge had to be learned. However, John Locke introduced the idea that knowledge is actually learned through our experiences, and through use of our senses, which is the idea of empiricism (Terry, 2009). This phenomenon is later known as cause and effect. The ideas of Descartes and Locke influenced researchers toward an empirical view of learning through seeking out how knowledge is acquired through what is experienced in the environment. This gave way to the scientific methods of association learning, conditioning, and verbal learning (Terry, 2009). Each of the historical thoughts on learning is continuous and useful in some way today. There are modern theories that have built upon the ideas of conditioning and behavior modifications, etc. One (2006), provide a modern approach to treating phobias, as well as other anxiety isorders. Their research starts with the traditional premise that what can be learned can be unlearned, and possibly prevented (Mineka ; Zinbarg, 2006). However, they support modern criticism that traditional learning approaches do not adequately account for the diverse factors involved in the origins of people’s anxieties. To support this claim they provide an example of two clients with phobias of dogs. The phobias were developed due to experiencing attacks by dogs. The first client actually was out walking her pet dog when she was attacked and later developed an infection due to the bite. However, the second client only experienced her clothes being torn before the owner was able to grab the dog before any serious injury occurred, although both clients developed phobias (Mineka & Zinbarg). They argue that traditional learning approaches do not adeqatly explain why the client that was not bitten developed the phobia as well. Additionally, they provide another concern that traditional views do not explain why many individuals that have had traumatic experiences do not develop phobias. Furthermore, they go on to say that contemporary learning approaches are better grounded in the theories and ethods of experimental psychology, and they provide more comprehensive formulations of the etiology of anxiety disorders. Also, that they provide a more explicit analysis of factors promoting or inhibiting the deeopment of different anziety disorders (Mineka & Zinbarg). With that being said, there have indeed been great advancements in the field of learning and psychology, along with growing technological advances. Learning involves observable changes in behavior; objective evidence, and traditional researchers such as Pavlov, Watson and Skinner have paved the way for providing a scientific foundation for psychology and learning. Psychology is a science because it is objective and quantifiable. Learning and memory themselves are not observed directly; they are processes that occur in the nervous system (Terry, pg. 5, 2009). Therefore, contemporary research has taken advantage of the use of PET scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at brain functions to explain behaviors ( Raichle, 1994). These modern avenues of research have allowed researchers to become a step closer to relating psychological theory to brain functions and research. For example, todays research may include brain scans and case studies of brain damaged soldiers. Even mor e so, recent research on post traumatic stress disorder examines the use of exposure therapy on preventing the reoccurenc of PTSD (Massad et. l, 2006). This research is most interesting because the researchers examine the understanding of reducing fear responses because associations with the stimuli are not unlearned. Their research concludes that unless exposure treatment regimens are maximized the risk of renewal of PTSD is high (Massad et. al, 2006). Such advances are very important to the quality of life that our existence depends upon. Knowledge is necessary for our daily lives even more so now than ever. This very research can be instrumental in a military soldiers life as we are currently in war time. The topics in the field of learning that have had the most impact on me personally include learned taste aversions and the development of specific phobias For probably will not cause the child to cry. However, through the pairing of the needle with the unpleasant sensation of having a vaccination the sight of the nurser may come to elicit symptoms of fear and anxiety, even if the child is not receiving a vaccination. I personally found this interesting Just because I am a mom and it is interesting to use such information while rearing children. The second type of learning that I found interesting in the behaviorist tradition is instrumental or operant, conditioning. This type of learning requires that an organism operate on the environment to achieve a goal (Terry, 2009). So then, behaviors are learned as a function of the consequences of those behaviors. Of course, this type of reinforcement is useful in the classroom as well as rearing children. Additionally, social learning theory focuses on observational learning, and modeling. Social learning researchers are concerned with how expectations, memory, and awareness influence the learning process (Berk, 2008).