Radioactive Emissions Essay Example for Free

Radioactive Emissions Essay Radioactive emissions are electromagnetic radiations which occur due to the spontaneous disintegration of unstable nuclei. Natural elements with atomic number greater than 83 and isotopes of some lighter elements are found to be radioactive. They are categorized as alpha, beta and gamma radiations. Alpha particles are positively charged helium-4 nuclei , beta particles are high energy-high speed electrons while gamma rays unlike alpha and beta radiation have no mass and charge and are short electromagnetic waves consisting of high energy photons. While alpha and beta radiations have low and moderate risk of damage, gamma rays can cause severe damage to internal organs and even death on skin exposure. A brief description of various types of radioactive emissions is given below – i)Alpha radiation – alpha particles are helium nuclei with 2 protons and 2 neutrons and hence are positively charged due to which they readily interact with material. Natural alpha radiations have very low penetration power and cannot harm through skin exposure but inhalation of source substances can be quite dangerous. ii)Beta radiation – they are high speed- high energy electrons with penetration power greater than alpha particles due to which the risk of harmful effects to the health of living beings is more. iii)Gamma radiation – they are electromagnetic waves of very short wavelengths with highest penetration power. Unlike alpha and beta radiation they are high energy photons which do not possess mass and charge. They are very harmful for living beings and can cause severe damage to internal organs, DNA mutation and even death. In case of coal based thermal power plants people’s and authority’s concern seem to be limited to environmental pollution caused by pollutants like carbon dioxide(CO2) ,methane, CFCs( which are responsible for greenhouse effect), oxides of nitrogen and sulphur (which increase atmosphere acidity) and soot particles, organic chemicals( which cause lung problems to the people in the vicinity of plant).

Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mis :: essays research papers

The Non-Discriminatory Nature of Time in Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress'; Time passes. Its journey is oblivious to power, weakness, beauty, or mercy. The nature of time itself lies in its unrelenting progression through life, until we are removed from it’s favor and then wither and die. The purpose of most carpe diem poetry is to draw a character’s attention (usually the female) to the pressing nature of time’s progress, as well as illustrating the bountiful rewards of seizing the moment and giving into the momentary passions of life. Andrew Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress'; is a classic example of carpe diem poetry, exemplifying the foreboding nature of time. It’s distinction from similar works, however, lies in its inherent ability to express the ominous nature of time’s advancement in terms of both the male and female’s perspectives. Rather than lament about missed opportunities, “To His Coy Mistress'; actually serves to force one to consider how we compartmentalize time into stages of life, and thus commit ourselves to its mercy without allowing ourselves to relish its immediate rewards. Marvell’s sense of time affects both his characters in unique ways, and therefore unites their plight as a human cause rather than a gender based issue. Andrew Marvell expresses this point by structuring his poem into three components that propose the issues of time’s existence, its limited availability, and finally a solution of sorts. The first section of “To His Coy Mistress'; serves the task of identifying that time is a limited commodity, and thus can not be wasted. Immediately the speaker states openly that “Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime'; (1-2). The implication here, if taken at face value, suggests that the mistress’ coyness is a crime only because of the lack of time available. The speaker continues with “We would sit down, and think which way To walk, and pass our long love’s day'; (3-4). The tone of such a verse is overtly suspicious, automatically suggestive of the insidious nature of a man hungry to feed his lust. However, another possibility lies in the direct message Marvell puts forth in his verse. The spoken comments themselves suggest that “We would sit down, and think…'; and “pass our long love’s day'; (3,4). The impression given is one of joint merriment in love. The speaker associates the passion of his coy mistress with his own, creating a sense of understanding and common ground.

Evolution or Ignorance of Education

Throughout recent history creationists and evolutionists have argued whether evolution should be a part of America's public education. Whether evolution is science fact, or science fiction. Evolution being a science based on statistics has some faults, although many concepts in science or math do. The process of learning about evolution is a necessary part of a well-rounded student's education due to the fact that it is a statistically proven science and removing it in turn revokes certain student's rights. In a student's academic career that a student is most likely at one time or another going to have to take a science class. Science, being the main topic of discussion in this class, should at one point include evolution, because that is what evolution is, a science. Although to truly understand evolution in its fullest context, one must not look to a dictionary, for dictionary definitions just are too vague. One of the most respected evolutionary biologists has defined biological evolution as follows: â€Å"In the broadest sense, evolution is merely change, and so is all-pervasive; galaxies, languages, and political systems all evolve. Biological evolution †¦ is change in the properties of populations of organisms that transcend the lifetime of a single individual. The ontogeny of an individual is not considered evolution; individual organisms do not evolve. The changes in populations that are considered evolutionary are those that are inheritable via the genetic material from one generation to the next. Biological evolution may be slight or substantial; it embraces everything from slight changes in the proportion of different alleles within a population (such as those determining blood types) to the successive alterations that led from the earliest protoorganism to snails, bees, giraffes, and dandelions. † – Douglas J. Futuyma in Evolutionary Biology, Sinauer Associates 1986 All sciences are based on some form of proof. Whether it being living proof such as in Biology where one can observe cell division, mathematical proof such as in calculating air-resistance in Physics, or statistical proof as in all science experiments when a predicted result occurs again and again. All sciences have at least one of these qualities, including evolution. The proof of evolution's existence has been on this earth ever since life was formed from carbon based atom structures. Humans, however, have not been in existence long enough to observe properly the phenomena of evolution. Although by using the latest technology we can accurately observe the process of evolution as it occurred over time long ago and is still happening today. Charles Darwin, a British naturalist, made the first major step in classifying evolution during his studies in the Galapagos Archipelago in 1831 when he was only 22 years of age. Due to this he is credited with first forming a structured theory of evolution. During his studies in the Galapagos Archipelago he found a multitude of flora and fauna that had complete isolation from the rest of the world. One particular type of animal that he paid close attention to be a small bird called a Finch. This was thought as being simple at first, but as he traveled to the different islands he noticed many different species of finches. These finches probably descended from one type of ancestor and then, due to isolation and through chance, different climates and natural forces such as food availability and type, they evolved into many different types of finches. Some finches had different colorings, wingspan, and even beak style. In total he found thirteen different varieties of finches. Later on in Charles' life he formed many theories on the origins of man. This was directly related to his studies in the Galapagos Archipelago. In his book â€Å"Decent of Man† written in 1871 he declares why man had been so ignorant by denying evolution in the final parts of chapter one. â€Å"Thus we can understand how it has come to pass that man and all other vertebrate animals have been constructed on the same general model, why they pass through the same early stages of development, and why they retain certain rudiments in common. Consequently we ought rankly to admit their community of descent: to take any other view, is to admit that our own structure, and that of all the animals around us, is a mere snare laid to entrap our judgment. This conclusion is greatly strengthened, if we look to the members of the whole animal series, and consider the evidence derived from their affinities or classification, their geographical distribution and geological succession. It is only our natural prejudice, and that arrogance which made our forefathers declare that they were descended from demigods, which leads us to demur to this conclusion. But the time will before ong come, when it will be thought wonderful that naturalists, who were well acquainted with the comparative structure and development of man, and other mammals, should have believed that each was the work of a separate act of creation. † (Darwin) As seen in the above text, Charles Darwin explains how statistically man did evolve from a lower form of life. This is directly related to the finches due to that the same forces that caused them to evolve may have caused humans to evolve as well. Yet still some schools in America have tried banning the teaching of evolution in the classroom. Every student in a United States public school has a constitutional right to hear the whole story when it comes to evolution. It is called the first amendment in the Bill of Rights. According to the American Civil Liberties Union or ACLU, the authority on civil rights, states that every student has the right to a non-biased education (ACLU Urges†¦ ). In the Supreme Court decision Edwards v. Aguillard, 482 U. S. 578 (1987), the Court ruled that to compromise by omitting evolution and creationism from the science curriculum would â€Å"undermine the provision of a comprehensive scientific education. On this point, the law is very clear, and the Supreme Court put its foot down — the First Amendment forbids a state to alter its curriculum simply in order to defend a religious belief. That's an establishment of religion, and it's unconstitutional. (Edwards) So not only is removing evolution from the classroom unjustified, but it is against the law. Creationism has its place in the classroom as well as Evolutionism, although not the same classroom. Creationism belongs in a class like Theology or History of Religion. This is because creationism is the belief in the biblical account of the creation of the world. Biblical meaning the Bible, restricting it only to a group of religions. So-called â€Å"Creation Science† is not a science at all. Lately it has been more of a political movement than a science. Sure creationists may have facilities like the â€Å"Institute for Creation Research† (a church that does no scientific research at all) and the â€Å"Creation Research Society† (another church that also does no scientific research), but in the end there is not a shred of science in creation. Recently many science teachers in public schools have tried to work their way around teaching evolution by teaching a so called â€Å"intelligent design theory† (Washington State). This is just one of the many guises of creation science, and it does not change the fact that states and school districts may not adopt religious theories as standards in school curricula. Creationists will always exist, since ignorance will always exist, although evolution will always have a place in science curriculum. Creationists believe in creation because their masters have told them to believe in Creationism as a tool to their â€Å"salvation†. They do not care that evolution is an observed fact: they have â€Å"faith† that Creationism is true, and that's all they need. They consider facts and truth to be a hindrance to their ticket to Heaven. The teachings of these people should have no place, and will have no place in our children's science classrooms, only evolution and other proven sciences have the right to be present. Therefore, the process of learning about evolution is a necessary part of a well-rounded student's education due to the fact that it is a statistically proven science and removing it in turn revokes certain student's rights.

Masculinity vs. Femininity

Masculinity vs. Femininity Geert Hofstede Here you can see four persons, three of them are adults and the other one is a student. One of the adult seems to be the principal of a school, the other two seem to be the parents of that student. Those people are in a room, which seems to be the bureau f the principal since the sign on the door says â€Å"principal†. The reason why the parents of the student and the principal meet is because the student is not good in school. The principal is about to tell them their son will fail the third grade.Then the father says that he doesn’t understand why his son is so bad in school, and asks what they, himself and his wife, did wrong. The wife answers then that her husband is the one that owns a gun. Therefore you can say that the reason why the student is so bad is due to â€Å"family problems†: His father having a gun. The way the wife says â€Å"You’re the one that owns the gun† seems as if the father uses his gun as a warning, this could lead to fear of the son and this would affect the son’s results in school.In this picture you can say that the father has the power in the family especially showed by him owning a gun, and the mother and wife is only his subordinate. That is why this picture is an example for the masculinity versus femininity by Hofstede’s model. This dimension indicates the extent to which dominant values in a society tend to be assertive and look more interested in things than in concerning for people and the quality of life. â€Å"Masculinity is the opposite of femininity; together, they form one of the dimensions of national cultures.Masculinity stands for a society in which social gender roles are dearly distinct: men are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. † (Source: Hofstede, page 262) â€Å"Femininity stands for a society where gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life. † (Hofstede, page 261) The Masculinity and Femininity dimension describes how cultures differentiate between gender roles. Masculine cultures tend to be ambitious and need to surpass.Members of these cultures have a tendency to polarize and consider big and fast to be beautiful. In workplaces employees emphasize their work to a great extent and they admire achievers who accomplished their tasks. Feminine cultures consider quality of life and helping others to fulfill theirselves and help others to achieve their goals . Working is basically to earn money which is necessary for living. In business as well as in private life they strive for consensus and develop sympathy for people who are in trouble.

World Press Freedom Day 2010 Essays

World Press Freedom Day 2010 Essays World Press Freedom Day 2010 Essay World Press Freedom Day 2010 Essay â€Å"The right to know is central for upholding other basic rights, for furthering transparency, justice and development. Hand-in-hand with the complementary notion of freedom of expression, it underpins democracy. We may not consciously exercise our right to know. But each time we pick up a newspaper, turn on the TV or radio news, or go on the Internet, the quality of what we see or hear depends on these media having access to accurate and up to date information†- Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCOThese are exactly the words that came to the UNESCO’s Director-General’s mouth upon giving her message to the world with regards to the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 of this year, 2010. As this celebration takes place, the emphasis on freedom of information as a fundamental part of the human rights of freedom of expression has been depicted clearly. With the global crisis about the freedom of self expression happening today, this celebration is p erfect for every country to contribute their own distinct conceptualizations as such. This paper will examine the ways on how the said celebration was celebrated by using the layer model. Depiction of an action made by a particular nation – Brazil, technological aftermath, and non-government organizations’ contribution in this issue will take place.Every nation bestowed their specific alertness with regards to this topic. But in Brazil’s case, this event is very significant as they go through a new phase of living. Just recently, their House of Representatives gave their approval to the General Law of Access Information (2009) which permits the public to have an access to all information concerning their nation. Apparently, this is fair enough as to give justice to Human Rights whereas each and every person is entitled to practice.Basically, this celebration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as early as the year 1993 as a result of the 26th G eneral Conference of UNESCO in 1991. It was intended to celebrate the rights of every citizen to be completely and truthfully informed about everything about their country through press freedom. In this way, not only the press freedom is practiced, but also democracy across the country. Given all the crisis and circumstances around the globe today, it is very essential to be granted such right to know what is happening being a citizen of your own country.Furthermore, news doesn’t only come from televisions, radios or newspapers today. Due to the continuous development of the world, the newly developed technologies also became sources of important information. These gadgets are as useful and helpful as the other means of communication; it actually provided the easier way. In fact, networks have set numerous subscription programs through mobile phones and internet to access news the most convenient possible way. This development is one of the most beneficial developments made f or the world industrialization.In this light, technological trends are examined in the research conducted by Graziano and Vink (2006); this study discusses the telecommunications policy as it has been used in political science during the present time. For instance, modernization is constantly affecting the subject. During early times, these issues are discussed only during private conference, shown in televisions, heard in radio stations, or read from newspapers. But because technology continuously conquers modern life, people tend to prefer it instead of the old type of getting news, but there are still few who use the old one though. Another study related to the aforementioned is Fransman (2002); its aim was to show both the uses and shortcomings of changes in Telecommunications Industry. The use of this industry for press or human rights purposes in political context is included in the scope of the research. Given all the beneficial result of its use, there are also existing dile mmas emerging while enjoying it. A tendency would be not everything that is relayed through the telecommunications industry is true. In that case, confusion can be developed on the minds of people which will worsen the status of the press freedom. Most probably, citizens will need to observe and study first which sources will most likely be reliable in this issue. Further explanations are provided in the given researches as they use the layer principle that contributes to the betterment of the research.Moreover, not only telecommunications industry is being used for freedom purposes. One technological trend today that can be considered the widely used one is the internet. According to Solum and Chung (2003), the effect on the shape and content of legal regulation of global network of networks by the internet is widely seen ever since it was established. Consequently, internet uses among citizens who seek for information have been rapidly increasing. Not to mention that journalists a nd other legal topic writers consider posting of their informative articles on the web so that people will easily access it without certain restrictions. However, this research seeks to provide safety protocols on the use of the world-wide-web most especially for political science purposes.As a contribution for this celebration, ARTICLE 19 offices are acknowledging World Press Freedom Day and the Right to Information with numerous events around the world. It supports activities done by every country in celebration of the day because the organization believes that ‘The phrase â€Å"information is power† is just part of the story. The Right to information is an enabling and empowering right which has taken the world by storm over the past two decades, but it cannot be fully realized without the forth pillar of democracy: a free media.’ (ARTICLE 19, 2010, p. 1). With all these several actions made by different industries, organizations and citizens, the world will d efinitely attain press freedom. Despite all the crisis and trials that every nation is facing, this celebration clearly depicted that the world is up for the challenge.Reference listARTICLE 19. (2010). World Press Freedom Day: Free Media and Freedom of Information. London, United Kingdom: Free Word Centre.Forthcoming in Graziano, P. Vink, M. eds. (2006). Europeanization: New Research Agendas. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.Fransman, M. (2002). Mapping the Evolving Telecoms Industry: The Uses and Shortcomings of the Layer Model. Published Dissertation, Institute for Japanese-European Technology Studies, University of Edinburgh, Old College South Bridge, EH8 9 YL Edinburgh, United Kingdom. (Elsevier Science Reproduction Service no. PII:S 0 3 0 8 5 9 6 1 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 0 2 7 – 7) Retrieved 9 May 2010, from Elsevier Science Ltd.General Law of Access to Information, PL. 5228, N/A., N/A. (2009)Solum, L. B. Chung, M. (2003). The Layers Principle: Internet Architecture and the Law. Published research, Public Law and Legal Theory Research, School of Law, University of San Diego, California. Retrieved 9 May 2010, Social Science Research Network Electronic Paper Collection.

Overview of United States Government

Overview of United States Government The government of the United States is based on a written constitution. At 4,400 words, it is the shortest national constitution in the world. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire ratified the Constitution giving it the necessary 9 out of 13 votes needed for the Constitution to pass. It officially went into effect on  March 4, 1789.  It was  consists of a Preamble, seven Articles, and 27 Amendments. From this document, the entire federal government was created. It is a living document whose interpretation has changed over time. The amendment process is such that while not easily amended, US citizens are able to make necessary changes over time. Three Branches of Government The Constitution created three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own powers and areas of influence. At the same time, the Constitution created a system of checks and balances that ensured no one branch would reign supreme. The three branches are: Legislative Branch- This branch consists of the Congress which is responsible for making the federal laws. Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.Executive Branch- The Executive power lies with the President of the United States who is given the job of executing, enforcing, and administering the laws and government. The Bureaucracy is part of the Executive Branch.Judicial Branch- The judicial power of the United States is vested in the Supreme Court and the federal courts. Their job is to interpret and apply US laws through cases brought before them. Another important power of the Supreme Court is that of Judicial Review whereby they can rule laws unconstitutional. Six Foundational Principles The Constitution is built on six basic principles. These are deeply ingrained in the mindset and landscape of the US Government. Popular Sovereignty- This principle states that the source of governmental power lies with the people. This belief stems from the concept of the social contract and the idea that government should be for the benefit of its citizens. If the government is not protecting the people, it should be dissolved.Limited Government- Since the people give the government its power, the government itself is limited to the power given to it by them. In other words, the US government does not derive its power from itself. It must follow its own laws and it can only act using powers given to it by the people.Separation of Powers- As stated previously, the US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power. Each branch has its own purpose: to make the laws, execute the laws, and interpret the laws.Checks and Balances- In order to further protect the citizens, the constitution set up a system of checks and balances. Basically, each branch of government has a certain nu mber of checks it can use to ensure the other branches do not become too powerful. For example, the president can veto legislation, the Supreme Court can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, and the Senate must approve treaties and presidential appointments. Judicial Review- This is a power that allows the Supreme Court to decide whether acts and laws are unconstitutional. This was established with Marbury v. Madison in 1803.Federalism- One of the most complicated foundations of the US is the principle of federalism. This is the idea that the central government does not control all the power in the nation. States also have powers reserved to them. This division of powers does overlap and sometimes leads to problems such as what happened with the response to Hurricane Katrina between the state and federal governments. Political Process While the Constitution sets up the system of government, the actual way in which the offices of Congress and the Presidency are filled are based upon the American political system. Many countries have numerous political parties- groups of people who join together to try and win political office and thereby control the government- but the US exists under a two-party system. The two major parties in America are the Democratic and Republican parties. They act as coalitions and attempt to win elections. We currently have a two-party system because of not only historical precedent and tradition but also the  electoral system itself. The fact that America has a two-party system does not mean that there is no role for third parties in the American landscape. In fact, they have often swayed elections even if their candidates have in most cases not won. There are four major types of third parties: Ideological Parties, e.g. Socialist PartySingle-Issue parties, e.g. Right to Life PartyEconomic Protest Parties, e.g. Greenback PartySplinter Parties, e.g. Bull Moose Party Elections Elections occur in the United States at all levels including local, state, and federal. There are numerous differences from locality to locality and state to state. Even when determining the presidency, there is some variation with how the electoral college is determined from state to state. While voter turnout is barely over 50% during Presidential election years and much lower than that during midterm elections, elections can be hugely important as seen by the top ten significant presidential elections.

HCI Design Project Usability Evaluation Criteria Research Paper

HCI Design Project Usability Evaluation Criteria - Research Paper Example Several criteria have been established for evaluating the usability of a user interface design in the current design paradigms. For purposes of this evaluation we shall focus on the heuristic evaluation and usability testing criteria that has been supported by several authors in the field of user interface design (Madan & Dubey, 2012). Jacob Nielsen is considered the father of Heuristic Evaluation criteria. He developed a set of heuristics referred to as Jacob Nielsen’s heuristics that are used for user interface design and evaluation to date (Inostroza, Rusu, Roncagliolo, Jimenez & Rusu, 2012). According to Nielsen, the main goal of the heuristic evaluation criteria is to identify the problems that are associated with the design of a user interface. He developed the criteria based on his experience as a long serving consultant of usability engineering (Inostroza et al, 2012). Heuristics are common evaluation techniques in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) that is mainly conducted in the context of typical tasks that are performed by users. The designer obtains feedback from the users regarding the compatibility of the interface with their intended use and the performance in meeting their needs (Madan & Dubey, 2012). In a study carried out to determine usability of the Bogazici University Industrial Engineering website interface, heuristic evaluation was employed for evaluation of the usability of the user interface. To accomplish this task several scenarios were created for usability testing, user groups were determined based on their computing knowledge and skills. Their performance was then evaluated based on task completion success, time spent on the task, rate of accomplishment or quittance.