History of the Computer Industry in America Essays - Free Essays

History of the Computer Industry in America Essays - Free Essays History of the Computer Industry in America America and the Computer Industry Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. >From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of peoples lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computers ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascals father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800s, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed byand stored data oncards with holes punched in them, appropriately called punchcards. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46). After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the U.S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver, 82). Since the population of the U.S. was increasing so fast, the computer was an essential tool in tabulating the totals. These advantages were noted by commercial industries and soon led to the development of improved punch-card business-machine systems by International Business Machines (IBM), Remington-Rand, Burroughs, and other corporations. By modern standards the punched-card machines were slow, typically processing from 50 to 250 cards per minute, with each card holding up to 80 digits. At the time, however, punched cards were an enormous step forward; they provided a means of input, output, and memory storage on a massive scale. For more than 50 years following their first use, punched-card machines did the bulk of the world's business computing and a good portion of the computing work in science (Chposky, 73). By the late 1930s punched-card machine techniques had become so well established and reliable that Howard Hathaway Aiken, in collaboration with engineers at IBM, undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aiken's machine, called the Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic operations. Also, it had special built-in programs to handle logarithms and trigonometric functions. The Mark I was controlled from prepunched paper tape. Output was by card punch and electric typewriter. It was slow, requiring 3 to 5 seconds for a multiplication, but it was fully automatic and could complete long computations without human intervention (Chposky, 103). The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing capability, especially for the military. New weapons systems were produced which needed trajectory tables and other essential data. In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchley, and their associates at the University of

Gender of Nouns in Spanish

Gender of Nouns in Spanish Just as maleness or femaleness is an inherent characteristic of most animals, so is gender an inherent characteristic of nouns in Spanish. With only a few exceptions, mostly those of occupations such as dentista, the gender of nouns doesnt change with the context, and a nouns gender determines the form of many adjectives that describe it. Key Takeaways: Spanish Noun Gender Nouns in Spanish can be classified as masculine or feminine. Adjectives and articles referring to a particular noun must have the same gender as the noun.Most nouns keep their gender regardless of the context in which they are used, so there are some masculine nouns that are used for things we may think of as feminine and vice versa.Although there are exceptions, nearly all nouns ending in -o are masculine and most nouns ending in -a are feminine. Grammatical Gender Not Tied to Biological Gender Although Spanish nouns are classified as either feminine or masculine, remember that there can be feminine nouns that describe things we think of as masculine, and vice versa. For example, una jirafa, which is feminine in form, refers to a giraffe whether its male or female, and persona (a feminine noun meaning person) can refer to men as well as women. For some, it might be easier to think of masculine and feminine as simply two classifications rather than giving them a sexual identity. Unlike German and some other Indo-European languages, Spanish has no neuter nouns, although there are uses for the gender as explained below The basic rule is that masculine nouns go with masculine adjectives and articles, and feminine nouns go with feminine adjectives and articles. (In English, the articles are a, an and the. Also note that in Spanish many adjectives dont have separate masculine and feminine forms.) And if you use a pronoun to refer to a masculine noun, you use a masculine pronoun; feminine pronouns refer to feminine nouns. Nouns and adjectives that end in -o (or -os for plurals) generally are masculine, and nouns and adjectives that end in -a (or -as for plurals) generally are feminine, although there are exceptions. For example, cada dà ­a means each day. Dà ­a (day) is a masculine noun; cada (each) can be either feminine or masculine. Since you cant always tell by looking at a noun or knowing its meaning whether its masculine or feminine, most dictionaries use notations (f or m) to indicate the gender. And its common in vocabulary lists to precede words with an el for masculine words and a la for feminine words. (El and la both mean the.) Here are examples that show some of the ways a nouns gender affects the usage of other words. the man: el hombre (masculine article, masculine noun)the woman: la mujer (feminine article, feminine noun)a man: un hombre (masculine article, masculine noun)a woman: una mujer (feminine article, feminine noun)the men: los hombres (masculine article, masculine noun)the women: las mujeres (feminine article, feminine noun)the fat man: el hombre gordo (masculine adjective, masculine noun)the fat woman: la mujer gorda (feminine adjective, feminine noun)some men: unos hombres (masculine determiner, masculine noun)some women: unas mujeres (feminine determiner, feminine noun)He is fat: Él es gordo. (masculine pronoun, masculine adjective)She is fat: Ella es gorda. (feminine pronoun, feminine adjective) If you have two or more nouns that are being described by a single adjective, and they are of mixed genders, the masculine adjective is used. El carro es caro, the car is expensive (masculine noun and adjective).La bicicleta es cara, the bicycle is expensive (feminine noun and adjective).El carro y la bicicleta son caros, the car and the bicycle are expensive (masculine and feminine nouns described by a masculine adjective). Using the Neuter Gender Although Spanish has a neuter gender, it isnt used for words listed in the dictionary as nouns.The neuter is used in two circumstances: A handful of neuter pronouns such as ello are used under limited circumstances as the equivalent of it, this, or that. Such pronouns dont refer to things whose names have gender, however, but rather to concepts or ideas.The neuter definite article lo can be placed before an adjective to create a phrase that functions as a neuter abstract noun. For example, lo difà ­cil can mean the difficult thing or that which is difficult.

A Constant Increase of Nuclear Weapons Assignment

A Constant Increase of Nuclear Weapons - Assignment Example Nuclear power is known for its explosive ability that can cause massive destruction. Such effects are against human dignity of life, human rights, and respect. Therefore, keeping such weapons is directly risking the existence of the human race1. It is from this that I develop the research question; what is likely to be the future outcome of allowing nations to own nuclear weapons? This is a predictive study that tries to focus and bring out the likely unseen outcomes of the recent increase in possession of nuclear weapons. For many people, there are some obvious answers to this question. The most common ones are; deaths of many people in case of explosion land and property destruction. As much as there might be some scientific reasons for keeping nuclear weapons, the constant increase in the development of many of these weapons in most nations raises eyebrows. Many countries have been testing these weapons, and that brings even more fear. It is not common that someone will spend extraordinarily much to have something that will not be of use. Developing these weapons is costly, and it is not a process any nation would go through if the weapons are not to be used. Eventually, these weapons will be used, either by accident or intentionally, and the consequences are severely catastrophic. Therefore, this question can be of interest to the intelligence community as the answers will give the ultimate motive of these nations different from what they have been giving to the press conferences and international conferences. Thomson, a British researcher, and author say that nuclear weapons create a direct as well as a constant threat to the human race everywhere. They are far from keeping the peace as they breed fear and mistrust among all nations. They are the ultimate terror and mass destruction instruments that have neither legitimate military nor strategic utility.  

Electronic Health Records Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electronic Health Records - Research Paper Example As data accumulates over long periods, a database is established; which can be used in epidemiological studies. This is crucial for development of policies that affect the healthcare industry. The data generated by the electronic health records is vital in order to determine emerging trends in health care and predict possible outbreaks in the future. The data in the EHRs can also be used to monitor provision of health care to the public, by ensuring that a standardized protocol is used to deal with all similar clinical presentations. The government can also utilize the data in the EHRs system to coordinate emergency efforts and assess the situation at the basic level of healthcare facilities. This ensures government involvement and facilitates population-level healthcare management.Electronic health records increase efficiency at all levels of healthcare provision. With efficiency, wastage of resources such as equipment, ideas, and energy, is radically cut back. The use of EHRs is a crucial means of enhancing the efficiency of healthcare professionals and reduces the administrative and labor costs associated with health care delivery and financing. With increased efficiency, there is a reduced cost of running healthcare facilities since there is minimal wastage of resources. Concerning wastage of resources, manual records require human resources to run them by operating the archives and pulling out files. The use of electronic medical records cuts back on employment of excess staff required for jobs that can be easily automated.

Qatar Petroleum Essay Example for Free

Qatar Petroleum Essay Qatar Petroleum aims at maintaining high level of safety by trying to reach a zero level of people and environmental harm. The company uses Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) to maintain its daily operations. The methods helps them to save their documents in an organized format, retrieve them for future use share and use them. They also have a team which holds regular surveys of the whole petroleum plant especially of the pipelines. A record of all their daily activities is kept using the EDMS system as mentioned above. A report on the organizations activities can be obtained from their website as well as a book written by P. Tuson Records of Qatar: primary documents, 1820-1960; ed. P. Tuson. Archive edns, 1991. (8v) . Since any oil company poses numerous threats , benchmarks have been set to avoid them or reduce their occurance. Limitations have been set on their expansion, to share mproved ideas and information , maintain an unbreachable security checks and register them regularly. Workers undergo regular physical check-ups and their protective suits are also regularly scrutinized for emission penetration. There are also regular checks held by the government to ensure all the safety activities are being followed regularly. Qatar Petroleum is however not free from threats. Any oil company , Qatar being the biggest is susceptible to terrorist attack as the destruction caused will be massive , eading to a high death rate and heavy financial losses. Avoiding intrusion will be difficult as these companies are located by the sea and remote areas. The attack can be on refineries, distribution system, maritime transport , developmental and exploration sites. Oil companies pose their own threat too as any fault in the whole plant, being of the minutest nature, can lead to the same type of damage as would be caused by any terrorist attack.

Comparing the Theme of Self-Discovery in Demian and Siddhartha Essay

   Literature reflects many aspects   of human nature.   It can be seen as a collection of mankind's thoughts.   The intangible is transformed from brainwave patterns to ink patterns.   What leads to the writing of literature varies from author to author.  Ã‚   In the case of Hermann Hesse, it was his personal experiences in life.   In the novels Demian and Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse was influenced by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, both psycho-analysts.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A personal crisis, which caused Hesse to undergo psycho-analysis with Dr. J.B. Lang, led to the writing of Demian in 1919.   His fascination with Eastern cultures and his trip to India in 1922 directly resulted in the creation of the novel Siddhartha.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fundamental theme of self-discovery is evident in both novels.   Self-discovery involves developing the mind,   experiencing life, obtaining wisdom, learning about oneself, coming to an understanding and acceptance of this, and by the end, discovering one's identity.   This theme of self-discovery was important to Hesse because he experienced similar events in life.   He was born in Germany in 1877 and raised in a Protestant household with expectations to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers and become a missionary.   He did not wish to do so, partly because he was interested in Eastern religions.   This personal crisis of the questioning of fundamental beliefs deeply affected Hesse.   In Demian he writes, "There is only one true vocation for everybody - to find the way to himself." (Hesse, Demian, 1989, p.120)   Through his struggles, he found that the road to self-discovery could only be experienced firsthand and could not be e... ...ld Literature. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1972.    13. Timpe, Eugene F. "Hesse's Siddhartha and the Bhagavad Gita". Comparative Literature, V.22 No.4 , 1970.    14. Walter, Soreil. Hermann Hesse The Man Who Sought and Found Himself. London: Oswald Wolff, 1974.    15. Wast, R.W. (Ed.). Modern German Authors New Series. (Vol.2).    16. Benet's Readers Encyclopedia Third Edition.   Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1987.    17. "Hesse, Hermann". The New Encyclopedia Britannica Micropedia, (Vol. 5),   Ã‚  Toronto: Encyclopedia   Britannica, Inc., 1990, p. 899.    18. "Nirvana". The World Book Encyclopedia, (Vol.14).   Ã‚  Toronto: World Book, Inc., 1987, p.332-333.    19. Twentieth Century Authors. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1942.    20. The Works of Hermann Hesse. Toronto: The Publishing Company Ltd., 1980.      

Just Below the Surface

Just below the surface The story is written by Kate Nivison and takes place in a London suburb in an upper class environment (p. 41, l. 14) in modern time (p. 42, l. 23). It is a first person narrator so we sympathize with Indrani. Indrani: * Is an Indian woman (p. 42, l. 37) * Is education, but not highly educated * She is very bigoted (p. 42, p. 29-30) * She thinks the British people are xenophobic (the woman in the shop and the men from the council, p. 43, l. 5) * She is very concerned about what other people think about her (p. 42, l. 19) * She feels suppressed (p. 43, l. 16) * She wants to be a good wife and desperately wants to keep up her appearances (p. 42, l. 1) She wants to keep her pride that is typical for the Indian culture. * The British people are biased against her (p. 43, l. 13) * She is trying to assimilate to the society, but the society hasn’t assimilated to the foreigners because the foreigners want to keep their values (p. 48, l. ) * She develops through the story; in the beginning she doesn’t mind the racism against her. She doesn’t notice it. But in the end she gets an eye-opener. * She is dependent on her husband (p. 44, l. 6) * She tries to avoid conflicts Barry: * He is a hidden racist (p. 48, l. 14) * Is very ironic (p. 4, l. 31) * He uses metaphors (p. 47, l. 15) * He is insolent * He is very biased There are a lot of dialogs and direct speech in the story. Also colloquial language because of the direct speech.There can be drawn parallels to the story My Son the Fanatic because in both stories there is a person who tries to integrate to the British society. There can also be drawn parallels to Mrs. Frost and Barry because they are both very bigoted. There can also be drawn parallels to Robin Cook’s speech. He says the immigrants are good for the country while Barry wants to get rid of them. The rats symbolize the immigrants according to the Barry. The kitchen symbolizes her facade.

Blood Buffer Essay

Objectives: After completing this exercise and reading the corresponding material in your text, you should be able to 1. Prepare a wet mount slide 2. Identify structures described in this lab on slides 3. Cite examples of the wide diversity of cell types 4. Relate differences in structure among cells to functional differences Introduction Structurally and functionally, all living things share one common feature: all living organisms are composed of cells. The development of this concept began with Robert Hooke’s seventeenth-century observation that slices of cork were made up of small units he called â€Å"cells.† Over the next 100 years, the cell theory emerged. It was formally (and independently) presented by Schleiden and Schwann in 1839, and clarified by Virchow a few years later. This theory has three principles: (1) All organisms are composed of one or more cells. (2) All life processes derive from the activities of cells. (3) All cells arise from preexisting cells. Living organisms are composed of one or many cells, and every activity that occurs in a living organism is ultimately related to metabolic processes in cells. Understanding the processes of life requires an understanding of the structure and function of the cell. Although cells vary in organization, size, and function, all share certain structural features. All are enclosed within a plasma membrane, defining the boundary of the living material. All contain a region of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which forms the genetic code. Inside of the plasma membrane is watery cytoplasm, and the chemical processes inside the cell occur within this watery medium. Upon microscopic examination, we see there are two basic types of cells, prokaryotic and eukaryotic, see the table below to see a comparison of the two cell types. For these following exercise you should use the highest magnification possible, because you will be able to see more detail, and you should record your observations at this magnification. Always begin with the lower magnifications, once you have found your specimen center it and focus it before increasing the magnification. We will not be using the 100X objective because it requires special handling and immersion oil, so you should use the 40X objective for most observations. What is the total magnification of a sample view with the 40X objective? Remember there is a lens in the ocular that magnifies the image 10x, so the total magnification will be 40 x 10 = 400X. Exercise 1: Examining Prokaryotic cells 1. What types of organisms are prokaryotic? 2. What structures are found in a Eukaryotic cell that will not be visible in a Prokayotic cell? 3. Examine the specimens available at the back of the classroom. Locate a prokaryotic cell and bring it back to your microscope. Name of specimen: ____________________ 4. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch your specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. Exercise 2: Examining Eukaryotic cells The cells on which we focus most of our attention are relatively large and complex, although many details of their structure are only evident with electron microscopy. The word eukaryote derives from the visible nucleus found in most of these cells. No one cell will show all of the features that a cell might have, so you will be observing a variety of eukaryotic cells. Protist cells: The protist kingdom includes eukaryotic unicellular forms (e.g., protozoans, algae, slime molds) as well as some simple multicellular forms. Many are mobile; some are photosynthetic; others are animal-like, ingesting food particles, or fungi-like, secreting digestive chemicals into the environment. Protists are diverse, often having complex cells. 1. What structures do you expect to see in these cells that was not evident in the prokaryotes you saw? Cultures of mixed protists and/or pond water are available in lab. Many different forms may be found in these cultures, including amoebas, flagellates and ciliates. (Many classifications of protists are based on how they move – with flagella, or cilia, or neither of these.) 2. Examine the specimens available at the back of the classroom. Locate the cultures of protist cells. You will examine two separate cultures. One of the cultures you’ll examine is the â€Å"Mixed Pond Protists,† you can pick which specimen you’ll examine for your second sample from the other cultures present in class. Make a wet mount of each culture, drawing material from the debris at the bottom of the culture jar. Name of specimen #1: Mixed Pond Protists Name of specimen #2: ____________________ 3. Observe first with scanning power (4X objective), looking for movement. If you don’t see anything, wash the material back into the jar and get another drop. Once you have located organisms, observe on higher power (40X objective). If the protists are moving very rapidly, they may swim out of the field of view. In this case, remove the coverslip and add a small drop of Detain. Detain is a thick solution that will help slow down the protists. REMEMBER THAT THE MICROSCOPE LIGHT IS HOT. Turn it off when you are not looking at the slide. 4. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 5. What evidence do you see that protists are eukaryotes? 6. Attempt to identify the protists you have observed. There are several keys to protists available. Your instructor can help you use the keys if you’re not familiar with how they work. Write the name of your protists and your rationale for identification based on the characteristics in the key into your notes. When you have finished looking at your slide, place the slide in the bleach water. Plant cells: Plant cells are different from animal cells in many ways. 1. Name three ways plant cells differ from animal cells below. As in animals, cells of plants are organized into tissues, aggregations of similar cells performing a common function in a multicellular organism. In this part of the lab, you will look at several types of plant cells. Onion epidermal cells: 1. Make a wet mount of a colorless scale of an onion bulb by peeling the thin, membranous layer from the inside of one of the bulb scales and placing it on a slide in a drop of water. This usually works best if you partially slice through a ring, allowing the thin layer of tissue on the inner surface of the leaf to be pulled off. Use forceps to arrange the tissue in a drop of Iodine on a slide and cover with a cover slip. 2. Observe your preparation with the microscope, focusing first with the scanning power objective. Continue your study, switching to the low power (10 X) and finally the high power objective (40 X). 3. What shape do most of these cells have? What structure maintains this shape? 4. What structure is stained by the iodine? 5. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 6. Which cellular components present in most leaf cells are absent from onion leaf cells? Elodea leaf cells: 1. Remove a single young leaf and prepare a wet mount. Examine the leaf first on scanning power, then on low power. 2. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 3. After the cells have warmed a bit from the light of the microscope, you may see cytoplasmic streaming. Microfilaments in the cytoplasm are thought to be responsible for this intracellular movement. What cellular structure do you see moving around the cytoplasm? Animal cells: Human epithelial (cheek) cells: 1. Using the broad end of a clean toothpick, gently scrape the inside of your cheek. Stir the scrapings into a drop of saline and a drop of Methylene Blue on a clean microscope slide and add a cover slip. Do not reuse your toothpick. DO NOT PUT IT BACK WITH THE CLEAN TOOTHPICKS AND DON’T LAY IT ON THE TABLE. Discard it in the BIOHAZARD bag. 2. Because the cells are almost transparent, decrease the amount of light entering the objective lens to increase the contrast. Find the cells using the low power objective of your microscope, then switch to the high power objective for detailed study. Find the nucleus of a cell. Many of the cells will be folded or wrinkled due to their thin, flexible nature. 3. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 4. Dark specs on the cells are bacteria, similar to the E. coli you looked at earlier. How big are these bacterial cells relative to your cheek cells? Discard this slide into the bowl containing the bleach water. Sheep’s blood (wet mount): Blood consists of two parts – a liquid portion (water + proteins) called plasma, and a cellular portion, containing many different cell types, including erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs), and leukocytes or white blood cells (WBCs). Red blood cells are red because they contain a lot of the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin. The blood sample we have has been treated chemically to prevent clotting. 1. Prepare a wet mount by placing a drop of saline and a small drop of blood on the slide. Add a cover slip. Examine a portion of the slide in which the blood is diluted. 2. Examine your specimen under the microscope. Sketch each specimen under 40x magnification below. Be sure to label any internal or external structures visible. 3. What is missing from these cells that is found in eukaryotic cells? 4. How do the red blood cells compare to your cheek cells in size? What shapes are the cells? Discard this slide into the bowl containing the bleach water. Cells Review Questions Your answers should be specific and to the level of the lecture, book and lab manual. You may need to use outside sources. 1. What characteristics do all cells have in common? 2. What characteristics are common to all eukaryotic cells but not found in prokaryotic cells? 3. Would you expect that all the living cells you saw in lab contain mitochondria? Explain. 4. Did all living plant cells you observed contain chloroplasts? Explain. 5. Describe as many differences as you can between plant and animal cells at a cellular level. Do any of these differences relate to the organismic differences we see between plants and animals? Explain. 6. How do prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells compare in size? 7. How would you compare a protist cell to a cell from your body, a cheek cell for example, in terms of complexity at the cellular level?

Euthanasia Essays (600 words) - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics

Euthanasia Essays (600 words) - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics Euthanasia Euthanasia, which means "good" or "peaceful" death, has been practiced through the ages. Doctors have always been dedicated to the task of easing pain and suffering, to make dying easier. Adding the adjective "active" alters the meaning of euthanasia. The emphasis shifts from comforting the dying to inducing death. The practice of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide would cause society to devalue all life, especially the lives of the dying, the disabled, and the elderly. We should not understate the agonies involved in chronic pain and suffering. Nobody wants to see a loved one suffer or make the decisions that accompany medical science's ability to prolong life. The same technology that keeps people alive today raise a host of questions concerning the nature and destiny of man himself. Comforting the dying is still preferable to assisting in their death. There are many reasons why, but the main one has to do with how much we value human life. God views all human life as sacred. He created us in his own image (Genesis 1:26,27), and it is he who has determined our days on earth (Job 14:5). God confirms his great love for his people, a love that does not cease when we are old or ill. His command that we not kill one another does not change when we are brain damaged or comatose. Our society, however, teaches certain classes of people that they are not wanted. If a physician's aid in dying were to become a standard part of terminal care, there is always that possibility that patients might feel the need to request death out of fear of becoming a burden to their families. The right to die could be interpreted by a patient as the duty to die. Chronically ill or dying patients may be pressured to choose euthanasia to spare their families financial or emotional strain. Joan Farah states in the New England Journal of Medicine that the elderly are often cited as being vulnerable. If Euthanasia becomes the law of the land, how long will it take before the elderly and sick begin to feel an obligation to get out of the way? There are many complicated ethical and medical issues involved in the discussion of euthanasia. The decisions that family members must make are often as painful as the conditions of their loved ones. Sometimes the families react with wisdom and compassion. However, under stress human beings can make the wrong decisions. In an attempt to avoid such risk we dare not enact legislature that will allow murder simply to make decisions easier. Opponents contend that legalized euthanasia would force medical professionals and patients' families to judge the worth of others' lives. Once a vulnerable group is denied a basic right to life, it is only a matter of time until other groups are placed in the same category. We have accepted the killing of unborn children, allowed children born with severe handicaps to die, and have ignored "mercy killing" of consenting adults. Will we tolerate or accept euthanasia just as we do abortion? There are no easy answers when a loved one faces death. Scientists must continue to seek answers and cures. Active euthanasia does not provide answers: it only tries to avoid the hardest questions. Thomas Beauchamp, a bioethicist of Georgetown University has written, rules against killing "are not isolated moral principles," but "pieces of a web of rules" that forms a moral code. "The more threads one removes the weaker the fabric becomes." Allowing ourselves the liberty of choosing the time and place of death will not lessen our sense of loss. It can only erode the wonder of human life and the worth of each individual. Wekesser, Carol, ed. Euthanasia: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1995.

Story Writing 101

Story Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Story Writing 101 By Ali Hale Since prehistoric times, when tales were told around fires and painted on cave walls, stories have been an essential part of our human experience. But what exactly is a story – and how can you write a great one? A story is simply a tale of events that are linked by cause and effect. It can be true or it can be a work of fiction. We expect stories to have a beginning, middle and end; they involve at least two characters, and some events take place. In this article, I’ll take you through three major contemporary types of written story: The short story The novel The life story (biography or autobiography) For each, I’ll explain what it is, and how to write it successfully. I’ll end with tips about story writing which will help you improve your writing, whether you’re a beginner or a published author. Three Types of Story 1. Short Stories A short story is a piece of fiction under 20,000 words. More typically, a short story will be 1,000 – 5,000 words. (Pieces under 1,000 words are â€Å"short short stories† or â€Å"flash fiction†, over 20,000 and they’re novellas.) Short stories are published in magazines, newspapers and book anthologies. Short stories need: A small cast of characters, with one main character A compact time frame, with the story taking place over the course of a few days or weeks A single plot without subplots, though longer short stories may have a subplot The majority of writing competitions are for complete short stories, rather than novels or novel excerpts. If you do enter competitions, don’t be put off writing if you don’t win – judges have different likes and dislikes. How to Write a Great Short Story Like any story, your short story needs to have a beginning, middle and end: The beginning is where we’re introduced to the characters, especially the main character and his/her problem The middle is where the action and plot develops. The main character will face difficulties such as opposition from other people or a challenging environment. The end is where the main character triumphs over his/her biggest challenge (or fails, in the case of a tragedy). The resolution should be satisfying and conclusive for the reader. Even in literary and experimental short stories, it’s important that something should happen. Much of the action might take place inside the characters’ heads, but there should be a real change as a result. By the end of your short story, your main character should have experienced an internal change. This means that they’ve grown and developed as a person – perhaps overcoming a fear, or recognizing an unacknowledged truth about himself or herself. 2. Novels A novel is a piece of fiction that’s 60,000 words or longer (shorter books are novellas). The typical novel is around 80,000 – 150,000 words, depending on genre. Novels and short stories share similar structural features, but novels give the author a much wider scope. A novel might have: More than one main character (though attempt this with caution!) A large cast of characters A long time frame – potentially covering several centuries and several generations Multiple subplots Novels tend to be much more popular than short stories with the reading public, and almost all full-time authors are novelists rather than short story writers. How To Write A Novel A novel is a much bigger undertaking than a short story. Even if you are able to write short stories without much planning, you’ll need to plan out your novel in advance. There are a number of ways to do this, but whichever you choose, ensure: You have enough plot to meet your word count target Your main character (protagonist) is sympathetic – readers of short stories will put up with a dull or unlikeable character, but novel readers are stuck with the character’s viewpoint for much longer. As the writer, you’ll need to be able to become your characters. You have an escalation of events throughout the plot. Things need to get worse and worse for your characters, until they finally overcome their problems or enemies. 3. Life Stories A life story is a true story – though it shares features with fictional stories. Life stories are either â€Å"biography† (when you write about someone else) or â€Å"autobiography† (when you write about yourself). Most biographies and autobiographies are book length, similar to a novel. Many writers draw on their own life experiences for newspaper columns and magazine articles, though. There is also a market for â€Å"true life† stories in magazines, which are told in a story-like way: writing about your own life is a simple way to write about what you know. How To Write A Life Story A life story needs to be engaging and interesting for the reader. Don’t include boring details just because they’re â€Å"true† – the reader doesn’t need to know everything that happened. In many cases, details of childhood or dull years can be summarized – or told through a few vividly-drawn incidents. You will need to be careful when writing a biography or autobiography to: Structure your piece as a story, focusing on interesting events and incidents. Show the personality of the subject (yourself or the person you’re writing about), and making sure the reader will find them at least partly likeable. Be conscious of the other people involved – try to be sensitive to how they might feel (and avoid getting sued for libel – make sure you’re certain of your facts). There is often a fine line between life writing and fiction. If you are writing the story of your life, you will need to make decisions about whether you will alter or make up lines of dialogue, for instance. General Story Writing Tips Whatever type of story or stories you’re writing, and however experienced you are, there’s always room for improvement Share Your Story Writing Efforts It’s hard to write in isolation, and sharing your work with other writers is a great way to get feedback and suggestions. Look for a local writers’ circle, or join an online forum. You want to find somewhere that’s supportive but where people aren’t afraid to offer advice about things that aren’t working in your story. Keep Learning Writing is a craft that you can learn, like any other. There are hundreds of books on all aspects of writing, from the nuts and bolts of grammar and punctuation to writing in specific genres. You can also find free advice on the Internet (on blogs like this one). You can even take a degree or post-graduate course in creative writing. Keep Practicing As well as learning about writing, you need to practice. That means writing regularly – ideally daily. As you write more, your stories will get better – your characters are more â€Å"real†, your plots are convincing, and your endings are deeply satisfying to readers. You’ll also find that writing itself becomes easier: you’ll spend less time struggling to find the right words, and more time enjoying seeing the story spill from your fingers. Always Revise All authors need to revise their work. Your first draft might have a lot of problems – inconsistent characterization, scenes which don’t really fit, holes in the plot, incorrect pacing or tension. Don’t worry if this is the case: most published authors have to extensively rewrite their first drafts too. Always allow time to revise your story, and if possible, do several rewrites. Most authors recommend letting your story sit unread for a few days or weeks when you complete a draft, so that you can come to it with fresh eyes. Good luck with your story writing! Check Out Other Articles from The Writing 101 Series: The Writing Process Creative Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 Business Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcWork of Art TitlesSentence Adverbs

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Article Critique - Essay Example While the article is helpful as a general information piece, it lacks any substantive depth, and does not draw any conclusions. The author writes of "millions of new jobs" and "a demand for green jobs, which could provide meaningful work", but offers no specifics or details. The author was further challenged by the topic as he could not even offer a definition for the term green job. Due to the immense scope of the topic, and the relative of the issue in the national spotlight, it would be impractical to devise any research based on empirical data or a quantitative study. Research could best be accomplished by a review of the existing literature on the topic and consulting the writings of industry experts. I would examine the experiences that other countries have had with green technology and how it has impacted their employment and economic outlook. In addition, I would make some conjectures and predictions on the impact of energy on the economy if we do nothing. Solar panel technology for residential housing is an area of green technology that has vast potential. At the current cost of solar cells, they are economically impractical without a government subsidy. Currently the federal subsidy is 30 percent, with some states adding an additional amount ("Northern Arizona Wind & Sun"). If the subsidy were 70 percent, it would take the homeowner just 6 years to recover the cost of a system that has a life span of 20 years ("Northern Arizona Wind & Sun"). As the technology gets more developed and manufacturing reaches scale, the price will drop dramatically and the subsidies could be cut back. The long term effect would be to significantly lower the cost of utilities in America and there would be more money in the economy to spend on cars and houses. Closing the coal fired electric plants and replacing them with nuclear facilities would greatly reduce green house gas emissions and create a