Discuss the relationship between the 1st and 2nd Amendments and Essay

Discuss the relationship between the 1st and 2nd Amendments and contemporary political issues - Essay Example all make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.† The Second Amendment states â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed† (â€Å"The Constitution†, 2006). Freedom of the press is essential to democracy and has been accurately described as the ‘Fourth Estate’ of government. As the three branches of government act to check and balance each other, the press watches over them all. Sources of information are essential to the work of the press. Some sources wish to remain confidential so as not to jeopardize their position. Without these sources, government misdoings such as the Watergate scandal would never have come to light. Whether or not a journalist has the right to protect the identity of their sources is a constitutional issue that remains controversial. The freedom of religion has been interpreted by many as a constitutional right to the freedom from religion, as issue that refers to many topics not the least of which involves the teaching of the Biblical account of human creation in public schools. The Second Amendment is interpreted very differently by those for and against the right for private citizens to own guns. This discussion will address these three issues as they relate to the First and Second Amendments. The Founding Fathers considered a free press one of if not the most important aspect in the formation of a free and democratic society. Though much of American law is patterned from the English legal system, the Founders wanted to distinguish the newly formed government from England where the press was tightly censored. Journalists who questioned the King’s decisions were often jailed or worse. The Founders knew

Given Below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Given Below - Essay Example n American groups, ostracized by institutional racism and cyclical poverty, employed this force in an effort to restructure government and attain more than just â€Å"equal rights†, but also equal opportunity. The endeavor culminated with the establishment of affirmative action, an effort to supersede the lack of equitable opportunity. White ethnicity resurged, in part defensively, as a response. White ethnics applied their cultural identification and political will toward the protection of their jobs and neighborhoods, which they felt were endangered by black demands. They perceived demands of blacks as a threat to their own opportunities and stridently opposed the anti-individual, group recognition of affirmative action. The authors’ argument is reasonable and persuasively delivered. The authors’ propose that black and ethnic cultural resurgence allowed a galvanization of political strength which served the strategic function of supporting and defending issues key to each group. Though inherently similar, these groups sought different political and socioeconomic goals, ultimately resulting in conflict (i.e. the riots of the late 1960s). The political efforts of these two groups, affirmative action and resistance toward de-individualization, strongly supports the authors’ argument that cultural identification was utilized as a stratagem for political and social strength and provides a cogent explanation for the resurgence of ethnic

Phases Of System Development Life Cycle Information Technology Essay

Phases Of System Development Life Cycle Information Technology Essay System development life cycle means combination of various activities. In other words we can say that various activities put together are referred as system development life cycle. In the System Analysis and Design terminology, the system development life cycle means software development life cycle. Following are the different phases of software development cycle: System study Feasibility study System analysis System design Coding Testing Implementation Maintenance   The different phases of software development life cycle is shown in Fig.29.1 Different phases of Software development Life Cycle PHASES OF SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE Let us now describe the different phases and the related activities of system development life cycle in detail. (a) System Study System study is the first stage of system development life cycle. This gives a clear picture of what actually the physical system is? In practice, the system study is done in two phases. In the first phase, the preliminary survey of the system is done which helps in identifying the scope of the system. The second phase of the system study is more detailed and in-depth study in which the identification of users requirement and the limitations and problems of the present system are studied. After completing the system study, a system proposal is prepared by the System Analyst (who studies the system) and placed before the user. The proposed system contains the findings of the present system and recommendations to overcome the limitations and problems of the present system in the light of the users requirements. To describe the system study phase more analytically, we would say that system study phase passes through the following steps: problem identification and project initiation background analysis inference or findings (b) Feasibility Study On the basis of result of the initial study, feasibility study takes place. The feasibility study is basically the test of the proposed system in the light of its workability, meeting users requirements, effective use of resources and .of course, the cost effectiveness. The main goal of feasibility study is not to solve the problem but to achieve the scope. In the process of feasibility study, the cost and benefits are estimated with greater accuracy. (c) System Analysis Assuming that a new system is to be developed, the next phase is system analysis. Analysis involved a detailed study of the current system, leading to specifications of a new system. Analysis is a detailed study of various operations performed by a system and their relationships within and outside the system. During analysis, data are collected on the available files, decision points and transactions handled by the present system. Interviews, on-site observation and questionnaire are the tools used for system analysis. Using the following steps it becomes easy to draw the exact boundary of the new system under consideration: Keeping in view the problems and new requirements Workout the pros and cons including new areas of the system All procedures, requirements must be analyzed and documented in the form of detailed data flow diagrams (DFDs), data dictionary, logical data structures and miniature specifications. System Analysis also includes sub-dividing of complex process involving the entire system, identification of data store and manual processes. The main points to be discussed in system analysis are: Specification of what the new system is to accomplish based on the user requirements. Functional hierarchy showing the functions to be performed by the new system and their relationship with each other. Function network which are similar to function hierarchy but they highlight those functions which are common to more than one procedure. List of attributes of the entities these are the data items which need to be held about each entity (record) (d) System Design Based on the user requirements and the detailed analysis of a new system, the new system must be designed. This is the phase of system designing. It is a most crucial phase in the development of a system. Normally, the design proceeds in two stages: preliminary or general design Structure or detailed design Preliminary or general design: In the preliminary or general design, the features of the new system are specified. The costs of implementing these features and the benefits to be derived are estimated. If the project is still considered to be feasible, we move to the detailed design stage. Structure or Detailed design: In the detailed design stage, computer oriented work begins in earnest. At this stage, the design of the system becomes more structured. Structure design is a blue print of a computer system solution to a given problem having the same components and inter-relationship among the same components as the original problem. Input, output and processing specifications are drawn up in detail. In the design stage, the programming language and the platform in which the new system will run are also decided. There are several tools and techniques used for designing. These tools and techniques are: Flowchart Data flow diagram (DFDs) Data dictionary Structured English Decision table Decision tree (e) Coding After designing the new system, the whole system is required to be converted into computer understanding language. Coding the new system into computer programming language does this. It is an important stage where the defined procedures are transformed into control specifications by the help of a computer language. This is also called the programming phase in which the programmer converts the program specifications into computer instructions, which we refer as programs. The programs coordinate the data movements and control the entire process in a system. It is generally felt that the programs must be modular in nature. This helps in fast development, maintenance and future change, if required. (f) Testing Before actually implementing the new system into operations, a test run of the system is done removing all the bugs, if any. It is an important phase of a successful system. After codifying the whole programs of the system, a test plan should be developed and run on a given set of test data. The output of the test run should match the expected results. Using the test data following test run are carried out: Unit test System test Unit test: When the programs have been coded and compiled and brought to working conditions, they must be individually tested with the prepared test data. Any undesirable happening must be noted and debugged (error corrections). System Test: After carrying out the unit test for each of the programs of the system and when errors are removed, then system test is done. At this stage the test is done on actual data. The complete system is executed on the actual data. At each stage of the execution, the results or output of the system is analyzed. During the result analysis, it may be found that the outputs are not matching the expected out of the system. In such case, the errors in the particular programs are identified and are fixed and further tested for the expected output. When it is ensured that the system is running error-free, the users are called with their own actual data so that the system could be shown running as per their requirements. (g) Implementation After having the user acceptance of the new system developed, the implementation phase begins. Implementation is the stage of a project during which theory is turned into practice. During this phase, all the programs of the system are loaded onto the users computer. After loading the system, training of the users starts. Main topics of such type of training are: How to execute the package How to enter the data How to process the data (processing details) How to take out the reports After the users are trained about the computerized system, manual working has to shift from manual to computerized working. The following two strategies are followed for running the system: Parallel run: In such run for a certain defined period, both the systems i.e. computerized and manual are executed in parallel. This strategy is helpful because of the following: Manual results can be compared with the results of the computerized system. Failure of the computerized system at the early stage, does not affect the working of the organization, because the manual system continues to work, as it used to do. Pilot run: In this type of run, the new system is installed in parts. Some part of the new system is installed first and executed successfully for considerable time period. When the results are found satisfactory then only other parts are implemented. This strategy builds the confidence and the errors are traced easily. (h) Maintenance Maintenance is necessary to eliminate errors in the system during its working life and to tune the system to any variations in its working environment. It has been seen that there are always some errors found in the system that must be noted and corrected. It also means the review of the system from time to time. The review of the system is done for: knowing the full capabilities of the system knowing the required changes or the additional requirements studying the performance If a major change to a system is needed, a new project may have to be set up to carry out the change. The new project will then proceed through all the above life cycle phases. Task: 4.2 Life Cycle Models Waterfall model Prototyping model Evolutionary model The spiral model Formal development Incremental development Rapid application model V-Shaped model Requirements analysis Definition Integration and Software testing Software dDesign Implementation and unit testing Operation and Maintenance Waterfall Model Figure: 7 This takes the fundamentals process activities of specification, development, validation and evolution and represents them as separate process phase such as requirement specification, software design, implementation and testing and so on. Requirement Analysis and Definition The systems services, constraints and goals are established by consultation with the software users. They are then defined in detail and serve as a software specification. how the current software works and what it does Producing a detailed model in subject terms of what the new software will do and how it will work. Producing a high-level description of new software Software Design The software design process partitions the requirements to either hardware or software system. It establishes overall software architecture. Software design involves identifying and describing the fundamental software system abstraction and their relationships. Implementation and Unit Testing During this stage, the software design is realized as a set of programs or program units. Unit testing involves verifying that each unit meets its specification. Integration and Software Testing The individual program units or programs are integrated and tested as complete software to ensure that the software requirements have been met. After testing, the software system is delivered to the customer. Operation and Maintenance Normally this is the longest life cycle phase. The software is installed and put into practical use. Maintenance involves correcting errors which were not discovered in earlier stages of the life cycle; improving the implementation of the software units and enhancing the softwares services as new requirement are discovered.

Male Eating Disorders Essay -- Psychology Health Illness

Eating Disorders in Males Eating disorders have traditionally been a â€Å"woman’s problem.† It has not been until recently that we have recognized the fact that males are suffering from these deadly disorders as well. It has been generally agreed upon that anywhere from five to 15 percent of all reported cases of eating disorders are attributed to men. This paper will examine its incidence in males and the physical and psychological aspects associated with having an eating disorder. First lets look at the history of eating disorders. The very first case of an eating disorder diagnosed was actually a male. In 1689, Dr. Richard Morton described a case of â€Å"nervous consumption† in a 16-year-old male and he was prescribed restraint from horseback riding and his studies. (Carlat, Camargo, & Herzog, 1997) In the 1700s the full plump female figure was considered to be the most beautiful because it showed a sign of wealth. It was not until the 1920s that smaller female figures seemed to be in vogue. It was during this time that women began to dress more â€Å"provocatively† in flapper dresses. The Barbie doll came out in the 1940s which put an absolutely unrealistic measuring stick up to little girls. The 1960s saw an upsurgance of anorexia when Twiggy, the gaunt British actress became popular. And recently our society has seen an increase in the incidence of eating disorders, especially in men. Now lets define anorexia nervosa and bulimia. According to the DSM-IV the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa are â€Å"body image distortion, amenorrhea, and intense fear of gaining weight, resulting in body weight that is at least 15% below that expected for age and height.† (Hausenblas & Carron, 1999) The definition for bulimia is less clear. Bulimia includes â€Å"self-evaluation that is unduly influenced by body shape or weight and recurrent episodes of uncontrollable binge eating†¦followed by inappropriate compensatory behavior undertaken to prevent weight gain.† (Hausenblas & Carrron, 1999) This compensatory behavior may include use of laxatives, diuretics, self-induced vomiting, strict dieting, fasting or inordinate exercising. Unlike anorexics, bulimics are usually at or above their body weight. These diseases may result in biological problems including amenorrhea for females, gonadotropin secretion in males, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal disorders, endo... ...utchins, D.E., Getz, H.G., & Hayes, G.L. (2000). Male Anorexia Nervosa: A New Focus. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. 22, 365-370. Goode, E. (2000). Thinner: The Male Battle With Anorexia. New York Times. 06/25/2000, Vol. 149, Issue 51430, Section 16, p8. Hausenblas, H.A., & Carron, A.V. (1999). Eating Disorder Indices and Athletes: An Integration. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. 21, 230-258. McLorg, P.A. & Taub, D.E. (1992) Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: The Development of Deviant Identities. In D.H. Kelly (Ed.), Deviant Behavior: A Text-Reader in the Sociology of Deviance. (pp. 203-214). New York: Worth Publishers. Phillpot, D., & Sheppard, G. (1998). More Than Mere Vanity. Guidance & Counseling. 13, 28-34. Romero, F. (1994). Adolescent Boys and Anorexia Nervosa. Adolescence. 29, 643-648. Shiltz, T. (2000). Males and Eating Disorders: Research. Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, Inc. Retrieved on November 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.edap.org/edinfo/menresearch.html Zerbe, K.J. (1992) Eating Disorders in the 1990s: Clinical Challenges and Treatment Implications. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. 56, 167-188. Male Eating Disorders Essay -- Psychology Health Illness Eating Disorders in Males Eating disorders have traditionally been a â€Å"woman’s problem.† It has not been until recently that we have recognized the fact that males are suffering from these deadly disorders as well. It has been generally agreed upon that anywhere from five to 15 percent of all reported cases of eating disorders are attributed to men. This paper will examine its incidence in males and the physical and psychological aspects associated with having an eating disorder. First lets look at the history of eating disorders. The very first case of an eating disorder diagnosed was actually a male. In 1689, Dr. Richard Morton described a case of â€Å"nervous consumption† in a 16-year-old male and he was prescribed restraint from horseback riding and his studies. (Carlat, Camargo, & Herzog, 1997) In the 1700s the full plump female figure was considered to be the most beautiful because it showed a sign of wealth. It was not until the 1920s that smaller female figures seemed to be in vogue. It was during this time that women began to dress more â€Å"provocatively† in flapper dresses. The Barbie doll came out in the 1940s which put an absolutely unrealistic measuring stick up to little girls. The 1960s saw an upsurgance of anorexia when Twiggy, the gaunt British actress became popular. And recently our society has seen an increase in the incidence of eating disorders, especially in men. Now lets define anorexia nervosa and bulimia. According to the DSM-IV the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa are â€Å"body image distortion, amenorrhea, and intense fear of gaining weight, resulting in body weight that is at least 15% below that expected for age and height.† (Hausenblas & Carron, 1999) The definition for bulimia is less clear. Bulimia includes â€Å"self-evaluation that is unduly influenced by body shape or weight and recurrent episodes of uncontrollable binge eating†¦followed by inappropriate compensatory behavior undertaken to prevent weight gain.† (Hausenblas & Carrron, 1999) This compensatory behavior may include use of laxatives, diuretics, self-induced vomiting, strict dieting, fasting or inordinate exercising. Unlike anorexics, bulimics are usually at or above their body weight. These diseases may result in biological problems including amenorrhea for females, gonadotropin secretion in males, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal disorders, endo... ...utchins, D.E., Getz, H.G., & Hayes, G.L. (2000). Male Anorexia Nervosa: A New Focus. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. 22, 365-370. Goode, E. (2000). Thinner: The Male Battle With Anorexia. New York Times. 06/25/2000, Vol. 149, Issue 51430, Section 16, p8. Hausenblas, H.A., & Carron, A.V. (1999). Eating Disorder Indices and Athletes: An Integration. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. 21, 230-258. McLorg, P.A. & Taub, D.E. (1992) Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: The Development of Deviant Identities. In D.H. Kelly (Ed.), Deviant Behavior: A Text-Reader in the Sociology of Deviance. (pp. 203-214). New York: Worth Publishers. Phillpot, D., & Sheppard, G. (1998). More Than Mere Vanity. Guidance & Counseling. 13, 28-34. Romero, F. (1994). Adolescent Boys and Anorexia Nervosa. Adolescence. 29, 643-648. Shiltz, T. (2000). Males and Eating Disorders: Research. Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, Inc. Retrieved on November 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.edap.org/edinfo/menresearch.html Zerbe, K.J. (1992) Eating Disorders in the 1990s: Clinical Challenges and Treatment Implications. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. 56, 167-188.

Using Fun Activities to Improve Speaking Skill

by : enisa cahya . [email  protected] com Using Fun Activities to Improve speaking skill for senior high school learners There are many definition of speaking. Speaking is one of the skills that have to be mastered by students in learning English. It is important for students to known definition first. Many experts define speaking in different ways. Brown and Yule (1989) stated in their book. The speakers say words to the listener not only to express what in her mind but also to express what he needs whether information service.Most people might spend of  their everyday life in communicating with other. According to Syafrudin (2001) speaking is as active productive skill makes us of oral communication. Finocchiro and Bonomo (2001) stated that speaking as one or more sound make by human being for purposing of  communication. Beside, Chaney in Alfira (1998) says that speaking is the process of building and sharing meaning. So, the student should have capability in telling their i deas about some  problems or some things.The goal of speaking is to improve students ¶ communicative skill. By telling their ideas, the students can improve their speaking ability and increase their confidence. Mc. Donough and shaw (1993) says speaking is the ways to express ideas and opinion, expressing and desire to do something, negotiating or solving a particular problem, and maintaining social relationship and friendship. Long and Richard ( 1982 ) says speaking is a complex set of ability that involve many component, including pronunciations, listening and grammar skill.From the explanation above it can conducted that speaking is very important to communicated with others to take and give information learning language speaking skill should  be taught and practiced in the classroom event in real life situation, in order to an able our  students to communicate effectively and accurately by using component such as vocabulary and  pronunciation, fluency and basic grammati cal pattern. Video is one of the technological aids that use in the classroom nowadays.Video is an extremely use media which incorporates a wide variety at visual element and a great range of  audio experiences in additional to spoken language based on speaking descriptive text. Sane (2009) stated that video is the technology to capture, record, and process, transmit and rearrange the moving picture also video can use for tutorials, videos for learning, and even videos for  entertainment or for documentation of activities. It means in teaching English language we can use video to make students not bored and like to study English language.To improve the students speaking ability, it needs innovation and creation to motivate them while learning speaking skill. Therefore, the teachers need to prepare the material, for example the teacher commands the students to prepare a dialogue based on a video that has been watched. Teaching speaking to the students needs innovation and creatio n to motivate them while learning speaking. One way that can be used by the teacher is by using media especially video. The advantages of teaching speaking by using video are to create enjoy and fun atmosphere in teaching learning process.These media are really useful and helpful for the student. Besides, video are also used to motivate the students in learning English. Teaching by using video is used to give variety in explaining material. Like Stempleski (1987) that said video can be used in a variety of instructional setting such as in classroom and in self study and evaluation situation. Every person will have different to describe same video. It will motivate them to have an opportunity to tell what they see about the video. There are another ways to teach English besides Video, games also appropriate to improve speaking skill for students.There are many reasons a teacher uses games in teaching speaking. Games give students chance to use English orally, it means that students c an  practice and develop their ability to speak English. Games provide fun and relax while remaining very much within the framework of language learning. It is expected for shy or slow learners can be active participants to show their ability and find their confidence in communicating in the foreign language. Games are not just time filling activities in the class, but also have a great educational value. W. R.Lee (in Uberman,2002) holds that most language games make learners use the language instantly without thinking about the correct form of the language itself. So at this phase, the language games can lower students’ anxiety in using the target language, they are also highly motivating and entertaining so that the shy students will get more opportunities to express their opinion and feeling. Further suppport comes from Zdybiewska (as cited in Uberman,2002), she believes that games can be a good way in practicing the target language that being learned by the children, si nce they are able to provide a model of language on what the earners will use in the real life According to Betteridge and Buckby (1990), â€Å"Essentially, in guessing and speculating games, some one knows something and the others must find out what it is. † In addition, Merriem Webster (1986) said that â€Å"Guessing games is game in which the participates compete individually or team in the identification of something indicate obscurely (as in riddles or charades). Based on the definition, it can be conclude that guessing games is a game in which a person or participant knows something and competes individually or in a team to identify or to find out it.There are many concepts of guessing games, which can be applied in teaching speaking. According to Richard – Amato (1988), â€Å"Guessing games can be used to develop or reinforce concept, to add diversion to regular activities, or just to break the ice. However, their must important function is to give practice in communication. † It says that guessing games give students do not feel bored during learning process. Nevertheless, the most important thing is to give the students in practicing their English. Based on the statement above, we can conclude that guessing games give students more chance in formulating question.But we know that language classes are spent answering questions puts forth by the teacher or text book. This idea is also supported by Silver (1980) : â€Å"Language classes are often inadvertently structured so that most of the students speaking time is spent answering questions put forth by teacher or text book: as a result the students often have difficultly in forming own question. So, by using this game students are asked to practice in formulating questions. Here the students can apply their ability in using question – word (WH) question.

Central and Eastern Europe Environmental Issues Essay

Eastern Europe’s environmental problems are not as simple as they may seem on the surface. The environmental problems that face Eastern Europe are complicated by political, economic, and social implications. The current environmental problems are a bi-product of rapid industrial expansion under a socialist government. The soviet government was more concerned with surpassing the western cultures in technology and military might than the environmental damage they were doing to their country. The following paragraphs will address the current environmental problems facing Eastern Europe, the various solutions to the environmental problems, and the efforts taken to correct the environmental problems. Environmental Problems in Europe Eastern Europe during the 1980s had rapidly become the industrial giant for the Soviet Union. Massive industrial factories would be built throughout the eastern bloc of the Soviet Union and the factories used obsolete technology to provide the industrial needs of the country. The heavy industrial activity characteristic of the post-World War II period took a heavy toll on both the region’s population and its environmentâ€Å"(U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Various local populations were suffering from high rates of cancer, respiratory issues, and infant mortalities. The environments in the areas around the industrial regions were also being damaged on unprecedented levels. Legacy of Pollution According to the U. S.  Environmental Protection Agency (2010), The outmoded, energy-intensive technologies were such an integral part of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS) region’s economy in the post-war era not only wasted resources, but also caused severe local, regional, and trans-boundary pollution problems. Not only was the industrial technology outdated, the communication among the post-war government, local governments, and various environmental ministries was ripe with secrecy and non-communication between each other. The results would prove to be catastrophic pollution of the air, surface water, soil, ground water, marine zones, and coastal areas. Air Pollution Air pollution in Eastern Europe is the top concern because of the levels of sulfur dioxide found in all the industrial areas. High levels of sulfur dioxide exposure can lead to asthmatic children and adults, respiratory illness, decreased lung defenses, and worsening of existing cardiovascular diseases. When Sulfur Dioxide is exposed to rain it creates acid rain and raises the acidity level of everything it touches such as soil, lakes, and streams. Buildings corrode faster and there is also a reduction in visibility. Water Pollution Agricultural and industrial practices were causing large spread water pollution because of outdated waste regulation practices and no environmental regulation. According to Liroff (1990), Drinking-water supplies throughout Eastern Europe are heavily contaminated. Vast reaches of the Vistula River in Poland, which drains much of the country, are classified as unfit for use even by industry. The Baltic and Black Sea coasts are badly degraded by domestic sewage, agricultural run-off, and heavy metals and organic pollutants from industry. The Eastern Europe governments have been slow to implement solutions to purify the drinking water in the various regions. Soil Pollution Samples of produce from upper Poland have yielded 30 to 70 higher percentages of cadmium, lead, zinc and mercury then acceptable levels listed by the World Health Organization. The high percentages of these heavy materials indicate how polluted the soil is in the upper polish regions. In Hungary alone, waste generators dispose of more than 500,000 tons waste found in illegal landfills. The local government has trouble tracking any kind of waste transportation and disposal due to obsolete tracking processes, and because not all waste is indicated as waste before being disposed of. Eastern Europe is wreaked with not only environmental problems, but also with government, and local government problems also. The good news is that there are viable solutions to the environmental problems that the Eastern Europe countries are having. Viable Environmental Solutions The environmental problems that face Central and Eastern Europe are much the same as any other country in the world with one exception, the proximity of the environmental hazards. Most countries in the world deal with environmental hazards, but the hazards are spread out over different parts of the country. Central and Eastern Europe are unique when it comes to environmental disasters because Central and Eastern Europe was the industrial might behind the soviet military. For every environmental disaster Central and Eastern Europe faces, there is a viable solution thanks to modern technology and proven environmental regulations. Possible environmental solutions Because of the vast environmental disasters throughout Central and Eastern Europe there are several possible environmental solutions. The possible environmental solutions that Central and Eastern Europe are considering will be decided by the cost of the solution, ease of implementation, and consultation from environmental agencies such as the United States Environmental Agency. Even with the various economic, governmental agency communication problems, and various ecological disasters Central and Eastern Europe have a number of viable solutions. Air Pollution Solutions One of the possible remedies for air quality in Europe would be to switch to burning low sulfur coal. When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released. For that reason, coal-fired boilers are required to have control devices to reduce the amount of emissions that are released. The amount of sulfur oxides produced by power can be reduced by using coal with low amounts of sulfur present. Another possible air solution would be to use scrubbers. Scrubbers are an air pollution control system that removes pollutants from the air stream they are most commonly used to help control the emissions of sulfur into our air. There are a few types of scrubber, Air scrubbers, wet scrubbers, and gas scrubbers are differentiated by the manner in which they remove gases and particulates from the air; either wet or dry. Wet scrubbers literally wash dust and particles out of the air. Exhaust air is forced into a spray chamber, where fine water particles cause the dust to drop from the air stream. The dust-laden water is then treated to remove the solid material and is often re-circulated. Dry scrubbers are used more commonly with acid gases. The pollutant is collected on or in a solid or liquid material, which is injected into the gas stream. A dry scrubber produces a dry product that must be collected downstream from this control device. Water Pollution Solutions One of the many possible water pollution solutions would be aeration. Aerating is the process to bring river water at the bottom of rivers up to the surface so that the entire river is oxygenated by the atmosphere surface to bottom. They can do this by pumping air into bodies of water at the very bottom. On the other hand Central and Eastern Europe could use more wastewater treatment plants these types of plants would drastically help the water quality in Central and Eastern Europe by removing harmful bacteria’s, animal wastes and pollutants and then recycling the clean water back into their system.. Soil Pollution Solutions There are many different types of soil pollution that hurt the environment and by treating Sewage before dumping wastes would cut back on many of the current environmental issues. Spraying pesticides may be good for the crops but it’s destroying the soil and the drain off into the water system is affected by this as well. Cutting down on the usage of fossil fuels would create less solid waste and harmful gasses that may seep into the soil. Eastern Europe needs to adapt to more of these possible solutions. Using low sulfur coals, Scrubbers and limestone in the remedies of air pollution would set a chain reaction in the environment the water would then become cleaner along with the soil. These remedies may not fix the issue completely for Eastern Europe, but it would help them greatly. Efforts to correct  Central and Eastern Europe have been left untouched since the end of the Nazi/German rule and the fall of the Great Berlin Wall on November 9th, 1989. Many of the people living in such a terrible environment still struggle every day to survive, but it is not a war against other countries it has turned into an environmental war and one that is near impossible for them to win without help. As with most all larger countries around the world Eastern and Central Europe are suffering from the same types of environmental issues but, in their case they do not have the means that we do in order to make the necessary changes that they need. Practical and low cost solutions need to be the wave of the future and used as often as possible. The problems need to be prioritized based on the highest health risk and the surrounding public will be educated and involved in its’ own environmental decision making. AIR- Airborne pollution is said to be one of the greatest environmental risks identified in the region. There is a large amount of sulfur dioxide found in the air, it comes from several different places but are byproducts of several different types of older industrial facilities like the old coal burning power plants that used to be found there (EPA). The United states are one of the few countries in which it is a law for vehicle owners to participate in an annual emissions test. The Czech government however has accelerated its’ efforts in cleaning the air pollution through it $240 million project that will assist its residents in converting homes from coal to natural gas in hopes to subsidize conversion costs (EPA). Along with this local agencies in many areas lack the equipment needed to assess and identify local problems so the Krakow Air Monitoring project. This project is under the supervision of the EPA and the Polish environmental experts are working together to identify and measure the major sources of industrial, residential and vehicle emissions testing (EPA). Along with such a huge problem facing the countries the EPA has also transferred some very low-cost techniques to help them out. Water pollution- Along with clean air there is the Krakow Water and Wastewater Improvement project, the idea here is to provide safe drinking water to city residents. Most people are drinking from contaminated drinking sources, especially those outside of the city limits. The idea here is not only to decontaminate the water before it is consumed, but to attack the problem at the source and to educate the people of the possible affects that waste dumping in unsecure facilities can have on them and their families. The Krakow project as a result installed modern ozonation and chlorination equipment that in turn disinfected the drinking water of 400,000 residents in the area. It also focused on the improvement the forming of the Raba River Watershed Association as well as focusing on the agricultural runoff into local streams and rivers (EPA). In addition to this a team of EPA, Wisconsin, and Latvian environmental managers have also come up with a solution to protect supplies of future ground water in Daugavplis, this is where the national ground water protection strategy is based. Solid and Hazardous Waste- All types of waste needs to be dumped somewhere and the most contaminated solid waste sites are often found on military bases in Eastern Europe. They can be found on active or former military base cites, these are still dumping cites. Children in these areas are affected the most and are still being diagnosed with very high blood-lead levels, due to these case studies the EPA has provided special equipment and training to local officials to assess possible impacts of lead exposure. Due to such high levels of exposure in certain areas additional support has been provided by Romanian officials to assist areas in the cleanup of contaminated soil, the Czech Council of Ministers even committed to assist the cleanup of future development cites by approving $40 million to get started, this is called Project Selesia. This is not the only cleanup plan in effect there is also the Solid Waste Policy Demonstration Project, this idea helps to train local communities in the proper way to carry out more effective policies of cleaning and recycling waste. Pilot programs include the construction of new sanitary landfills, the cleanup of existing landfills, curbside recycling, are probably the most important public outreach programs taking place (EPA). Technology Transfer- the EPA has also helped with the development of a geographic information system (GIS), this system helps to track different trends that occur over time. The GIS is a computer-based mapping system that over time will store and track other environmental information that identifies pollution source and tracks it over time. This system will help the public become more informed and promote better decision making (EPA). The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Manage ment Project is yet one more idea that is hoped to assist different storage areas of nuclear material in a quick-turnaround of radiochemistry data in case of any future leaks and potential disasters. To be able to assist such tracking a mobile radioecology laboratory was created by the EPA along with the United Nations Development Program and USAID, have provided the Ukraine with possibly one of the world’s best equipped mobile radiation monitoring laboratories. This lab is monitored by both the EPA project team and Ministry officials have since been conducting on-site contamination assessments of potential public health threats all around the country (EPA).

10 Argumentative Essay Topics on Confucianism

10 Argumentative Essay Topics on Confucianism If you are writing an argumentative paper on Confucianism then you must ensure that each argument or claim you make is supported with evidence. This is best done by having facts, anecdotes, or statistics to help you. Of course, given the complexity of the topic, in most cases have evidence in the form of stories or anecdotes from the teachings of the master or history books about him and Confucianism are sufficient. That being said, below is a list of intriguing facts on Confucianism that you can use for your next writing: Confucianism is a philosophy that was birthed in China. This philosophy focuses on improving and perfecting humanity through teaching, as well as the cultivation of virtue and moral perfection. Judaism is the parent religion of Christianity and is the official faith of the Jewish people. Judaism can be traced back more than 3,000 years and is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. Like Islam, Judaism touches on every aspect of a person’s life, depending on their type of Judaism- reformed, orthodox, or conservative. Confucianism has ancient roots to China, but has been shared across Vietnam, Japan, and Korea who were each heavily influenced by Chinese culture. The ideology was used by many empires to legitimize their rule throughout areas of Eastern Asia. Of course, the term is also one applied to the notion of respect for elders or to the practice of worshipping ancestors. Those who study the ancient tests for Confucianism are called â€Å"ru†. The master of Confucianism was Confucius himself, whose name was actually Kong. Kong had many conversations with his disciples and added some sayings through conversations which were brought together to help support guidance for the followers of Confucianism. The text that combines the sayings from Kong portray him as a mentor as well as a patron for those younger males who wanted to serve the government. These men were typically located in the state of Lu, from between 510 and 479 B.C. It is said that the questions these young males had and the answers they received were what drove the concept of the learning in Confucianism. In fact, it was the master himself who stated that he simply loved learning and that he transmitted wisdom to others from the past. He also stated that he learned from his students in a continuous learning process. This learning process was considered spiritual, practical, and intellectual. Within the idea of Confucianism, learning is an essential step toward knowing. And once you know, you can do. And once you can do, you can enjoy spiritual fulfillment, something which is actually the essence of learning. This is what created the continuous process of learning, something which was meant to be an alternative to the corruption of power and wealth. The disciples of Confucius, after his death, attempted to maintain his learning standards. The concepts of Confucianism supported the North China Plains warriors. It was stated that the world of the spirits and the world of men are two different worlds, but mutual intervention and communication between the two worlds was possible through oracles or shamans. Warriors of this time had to use sacrificial rites known as li in order to mollify the spirits and to prevent them from interfering the affairs of the men. Prior to Confucius, astrology was used as an indication of the movement for the spirits. The ideas and knowledge transmitted by Confucius were written in Zhou texts. The ideas of Confucianism remained in Lu until Mencius during 371 to 289 B.C. A change to the ruling class took place when the different states were at war with one another, and with the borders changing, conscription taking place, and direct taxation being implemented, scholars were invited from around the known areas of the world to help develop the states. During this time of discourse is when Mencius received the teachings of the early Confucianism rituals and duties. It was during this warning time period that the way between heaven and earth were discussed. In fact, it was Mencius who stated that one level of heaven was for kings and rulers while the other was for gentlemen. In 221, the Qin conquest was complete and another political shift took place under the Han imperial rule. The title of emperor came of use and the ruler was now seen as an explainer of the cosmos and the yin and yang. It was claimed that each area of the cosmos resonated with the changes that took place in the others. Small climate, production, or administrative policies related to bigger processes. The texts of Confucianism were studied during this time in order to improve the current understanding of the heaven, the earth, and human scientists. It was Dong Zhongshu who has given credit for reviving the Confucianism texts at this time. This period is now referred to as â€Å"Han Confucianism†. Five Classics were crafted based on interpretations of Confucianism. These five classics were called the â€Å"new texts† and they replaced the â€Å"old texts† of Confucianism. This version of Confucianism spread from China to Korea and Japan. This model resonated well with many families in both areas but division did not take place among the imperial states until the 11th century during which time the Western scholars see socio-intellectual trends arise among the East Asian followers, something that led to the development of Neo-Confucianism. Nativists preferred the moral learning that was taught in Confucianism and the creation of woodblock printing allowed for larger private academies to develop around other beliefs such as Buddhism and Daoism. It was Zhu Xi who is credited with bringing together the trends of the time period in his writings. He focused on the new movement of cosmology and Confucianism. He also explored the shift toward the investigation of all things, or the great learning that everyone used to garner self-cultivation as well as world peace. It was in 1868 that the Japanese leaders put into effect a national state religion and demanded loyalty of the Chinese and Korean subjects in terms of Confucianism. Moderates tried to combine current social order and education with Confucianism for the Qing Empire. These facts will be your life buoy during writing your assignment. But that’s not all we can propose: look through sample topics on Confucianism and a writing guide on an argumentative essay; they will be great assistants for your paper writing. References: Cline, Erin M. Justice And Confucianism.  Philosophy Compass  9.3 (2014): 165-175. Web. Confucius., et al.  The Wisdom Of Confucius. New York: Modern Library, 1994. Print. Foust, Mathew A. Confucianism And American Pragmatism.  Philosophy Compass  10.6 (2015): 369-378. Web. Goldin, Paul Rakita.  Confucianism. Durham: Acumen, 2011. Print. Hoobler, Thomas, and Dorothy Hoobler.  Confucianism. New York: Facts on File, 1993. Print. Tan, Sor-hoon. Democracy In Confucianism.  Philosophy Compass  7.5 (2012): 293-303. Web. í™ ©Ã¬â€ž ±Ãª ·Å",. The Review Of Integration Possibility About Confucious And Mozis Feature Of Justice And Benefit.  journalofmoralethicseducation  null.33 (2011): 183-204. Web.

Indefinite Articles When to Use An Instead of A - Proofeds Writing Tips

Indefinite Articles When to Use An Instead of A - Proofeds Writing Tips Indefinite Articles: When to Use An Instead of A The problem with the English language is that it rarely sticks to its own rules. This can be confusing when it comes to ensuring high grammatical standards. The indefinite article, for example, can be either â€Å"a† or â€Å"an† depending on the situation. And while this is probably a word you use on a daily basis without even thinking about it, it is still one that many people find confusing. Why Are There Two Versions of This Word? There are two versions of the indefinite article in English because it is easier to pronounce â€Å"an† than â€Å"a† when it comes before a word beginning with a vowel. Using â€Å"an† separates the article from the following noun, so â€Å"an office† is correct but â€Å"a office† would sound wrong to most people. The general rule is to use â€Å"an† before words beginning with vowels and â€Å"a† before words beginning in consonants. But, as with most rules, there are exceptions to this, which is where things get tricky. Hard Vowels One important exception is words beginning with hard vowels. This includes any word that starts with a vowel but sounds like it doesn’t, such as â€Å"university† or â€Å"Europe.† Although these words start with â€Å"u† and â€Å"Eu† respectively, they are pronounced with a â€Å"you-† sound at the beginning. For instance, it is â€Å"you-niversity† rather than â€Å"oo-niversity.† In cases like this the word should be preceded with â€Å"a† rather than â€Å"an,† as in the following example: The koala lived in a eucalyptus tree Correct The koala lived in an eucalyptus tree Incorrect Soft Consonants Another issue that many find confusing is whether to use â€Å"an† before words starting with â€Å"h.† This is, in fact, much simpler to resolve in American English than in other English speaking countries, where words like â€Å"historical† and â€Å"heroic† are sometimes pronounced with a silent â€Å"h.† In Britain, for example, you might meet people who write â€Å"an hotel† rather than â€Å"a hotel.† But in the US this is very rare. If in doubt, the key again lies in the pronunciation. Do you pronounce the â€Å"h† at the start of the word? If so use â€Å"a†; if not use â€Å"an.† For example: There was a house on a hill Correct There was an house on an hill Incorrect Basil is an herb commonly used in Italian cuisine Correct Basil is a herb commonly used in Italian cuisine Incorrect In summary, if you’re ever confused about whether to use â€Å"a† or â€Å"an† in your writing, try reading it out loud; if it starts with a consonant sound, use â€Å"a,† while words which start with a vowel sound need â€Å"an.† And if ever you see a horned horse flying a rotary aircraft, remember that it’s â€Å"a unicorn piloting a helicopter† and not â€Å"an unicorn piloting an helicopter.† You’ll find more helpful grammar tips on our academic blog, while if you’d like to have your work checked by one of our expert proofreaders here at Proofed we offer a variety of services to meet your specific requirements.

Characteristics Of Major Agro Ecological Zones Environmental Sciences Essay

Characteristics Of Major Agro Ecological Zones Environmental Sciences Essay Africa is a very large continent with extremely wide range of soils (Bationo et al., 2006). The soils range from shallow with meager life-sustaining capacities to deeply weathered profiles that recycle and support large biomass. In many parts of Africa, inappropriate land use, poor management and lack of inputs have led to soil erosion, salinization and loss of vegetation resulting in a decline of agricultural productivity (Bationo et al., 2006). In Africa and particularly Southern Africa, the most limiting factor to agricultural productivity is soil fertility (Ramaru et al., 2000). Soil fertility is defined as a condition of the soil that enables it to provide nutrients in adequate amounts and in proper balance for the growth of specified plants when other growth factors, such as light, water, temperature, and physical, chemical and biological conditions of soil, are favorable (van der Watt and van Rooyen, 1995). Large areas of sub-Saharan African (SSA) soils, in particular, are af fected by various types of degradation, including fertility decline (FAO, 2001). Soil fertility decline is a deterioration of chemical, physical and biological soil properties. The main contributing processes, besides soil erosion, are: decline in organic matter and soil biological activity; degradation of soil structure and loss of other soil physical qualities; reduction in availability of major nutrients (N, P, K) and micro-nutrients; and increase in toxicity, due to acidification or pollution (FAO, 2001). Soils in most of SSA have inherently low fertility and do not receive adequate nutrient replenishment (FAO, 2001). The SSA has the lowest mineral fertilizer consumption, about 10 kg nutrients (N, P2O5, K2O)/ha per year, compared to the world average of 90 kg, 60 kg in the Near East and 130 kg/ha per year in Asia (Stoorvogel and Smaling, 1990). Agricultural growth in sub-Saharan African countries slightly increased over the past three decades, although not in line with the high population growth rate (FAO, 2001). Food production per capita in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has declined since the 1970s, in contrast with the increase in Asia and South America (Figure 1.1). Soil productivity in SSA is also constrained by aridity (low rainfall) and acidity (FAO, 2001) (Table 1.1). South Africa has to face high population growth, poverty, accelerated soil degradation and increasing pressure on land (FAO, 1999b) (Table 1.1). Depletion of soil fertility, along with the related problems of weeds, pests, and diseases, is a major biophysical cause of low per capita food production in Africa. This is the result of the breakdown of traditional practices and the low priority given by governments to the rural sector (Sanchez, 1997). The 1996 World Food Summit highlighted sub-Saharan Africa as the remaining region in the world with decreasing food production per capita (Figure 1.1). The worst levels of poverty and malnutrition in the world exist in this region (Sanchez et al., 1997). A team of scientists has identified declining soil fertility as the fundamental agronomic cause for declining food productivity in Africa. A â€Å"Soil Fertility Initiative for Africa† has been created by a group of international organizations including the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Center for Research on Agroforestry (ICRAF), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), International Fertilizer Association (IFA), and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Trading Infrastructure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Trading Infrastructure - Case Study Example The selection of the distribution channel depends on the market segment which the ceramics companies are targeting. The ceramic company must know the specific market segment and target customers it wants to get. Moreover, there must be a producer-distributor fit in which the two companies must complement their marketing policies, strategies and image. When the company sees fit, it may come up with an assessment of its previous performance of its experience and track record over the years. The wholesalers constitute a significant bulk of the ceramic trading operations carried out by well-established Australian ceramic companies. The wholesalers buy from the major producers and these companies sell it in small quantities to the retailers. These companies have also built their design and artistic excellence on ceramics products over decades of research and innovation. These companies ask foreign and local ceramic designers to constantly come up with creative designs with functional applications. Innovative styles are adopted and fusion of designs is also fostered. Hence, Australia's ceramics industry which combines European designs with Asian elegance is truly world-class. Only one major Australian company imports high-quality ceramics from the United States and the UK.( see www.countryprofile.com) The trading operations of the wholesalers are done both on a cash and credit basis. Wholesaler ceramic companies agree on specific banking and financial institutions to settl e their transactions. The ceramic companies engage in wholesale and retail trade of ceramics and ceramic-related products. Operations of wholesalers are highly flexible and the companies can deliver bulk orders with advance notice( what others offered serves). Note: This sentence means that only wholesalers can deliver bulk orders. The retailers and agents cannot since these have limited capital. This is the meaning of this sentence. Agents refer to Australian companies which cater to the international market. Ceramic agents have a high degree of international training and sales motives and performance. Agents can be run by a single individual or a marketing team. Example of international agents include Janet Mansfield, Aremco and Ceramic Solutions. Retailers are the small and medium scale ceramic businesses which are run independently by well-known resident ceramic artists. There are 300 registered ceramic retailers(.check the directory of ceramic suppliers of the Australian ceramic industry and tile council.) The retailers have a stronger personal relationship with the final end-users of the products. Retailers are able to carry a wide array of ceramic products. Retailers can offer credit for their customers. However, the outputs of these small ceramic businesses constitute less than 10% of the output of the entire industry( .(Please add up the revenues of the wholesalers which I placed in this article. Their output is much higher than the retailers.) These outputs are geared towards special individual collector's editions of a select group of ceramic collectors in Europe and in the US. The customary mark-ups for this industry ranges from 10% for retailers, 15% for wholesalers to 30% for highly specialized ceramic manufacture rs which caters to individual collectors (.This is the mark-up of similar export-based craft businesses similar to ceramics. Big producers

Early Childhood Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Early Childhood Education - Assignment Example A teacher who does not appreciate children of these ages may not have the patience to be effective and efficient. I do not think there were questions I would have worded differently. The questions were very direct. Based on her answers, the interviewee showed a very clear understanding of what was asked. She was able to tell me about her experience in teaching young children, how she coped up with their social and emotional needs, how she would manage a class smoothly and how she would incorporate cultural diversity in her classroom. I found her answers appropriate to the questions and informative about the type of educator she is. In this assignment, I was to act as a director who had to find suitable teachers for my very young impressionable students. As early childhood educators, I wanted to ensure the applicants were up to the task of shaping children at the most crucial stage of learning. The assignment was very rewarding because it made me realize how important our work is.

A Marketing Plan for Successful Market Entry Essay - 2

A Marketing Plan for Successful Market Entry - Essay Example Since demand for beauty soaps has augmented in the global context and LUX enjoys high reputation in producing beauty soaps, the essay will give evidences to stress on the fact that most competitive strategy of the firm is to launch a new anti-acne whitening soap in the existing markets. LUX is a company that has primarily engaged in production of beauty soaps since its inception in 1899. Though the company operates in almost all nations of the world, yet from its marketing audit, it is found that products of the company are at the declining stage of product life cycle. So, if the company desires to succeed in the long run, it must introduce appropriate marketing strategies in business. With the help of an appropriate marketing plan, the company would gain a clear idea about key marketing elements to be considered in its business and hence, be able to focus on desired business progressive objectives. The current report focuses on a marketing plan for the company. This plan would allow the company to frame productive strategies by virtue of which it would be able to successfully launch products in new markets and also improve quality of products in the existing markets. The marketing plan of the company would be a broader perspective than it simple business plan. Mor eover, this will also help the firm to comprehend problems associated with its existing marketing mix strategies. At this juncture, where giant multinational companies like, ITC and Palmolive, are competing with LUX on the global forum, role of a marketing plan for the company is indispensable. With the help of a marketing plan, LUX in the long run would become a profitable member in the business world. The aggregate revenues and brand awareness of the company would eventually increase. With the help of the plan, LUX would be able to effectively achieve its business

A guideline on the privacy of personal data stored on company-owned Essay

A guideline on the privacy of personal data stored on company-owned mobile devices - Essay Example In terms of maintaining company privacy, the company can use IT experts to track their employees. This is useful for knowing the location of employees at a particular time compared to where they are supposed to be. Employers sometimes allow employees to carry company-issued mobile devices such as iPhones and iPods. It has been in the news that iPhones and iPods are able to track the physical location of the person possessing them secretly. These types of devices can be used for business purpose and track personal information of the user blurs privacy between corporate information and personal information. This is because the devices can track personal location of the user and store it in unencrypted files found in the devices and on the owner’s computer. As a result, the organization IT experts can obtain this data from the employee’s computer according to Bidgol. This type of device is usually equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) that tracks the individualâ €™s location. This proves to a threat to personal privacy of employees and thus the need for organizations to come up with a policy and a legal guideline on the type of information to be gathered using such devices. For instance, there should be a guideline on maintaining an employee’s privacy when using a personal Smartphone while conducting company business. Employees need to know how much to share with organization clients when using either personal device or company device. Organizations further, need to consider the issue of transparency if they are determined to track physical location of their employees or get customers. This will involve informing employees about the policies on how to shield their privacy while using company devices or while conducting company business with personal devices. There is also need for organizations to equip their mobile devices with mobile payment system that will discourage employees from misusing the devices. IT managers have estim ated that employees often spend more than an hour every day on non-work related web services. These include online games, internet surfing, gambling and shopping among others. The downloading and storage of such personal data results in various internet based threats on critical company data stored in the devices misused. The threats include susceptibility to virus and worm attacks, malware infection, and hacking of private and restricted company sites and passwords. In most cases, this leads to the organizations taking tough measures of protecting their devices by installing GPS functionality that later hinders the privacy of the user. The advantages gained by organizations in having their employees work at different locations at different time brings out the need for protecting personal information used by employees while at work. For the same purpose, both the organization and employees should understand the limit and the technical control needed when using such mobile devices. T his includes the organizations coming up with policies based on technical control of their mobile devices to provide about the extent that the device as suggested by Garfinkel and Spafford (2002) can control the personal data of the employee. This may include providing a set download of a specific capacity before a using a personal device for connecting the network of the organization. An organization is required to draw a line regarding personal privacy infringement. Infringement of personal data occurs when the organization exposes personal information that may be a threat to their safety. In order to avoid this,

Lessons from the Titanic. How the lessons learned from the sinking of Essay

Lessons from the Titanic. How the lessons learned from the sinking of the liner Titanic can be applied to modern projects - Essay Example The sinking of Titanic in Atlantic on 14 April 1912 resulting in death of 1502 passengers is remembered as one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. The purpose of this dissertation is to review the historical project of constructing Titanic for operational use. The project also aims at analyzing the reasons from the perspective of project management that led to failure of this huge project of its time and applying the lessons learnt to modern day projects. The research on the subject is mainly based on extensive review of available literature, for which a variety of the references including but not limited to the internet resources only were consulted. In this dissertation two pronged approach was used for research methodology: technical investigation and project management. Titanic Project was studied and analyzed from the perspectives of both technical blunders and project management failures from its conception to operations. The technical investigation methodology aimed to find out the technical and operational reasons for the sinking of the Titanic. Project Management methodology used information from technical investigation to analyze the reasons of failures from the project management perspective and develop an analogy to modern Project Management practices and standards in an attempt to identify the actions that could have prevented the disastrous occurrence. From a technical view point, over confidence in the invincibility of the Titanic led to number of critical compromises like selection of inappropriate material for ship hull, height of bulk heads and changed engine configuration during the design and construction phase of the ship since the team believed that altering the original pans would not affect the safety features of the ship. Besides, compromises were also made during the testing phase of the Titanic where only partial testing was carried out trusting the track record of Olympic liner as excellent, which was not the actual case. From the project management point of view, the major element that was missing from the Project plan of Titanic was risk management. Much efforts were laid to precisely define the functional and nonfunctional requirements; however, more emphasis was laid on functional requirements on the cost of compromising the non-functional requirements. These compromises resulted in risks to the project which were neither identified nor planned for mitigation. Ignoring these risks during the design phase led to the sinking of the Titanic ship. Risk mitigating actions could include introducing double hull, compartmentalization and raising the height of bulkhead, and incorporating and balanced keel for such a large size ship to protect against the wave capsizing. Studying the successful projects can help project managers to apply the common experiences to the new ones, and learning from the failed projects can help to avoid the similar mistakes from recurring. In this report, less ons learned from failure of Titanic were analyzed in analogy with the modern project management practices and were studied for application to present day projects. Table of Contents Chapter Title Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Overview of the Project Titanic 1 1.2 Aims and Objectives 3 1.3 Scope and Limitations 6 1.4 Dissertation Layout and Approach 6 1.5 Summary 7 2 Methodology 8 2.1 Research Methodology 8 2.2 Key Research 9 2.3 Referencing Sources 12 2.4 Methodology for Analysis 13 3 Review and Analysis 15 3.1 Historical Facts

The Non-Smoking Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 27

The Non-Smoking Policy - Case Study Example These are the people who will be affected by the cost of healthcare that results from smoking. Smoking in the company will affect or harm the non-smokers in the company (second-hand smoking). Non-smokers will have to put have at the risk of smoking-related illness even when they do not smoke. There is a conflict of interest between the employees and the company as employees feel that random testing and smoking ban is a violation of their rights while the employers believe that the policy is for the benefit of the employees. There exists a tension between the rights of the employees and those of the employer. There are no rights that are being ignored, and no one is failing in his or her obligation. The policy is aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all employees (fairness) - to prevent second-hand smoking and first-hand smoking effects. The issue is an ethical issue arising here is whether those employees who are smokers are being discriminated in the workplace. The issue aris ing, in this case, is the cause of the tension between the rights of the employer and the rights of the employee. Â  The possible alternative to the status quo of the affected employees is quit working at Weyco Inc. and seek for a job at the other USA states where measures against smokers are prohibited. The alternative to the status quo of the company is to fire the employees who violate the non-smoking policy for as long as they do not violate the discrimination laws. To achieve a compromise, both the employer and the employees should arrive at a consensus on the way forward. For example, the employer will have to employ a wellness program that will reward those employees who make lifestyle choices that are deemed to be healthy as part of its occupational health and safety.

Lessons from the Titanic. How the lessons learned from the sinking of Essay

Lessons from the Titanic. How the lessons learned from the sinking of the liner Titanic can be applied to modern projects - Essay Example The sinking of Titanic in Atlantic on 14 April 1912 resulting in death of 1502 passengers is remembered as one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. The purpose of this dissertation is to review the historical project of constructing Titanic for operational use. The project also aims at analyzing the reasons from the perspective of project management that led to failure of this huge project of its time and applying the lessons learnt to modern day projects. The research on the subject is mainly based on extensive review of available literature, for which a variety of the references including but not limited to the internet resources only were consulted. In this dissertation two pronged approach was used for research methodology: technical investigation and project management. Titanic Project was studied and analyzed from the perspectives of both technical blunders and project management failures from its conception to operations. The technical investigation methodology aimed to find out the technical and operational reasons for the sinking of the Titanic. Project Management methodology used information from technical investigation to analyze the reasons of failures from the project management perspective and develop an analogy to modern Project Management practices and standards in an attempt to identify the actions that could have prevented the disastrous occurrence. From a technical view point, over confidence in the invincibility of the Titanic led to number of critical compromises like selection of inappropriate material for ship hull, height of bulk heads and changed engine configuration during the design and construction phase of the ship since the team believed that altering the original pans would not affect the safety features of the ship. Besides, compromises were also made during the testing phase of the Titanic where only partial testing was carried out trusting the track record of Olympic liner as excellent, which was not the actual case. From the project management point of view, the major element that was missing from the Project plan of Titanic was risk management. Much efforts were laid to precisely define the functional and nonfunctional requirements; however, more emphasis was laid on functional requirements on the cost of compromising the non-functional requirements. These compromises resulted in risks to the project which were neither identified nor planned for mitigation. Ignoring these risks during the design phase led to the sinking of the Titanic ship. Risk mitigating actions could include introducing double hull, compartmentalization and raising the height of bulkhead, and incorporating and balanced keel for such a large size ship to protect against the wave capsizing. Studying the successful projects can help project managers to apply the common experiences to the new ones, and learning from the failed projects can help to avoid the similar mistakes from recurring. In this report, less ons learned from failure of Titanic were analyzed in analogy with the modern project management practices and were studied for application to present day projects. Table of Contents Chapter Title Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Overview of the Project Titanic 1 1.2 Aims and Objectives 3 1.3 Scope and Limitations 6 1.4 Dissertation Layout and Approach 6 1.5 Summary 7 2 Methodology 8 2.1 Research Methodology 8 2.2 Key Research 9 2.3 Referencing Sources 12 2.4 Methodology for Analysis 13 3 Review and Analysis 15 3.1 Historical Facts

Famous Trial of Scott Lee Petersen Essay Example for Free

Famous Trial of Scott Lee Petersen Essay Born on October 2nd 1974 in San Diego California, Scott Lee Peterson, an American, was convicted of the murder of his 8-months pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son- Peter Conner. Â  Peterson’s parents were Lee Arthur Peterson and Jacqueline Helen Latham. Arthur was employed by a trucking company and later ventured into crate-packaging. Jacqueline owned the Put On boutique in La Jolla California. Lee Peterson was employed as a caddy at a golf course while schooling at the University of San Diego High School. The young Peterson was a golfer at school. He later attended California Polytechnic State University. Scott met Laci Rocha while working as a waiter at San Luis Obispo cafe as he was studying at California Polytechnic. Scott married Laci in August 1997. Scott and Arthur Peterson alleged that Phil Michelson was known to Scott. Arthur asserted that his son and Michelson were friends and that Scott abandoned his ambitions of being a professional golfer due to the fact that Scott couldn’t match Michelson’s prowess (Lee, 2004, 17). Mickelson said that he couldn’t remember Scott. Laci Peterson’s disappearance Laci was reported missing from their home in Modesto California on 24th December 2002 by Arthur Peterson. Laci was due to deliver on February 10th 2003. Scotts and Laci’s families, Scott and the Modesto community addressed press gatherings. A witness observed that Scott had initially said that he was golfing and later claimed that he was fishing at Berkeley marina when Laci disappeared. Laci’s and Conner’s bodies were discovered on different dates five kilometers from the place Scott was supposed to be fishing. Conner’s body was found on April 13th 2003 and Laci’s on April 14th. Peterson was not initially regarded as a prime suspect by the police mainly because Laci’s friends and family believed Peterson was innocent at the outset. Contradictions in Peterson’s statements later led police to grow suspicious of him. Petersons many extramarital affairs came to the fore on 17th January 2003, the latest being with Amber Frey, a massage expert. Frey sought police assistance when she learnt that Peterson was not honest with her since by lying to her about his marriage. Frey was suspicious of Peterson owing to the disappearance of his wife, the existence of whom he had hidden from Frey (http://crime.about.com/od/current/a/scott040718.htm). Laci’s family stopped presuming Scott’s innocence. The family was not incensed by the illicit affair but by Peterson’s statement to Frey that he had lost his wife and that he would be spending his first Christmas without a wife 15 days before Laci’s disappearance. Frey construed Scott’s statement to imply that he was a widower. The family was convinced that Scott had pre-planned Laci’s murder before her actual disappearance. Frey was recruited as a major witness against Peterson after she conceded to police taping of her subsequent conversations with Scott. The motive was to induce Scott to confess, an act he never did. Frey’ and Peterson’ phone conversations recordings were played at the trial and the transcripts made public. Peterson’s character was dented by the recordings which also deeply implicated Scott. It was adduced that Scott lied to Amber that he had traveled to Paris on holiday with his new partners Pasqual and Francois after Laci’s disappearance. However, Scott was actually attending Laci’s candlelit vigil at the New Year’s Eve when he had one of the conversations. Recovery of bodies A male fetus was found on 14th April 2003 on San Francisco Bay in Richmond’s Point Isabel region’s shoreline. The body had been washed ashore north of Berkeley Marina where Scott had been boating at the time of Laci’s disappearance. An incomplete female torso without feet, hands and head was washed ashore on April 15th in the same locality. The bodies were identified to be Laci’s and Conner’s but due to putrefaction autopsies couldn’t determine the exact time and cause of death. Laci had her 5th, 6th and 9th ribs broken before death, injuries not resulting from dragging of the body along the bay rocks. It was assumed that Laci had been strangled or suffocated in the Modesto home. The FBI and Modesto Police Department undertook forensic searches at the Modesto home, Scott’s tool box, Scott’s truck, his warehouse and his boat. The single evidence adduced was a single strand of hair presumed to be Laci’s on pliers found on Scott’s boat (Lee, 2004, 32). Peterson’s arrest Detective Taylor Burlingame arrested Scott on 18th April 2003 in La Jolla California at a golf course’s parking lot. Peterson alleged that he was due to play golf with his father and Zak O’regan, his brother, at Torrey Pines golf course. Several golf-irrelevant items were found on Scott at his arrest. Peterson had: 4 cell phones, $ 15,000 in cash, his family members credit cards, camping gear (knifes, food warming equipment, tarpaulins, tents, water purifier), twelve pairs of shoes, a gun, changes of clothing, a map to Frey’s workplace printed on the same day, a shovel, a T-handled double –edged knife, rope, Viagra, 24 packs of sleeping pills, and a brothers drivers license. Scoot had also dyed his hair and beard blond, but he alleged that the color resulted from chlorine after swimming at a friend’s pool. The said friend later asserted that Peterson had never used his pool or his hot tub. Police concluded that Peterson was planning to escape probably to Mexico (Posey, 2005, 50). The trial of Scott Peterson The Stanislaus County Public Defenders Office was assigned to be Peterson’s defense on Scott’s request. Kent Faulkner, Chief Deputy Public Defender and Maureen Keller, Deputy Public Defender, were the attorneys in the case. Later Peterson chose to hire attorney Mark Geragos as private counsel. Owing to mounting hostility to Scott and much media attention, Peterson’s trial was transferred from Modesto to Redwood City, California. The People of the State of California vs. Scott Peterson trial was opened in June 2004 with Rick Distaso as lead prosecutor. Amber Frey, the prosecution witness, hired attorney Gloria Allred, not subject to the gag order, to protect her privacy from the press. She held that Frey couldn’t confirm or deny Peterson’s guilty. Allred appeared severally on TV criticizing the defense thus displaying her solidarity with the prosecution (Graber, 1997, 5). Defense lawyers at Peterson’s case capitalized on the lack of evidence and quashed circumstantial evidence. They argued that Conner was a full-grown infant and suggested that somebody else had abducted Laci, detained her up to birth and dumped the two bodies. Geragos had Dr. Charles March to show that Conner died one week after the prosecutors’ time estimates. Â  The prosecutions’ medical team proved that Conner had not fully grown and that Laci and the baby died simultaneously. Geragos argued that a satanic cult had kidnapped the expectant woman. Peterson was viewed as an immoral person for cheating on his wife but not a murderer. One juror was eliminated earlier in the trial owing to misconduct and replaced by an alternate. This followed CourtTV’s complaint that Laci’s older brother, Brent Rocha and the juror exchanged words in court. Â  A video footage was shown to lend credence to these claims (http://crime.about.com/od/current/a/scott040718.htm). Gregory Jackson, a medical student and the jury foreman, was later removed on his request made during jury deliberations. Jackson could have asked to be removed because he was due for replacement although Geragos indicated that Jackson had been threatened. An alternate replaced Jackson. Peterson was found to be guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances for killing his wife and second degree murder for killing Conner on 12th November 2004. The trial’s punishment period commenced on 30th November and ended on 13th December. The twelve-member jury recommended death sentence for Peterson on 13th December at 1:50 PM PST (Scott, 2008, 7). The jury indicated that Scott’s behavior particularly his lack of remorse and his phone conversation with Amber after Laci’s disappearance pointed to his guilt. The sentence was based on the many circumstantial evidence details deduced from the trial. Petersons absconding of his duty to protect his family also earned him the verdict. Evidence The evidence was purely circumstantial. Peterson altered his looks to camouflage himself from the press and purchased a car in his mother’s name. A day after Laci’s disappearance, Scott subscribed to 2 hardcore pornography TV channels, a pointer that he was sure his wife would not return. Scott wanted to sell the family home and he sold Laci’s land rover. A United States Hydrological Survey hydrologist, Ralph Cheng also a San Francisco Bay tides expert, and a witness said that tides aren’t violent enough to drown person. Cheng also couldn’t explain how the bodies were transported and deposited. Peterson’s affair with Amber and the conversations they had was also evidence for Scott’s guilt (Scott, 2008, 9). Motives The prosecution surmised that Peterson killed his wife owing to his affair with Amber. Increasing debt and a yearning to be free from coming family obligations could also be one of Scott’s motives. Sentencing Judge Alfred A. Delluchi sentenced Peterson to death by lethal injection on 16th march 2005. Defense’s requests for a re-trial pleading juror misconduct and media meddling in the earlier trial were quashed. Peterson was taken to San Quentin State Prison on 17th March 2005. His case is on automatic appeal to the Supreme Court of California in Sacramento. Legacy A TV film starring Dean Cain was aired in 2004. Amber Frey published a book detailing her experiences with Scott Peterson in January 2005. Richelle Nice, a member of jury in Scott’s case, is one of Peterson’s correspondents in prison. Â  Conclusion Since Petersons trial was based solely on circumstantial evidence, rules of natural justice dictate that a retrial should be done to try to adduce concrete evidence against Scott. The failure to determine the exact time and cause of Conner and Laci is also a pointer that Peterson’s case was not conclusive. Scott could be suffering innocently in prison.

Underdetermination, Instrumentalism and Realism

Underdetermination, Instrumentalism and Realism Understanding Underdetermination in conjunction with realism and instrumentalism The present essay is about the understanding of under determination thesis in conjunction with the realism and instrumentalism. As we know that realism and instrumentalism are two opposite views in philosophy of science, so by explaining the two it would be much easier to grasp the concept of under determination thesis, which is one of complex doctrine. The intended audiences of this essay are science students and people who are interested to know about the philosophical issues in science. I divide the essay into four of parts. The first part explains the realism and instrumentalism concepts, second part explains the under determination thesis in detail and then the third part will state the views of different philosophers about three schools of thoughts. The fourth and the final part conclude the whole argumentation Realism The word realism in the dictionary means the tendency to view or represent things as they really are. [dic]. In philosophy of science it can be defined as â€Å"the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names†. It can be explained as an approach in philosophy that considers objects as they are in the universe as real things and their characteristics as a secondary thing. The advocate of realism are called realist and it is important to differentiate the realists. A person can be realist about the different kinds of things i.e. mountains, physical objects, numbers, universe etc. but in the case of a philosopher, it is required to specify that for what object/thing the philosopher is realist [book]. An American philosopher name Hilary Putnam stated that â€Å"A realist with respect to a given theory holds the following: What makes them true or false is something external that is to say, it is not in general our sense data, actual or potential, or the structure of our minds, or our language, etc. Furthermore he says that the positive argument for realism is that it is the only â€Å"philosophy that does not make the success of science a miracle†. [Book]. Generally, in science established scientific theories are treated as a true fact, but according to realist these theories would be treated as a successful explanation of the whole scientific process or its relation to an object, and not as a whole truth. [Book] An example is that sun, mountains, building etc. exists in this world, but the attributes like length, width, colour etc. are either dependent or independent of the environment. For example the sun is spherical in shape, so it is independent from any material thing of this universe. But in case of a building, its shape and size, all depend upon the person who designed or built it. So it can be said that reality is related to mind and environment. In general, Realism is supposed to be a term that relates to number of subjects i.e. ethics, aesthetics, causation, modality, science, mathematics, semantics etc. When we talk about the realism in the context of science then the intention is to elaborate the scientific realism which has a number of dimensions i.e. metaphysical, epistemological and methodological. Besides this it is also the truth that there is no single version of scientific realism which is being accepted by all the scientific realists. The doctrine of scientific realism states that â€Å" the world studied by science exists and has the properties it does, independently of our beliefs, perceptions, and theorizing; that the aim of science is to describe and explain that world, including those many aspects of it that are not directly observable; that, other things being equal, scientific theories are to be interpreted literally; that to accept a theory is to believe that what it says about the world is true, and that by continually replacing current scientific theories with better ones. Science makes objective progress and its theories get closer to the truth†. Realism has two schools of thought, first one is called Extreme realism, represented by William, a French philosopher; according to him â€Å"universals exist independently of both the human mind and particular things†. The second one is moderate realism and according to which â€Å"universals exist only in the mind of God, as patterns by which He creates particular things†. The main proponent of this view was St. Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury. According to epistemological view of realism, things exist in this universe, independent of our understanding or perception. This point is totally opposite to the theory of idealism, which states that â€Å"reality exists only in the mind†. By having a brief explanation of realism, instrumentalism will be discussed, which is the opposite view of realism and most of time called Antirealism. Antirealism is a doctrine that rejects realism, and includes instrumentalism, conventionalism, logical positivism, logical empiricism and constructive empiricism. Instrumentalism Instrumentalism is treated as a doctrine that states â€Å"theories are merely instruments, tools for the prediction and convenient summary of data† [Book]. In other words it can be defined as â€Å"concepts and theories are merely useful instruments whose worth is measured not by whether the concepts and theories are true or false, but by how effective they are in explaining and predicting phenomena†. The point is that in order to make predictions from theories, logic is required, so it can be hard to say theories have no truth values. In view of this instrumentalists admit that theories have truth values, but do not accept this argument that theories should be treated as accurately true. In view of this T.S. Kuhn said that â€Å"Theories may have truth values but their truth of falsity is irrelevant to our understanding of science†. [Book] In other words instrumentalism evaluates the significance of a theory with respect to empirical evidence and did not require the understanding of the actual phenomena. For example Newton gravity model is understandable and working fine, but it has no theoretical foundation [Answer.com] The another aspect of instrumentalism is that it relates closely to pragmatism and this point of view opposes the scientific realism because according to this, theories are more or less true in nature. Moreover, instrumentalism refutes that theories can be evaluated on the basis of truth. Theories will not be perceived as air plane black box which gives output on the basis of observed input. The point is that there should be a clear distinction between theory and observation that further leads to a distinction between terms and statements in each type. Like in science for statement of observation there is a specific meaning for an observable truth, for example if the litmus paper is red, so the observation terms have their meaning fixed by their referring to observable things or properties, e.g. red. Theoretical statements have their meaning fixed by their function within a theory and arent truth evaluable, e.g. the solution is acidic, whereas theoretical terms have their meaning fixed by their systematic function within a theory and dont refer to any observable thing or property, e.g. acidic. Though you may think that acidic refers to a real property in an object, the meaning of the term can only be explained by reference to a theory about acidity, in contrast to red, which is a property you can observe. Statements that mix both T-terms and O-terms are therefore T-statements, since their totality cannot be directly observed†. There is some criticism of this distinction, however, as it confuses non-theoretical with observable, and likewise theoretical with non-observable. For example, the term gene is theoretical (so a T-term) but it can also be observed (so an O-term). Whether a term is theoretical or not is a semantic matter, because it involves the different ways in which the term gets its meaning (from a theory or from an observation). Whether a term is observable or not is an epistemic matter, because it involves how we can come to know about it. Instrumentalists contend that the distinctions are the same, that we can only come to know about something if we can understand its meaning according to truth-evaluable observations. So in the above example, gene is a T-term because, although it is observable, we cannot understand its meaning from observation alone. The explanation of realism and instrumentalism above has provided us the capability to understand the topic with much insight. Now, I switch to under determination thesis. From the above discussion we have the knowledge that instrumentalism is related to pragmatism and this point of view is in contrasts with the scientific realism, which states that theories are often more or less true. Here, I refer to Quine, who said that theories can be underdetermined by all possible observations [23], and Newton Smiths, treat this as a threat to realism. He said, realism in his sense has to be rejected if there can be cases of under determination of theories. Under determination As we know that under determination is a thesis that is â€Å"used in the discussion of theories and their relation to the evidence that is cited to support them†.[1] Arguments from under determination are used to support epistemic relativism by claiming that there is no good way to certify a theory based on any set of evidence. A theory is underdetermined if, given the available evidence, there is a rival theory which is inconsistent with the theory that is at least as consistent with the evidence. Moreover, under determination is treated an epistemological issue about the relation of evidence to conclusions. Historical background The subject gets its first attention by Renà © Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician in the 17th century. He presented two arguments related to under determination. â€Å"While dreaming, perceived experiences (for example, falling) do not necessarily contain sufficient information to deduce the true situation (being in bed)†.[2] As we know that it is not always possible for a person to separate dreams from reality and the theory that what is real or dream at a certain time is underdetermined. The second argument of Descartess is called demon argument â€Å"which is a variant of the dream argument that posits that all of ones experiences and thoughts might be manipulated by a very powerful being (an evil demon) that always deceives. Once again, so long as the perceived reality appears internally consistent to the limits of ones limited ability to tell, the situation is indistinguishable from reality, one cannot logically determine between correct beliefs from being misled; this is another version of under determination†.[2] The second person who talks about under determination was David Hume, who does not use the word under determination specifically but an argument about the problem of induction. I will discuss the induction later in the essay while explaining the under determination types. The Under determination thesis gets the recognition in the twentieth century through the work of Thomas S. Kuhn, who is a famous theoretical physicist and philosopher. He was very much prominent due to his work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions that offered an alternative to linear models of scientific progress. According to Kuhn the under determination has a place to for argumentation against theories in the philosophy of science, and scientific realism. According to Khun the under determination can be divided into two types the weak and strong under determination. The both could be stated in the following words: Weak underdetermined is that the currently available evidence is not sufficient to prove the argument, but some evidence that will be available in the future might do this. Strong underdetermined is to claim that it is principally impossible to get evidence that could fully resolve the argument between the opponent theories. Besides strong and weak underdetermined theory there are two other attributes called deductive and inductive under determination. The two rival theories could be deductively underdetermined when the available evidence does not completely deny either theory. The theory is inductively underdetermined when theories are compatible with the available evidence, but still tries to determine, which theory could be a better failure A weak under determination can turn to a strong one if it avoids the attainment of future evidence that turns it into deductive under determination. A counter argument is that it is not possible for a theory to be accurately strong and inductive. In general weak under determination arguments are focused on the availability of evidence for an explicit set of theories, and strong under determination mostly entails common epistemological arguments that relates to the type of evidence and its viability for a particular or general theory. Furthermore, it is generally acknowledged that all theories are weakly underdetermined, but in case of some specific purpose all theories are strongly underdetermined. Explaining the types of under determination thesis, Ludan said that â€Å"for any finite body of evidence, there are indefinitely many mutually contrary theories, each of which logically entails the evidence†. So in other words it can be said that deductive under determination is under determination of selecting theory through a logical method. Finally, the term under determination as thesis is associated with two respectable names Pierre Duhem and W.V. Quine in philosophy of science, â€Å"that neither the truth nor the falsity of any scientific theory is determined by evidence†. According to Duhem-Quine Under determination is a â€Å"relation between evidence and theory. More accurately, it is a relation between the propositions that express the (relevant) evidence and the propositions that constitute the theory. Evidence is said to underdetermine theory†. From the above it can be said that evidence is not enough to prove the theory, belief or truth. Moreover, only the availability of evidence is not enough to make the theory a credible one. In view of this we can call the first argument a deductive and the second inductive under determination. Hence, according to under determination thesis, both arguments have required some definite epistemic proposition, and belief in a theory could not be justified on the basis of evidence. For under determination types, Duhem, also said that â€Å"logic alone cannot take us from the falsification of a prediction to a refutation of an isolated hypothesis. Importantly, deductive under determination does not mean that theory choice is underdetermined, nor does it mean that there is more than one reasonable conclusion given certain experimental evidence†. Up until now we have a basic understanding of the under determination thesis, so now I will discuss what realism actually is, the theoretical frame and the origin of the concept. Another argument against scientific realism, deriving from the under determination problem, is not as historically motivated as these others. It claims that observational data can in principle be explained by multiple theories that are mutually incompatible. Realists counter by pointing out that there have been few actual cases of under determination in the history of science. Usually the requirement of explaining the data is so exacting that scientists are lucky to find even one theory that fulfils it. Furthermore, if we take the under determination argument seriously, it implies that we can know about only what we have directly observed. For example, we could not theorize that dinosaurs once lived based on the fossil evidence because other theories (e.g., that the fossils are clever hoaxes) can account for the same data. Realists claim that, in addition to empirical adequacy, there are other criteria for theory choice, such as parsimony. In particular, it must not be confused with what Newton-Smith takes to be a minimal common factor among the wide range of philosophers who in recent years have advocated a realist construal of scientific theories. This common factor consists of the following theses: (1) Scientific theories are either true or false and which a given theory is, it is in virtue of how the world is, (2) If a theory is true, the theoretical terms of the theory denote theoretical entities which are causally responsible for the observable phenomenon whose occurrence is evidence for the theory, (3) We can have warranted beliefs (at least in principle) concerning the truth values of theories, (4) The historically generated sequence of theories of a mature science may well be a sequence of false theories but it is a sequence in which succeeding theories have greater truth-content and less falsity content than their predecessors. We may refer to (1) as the objectivity, (2) as the causality, (3) as the decidability, and (4) as the convergence of scientific theories. Newton-Smith uses the name realism for the combination of these four theses, and he also seems to hold that this is the standard use of the term. It is clear that theoretical realism in the weakest sense entails neither objectivity, nor causality, nor decidability, nor convergence. In particular, some theoretical propositions may be true even if no scientific theory as a whole is either true or false. Moreover, it is doubtful whether realism in Newton-Smiths sense entails theoretical realism. For example, if all theoretical propositions are false, then theoretical realism is false, but realism in Newton-Smiths sense might still be true. In any case, one of Newton-Smiths main theses is that realism in his sense has to be rejected if there can be cases of under determination. In particular, he claims that either objectivity or decidability has to be weakened if under determination can occur to give up decidability is what he calls the ignorance response (to under determination). This involves embracing the possibility of inaccessible facts facts concerning whose obtaining we could have no information. To give up objectivity is what he calls the arrogance response. This amounts to holding that if we cannot know about something there is nothing to know about. 36 Notice, that this holds only for under determination in Newton-Smiths sense, i.e. under determination by all possible data. It does not hold for the other kinds of under determination mentioned above. In other words, it is only when an underdetermined theory is empirically viable that we cannot know that it is true or that it is false (either because it is neither true nor false, or because we cannot know, even in principle, what its truth value is). In general, we cannot have under determination (of any kind) together with empirical viability, objectivity, and decidability. If a theory is underdetermined, we cannot know that it is true. This I accept. At first, it appears that Quine would not accept this. He holds that there may be two best total theories which are empirically viable and incompatible, but that we may know, at least in principle, that one of them is true and the other false. However, it seems that Quine is then using true and false in a non-realistic sense; according to him, to call a statement true is just to reaffirm it. He does not seem to assume that there is some objective reality, the world, such that the truth of a statement consists it its correspondence with this reality. Hence, presumably he would reject the objectivity thesis which is part of realism in Newton Smiths sense. Realism/Anti-realism Given the various epistemological difficulties (under determination, problem of induction, rationality, social forces), and the lack of a consensus on these issues, why should we think that our theories are actually describing reality? The apparently large gap between observational and theoretical knowledge inspires worry about realism Metaphysical difficulties come into play here as well—we do not have good understandings of the nature of laws and causation, explanation, so how can we claim that we are discovering the nature of the universe?