Becoming New Yorkers

Many changes happened in the world in the past years. One of the most notable modifications that are observed is the development of international relations that involves different countries around the globe. Almost every state are giving due importance in strengthening their diplomatic ties with other countries.This kind of practice only shows the increasing vitality of the interdependency and collaboration of each nation from another especially during this time of globalization. Another essential phenomenon that is also a clear implication of globalization is the immigration of the citizens of one country into another nation.There has been a dramatic increase in the immigration of people coming from developing countries to go to developed states in order to seek for greener pasture. Being the case, this kind of situation is also changing the very way of life of the countries that they go to. There are specific places in a certain country wherein the immigrants are concentrated. Due to the difference in cultures of the immigrants as well as the native born of the country that they went to, it cannot be prevented that an assimilation of culture will take place.Nevertheless, assimilation is most observable in the second generation of these citizens wherein an immigrant will give birth to her child in the foreign land and raise him or her with the values and principles of two different cultures. As such, the dominating existence of these immigrants will largely contribute in modifying the perspective of people with regards to different important issues in the place they are in. It can also reach a point that these second generation of citizens will create their own culture, which is a mixture of the way of life of their immigrant parents and the foreign country that they lived in.The phenomenon of immigration and the situation of second generation of this type of citizens are discussed in the book entitled â€Å"Becoming New Yorkers. † This book is a collec tion of the studies conducted by numerous researchers with regards to immigration and its effect in the certain places of a country were immigrants composed the majority of the population. Their study is specifically focused in the situation of New York, which is considered as one of places in the United States of America where immigrants are larger than the actual native-born citizens of the country.The methodology that the researchers use in the duration of the studies deal with qualitative case studies about second and â€Å"1. 5† generation immigrants in New York. 1. 5-generation immigrants are those people whose parents were immigrants but they were born or substantially raised in the United States (Kasinitz et. al, 2004). The participants of these studies are all young adults that are defining their path of life in a complex and often very tough city. Most of them considered themselves as very different from their immigrant parents.They work in various kinds of jobs and they have various educational opportunities. They view about race and ethnicity differently from their parents and they also have varying stand about important issues like love and marriage, relations with relatives, and the way to raise children. At the same time, only a minority of these young people considered themselves as â€Å"mainstream† Americans. In their everyday lives they have to establish a balance between the ideas of foreign-ness and native-born entitlement.It is a struggle between the statuses of an insider from an outsider. This eventually creates tension that is often referred to as the reason that makes them very much â€Å"New Yorkers† (Kasinitz et. al, 2004). In this case, it is vital that the concept of assimilation is discuss in order to understand the effects of immigration to the American culture and its citizens may they be native-born or immigrants. Assimilation is defined as the â€Å"process by which the characteristics of member of immig rant groups and host societies come to resemble one another† (Brown and Bean, 2006).It is also known as integration or incorporation. The process of assimilation has both economic and socio-cultural dimensions. It started with the immigrant generation and persists through the second generation and beyond (Brown and Bean, 2006). Social scientific observers that studied the last great wave of immigrants to the United States, which are largely European, assumed that assimilation was desirable and inevitable. Social scientists during the midtwentieth century perceived assimilation as synonymous to upward mobility.However, during the late 1960s, this idea was greatly debated because of the relation of assimilation with America’s loss of confidence in terms of the racial and ethnic problems that it brought about. It is at this moment that assimilation was greatly regarded as historically for â€Å"whites only† (Kasinitz et. al, 2004). Another issue that emerged with re gards to the concept of assimilation is the idea of â€Å"becoming American†. Critics of immigration believed that it is impossible to have immigrants that are 100 percent Americans and even their offspring cannot be considered as true Americans.On the other hand, the supporters of immigration believes that through time these immigrants will be able to acquire the American way of life and eventually forget and lose its ties with his or her native land (Kasinitz et. al, 2004). Similar with the arguments of the researchers of this book, I believed that it is indeed impossible for immigrants to become true or pure Americans. The recent developments in communication technology as well as the cheap cost of foreign travel even make it easier for immigrants not to lose their connection with their native land.In relation to this, I also believed that the process of assimilation indeed has its benefits and consequences. It is capable of creating conflict through the confusion of balan cing various cultures but it also creates spheres of cooperation that allow more people all over the world to relate and interact with each other. The outcome of the second generation’s assimilation is very difficult to foresee especially with the debate on the real meaning of assimilation in this present time.However, I deem that one thing is sure that assimilation will indeed produce cultural loses and cultural gains. References Brown, S. K. , & Bean, F. D. (2006). Assimilation Models, Old and New: Explaining a Long- Term Process. Retrieved December 19, 2008, from http://www. migrationinformation. org/feature/display. cfm? id=442. Kasinitz, P. , Mollenkopf, J. H. , & Waters, M. C. (2004). Becoming New Yorkers: Ethnographies of the New Second Generation. U. S. A. : Russell Sage Foundation.

Experiment on polytropic process Essay

Polytropic Expansion of Air Object The object of this experiment is to find the relation between pressure and volume for the expansion of air in a pressure vessel – this expansion is a thermodynamic process. Introduction The expansion or compression of a gas can be described by the polytropic relation , where p is pressure, v is specific volume, c is a constant and the exponent n depends on the thermodynamic process. In our experiment compressed air in a steel pressure vessel is discharged to the atmosphere while the air remaining inside expands. Temperature and pressure measurements of the air inside the vessel are recorded. These two measurements are used to produce the polytropic exponent n for the expansion process. Historical background Sadi Carnot (1796-1832) [1] in his 1824 â€Å"Reflections on the Motive Power of Heat and on Machines Fitted to Develop This Power,† examines a reciprocating, piston-in-cylinder engine. Carnot describes a cycle applied to the machine appearing in Figure 5.1, which contains his original sketch. In this figure air is contained in the chamber formed by the piston cd in the cylinder. Two heat reservoirs A and B, with temperature greater than temperature , are available to make contact with cylinder head ab. The reservoirs A and B maintain their respective temperatures during heat transfer to or from the cylinder head. Carnot gives the following six steps for his machine: 1.The piston is initially at cd when high-temperature reservoir A is brought into contact with the cylinder head ab. 2.There is isothermal expansion to ef 3.Reservoir A is removed and the piston continues to gh and so cools to . 4.Reservoir B makes contact causing isothermal compression from gh to cd. 5.Reservoir B is removed but continual compression from cd to ik causes the temperature to rise to . 6.Reservoir A makes contact, isothermally expanding the air to cd and thus completing the cycle. A decade later Clapeyron [2] analyzed Carnot’s cycle by introducing a pressure-volume, p-v diagram. Clapeyron’s diagram is reproduced next to Carnot’s engine in Figure 5.1. Claperon labels his axes y and x, which correspond to pressure and volume, respectively. We will examine two process paths in this diagram: the isothermal compression path F-K and the isothermal expansion path C-E. Since both of these processes are isothermal, pv = RT = constant. This is a special case of the polytropic process , where, for the isothermal process, n = 1, so we have the same result, pv = c. Figure 5.1 Left sketch: Carnot’s engine, after Carnot [1]. Right sketch: Clapeyron’s pressure-volume, p-v diagram, after Clapeyron [2]. For the axes in Clapeyron’s diagram x = v and y = p. The Experiments Photographs of the equipment appear in Figures 5.2 and 5.3, and a sketch of the components appears in Figure 5.4. steel pressure vessel discharge valves thermocouple conduit pressure transducer Figure 5.2 The polytropic expansion experiment at Cal Poly. thermocouples thermocouple conduit Figure 5.3 Two, Type-T thermocouples are located inside the pressure vessel, at the geometric center. Only one thermocouple is used – the other is a spare. In the photo the thermocouple conduit has been removed and held outside of the vessel. The junctions of these thermocouples are constructed of extremely fine wires (0.0254mm diameter) that provide a fast time response. Figure 5.4 The polytropic expansion experiment equipment. Pressure measurements come from the pressure transducer tapped in to the pressure vessel shown in Figure 5.4. The transducer is powered by the unit labeled â€Å"CD23†, which is a Validyne [3] carrier demodulator. The fine wire thermocouple is described in the Figure 5.3 caption. Both thermocouple and pressure signals feed into an Omega [4] flatbed recorder. The three discharge valves on the right side of the vessel have small, medium, and large orifices. These orifices allow the air inside the vessel expand at three different rates. The pressure vessel is first charged with the compressed air supply. This causes the air that enters the vessel to initially rise in temperature. After a few minutes the temperature reaches equilibrium at which time one of the discharge valves is opened. Temperature and pressure are recorded for each expansion process. These data are then used to compute the polytropic exponent n for each process. It is important to note that the temperature and pressure of the air inside the vessel are measured, not the air discharging from the vessel. Data Pressure and temperature data, for the three runs, are provided in the EXCEL file â€Å"Experiment 5 Data.xls.† Analysis In many cases the process path for a gas expanding or contracting follows the relationship (5.1) The polytropic exponent n can theoretically range from . However, Wark [5] reports that the relation is especially useful when . For the following simple processes the n values are: isobaric process (constant pressure)n = 0 isothermal process (constant temperature)n = 1 isentropic process (constant entropy)n = k ( k=1.4 for air) isochoric process (constant volume)n = ï‚ ¥ In our experiment the steel pressure vessel is initially charged with compressed air of mass . Next, the vessel is discharged and the remaining air mass is . This final mass was part of the initial mass and occupied part of the volume of the vessel at the initial state. Thus expanded within the vessel with a corresponding change in temperature and pressure. Therefore mass can be considered a closed system with a moving system boundary and the following form of the first law of thermodynamics applies (5.2) If the system undergoes an adiabatic expansion , and if the work at the moving system boundary is reversible. Furthermore, if we consider the air to be an ideal gas with constant specific heat. With these considerations the first law reduces to (5.3) Using the ideal gas assumption and differentiating this equation gives (5.4) Substituting Equation 5.4 into 5.3 and using the relationships and gives Separating variables and integrating this equation, , yields (5.5) which is a special case of the polytropic relationship given by Equation 5.1, with n = k. It is important to note that in the development of Equation 5.5 the expansion of inside the pressure vessel was assumed to be reversible and adiabatic, i.e. an isentropic expansion. In our experiment the adiabatic assumption is accurate during initial discharge. However, the reversible assumption is clearly not applicable because the air expands irreversibly from high pressure to low pressure. Therefore we anticipate our data to yield . Two approaches are used to determined the polytropic exponent n from the data: 1. Equation 5.1 can be written as , which is a power law equation. In EXCEL, a plot of p versus v and a power law curve fit using TRENDLINE will disclose n. 2. Equation 5.6 (subsequently developed) may be used with only two states to determine n. Here is the outline of the development of Equation 5.6. We start with , which also can be expressed as and combine this with the ideal gas law to obtain (5.6) The temperatures and pressures in Equation 5.6 are all absolute and the subscripts 1 and 2 represent the initial and final states. Required 1. Pressure and temperature data are provided for all three runs in â€Å"Experiment 5 Data.xls.† Use the ideal gas law, pv = RT, to compute v corresponding to each p. Use SI units: m3/kg for v and Pa for p. 2. Plot p versus v and find n: For each run, on a separate graph, plot p [on the ordinate (vertical) axis] versus v [on the abscissa (horizontal) axis]. Use linear scales. Determine the polytropic exponent n for each run using a TRENDLINE power curve fit. Also find the correlation coefficient for each curve. (Be aware that the TRENDLINE power curve fit will give , where y = p, x = v and a and b are constants.) Plot all three runs on a single graph and find n for the combined data. 3. Derive Equation 5.6. 4. Find n for each run using Equation 5.6, where states 1 and 2 represent the beginning and ending states, respectively. 5. In a single table show all of the n values. 6. Discuss the meaning of your n values, that is, how does your n value compare with n values for other, known processes? Nomenclature c constant, N m specific heat constant pressure, kJ/kg K specific heat constant volume, kJ/kg K k specific heat ratio, dimensionless n polytropic exponent, dimensionless p absolute pressure, Pa or psia Q heat transfer, kJ R gas constant, kJ/kg K (Rair = 0.287 kJ/kg ·K) T temperature,  °C or K U internal energy, kJ v specific volume, m3/kg V volume m3 W work, kJ Subscripts 1,2 thermodynamic states References 1. Carnot, S., â€Å"Rà ©flexions sur la puissance motive du feu et sur les machines propres à   dà ©velopper cette puissance,† Paris, 1824. Reprints in Paris: 1878, 1912, 1953. English translation by R. H. Thurston, â€Å"Reflections on the Motive Power of Heat and on Machines Fitted to Develop This Power,† ASME, New York, 1943. 2. Clapeyron, E., â€Å"Memoir on the Motive Power of Heat,† Journal de l’École Polytechnic, Vol. 14, 1834; translation in E. Mendoza (Ed.) â€Å"Reflections on the motive Power of Fire and Other Papers,† Dover, New York, 1960. 3. Validyne Engineering Sales Corp., 8626 Wilbur Avenue, Northridge, CA. 91324 http://www.validyne.com/ 4. OMEGA Engineering, INC., One Omega Drive, Stamford, Connecticut 06907-0047 http://www.omega.com/ 5. Wark, K. Jr. & D.E. Richards, Thermodynamics, 6th Ed, WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1999.  © 2005 by Ronald S. Mullisen Physical Experiments in Thermodynamics Experiment 5

Culture of India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture of India - Essay Example Religion plays a major role in the way of life of a people. In addition to the fact that it is the second most populous country in the world brings with it a number of challenges when it comes to intercultural communication (Samovar, Porter and McDaniel 13). Cultures have individual perceptions of society, and norms and values affect the manner in which people of varying cultures communicate and understand the world. Inability to understand the difference in culture may cause misunderstanding or hinder communication between people of varying culture. The culture of India is one of the most unique since there is cultural diversity throughout the country. The North, south, and Northeast have unique cultures and their combination has led to development of the Indian culture. It is vital to note that tourism is the most apparent method of intercultural meetings since people of diverse cultures travel to far away lands such as India to learn different cultures. There is normally a difficulty in intercultural communication not only because of the difference in language but also because of the varying attitudes of people of varying culture (Chen and Starosta 9). Through speech humans are able to communicate with each other and to do so they use language. Humans use systems of symbolic communication to pass across messages and the variety in language makes human communication very complex. Language is the most important tool for the transmission of various cultures. It is also the greatest barrier of communication between individuals of different cultures. In India, different states have various official languages identified by the central government. For example east India speaks Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali. India has a wide variety of language but the Central government decided that Hindi was the official language. English is considered globally as the language most understood. However, different cultures speak the language

Instructional Planning and Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Instructional Planning and Strategies - Essay Example This type of strategy helps the students to learn more effectively by communicating with each other and do their work with a little fun with their friends. In group assignments students take active participation in the tasks that has been assigned to them. This strategy also encourages the students to teach other students of their group who are little weaker in their studies. (Goleman, D. 1998) Another type of strategy that is been commonly practiced is Collaborative Strategy. This is a type of strategy which is used for broader groups or large groups. This strategy is used for the interactions of larger groups to communicate with each other. In classroom environment this type of strategy is not suitable because in classes the group formation is smaller. This strategy is useful for making school communities, discussion group of faculty and students of school and other broader groups which have much complicated issues to discuss with each other. (Goleman, D. 1998) The Strategy that I have chosen to implement in the classroom is Co-Operative Instructional Strategy. The reason why I chosen the Co-operative strategy rather than collaborative strategy is that it encourages the student to achieve their tasks more efficiently and effectively because this strategy helps the students to achieve the common goals that have been given by the instructor. ... Students in groups also know that there success depends upon team work and every one has to try his/her best to achieve the desired result. It also provides students to learn with more well defined frame work from which they learn from each other in a group. (Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. 1998) The importance of Co-operative Strategy is becoming very fruitful now days. Many teachers are applying this strategy in classrooms to make students feel comfortable and enjoy their studies. Implementing this strategy also improve the self-esteem of students; students who have disabilities for learning also accept this type of learning style and their attitude towards the school eventually becomes good. (Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. 1998) CIRCUMSTANCES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY There are certain conditions that have to be followed for successive results while implementing Co-Operative Strategy. When applying this strategy the teachers must do careful planning and well preparation before going in classrooms. They have to brainstorm their minds that how they will implement the strategy and what would be alternatives regarding this approach if the implementation goes wrong. They should plan and prepare that how they will interact with their students in class and how will they make the environment of classroom more interactive Another condition is the proper formation of groups because if groups are not formed properly then the results of the strategy will not be appropriate. The instructor has to form groups in such a way that every one in the group feels good about their group members and every group has one or two members that are more intelligent then others so that they can teach the group members as well.

Three useful knots for camping (demonstrate) Essay

Three useful knots for camping (demonstrate) - Essay Example An example of shoe laces can be taken here when the laces are crossed against each other. Similarly another overhand knot is tied to put the left end of the rope over and under the right one. The ropes are pulled together to form a square knot afterwards (Filip 2013). Clove Hitch is another knot which is used to hold objects to where they are required. The object to be roped is first taken and the rope is passed beneath it to give it a wrap. The rope is then crossed for a second time to give the second wrap in the form of an X so that both the wraps leap each other. After that a third wrap is given and the end of the rope is put in between of the X. Both the ends are then pulled to give a Clove Hitch (Filip 2013). The last know is known as Bowline and is very helpful for the campers and mountaineers. The rope is first taken and a loop is made by the rope itself. The rope end is then put through the loop and then put again in the loop to align with the main end. The rope is then pulled to give a tight knot known as Bowline (Filip 2013). Tkaczyk, Filip. "Camping Knots for Wilderness Survival."Â  Wilderness Survival School | Alderleaf Wilderness College - Survival Courses. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

Historic Preservation And the Imagined West Assignment

Historic Preservation And the Imagined West - Assignment Example The researcher states that the book Historic Preservation and the Imagined West by Judy Morley reviews these districts and what their effect may really be on the local public as well as the tourist business that is created. There was much pain in the development of these districts, as well as the gains for the cities themselves. Albuquerque is a vibrant city that is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southwest. It is in the high desert with mountains all around. There are many personalities to the city and it has grown in such a way, through planning, that it is easy to move around in and for tourists is very well marked. There are many things to do when visiting and one of those in Old Town. The Hispanic presence in Albuquerque is part of the history, as is the presence of the Pueblo Indian tribes of the Navajo, Apache, and Southern Utes, to name a few. Many of these cultural differences have affected the way the city feels when you visit. Old Town is on Central and 4th Street s in what was the heart of the city. The city has grown up around it so that is no longer true; however, As you walk into Old Town you are immediately reminded of an old Spanish village with its wrought iron fences and its covered patios. There are flower gardens everywhere and outside establishments to have a cool drink in the shade. The irony of this is that the Mexican people who established the area was evicted from there homes in order to renovate the area as Old Town. Yes, it draws many thousands of tourists every year and millions of dollars are spent on expensive jewelry and restaurants but the cost was high in human living standards. The poor that used to live there now live in the areas around Old Town. Many of them live in abject poverty and the level of crime there is tremendous. Navajo jewelry, the real stuff, used to be sold off Navajo blankets in the square but now you can only buy Navajo jewelry and rugs in the shops along the veranda. Morley has tried to explain thi s to us in her book. Go to the internet and see Old Town as it exists today. They want you to believe that is the way it has always been in Old Town and of course what you see is what you get. However, underlying all that beauty and fun is the cost of the loss of homes and pieces of a culture as the changes began. The poverty and gangs in Albuquerque is tremendous with Albuquerque having one of the largest ratings for drive-by shootings and gang activities in the nation. At what cost has Albuquerque gained the riches of their history. Denver Colorado and Larimer Street are famous on the tourist's tour. First of all Denver sits in the high desert among some of the most beautiful mountain vistas available anywhere. It is growing and urban sprawl has spread up the sides of those mountains. It still, by tourists, and some of the residents are seen as part of the Wild West and certainly if you ever watch a western on TV you will see why. Larimer Street is the center of old Denver. It sit s on 1st street within the city. This part of the city originally housed a dry goods store, the first bank in the west, a bookstore, and the first post office in the west. Today, you would never know it. All the buildings have been renovated and it is full of beautiful shops, restaurants and nightclubs. It is remarkable to note that prior to the renovation it was very much like the Wild West. This is where the homeless and prostitutes hung out.

Production Scheduling and Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Production Scheduling and Control - Essay Example A simulation is a made-up world run by a user (student) within the conditions and parameters set by the programmer (instructor) (Saskatoon Public Schools). It is designed to allow students to think critically and practice their decision making skills with very minimal risks involved. The simulation offered an insight on the benefits that batching could do for a business, particularly a restaurant business like Benihana. Batching or letting clients in by groups or â€Å"batches† (Shim & Siegel, 1999) is greatly effective during the peak hours. This is so because restaurant space is maximized by having clients stay at the bar and wait to be seated until there are enough to be seated on a free table. Because of this practice, all the seats for a particular table are used and no excess space is wasted. When this happens, costs for running two to three separate tables are reduced because one table would be enough for two to three small groups of diners. In addition, clients would not wait too long, lessening the chances of them walking out of the restaurant. All these would eventually translate to higher throughput, or sales per hour (Meredith & Shafer, 2007). On the â€Å"human† side of the experience, clients get to meet new people as they may be seated with diners whom they do not know at all. Still, computer based simulation, particularly the Benihana simulation system, is a great way t o practice one’s theoretical learnings in operations management.

Failure of Shareholder Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Failure of Shareholder Value - Essay Example The present research has identified that despite its perceived role in stimulating business growth, shareholder value remains contentious in out-of-business quarters. Whereas the corporate executives’ penchant for maximizing the share price lacks any historical or legal basis, the refusal of shareholder value in a business organization may as well spell the end of the company’s operations. Regardless of the reasoning, Cole, Sturgess, and Brown have argued that there is no empirical evidence linking corporate focus on shareholder value to an improvement of the status of the economy and or the society. Shareholder value is said to have begun in the second half of the 20th century as an imperative control for managerial  excesses, but over the history, it has turned into a skewed, self-interested doctrine preferred by economists, finance managers, and over-paid corporate managers. According to Roth the supremacy of shareholder value has not yet been codified in law as th e most important priority of the corporate world. In most markets, business organizations can be established for any legitimate purpose. In fact, there is no corporate charter that supports the need to maximize profits or share value. Equally missing in law is the need for executives and company directors to be indebted to shareholders under special conditions. The executives owe a fiduciary responsibility to the business organization, which is an amalgamation of different stakeholders. The only exception is that shareholders are legally entitled to the corporation’s residual value upon the organization’s fulfillment of its other duties. Notably, company directors still have sweeping powers over the residual value, provided they are not channeling the money to their own pockets.

Web 2.0 Learning Essay Example for Free

Web 2.0 Learning Essay The original wiki, The Portland Pattern Repository (Portland pattern repository, n. d) was created by Full Name Cunningham in 1995 (c2. com/cgi. wiki? WikiHistory – reference properly – if there is no author use the title of the page The definition of a wiki is a webpage or set of webpages that can be easily edited by anyone who is allowed access (Edersbach et al. ,2006 ). The overriding goal of a wiki is to become a shared repository of knowledge with the knowledge base growing over time (Godwin-Jones, 2003). Chawner and Lewis (2004) noted that a wiki is an example of â€Å"social software†, â€Å"a type of software that makes it easy for groups of people to work in a virtual environment†. However, Viegas , Wattenberg and Dave (2004) indicate that wikis are vulnerable to malicious edits or â€Å"vandalism,† which can be a problem at may levels. However, Cych (2006) argues that acts of vandalism and mistakes are rectified quite quickly by the self-moderation processes at work (a couple of sentences expanding on this issue is needed here – if I were you I’d try and refer to something which discusses the accuracy of wikipedia against the encyclopeadia britannica). As an alternative to the global editing of wiki’s, restricting access to registered users only is often used for professional, work group wikis. One of the great features of a wiki is its capacity to be able easily editable. A wiki has the capacity to be able to be edited collaboratively rather the information presented in wikis have the option to be edited or added utilizing a very rudimentary mark-up computer code that would use a internet explorer or browser. Broken down, one page within a wiki is referred by many as a wiki page as compared to the entire set of wiki pages is called a wiki when taken into consideration (Cunningham Leuf 2001). Thus, it can be generalized that a wiki is a collection of information where contributors can contribute collectively and users can access freely information. This has been proven as one of the most accessible or effective web 2. 0 applications in providing accessible and affordable information to students and researchers. One characteristic of a wiki that has made it so popular in sharing and communicating information to students is its ease of usability. Students need not have a degree in computer science or web applications but rather just the passion of sharing intuition and a little bit of patience in order to learn the scripts involved in the programming. They are free and without any need for registration so that users need not have the need to register or pay any amount (Aigrain 2003). It also offers real-time editing and creation so it provides the opportunity for students, researchers and faculty with much needed time as they acquire, research, and provide information within the educational institution. To summarize, unlike blogs, Wikis tend to be more structured and flexible,and, while blogs can be highly personal, wikis are intensely collaborative (Godwin-Jones, 2003). Wikipedia Wikipedia is full blown example of a Wiki. Wikipedia is the pet-project of Wikimedia Foundation which is a non-profit organization that aims to provide encyclopaedia-type information to internet users. Wikipedia has then turned out to become almost a household name, with more than 8,000,000 online articles that is accessible in the internet and is presented in more than 250 languages (it is noteworthy that almost 2,000,000 of those articles are made in English). These articles are peer-developed, rather they are developed and continually improved by researchers, users and experts of a particular field in order to provide the most accurate and up to date information on a given topic/subject (Hinchcliffe, 2006). Currently, Wikipedia holds just below 610 million words which are approximately 15 times more than what Encyclopaedia Britannica holds in these books (Godwin-Jones, 2003). Because of its nature of being able to be written collaboratively by practically anyone that has something to contribute in the page, its fame and usefulness as a resource for information has steadily increased even from the start of its creation. Currently Wikipedia is within the top ten websites around the world that is being visited daily by users worldwide (Chawner Lewis, 2004). The name â€Å"Wikipedia† that was developed by Wikimedia is a combination of two words – Wiki which points to an online collaborative effort in creating an article or text and Encyclopedia (Godwin-Jones, 2003). But fame is without its critics. Because of Wikipedia’s astronomical rise and open nature, other people critical about these aspects have begun to look closer on wikipedia’s accuracy, precision with respect to how it is able to present information and reliability for users and researchers alike. Wikipedia has been constantly hounded with comments pertaining to high vulnerability of being vandalized and used for spreading wrong information that can be used as reference. However, because of its huge support from users, contributors and sub-programs have begun to address these problems (Chawner Lewis, 2004). In addition to this, there were studies conducted that focused on these two aspects of wikipedia and they showed that in general, Wikipedia’s instances of vandalism is rather short-lived and is as accurate as any other encyclopaedia, online or hard bound. Because of this it has won such prestigious awards as the Time Person of the year that focused on how Web 2. 0 technologies has furthered and practically galvanized online collaboration and collective effort throughout the world in order to produce scholarly articles for free.

Economic Theory Essay Example for Free

Economic Theory Essay The word economics is derived from oikonomikos, which means skilled in household management. The society is faced with the following economic problems a). How to what to produce with limited resources? b). How to ensure stable prices and full employment of resources? c). How to provide a rising standard of living both for now and future. The Classical School of economic theory began with the publication in 1776 of Adam Smiths monumental work, The Wealth of Nations. The book identified land, labor, and capital as the three factors of production and the major contributors to a nations wealth. In Smiths view, the ideal economy is a self-regulating market system that automatically satisfies the economic needs of the population. He described the market mechanism as an invisible hand that leads all individuals, in pursuit of their own self-interests, to produce the greatest benefit for society as a whole. While Adam Smith emphasized the production of income, David Ricardo focused on the distribution of income among landowners, workers, and capitalists. Ricardo saw a conflict between landowners on the one hand and labor and capital on the other. He posited that the growth of population and capital, pressing against a fixed supply of land, pushes up rents and holds down wages and profits. Thomas Robert Malthus used the idea of diminishing returns to explain low living standards. Population, he argued, tended to increase geometrically, outstripping the production of food, which increased arithmetically. The force of a rapidly growing population against a limited amount of land meant diminishing returns to labor. The result, he claimed, was chronically low wages, which prevented the standard of living for most of the population from rising above the subsistence level. Malthus also questioned the automatic tendency of a market economy to produce full employment. He blamed unemployment upon the economys tendency to limit its spending by saving too much. . Classical economists theorized that prices are determined by the costs of production. Marginalist economists emphasized that prices also depend upon the level of demand, which in turn depends upon the amount of consumer satisfaction provided by individual goods and services. Marginalists provided modern macroeconomics with the basic analytic tools of demand and supply, consumer utility, and a mathematical framework for using those tools. Marginalists also showed that in a free market economy, the factors of production land, labor, and capital receive returns equal to their contributions to production. This principle was sometimes used to justify the existing distribution of income: that people earned exactly what they or their property contributed to production An advocate of a labor theory of value, Marx believed that all production belongs to labor because workers produce all value within society. He believed that the market system allows capitalists, the owners of machinery and factories, to exploit workers by denying them a fair share of what they produce. Marx predicted that capitalism would produce growing misery for workers as competition for profit led capitalists to adopt labor-saving machinery, creating a reserve army of the unemployed who would eventually rise up and seize the means of production. Institutionalist economists regard individual economic behavior as part of a larger social pattern influenced by current ways of living and modes of thought. They rejected the narrow Classical view that people are primarily motivated by economic self-interest. Opposing the laissez-faire attitude towards governments role in the economy, the Reacting to the severity of the worldwide depression, John Maynard Keynes in 1936 broke from the Classical tradition with the publication of the General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money. The Classical view assumed that in a recession, wages and prices would decline to restore full employment. Keynes held that the opposite was true. Falling prices and wages, by depressing peoples incomes, would prevent a revival of spending. Summary Economic theories are constantly changing. Keynesian theory, with its emphasis on activist government policies to promote high employment, dominated economic policymaking in the early post-war period. But, starting in the late 1960s, troubling inflation and lagging productivity prodded economists to look for new solutions. Supply-side Economics recalls the Classical Schools concern with economic growth as a fundamental prerequisite for improving societys material well-being. It emphasizes the need for incentives to save and invest if the nations economy is to grow A Production Function and Labor Market Model Graph and the Date Production theory refers to the knowledge of what is permanent and normal in industrial production. There are two main types of production theories i. e. descriptive theory and normative theory. Descriptive theory has the knowledge about past or present production but does not much help for modifying it to correspond better to latest requirements. Examples are the academic and historical stud types. They are sometimes categorized in two types: extensive studies of a large number of cases, and intensive studies of one or a few cases. Normative theory of production consists of generally applicable knowledge and tools that can be used in the management of production, especially for optimizing existing production and planning new production.

Negative Aspects of IT on Social Communication

Negative Aspects of IT on Social Communication M2 Abuse of IT Now create additional blog pages that discuss the negative aspects of IT on social communication give examples and explanations using the headings underlined below please use your OWN words. Abuse of IT: Threats: This can range from hacking into someones computer to sending scamming emails designed to gather personal information. In many cases corporations and sell personal information for as little as 1p per person. This blog will explain different types of IT abuse and show examples of different real life situations. Cyber Bullying: This is the act of bullying or abusing a person using electronic devices such as a mobile phone, computers and tablets. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. One of the main problems with cyber bullying is the fact that it is consistent. Texts, emails and social network posts can be sent and uploaded at any time meaning the person be bullied cannot get away. With verbal and physical bullying the person can get away from it, buy staying in their home but cyber bullying is a consistent form of torture. One of the cyberbullying contenders is social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Once something is posted, it can be nearly impossible to remove as other people can screenshot it and then they will have it on their hard drive and can no longer be deleted. Cyberbullying has many effects on the person being bullied, these include: Drinking alcohol and using drugs Skipping school to avoid contact with the people bullying them Have lower self-esteem and get poor grades because of it Could lead to mental health problems In some cases, cyberbullying can lead to suicide. Cyberbullying has claimed many lives, such as the life of Hannah Smith 1999-2013. She was a 14-year old girl from lutterworth, Leicestershire, England, hanged herself in her bedroom on August 3rd, 2013. This is one of many cases in that people have ended their lives because of other people. The story tells us that this is a serious subject any should be reported instantly. Because people do not talk about it often ends badly but if you talk to someone it can, will be sorted, and can lead the bully in jail. https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/ Spam: Spam is a form of advertising that you will receive unwillingly. This happen because at some point you gave your email address away on online forums, new groups etc. A spam email contains fake information and links that ask for Credit or Debit card information and personal information. Spam emails also come as a phishing email that disguise themselves as banks. They do this to get access to card details to take money out of your bank account. Spam is typically used to promote inexpensive pharmaceutical drugs, weight loss programs, job opportunities and online gambling.   These can lead to lose of personal information that companies can sell on so more people get access to your personal information and then you will receive more spam and fraudulent emails. Botnets is an example of a spamming technique used to command-and-control servers which collect email addresses and distribute spam emails. There are many warnings and news reports about fraud emails. There is a case of fake speeding ticket from Manchester. The police warned the public about the scam aimed at stealing bank details from businesses across the country. The email would invite people to click on a link that shows photographic evidence of the offence. http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/spam http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/warning-about-bogus-8216-speeding-ticket-8217-email-claiming-to-be-from-greater-manchester-police-scam/story-29978636-detail/story.html Phishing: Phishing is a form of fraud in which the attacker tries to learn information such as login credentials or account information. Phishing emails can disguise themselves as official emails from banks to try to gather bankcard details to use. They send you to a fake copy of the official website. There is a large variety of new reports about phishing emails. There is a news report on the Mirror website about fraudsters send out fake court summons that when opened give the computer the virus called The Trojan Horse. This virus give the sender complete control over the computer from anywhere in the world and gives then access to a large amount of personal information. In another case, a man was jailed for a phishing fraud that was sent out to UK students to try to steal  £1.5m. Olajide Onikoyi, 29, of Hexagon Close, Blackley, Manchester, sent out emails asking them to update details on their students loans. He stole  £393,000 from 283 victims in total before he was caught. Phishing emails are as effective as they are http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/phishing http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/beware-cyber-fraudsters-sending-out-3114925 Denial of Service Attacks: This is a method of preventing a web server from providing a service by overwhelming it with so many requests that it is unable to cope. An example of this is that a criminal might try to blackmail a company by threatening to attack their website unless the company gives them money. In some cases, political websites are attacked as the attacker does not agree with the political view. Identity Theft: This is the fraudulent use of using other peoples names and personal information to gain access to loans, credit card numbers and other relevant information. This allows the thief to possibly take out loans and buy multiple items in your name which will cause problems for you as you could end up in debt. Gerald Barnbaum lost his pharmacist license after committing Medicaid fraud. He stole the identity of Dr. Gerald Barnes and practiced medicine under his name. A type 1 diabetic died under his care. Dr. Barnes even worked as a staff physician for a center that gave exams to FBI agents. Hes currently serving hard time. In this case the consequences were rather extreme however there are more extreme cases out there. The reported cases show us that this is a serious problem as unqualified people are pretending to be Doctors and other trained staff. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-siciliano/10-unbelievable-identity_b_5239159.html Bibliography: https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/ http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/spam http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/warning-about-bogus-8216-speeding-ticket-8217-email-claiming-to-be-from-greater-manchester-police-scam/story-29978636-detail/story.html http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/phishing http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/beware-cyber-fraudsters-sending-out-3114925 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-siciliano/10-unbelievable-identity_b_5239159.html

Lack of Reason in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shake

Lack of Reason in Shakespeare's Othello William Shakespeare presents the character Othello as an excellent leader in the play, Othello. The hero has strength, charisma, and eloquence. Yet Othello cannot reason. The battlefield and Senate are, at least in Othello, depicted as places of honor, where men speak truly. In addition, the matters of war and state are relatively simple; no one lies to Othello, all seem to respect him. He never even has to fight in the play, with the enemy disappearing by themselves. This simplistic view does not help him in matters of the heart. His marriage is based on tall tales and pity and his friendships are never examined; he thinks that anyone who knows him love him. Thus the ultimate evaluation of Othello must be that, although he leads well and means well, he lacks good judgment and common sense. This becomes most plainly obvious in his final two speeches, where even though the play ends properly, and in a dignified way, Othello never fully realizes or takes responsibility for what has hap pened. These two last orations of Othello are noble in speech and purpose, but lack comprehension. He uses the first to attack himself for his horrible deed; certainly this is the first reaction of anyone who has wrongly killed his beloved. He delivers condemnation upon himself with eloquence and anguish. The latter speech he gives in his final role as a leader, directing the men who remain about how to deal with what has happened and showing them he has purged the evil. In his initial self-loathing and remorse at realizing the truth of Desdemona's innocence, Othello is genuinely anguished. "This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, / And fiends will snatch at it." (V.2.325-326) It is clear t... ...this, Othello dies not as a tragic hero, but as someone destroyed by circumstance and evil. But the superficiality of his marriage and the fact that if he had only been honest to his wife and lieutenant he would have found out the truth point in another direction. Othello could lead, but he could not reason. Works Cited and Consulted Armstrong, Edward Allworthy. 1946. Shakespeare's imagination; a study of the psychology of association and inspiration. London: L. Drummond. Gardner, Helen. â€Å"The Noble Moor.† Othello Critical Essays. Ed. Susan Snyder. New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1988 Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice." The Signet Classic Shakespeare. Ed. Alvin Kernan. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1998. Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

About My Home Town Ooty :: social issues

About My Home Town Ooty The name Ooty is derived from Ootacamund, also popularly known as â€Å"Udhagamandalam or Udhagai† in the regional language. India is a growing Tourist destination. The southern most part of India lies the State of Tamil Nadu, the cradle of the Dravidian Culture, founded over 5000 years ago. This state is the home to some of the most ancient architectural beauties, sculptures and the natural beauties of which Ooty is one among them. In 1821 a batch of British soldiers discovered Ooty. The gusty evenings, the cold nights, the grassy downs, the hills and dales gripped the imagination of the British. They surveyed and mapped the hills and started filling in what they felt as missing parts of the landscape. Thus spacious Victorian houses, country-style churches and spruced gardens came into being. They even brought the English vegetation like cabbages, cauliflower, strawberries, raspberries and flowers like buttercups and rhododendrons. They built the first railway line in this area and made Ooty the summer capital of the then Madras Presidency. Before the arrival of the British Ooty was inhabited by Todas the tribal people who still inhabit the area, but only around 3000 remain. The picturesque and green Ooty, is located in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 2240meters above the Mean Sea Level (MSL). Ooty is the headquarters of the Nilgiri District. The temperature varies from 25 °c to 10 °c during summer and between 21 °c and 0 °c during winter. The best time to visit Ooty is between April to June and September to November. This hill station can be reached by rail and road. The nearest air port is at Coimbatore which is about 100kms from Ooty. The main tourist attraction in Ooty is The Government Botanical Gardens. The Government Botanical Gardens laid out in 1847, is the most beautiful jewel on the crown of the "Queen of Hill Stations". Well over 650 species of plants are in the garden and the fossil of a tree trunk believed to be 20 million years old is preserved here. The garden spreads over 22 hectares has lush green lawns, six sections comprising varieties of tree species, variety of ferns, fashioned beds, an Italian formal garden, flowering plants, house ferns, orchids and nurseries. It is indeed a great pleasure for me to reside very close to the Botanical Gardens. Visiting the Botanical Gardens was always a great pleasure and refreshment.

How to Communicate with Stakeholders Essay

Discuss each image crisis for Barclays. – Image crisis no. 1: ‘A world needs a big bank’ campaign vs. closing 170 branches in the UK. In 2000 Barclays launched a ‘Big’ campaign with the slogan: ‘a big world needs a big bank’. Barclays wanted to be seen as an ‘big’ bank by its important stakeholder groups. The adverts were slick and had received good pre-publicity, but it turned into a communication disaster. Because Barclays was spreading the word that is was a big bank, while closing 170 branches in the UK. Barclays started to lose more reputation when it was revealed that the new Chief Executive had been paid  £1.3 million for just 3 months’ work. The situation was further aggravated by the arrogance with which Barclays announced and justified the decision of closing all the branches in the rural areas. – Image crisis no. 2: ‘‘Children; do not pile up debts on your credit cards.’’ A nother image crisis occurred in 2003 when the CEO of Barclays, Matthew Barret, said that he did not borrow on credit cards because they were too expensive and that he has advised his four children not to pile up debts on their credit cards. Since Barclays is the biggest credit card company of the UK, the CEO stunned his customers with what appeared to be a similar vote of no confidence in his own product. – Image crisis no. 3: ‘‘Excessive risk taking’’ In 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis, a third image occurred. Many banks turned to the government for cash injections. Barclays, however, raised billions from investors in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The reason for this was that it would allow the bank to retain ‘complete control’ over running their business, like paying the bonuses to its top executives and investment bankers. Although some financial analysts thought it was a good move, Barclays was heavily criticised in the med ia for its excessive risk taking and for the remuneration packages given to its top executives and investment bankers. 2. What was the exact cause or event that led to each of these crises? Barclays did not succeed in integrated communication. The bank did not coordinate and align all communications so that the organisation speaks consistently across different audiences and media. For example: the corporate identity did not match with the things Matthew Barret told the public. Besides that, Barclays has the following value stated on their website: ‘‘Build trust with the colleagues and partners we work with’’, this value is in contrast with closing 170 branches without any dialogue with their stakeholder. Besides that the company did not show regret for closing all those branches, instead they played a very defensive role. By showing such an arrogant attitude and lack of remorse Barclays created anger within the public. The timing of the campaign was very unfortunate. If the campaign and the announcement of the closing of the branches did not happen at or around the same time, the campaign could have been very successful. Since it received very good pre-publicity. Matthew Barret did not realise that the media is a big stakeholder of the organisation. Anything that a corporate executive says in public can be held against him and can have a huge impact on the reputation of the company. The decision not to ask the government for cash injections became an image crisis because not only did they take an excessive risk, they wanted to continue with the enormous bonuses. The public probably felt Barclays had the best interest for their shareholders, not for their stakeholders. 3. What could Barclays have done to avoid these crises, or to anticipate the potential fallout? Barclays clearly did not manage very well with their communication under crisis. Because crises have the potential to Barclays Bank: how (not) to communicate with stakeholders damage an organisation’s reputation it is important that organisations anticipate and plan for probable crisis scenarios and prepare crisis communication plans. Instead of getting in the defensive mode as Barclays did with image crisis no. 1, they should have started an acceptance strategy. A tactic of apologising for the crisis and accepting the blame. Instead of being arrogant, they could have said that they are sorry for closing 170 branches and give an explanation. Barclays also should have started a dialogue. They should have announced what they were going to do and why and then let the public react on their announcement. And to create less anger within the public they could have announced some form of compensation or help to the employees who were going to be harmed by the closing of the branches. The CEO of Barclays should have had a media training. In media trainings is thought how to work with journalists by creating simulations. If he would have known how to behave and what to say around media, the second crisis would not have happened. A third image crisis would have happened anyway, because if they had chosen to get a cash injection of the government the public would also have been angry. Because they pay such excessive bonuses, it is not fair to ask they government and thus the taxpayers for an cash injection because they are short on money. They could have limited the image crisis by explaining the public the positive aspects of the fact they chose investors for money and not the government. Overall, Barclays should have an more ope n attitude to the public with room for dialogue. And not such an arrogant attitude.

Araby Interpretive James Joyce

Araby Araby is a short story about a young boy that falls in love that has little or no experiences on the subject he in turn gets to feel for himself some of the follies that come along with it. Firstly we see the awkwardness the boy demonstrates around his crush. This boy who remains nameless throughout the story we see follow around a girl and spy on her, this in my books isn’t a great way to get the ladies, but on the other hand he is just a boy and the story took place over one hundred years ago so I’m thinking this might have been ok back then so I guess I’ll give him a break.Next they finally meet late at night in a dark room by chance and the young boy is speechless can’t even remember what he says at first when the girl asks if he’s going to Araby, but he does vow on bringing something back for her. I’d say that’s reasonable, something I have done for a girl I liked, I have also been painfully nervous around a crush so I can r elate. Now he’s on a mission putting all the parts in play, he gets permission to attend Araby, then the promise of funding from his uncle to complete the task at hand to win his loves heart.He’s ready to go got everything in order but something doesn’t go right and his uncle comes home awfully late, but the boy pushes to go no matter what he’s made up his mind and he’s going something all of us can relate to at one point or another. Finally getting off the train alone he arrives at Araby, he makes is way to the market only to find most of the booths closed he approaches one but sees only English tea sets and pottery, shortly after that the lights go out and he stands there in the dark feeling angry and disappointed.I think he was just wasn’t mature enough to deal with the situation he was out of his element at Araby, he should be in church, school or playing, he’s too young to be concerned about this kind of stuff, but at least now h e’s learned a lesson that love its tough and things don’t always go the way you plan, we have all been there and it sucks and even though what happened to this boy is tiny on the grand scale of relationships it can still hurt.

Angels Demons Chapter 39-41

39 The Apostolic Palace is a conglomeration of buildings located near the Sistine Chapel in the northeast corner of Vatican City. With a commanding view of St. Peter's Square, the palace houses both the Papal Apartments and the Office of the Pope. Vittoria and Langdon followed in silence as Commander Olivetti led them down a long rococo corridor, the muscles in his neck pulsing with rage. After climbing three sets of stairs, they entered a wide, dimly lit hallway. Langdon could not believe the artwork on the walls – mint-condition busts, tapestries, friezes – works worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Two-thirds of the way down the hall they passed an alabaster fountain. Olivetti turned left into an alcove and strode to one of the largest doors Langdon had ever seen. â€Å"Ufficio di Papa,† the commander declared, giving Vittoria an acrimonious scowl. Vittoria didn't flinch. She reached over Olivetti and knocked loudly on the door. Office of the Pope, Langdon thought, having difficulty fathoming that he was standing outside one of the most sacred rooms in all of world religion. â€Å"Avanti!† someone called from within. When the door opened, Langdon had to shield his eyes. The sunlight was blinding. Slowly, the image before him came into focus. The Office of the Pope seemed more of a ballroom than an office. Red marble floors sprawled out in all directions to walls adorned with vivid frescoes. A colossal chandelier hung overhead, beyond which a bank of arched windows offered a stunning panorama of the sun-drenched St. Peter's Square. My God, Langdon thought. This is a room with a view. At the far end of the hall, at a carved desk, a man sat writing furiously. â€Å"Avanti,† he called out again, setting down his pen and waving them over. Olivetti led the way, his gait military. â€Å"Signore,† he said apologetically. â€Å"No ho potuto – â€Å" The man cut him off. He stood and studied his two visitors. The camerlegno was nothing like the images of frail, beatific old men Langdon usually imagined roaming the Vatican. He wore no rosary beads or pendants. No heavy robes. He was dressed instead in a simple black cassock that seemed to amplify the solidity of his substantial frame. He looked to be in his late-thirties, indeed a child by Vatican standards. He had a surprisingly handsome face, a swirl of coarse brown hair, and almost radiant green eyes that shone as if they were somehow fueled by the mysteries of the universe. As the man drew nearer, though, Langdon saw in his eyes a profound exhaustion – like a soul who had been through the toughest fifteen days of his life. â€Å"I am Carlo Ventresca,† he said, his English perfect. â€Å"The late Pope's camerlegno.† His voice was unpretentious and kind, with only the slightest hint of Italian inflection. â€Å"Vittoria Vetra,† she said, stepping forward and offering her hand. â€Å"Thank you for seeing us.† Olivetti twitched as the camerlegno shook Vittoria's hand. â€Å"This is Robert Langdon,† Vittoria said. â€Å"A religious historian from Harvard University.† â€Å"Padre,† Langdon said, in his best Italian accent. He bowed his head as he extended his hand. â€Å"No, no,† the camerlegno insisted, lifting Langdon back up. â€Å"His Holiness's office does not make me holy. I am merely a priest – a chamberlain serving in a time of need.† Langdon stood upright. â€Å"Please,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"everyone sit.† He arranged some chairs around his desk. Langdon and Vittoria sat. Olivetti apparently preferred to stand. The camerlegno seated himself at the desk, folded his hands, sighed, and eyed his visitors. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti said. â€Å"The woman's attire is my fault. I – â€Å" â€Å"Her attire is not what concerns me,† the camerlegno replied, sounding too exhausted to be bothered. â€Å"When the Vatican operator calls me a half hour before I begin conclave to tell me a woman is calling from your private office to warn me of some sort of major security threat of which I have not been informed, that concerns me.† Olivetti stood rigid, his back arched like a soldier under intense inspection. Langdon felt hypnotized by the camerlegno's presence. Young and wearied as he was, the priest had the air of some mythical hero – radiating charisma and authority. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti said, his tone apologetic but still unyielding. â€Å"You should not concern yourself with matters of security. You have other responsibilities.† â€Å"I am well aware of my other responsibilities. I am also aware that as direttore intermediario, I have a responsibility for the safety and well-being of everyone at this conclave. What is going on here?† â€Å"I have the situation under control.† â€Å"Apparently not.† â€Å"Father,† Langdon interrupted, taking out the crumpled fax and handing it to the camerlegno, â€Å"please.† Commander Olivetti stepped forward, trying to intervene. â€Å"Father, please do not trouble your thoughts with – â€Å" The camerlegno took the fax, ignoring Olivetti for a long moment. He looked at the image of the murdered Leonardo Vetra and drew a startled breath. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"That is my father,† Vittoria said, her voice wavering. â€Å"He was a priest and a man of science. He was murdered last night.† The camerlegno's face softened instantly. He looked up at her. â€Å"My dear child. I'm so sorry.† He crossed himself and looked again at the fax, his eyes seeming to pool with waves of abhorrence. â€Å"Who would†¦ and this burn on his†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camerlegno paused, squinting closer at the image. â€Å"It says Illuminati,† Langdon said. â€Å"No doubt you are familiar with the name.† An odd look came across the camerlegno's face. â€Å"I have heard the name, yes, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The Illuminati murdered Leonardo Vetra so they could steal a new technology he was – â€Å" â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti interjected. â€Å"This is absurd. The Illuminati? This is clearly some sort of elaborate hoax.† The camerlegno seemed to ponder Olivetti's words. Then he turned and contemplated Langdon so fully that Langdon felt the air leave his lungs. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I have spent my life in the Catholic Church. I am familiar with the Illuminati lore†¦ and the legend of the brandings. And yet I must warn you, I am a man of the present tense. Christianity has enough real enemies without resurrecting ghosts.† â€Å"The symbol is authentic,† Langdon said, a little too defensively he thought. He reached over and rotated the fax for the camerlegno. The camerlegno fell silent when he saw the symmetry. â€Å"Even modern computers,† Langdon added, â€Å"have been unable to forge a symmetrical ambigram of this word.† The camerlegno folded his hands and said nothing for a long time. â€Å"The Illuminati are dead,† he finally said. â€Å"Long ago. That is historical fact.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Yesterday, I would have agreed with you.† â€Å"Yesterday?† â€Å"Before today's chain of events. I believe the Illuminati have resurfaced to make good on an ancient pact.† â€Å"Forgive me. My history is rusty. What ancient pact is this?† Langdon took a deep breath. â€Å"The destruction of Vatican City.† â€Å"Destroy Vatican City?† The camerlegno looked less frightened than confused. â€Å"But that would be impossible.† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"I'm afraid we have some more bad news.† 40 â€Å"Is this true?† the camerlegno demanded, looking amazed as he turned from Vittoria to Olivetti. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti assured, â€Å"I'll admit there is some sort of device here. It is visible on one of our security monitors, but as for Ms. Vetra's claims as to the power of this substance, I cannot possibly – â€Å" â€Å"Wait a minute,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"You can see this thing?† â€Å"Yes, signore. On wireless camera #86.† â€Å"Then why haven't you recovered it?† The camerlegno's voice echoed anger now. â€Å"Very difficult, signore.† Olivetti stood straight as he explained the situation. The camerlegno listened, and Vittoria sensed his growing concern. â€Å"Are you certain it is inside Vatican City?† the camerlegno asked. â€Å"Maybe someone took the camera out and is transmitting from somewhere else.† â€Å"Impossible,† Olivetti said. â€Å"Our external walls are shielded electronically to protect our internal communications. This signal can only be coming from the inside or we would not be receiving it.† â€Å"And I assume,† he said, â€Å"that you are now looking for this missing camera with all available resources?† Olivetti shook his head. â€Å"No, signore. Locating that camera could take hundreds of man hours. We have a number of other security concerns at the moment, and with all due respect to Ms. Vetra, this droplet she talks about is very small. It could not possibly be as explosive as she claims.† Vittoria's patience evaporated. â€Å"That droplet is enough to level Vatican City! Did you even listen to a word I told you?† â€Å"Ma'am,† Olivetti said, his voice like steel, â€Å"my experience with explosives is extensive.† â€Å"Your experience is obsolete,† she fired back, equally tough. â€Å"Despite my attire, which I realize you find troublesome, I am a senior level physicist at the world's most advanced subatomic research facility. I personally designed the antimatter trap that is keeping that sample from annihilating right now. And I am warning you that unless you find that canister in the next six hours, your guards will have nothing to protect for the next century but a big hole in the ground.† Olivetti wheeled to the camerlegno, his insect eyes flashing rage. â€Å"Signore, I cannot in good conscience allow this to go any further. Your time is being wasted by pranksters. The Illuminati? A droplet that will destroy us all?† â€Å"Basta,† the camerlegno declared. He spoke the word quietly and yet it seemed to echo across the chamber. Then there was silence. He continued in a whisper. â€Å"Dangerous or not, Illuminati or no Illuminati, whatever this thing is, it most certainly should not be inside Vatican City†¦ no less on the eve of the conclave. I want it found and removed. Organize a search immediately.† Olivetti persisted. â€Å"Signore, even if we used all the guards to search the complex, it could take days to find this camera. Also, after speaking to Ms. Vetra, I had one of my guards consult our most advanced ballistics guide for any mention of this substance called antimatter. I found no mention of it anywhere. Nothing.† Pompous ass, Vittoria thought. A ballistics guide? Did you try an encyclopedia? Under A! Olivetti was still talking. â€Å"Signore, if you are suggesting we make a naked-eye search of the entirety of Vatican City then I must object.† â€Å"Commander.† The camerlegno's voice simmered with rage. â€Å"May I remind you that when you address me, you are addressing this office. I realize you do not take my position seriously – nonetheless, by law, I am in charge. If I am not mistaken, the cardinals are now safely within the Sistine Chapel, and your security concerns are at a minimum until the conclave breaks. I do not understand why you are hesitant to look for this device. If I did not know better it would appear that you are causing this conclave intentional danger.† Olivetti looked scornful. â€Å"How dare you! I have served your Pope for twelve years! And the Pope before that for fourteen years! Since 1438 the Swiss Guard have – â€Å" The walkie-talkie on Olivetti's belt squawked loudly, cutting him off. â€Å"Comandante?† Olivetti snatched it up and pressed the transmitter. â€Å"Sto ocupato! Cosa voi!† â€Å"Scusi,† the Swiss Guard on the radio said. â€Å"Communications here. I thought you would want to be informed that we have received a bomb threat.† Olivetti could not have looked less interested. â€Å"So handle it! Run the usual trace, and write it up.† â€Å"We did, sir, but the caller†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The guard paused. â€Å"I would not trouble you, commander, except that he mentioned the substance you just asked me to research. Antimatter.† Everyone in the room exchanged stunned looks. â€Å"He mentioned what?† Olivetti stammered. â€Å"Antimatter, sir. While we were trying to run a trace, I did some additional research on his claim. The information on antimatter is†¦ well, frankly, it's quite troubling.† â€Å"I thought you said the ballistics guide showed no mention of it.† â€Å"I found it on-line.† Alleluia, Vittoria thought. â€Å"The substance appears to be quite explosive,† the guard said. â€Å"It's hard to imagine this information is accurate but it says here that pound for pound antimatter carries about a hundred times more payload than a nuclear warhead.† Olivetti slumped. It was like watching a mountain crumble. Vittoria's feeling of triumph was erased by the look of horror on the camerlegno's face. â€Å"Did you trace the call?† Olivetti stammered. â€Å"No luck. Cellular with heavy encryption. The SAT lines are interfused, so triangulation is out. The IF signature suggests he's somewhere in Rome, but there's really no way to trace him.† â€Å"Did he make demands?† Olivetti said, his voice quiet. â€Å"No, sir. Just warned us that there is antimatter hidden inside the complex. He seemed surprised I didn't know. Asked me if I'd seen it yet. You'd asked me about antimatter, so I decided to advise you.† â€Å"You did the right thing,† Olivetti said. â€Å"I'll be down in a minute. Alert me immediately if he calls back.† There was a moment of silence on the walkie-talkie. â€Å"The caller is still on the line, sir.† Olivetti looked like he'd just been electrocuted. â€Å"The line is open?† â€Å"Yes, sir. We've been trying to trace him for ten minutes, getting nothing but splayed ferreting. He must know we can't touch him because he refuses to hang up until he speaks to the camerlegno.† â€Å"Patch him through,† the camerlegno commanded. â€Å"Now!† Olivetti wheeled. â€Å"Father, no. A trained Swiss Guard negotiator is much better suited to handle this.† â€Å"Now!† Olivetti gave the order. A moment later, the phone on Camerlegno Ventresca's desk began to ring. The camerlegno rammed his finger down on the speaker-phone button. â€Å"Who in the name of God do you think you are?† 41 The voice emanating from the camerlegno's speaker phone was metallic and cold, laced with arrogance. Everyone in the room listened. Langdon tried to place the accent. Middle Eastern, perhaps? â€Å"I am a messenger of an ancient brotherhood,† the voice announced in an alien cadence. â€Å"A brotherhood you have wronged for centuries. I am a messenger of the Illuminati.† Langdon felt his muscles tighten, the last shreds of doubt withering away. For an instant he felt the familiar collision of thrill, privilege, and dead fear that he had experienced when he first saw the ambigram this morning. â€Å"What do you want?† the camerlegno demanded. â€Å"I represent men of science. Men who like yourselves are searching for the answers. Answers to man's destiny, his purpose, his creator.† â€Å"Whoever you are,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"I – â€Å" â€Å"Silenzio. You will do better to listen. For two millennia your church has dominated the quest for truth. You have crushed your opposition with lies and prophesies of doom. You have manipulated the truth to serve your needs, murdering those whose discoveries did not serve your politics. Are you surprised you are the target of enlightened men from around the globe?† â€Å"Enlightened men do not resort to blackmail to further their causes.† â€Å"Blackmail?† The caller laughed. â€Å"This is not blackmail. We have no demands. The abolition of the Vatican is nonnegotiable. We have waited four hundred years for this day. At midnight, your city will be destroyed. There is nothing you can do.† Olivetti stormed toward the speaker phone. â€Å"Access to this city is impossible! You could not possibly have planted explosives in here!† â€Å"You speak with the ignorant devotion of a Swiss Guard. Perhaps even an officer? Surely you are aware that for centuries the Illuminati have infiltrated elitist organizations across the globe. Do you really believe the Vatican is immune?† Jesus, Langdon thought, they've got someone on the inside. It was no secret that infiltration was the Illuminati trademark of power. They had infiltrated the Masons, major banking networks, government bodies. In fact, Churchill had once told reporters that if English spies had infiltrated the Nazis to the degree the Illuminati had infiltrated English Parliament, the war would have been over in one month. â€Å"A transparent bluff,† Olivetti snapped. â€Å"Your influence cannot possibly extend so far.† â€Å"Why? Because your Swiss Guards are vigilant? Because they watch every corner of your private world? How about the Swiss Guards themselves? Are they not men? Do you truly believe they stake their lives on a fable about a man who walks on water? Ask yourself how else the canister could have entered your city. Or how four of your most precious assets could have disappeared this afternoon.† â€Å"Our assets?† Olivetti scowled. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"One, two, three, four. You haven't missed them by now?† â€Å"What the hell are you talk – † Olivetti stopped short, his eyes rocketing wide as though he'd just been punched in the gut. â€Å"Light dawns,† the caller said. â€Å"Shall I read their names?† â€Å"What's going on?† the camerlegno said, looking bewildered. The caller laughed. â€Å"Your officer has not yet informed you? How sinful. No surprise. Such pride. I imagine the disgrace of telling you the truth†¦ that four cardinals he had sworn to protect seem to have disappeared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti erupted. â€Å"Where did you get this information!† â€Å"Camerlegno,† the caller gloated, â€Å"ask your commander if all your cardinals are present in the Sistine Chapel.† The camerlegno turned to Olivetti, his green eyes demanding an explanation. â€Å"Signore,† Olivetti whispered in the camerlegno's ear, â€Å"it is true that four of our cardinals have not yet reported to the Sistine Chapel, but there is no need for alarm. Every one of them checked into the residence hall this morning, so we know they are safely inside Vatican City. You yourself had tea with them only hours ago. They are simply late for the fellowship preceding conclave. We are searching, but I'm sure they just lost track of time and are still out enjoying the grounds.† â€Å"Enjoying the grounds?† The calm departed from the camerlegno's voice. â€Å"They were due in the chapel over an hour ago!† Langdon shot Vittoria a look of amazement. Missing cardinals? So that's what they were looking for downstairs? â€Å"Our inventory,† the caller said, â€Å"you will find quite convincing. There is Cardinal Lamasse from Paris, Cardinal Guidera from Barcelona, Cardinal Ebner from Frankfurt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti seemed to shrink smaller and smaller after each name was read. The caller paused, as though taking special pleasure in the final name. â€Å"And from Italy†¦ Cardinal Baggia.† The camerlegno loosened like a tall ship that had just run sheets first into a dead calm. His frock billowed, and he collapsed in his chair. â€Å"I preferiti,† he whispered. â€Å"The four favorites†¦ including Baggia†¦ the most likely successor as Supreme Pontiff†¦ how is it possible?† Langdon had read enough about modern papal elections to understand the look of desperation on the camerlegno's face. Although technically any cardinal under eighty years old could become Pope, only a very few had the respect necessary to command a two-thirds majority in the ferociously partisan balloting procedure. They were known as the preferiti. And they were all gone. Sweat dripped from the camerlegno's brow. â€Å"What do you intend with these men?† â€Å"What do you think I intend? I am a descendant of the Hassassin.† Langdon felt a shiver. He knew the name well. The church had made some deadly enemies through the years – the Hassassin, the Knights Templar, armies that had been either hunted by the Vatican or betrayed by them. â€Å"Let the cardinals go,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"Isn't threatening to destroy the City of God enough?† â€Å"Forget your four cardinals. They are lost to you. Be assured their deaths will be remembered though†¦ by millions. Every martyr's dream. I will make them media luminaries. One by one. By midnight the Illuminati will have everyone's attention. Why change the world if the world is not watching? Public killings have an intoxicating horror about them, don't they? You proved that long ago†¦ the inquisition, the torture of the Knights Templar, the Crusades.† He paused. â€Å"And of course, la purga.† The camerlegno was silent. â€Å"Do you not recall la purga?† the caller asked. â€Å"Of course not, you are a child. Priests are poor historians, anyway. Perhaps because their history shames them?† â€Å"La purga,† Langdon heard himself say. â€Å"Sixteen sixty-eight. The church branded four Illuminati scientists with the symbol of the cross. To purge their sins.† â€Å"Who is speaking?† the voice demanded, sounding more intrigued than concerned. â€Å"Who else is there?† Langdon felt shaky. â€Å"My name is not important,† he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. Speaking to a living Illuminatus was disorienting for him†¦ like speaking to George Washington. â€Å"I am an academic who has studied the history of your brotherhood.† â€Å"Superb,† the voice replied. â€Å"I am pleased there are still those alive who remember the crimes against us.† â€Å"Most of us think you are dead.† â€Å"A misconception the brotherhood has worked hard to promote. What else do you know of la purga?† Langdon hesitated. What else do I know? That this whole situation is insanity, that's what I know! â€Å"After the brandings, the scientists were murdered, and their bodies were dropped in public locations around Rome as a warning to other scientists not to join the Illuminati.† â€Å"Yes. So we shall do the same. Quid pro quo. Consider it symbolic retribution for our slain brothers. Your four cardinals will die, one every hour starting at eight. By midnight the whole world will be enthralled.† Langdon moved toward the phone. â€Å"You actually intend to brand and kill these four men?† â€Å"History repeats itself, does it not? Of course, we will be more elegant and bold than the church was. They killed privately, dropping bodies when no one was looking. It seems so cowardly.† â€Å"What are you saying?† Langdon asked. â€Å"That you are going to brand and kill these men in public?† â€Å"Very good. Although it depends what you consider public. I realize not many people go to church anymore.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"You're going to kill them in churches?† â€Å"A gesture of kindness. Enabling God to command their souls to heaven more expeditiously. It seems only right. Of course the press will enjoy it too, I imagine.† â€Å"You're bluffing,† Olivetti said, the cool back in his voice. â€Å"You cannot kill a man in a church and expect to get away with it.† â€Å"Bluffing? We move among your Swiss Guard like ghosts, remove four of your cardinals from within your walls, plant a deadly explosive at the heart of your most sacred shrine, and you think this is a bluff? As the killings occur and the victims are found, the media will swarm. By midnight the world will know the Illuminati cause.† â€Å"And if we stake guards in every church?† Olivetti said. The caller laughed. â€Å"I fear the prolific nature of your religion will make that a trying task. Have you not counted lately? There are over four hundred Catholic churches in Rome. Cathedrals, chapels, tabernacles, abbeys, monasteries, convents, parochial schools†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti's face remained hard. â€Å"In ninety minutes it begins,† the caller said with a note of finality. â€Å"One an hour. A mathematical progression of death. Now I must go.† â€Å"Wait!† Langdon demanded. â€Å"Tell me about the brands you intend to use on these men.† The killer sounded amused. â€Å"I suspect you know what the brands will be already. Or perhaps you are a skeptic? You will see them soon enough. Proof the ancient legends are true.† Langdon felt light-headed. He knew exactly what the man was claiming. Langdon pictured the brand on Leonardo Vetra's chest. Illuminati folklore spoke of five brands in all. Four brands are left, Langdon thought, and four missing cardinals. â€Å"I am sworn,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"to bring a new Pope tonight. Sworn by God.† â€Å"Camerlegno,† the caller said, â€Å"the world does not need a new Pope. After midnight he will have nothing to rule over but a pile of rubble. The Catholic Church is finished. Your run on earth is done.† Silence hung. The camerlegno looked sincerely sad. â€Å"You are misguided. A church is more than mortar and stone. You cannot simply erase two thousand years of faith†¦ any faith. You cannot crush faith simply by removing its earthly manifestations. The Catholic Church will continue with or without Vatican City.† â€Å"A noble lie. But a lie all the same. We both know the truth. Tell me, why is Vatican City a walled citadel?† â€Å"Men of God live in a dangerous world,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"How young are you? The Vatican is a fortress because the Catholic Church holds half of its equity inside its walls – rare paintings, sculpture, devalued jewels, priceless books†¦ then there is the gold bullion and the real estate deeds inside the Vatican Bank vaults. Inside estimates put the raw value of Vatican City at 48.5 billion dollars. Quite a nest egg you're sitting on. Tomorrow it will be ash. Liquidated assets as it were. You will be bankrupt. Not even men of cloth can work for nothing.† The accuracy of the statement seemed to be reflected in Olivetti's and the camerlegno's shell-shocked looks. Langdon wasn't sure what was more amazing, that the Catholic Church had that kind of money, or that the Illuminati somehow knew about it. The camerlegno sighed heavily. â€Å"Faith, not money, is the backbone of this church.† â€Å"More lies,† the caller said. â€Å"Last year you spent 183 million dollars trying to support your struggling dioceses worldwide. Church attendance is at an all-time low – down forty-six percent in the last decade. Donations are half what they were only seven years ago. Fewer and fewer men are entering the seminary. Although you will not admit it, your church is dying. Consider this a chance to go out with a bang.† Olivetti stepped forward. He seemed less combative now, as if he now sensed the reality facing him. He looked like a man searching for an out. Any out. â€Å"And what if some of that bullion went to fund your cause?† â€Å"Do not insult us both.† â€Å"We have money.† â€Å"As do we. More than you can fathom.† Langdon flashed on the alleged Illuminati fortunes, the ancient wealth of the Bavarian stone masons, the Rothschilds, the Bilderbergers, the legendary Illuminati Diamond. â€Å"I preferiti,† the camerlegno said, changing the subject. His voice was pleading. â€Å"Spare them. They are old. They – â€Å" â€Å"They are virgin sacrifices.† The caller laughed. â€Å"Tell me, do you think they are really virgins? Will the little lambs squeal when they die? Sacrifici vergini nell' altare di scienza.† The camerlegno was silent for a long time. â€Å"They are men of faith,† he finally said. â€Å"They do not fear death.† The caller sneered. â€Å"Leonardo Vetra was a man of faith, and yet I saw fear in his eyes last night. A fear I removed.† Vittoria, who had been silent, was suddenly airborne, her body taut with hatred. â€Å"Asino! He was my father!† A cackle echoed from the speaker. â€Å"Your father? What is this? Vetra has a daughter? You should know your father whimpered like a child at the end. Pitiful really. A pathetic man.† Vittoria reeled as if knocked backward by the words. Langdon reached for her, but she regained her balance and fixed her dark eyes on the phone. â€Å"I swear on my life, before this night is over, I will find you.† Her voice sharpened like a laser. â€Å"And when I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The caller laughed coarsely. â€Å"A woman of spirit. I am aroused. Perhaps before this night is over, I will find you. And when I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The words hung like a blade. Then he was gone.

Project Timeline and Minutes of Meeting Essay

No ContentRemark Week 2 Planning the project 5 % Preliminary model selection 5 % Week 3Brainstorm and Gathering information20 % Week 4Final model section 10 % Week 5Implementation 35 % Week 6Writing the report 25 % Minutes of meeting 1 Date: Wednesday 12th September 2012 Time 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm Venue: Cafeteria North-wing Campus UCSI University Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Getting to know each other: Everyone introduced himself ?Providing means of communication (phone number, email and Facebook) 2-Project: ?Rough reading through the project ?Define project objective ?Project time frame ?Estimate project completion â€Å"15th October 2012† 3-Next Meeting: ?Saturday 15th September 12 pm at Ahmed’s apartment. Prepared by Ahmed Minutes of meeting 2: Date: Saturday 15th September 2012 Time12:00 pm – 2:30 pm Venue: Ahmed’s Apartment Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Project: ?Break down the project into smaller tasks ?Assign each member for specific task ?Discussed each task in detail 2-Model: ?Brainstorm a design for the model ?Hand draw the design ?Identify the model component 3-Next Meeting: ?Saturday 22nd September 1 pm – 2 pm at Sameer’s apartment Prepared by Ahmed Minutes of meeting 3: Postponed to 26th September due to tests Minute of meeting 4: Date: 26th September 2012 Time4:20 pm – 5:55 pm Venue: K207 North-wing Camps UCSI university Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Project ?Each member discussed and showed progress on assigned task 2-Model ?Members brought new design for the model ?Estimate the components cost ?Set the model implementation date â€Å" Saturday 29th September† 3-Next meeting ?Saturday 29th September 11:00 am at Samir’s apartment Prepared by Ahmed Minute of meeting 5: Date: 29th September 2012 Time11:00 am – 4:00 pm Venue: Samir’s Apartment Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Model ?Update and adjust the model design â€Å"add & remove some features†. ?Sketch the new model ?Re-estimate the cost of the new model 2-Implementation: ?Purchased the desired components. ?Few components were not available in market â€Å"Wooden Mousetrap†. ?Decision made on the spot and agreed by all members to change the wooden mousetrap with a metal one to keep the project flow. ?Started fixing the component together 90% completion of model 3-Next meeting ?Sunday 7th October11:00 pm at Samir’s apartment Prepared by Ahmed Minute of meeting 6: Date: 7th October 8, 2012 Time2:00 am – 5:00 pm Venue: Samir’s Apartment Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Sala m Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Implementation ?Complete the implementation ?Run the model for its first time. ?Rerun the model to make sure is working properly. ?Test the model for the specified purposes ?The model showed success

Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking

Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking Essay EXTENDED ESSAYAsian Philosophies of Critical Thinking: divergent or convergent to westernestablishments?MAY 2003 AbstractThe research question of this extended essay came across at a very earlystage in my life. Having been born and developed from a family with all itsmembers being University instructors and professors, I was often involvedin arguments related to the lack of critical thinking in Asian cultures. AsI got older, having had the chance to emerge in different cultures, Istarted to develop my own viewpoints and answers. I started to wonder aboutthe truth between the real differences of Asian and Western philosophies ofcritical thinking. This extended essay, intended to be a research andinvestigation, bearing the title Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking:divergent or convergent to Western establishments? is in fact howevermerely just a summary of my viewpoints and answers which I have developedthroughout the years. In the first section of the essay, Logical Tradition in India and China Iwill attempt to give evidence of critical thinking in two Asian culturesthat I have chosen; namely India and China. In India, I will argue thatcritical thinking is clearly visible in historical texts such as the Carakaand Nyayasutra. This is presented as the well-known five-membered argument,a system of logical deduction, similar to the Aristotelian syllogism foundin the west. In China I would focus mainly on the two schools of logicalthought, the Mohists and the Logicians. For the Mohists I would argue thatcritical thinking is a vital element in the building of what they callmental models. For the Logicians, I would study deeply the writings ofHui Shih and Kungsun Lung, I would show that in fact both of them developedsystems of logical and paradoxical thinking that could well serve as thefoundations of modern science. If critical thinking is clearly presentable in these Asian cultures thenwhy are there still concerns for introducing it to them? This is thequestion I intend to answer in the latter section Needhams Grand Questionand Fullers Interpretation. During this section, I would also show thatdiscussions of modern science seem to enable us to see how the tradition ofcritical thinking arose and how they were promoted or discouraged. I wouldcover how Asian historical, economic, social and cultural factors have abig influence on their development of critical thinking. Lastly I wouldshow how the prioritization of a civilization has a devastating effect ondeciding the future road they intend to walk. In conclusion, I would argue that since the philosophy of a culture is butan abstract and theoretical expression and justification of the culturesdecision to choose one set of priorities over another, Asian philosophy andcritical thinking are neither necessarily divergentnornecessarilyconvergent to western establishments. Contents|Introduction|4|||||Logical Tradition in India and|4||China||||||Needhams Grand Question and|7||Fullers Interpretation||||||Asian Philosophy and Critical|8||Thinking: Divergence or|||Convergence?||||||Conclusion|9|||||Bibliography|10 |||||References|11 ||||Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking: divergent or convergent to westernestablishments?By Clement NgIntroductionIt is widely recognized nowadays that critical thinking has become anecessary ingredient in all levels of education. Educators and educationalpolicy makers agree that one of the desirable goals of education is thatstudents are able to think critically. Throughout the past few years, manyhave felt the need to consider critical thinking more seriously ineducational programs. At the moment several different acts are beingconsidered around the world by various factors and agencies. The core ofthese proposed acts is the idea that the students are able to thinkcritically and independently. Although there are widespr ead disagreementson what critical thinking actually is,1 there is an agreement that it hasbecome very important in the world overwhelmed by huge amountsofinformation. Some Western educators who teach at schools or universities in a number ofAsian countries have voiced their difficulties and problems they encounterwhile trying to teach critical thinking and other related skills to Asianstudents. Bruce Davidson (1998) argues that a set of Japanese culturalfactors act as a kind of barrier against teaching critical thinking tostudents. Atkinson (1999) goes so far as to argue that critical thinking isculturally specific, and is a part of the social practices of the Westhaving no place within Asian cultures, which do not adopt such practices. What these educators have in common is the feeling that some elements inAsian cultures do prevent the full realization of critical thinking skillsin the students. Most of these elements perceived by Western educators inAsia are quite well knownthe beliefs that teachers are superior andalways right, that knowledge is not to be made here and now, but existseternally, so to speak, to be handed down by teachers, that social harmonyis to be preferred rather than asking probing questionsto mention just afew. Is critical thinking really culture specific? Can the traditional beliefsystems of Asia respond to the challenge of the modern world while stillretaining their distinctive identities? Are Asian philosophy and criticalthinking necessary divergent or possibly convergent? These areverysignificant question not just for Asian cultures, but for understanding howcultures of the world respond to globalization. In addition the questionalso has a bearing on the problematic relation between critical thinkingand the cultural environment in which it happens to be embedded. In this essay, I attempt to argue that critical thinking is not necessarilyincompatible with Asian traditional belief systems. In fact I will showthat both India and China do have their own indigenous traditions oflogical and argumentative thinking; it is just because of certain barriersthat prevent them from further developing such establishments. I willfurther try to show that these traditions can and should be reexamined,reinterpreted and adapted to the contemporary situation. By doing this Iwould seek acknowledgement to the essay question and would provide ananswer to the Western educators who have found no such critical traditionsin the East. Logical Tradition in India and ChinaIt is widely known that India had a highly advanced logical tradition,spanning more than two thousandyears.ThesuccessesofIndianmathematicians and computer programmers are perhaps due to the fact thatlogic and critical thinking have been integral to the Indian way ofthinking since time immemorial. Such integration can also be witnessed inthe fondness of Indians for talking and debating. Tscherbatsky (1962: 31-34) tells us that in the times of Dignaga and Dharmakirti, two of thegreatest Buddhist logicians, the fate of entire monasteries depended onpublic debates. According to Tscherbatsky, Dignaga won his fame and royalsupport through his defeat of the brahmin Sudurjaya at Nalanda Monastery(31-34). In another vein, Matilal (1990: 1-8) argues that the Indian logicaltradition is entirely home grown, since there is no evidence of India beinginfluenced by Aristotelian ideas. Matilal also shows that many topics,which are of interest by contemporary logicians and philosophers today,were discussed and researched into with sophistication by Indian scholars. Such topics include theory of inference, empty names, reference andexistence, perception, knowledge of theexternalworld,substance,causality, and many others (Matilal 1990). Moreover, Tscherbatskys (1962)work, dealing mainly with the works of Dignaga and Dharmakirti illustratesthat India is one of the great logical and philosophical civilizations ofthe world. There are a number of topics that both traditions discovered independentlyof each other. For example, Matilal notes that the counterpart of theAristotelian syllogism is the five-membered argument found in such textsas Caraka and Nyayasutra. Instead of the three propositions found inAristotelian syllogism, the five-membered argument consistsoffivepropositions, the first of which is the conclusion, and the last repeatingwhat is already stated in the first. The remaining three propositions inbetween are the premises. Here is one example of the five-membered argumentcited by Matilal (1990: 5):1. There is fire on this mountain. 2. For, there is smoke there. 3. Smoke goes with fire always (or, in all cases, or in all places):witness, kitchen. 4. This is also a case of smoke. 5. Therefore, there is fire there (on the mountain). Logicians will immediately be able to reconstruct this argument in thefamiliar Aristotelian form as follows:The place on the mountain is a place where there is smoke. A place where there is smoke is a place where there is fire. Therefore, the place on the mountain is a place where there is fire. Matilal, however, notes that there is at least some dissimilarity betweenthe Indian and the Aristotelian argument forms presented here.Forinstance, he says that the conclusion of the Indian argument form is in theform of singular proposition, (i.e., modified by demonstratives likethis or that) whereas that of the Aristotelian syllogism is eitheruniversal or particular (i.e., modified by quantifiers like all orsome). But the dissimilarity here could be amended, as indexicals (termslike this or that which relies on the context of utterance for theirfull meaning) could be dispensed with by supplying the required informationon the context in which they are uttered. Thus it could be safely statedthat the Indian logical tradition fully comprehended the essence, so tospeak, of logic, which is the concept of validity and the basic validargument form. Another of the worlds great civilizations, China, also had its ownindigenous and independent logical tradition. Two of Chinas logicalschools of thought are the Mohists and the Logicians. The former wasfounded by Mo Ti, who lived between 479 to 381 B.C., during the WarringStates period of Chinese history (Ronan 1978: 114). Among the typicalChinese scholars the Mohists are better known for their doctrine ofuniversal love and the condemnation of offensive war rather than theirinterests and achievements in the physical sciences. In the latter Needhamreports that the Mohists went very far towards realizing that the thoughtsystem was in fact a prerequisite for modern science. Most significantly,the Mohists appeared to be in grasp of the concepts of deduction andinduction. They viewed the former as a way of thinking which follows amental model, which guarantees that whoever follows it will never fail tobe right in their thinking. Here is an example of reasoning based onfollowing such mental model:Model thinking consists in following the methods of Nature. What are followed in model-thinking are the methods. Therefore if the methods are truly followed by the model-thinkingliterally: hit in the middle, the reasoning will be correct. But if the methods are not truly followed by the model-thinking, thereasoning will be wrong (Ronan 1978: 119). On the other hand, the Mohists also recognized the value of extensionwhich is a kind of reasoning from the known examples and extend it tounknown cases similar to them:Extension is considering that that which one has not yet receivedi.e. a new phenomenon is identical from the point of view ofclassification with those which one has already received, andadmitting it (Ronan 1978: 119). READ: Teen Suicide EssayIt is clear then that the former is an instance of deductive thinking,while the latter represents the basic idea of inductive thinking. The two most well known representatives of the Logicians are Hui Shih andKungsun Lung. The former is known for his paradoxes resembling that ofZeno, and his writings were designed to shock and to illustrate deeplogical point. For example, Hui Shihs writing that The Heavens are as lowas the Earth; mountains are on the same level as marshes (Ronan 1978: 122)could be regarded as a way of illustrating the fact that, viewed from thecosmic perspective, the sentence written by Hui Shih here is actually true. Other pieces of his writings concern what and how we perceive:Fire is not hot. Eyes do not see (Ronan 1978: 122). These are designed to lead one to think that what is hot in fire may wellnot be in the fire at all, but is located within our tactile perception ofit. And the factor that actually does the seeing is not the eyesthemselves, but the consciousness or whatever that gives rise to theperception. Similarly, according to Needham, Kungsun Lung had a system of logical andparadoxical thinking that could well serve as the foundation of modernscience. The following excerpts show that Kungsun Lung grasped suchconcepts as the universality and unlocalizability of number and universalsand their contrasts with particulars that are their instances. Mostinterestingly, Kungsun Lungs discussion of changes in Nature could wellpoint to modern scientific way of thought:Q: Is it permissible to say that a change is not a change?A: It is. Q: Can right associating itself with something be called change?A: It can. Q: What is it that changes?A: It is right. Q: If right has changed, how can you still call it right? And ifit has not changed, how can you speak of a change?A: Two would have no right if there were no left. Two contains `left-and-right. A ram added to an ox is not a horse. An ox added to a ramis not a fowl (Ronan 1978: 121-122). Here one finds a discussion of the unchangeability of universals and theirdistinction from particulars. One thing, A, located to the right of anotherthing, B, would form two things, A-and-B. This thing, A-and-B would undergoa change if A happens to move to the left of B. What are changed here arethe relation between A and B. However, the Right itself is changeless, eventhough the particulars forming right or left relation to each other do. Thus, a ram added to an ox would still be two animals, and wont becomeeither a horse or a fowl. The changelessness of universals is a differentmatter altogether from the mutability of particular things. Kungsun Lungswriting here reminds us of Western medieval treatises on logic and theproblem of universals, such as those of Abelard or Duns Scotus. No matter how similar or different these Asian writings on logic andphilosophy are from those of Europe, it is certain that both India andChina do indeed have rigorous and profound systems of logic and criticalthinking, systems which could well form a launching pad for advancedscientific research and innovation that actually took place in the West. Thus Atkinsons argument that critical thinking is culturally specific tothe West is clearly not borne out by historical facts and thus is mistaken. However, when we look at the situations in the Asian countries today,especially in Thailand whose cultural tradition is mostly influenced byBuddhism, which originated within the Indian philosophical and religiousmilieu, Atkinson seems to be right in that there is a felt need forteaching Thai students to be able to think critically. McGuire (2000)argues that there is a need to teach critical thinking and that criticalthinking can be taught to Asian students because it does not necessarily goagainst the grain of local cultures and contains universal elements thatany local culture can find acceptable. If critical thinking is alreadythere in these cultural traditions, then why are there concerns forintroducing it to them? Something must have happened to these culturaltraditions so that there feels a need to bring in the skills and practicesof critical thinking from outside. Or is it really the need to reintroduceand to reestablish these traditions with something which is clearly theirown , but is somehow lost?1901Needhams Grand Question and Fullers InterpretationAn adequate investigation into what actually may have caused the decline ofthe logical traditions in India or China would comprise one thick book. However, I believe that a glimpse toward an answer could be found if wecompare the dominant positions in the two civilizations with the logicaltraditions. In India, the logical schools, Nyaya, Mimamsa, together withthe Buddhist logic and dialectic schools of Dignaga, Dharmakirti andNagarjuna never gained the supreme control when compared to the othertraditions such as the Vedanta. Personally, I think that this may be due tothe fact that the teachings of the logical schools were limited to themonks or brahmins who practiced them. And when the logical tradition had tocompete with other traditions that could garner more popular appeal, it isquite conceivable that the remote logical schools would lose support. Perhaps in India the tradition of logical and critical thinking was limitedto the highly educated class in such a way that the general population knewnothing of it, and this could be one explanation, as to why modernscientific thinking did not develop in India. For science to develop, theremust be a tendency toward a full understanding of all of Nature through afew general laws that could be learned and understood by anyone. The methodof learning such laws must be such that no one is excluded from studyingexcept through his own intellectual capabilities. In China, Needham suggests that the reasons for modern sciences lack ofdevelopment are due to historical, economic, social and cultural factors(Needham 1969: 190-217). Needham rightly dismisses the interpretation ofEuropes eventual mastery of modern scientific techniques in geographicalor racial beliefs. The scientific and mathematical achievements in bothIndia and China during the ancient and medieval periods is so great that itis hardly conceivable at all to think of Europes success in terms of herdestiny or superior level of advancement as propagated by the Hegeliantradition. On the other hand, Needham seems to believe that it is more amatter of luck that Europe could eventually mastered the arts of modernscience and became dominant. Needham writes:The further I penetrate into the detailed history of the achievementsof Chinese science and technology before the time when, like all otherethnic cultural rivers, they flowed into the river of modern science,the more convinced I become that the cause for the break-throughoccurring only in Europe was connected with the special social,intellectual and economic conditions prevailingthereattheRenaissance, and can never be explained by any deficiencies either ofthe Chinese mind or of the Chinese intellectual and philosophicaltradition. In many ways this was much more congruent with modernscience than was the world-outlook of Christendom (Needham 1969: 191). The special social, intellectual and economic conditions that explainEuropes success are nowhere necessarily attached to thehistoricaldevelopment of Europe. They seem only to be those that Europeans adopted,consciously or not, in response to their historical, social, and mercantileneeds. Those needs apparently were not in the minds of Indians or Chinese,whose priorities for their civilization as a whole seemed to be somethingelse. Thus, instead of looking for a unifying theory capable of explainingand predicting natural phenomenon so that men could harness the power ofNature to their own material needs as well as feel a sense of mastery whenNature is thus comprehended, Indians and Chinese chose to put the ideals oftheir civilizations in another way. The summum bonum of the Indian philosophical tradition, attainment ofMoksha or Liberation, is quite contrary to the ideals and assumptions ofmodern scientific thinking. Instead of looking for the way to free oneselffrom the endless cycle of rebirths throughstrictself-discipline,Europeans sought to advance their own self-interests that are more inclinedto the ordinary. In China, the rapid transformation from feudalism to statebureaucratism, coupled with the influence of the Confucian ethos, whilehugely successful in preserving Chinas cultural identity amidst the greatvariety of people and localities, nonetheless made it the case thatmaterial innovations and proto-scientific and logical theories would begiven little attention. Writings on such matters are referred to the`Miscellaneous category by the mandarin scholars who put the highestpriority to moralistic, ethical, or historical writings (Ronan 1978: 19)This interpretation, which is focused on the contingent character of therise of modern science in Europe, is regarded by Steve Fuller as the underdeterminist one. According to Fuller, the reason why China did not developmodern science was that it was not specifically promoted (Fuller 1997: 80-88). He contrasts this with the over determinist modethe kind ofexplanation that seeks to explain the lack of progress of modern sciencethrough the idea that it was specifically prevented from occurring. Thus,according to the former outlook, the reason science did not develop inChina was because historical, social, economic conditions were such thatthey were simply incompatible with its rise. I think this could be due tothe Chinese not putting a high priority on things scientific. On the otherhand, the over determinist would assume that science is part of a culturesdestiny which would materialize anyway if the circumstances were favorable. However, in the case of China these circumstances were not favorable,blocking sciences potential development. To viewthehistoryanddevelopment of science in the latter mode would mean that science is anecessary part of a cultures path of development, which is the same forall cultures. A culture in which science successfully develops is thusviewed as more advanced than another where the development of science issomehow stinted. On the other hand, the under determinist would argue thatsuch a picture of each cultural entity racing along the same path smellstoo much of teleology and Gods design to be tenable. Instead of soviewing, each culture should be regarded as having its own path notnecessarily shared with others. Since critical thinking and modern scientific thinking are closely related,discussions of the historical rise of science in various cultures aredirectly related to our investigation of whether critical thinking iscompatible with the major Asian cultural traditions. Discussions on therise of modern science seem to enable us to see how the tradition ofcritical thinking arose and how they were promoted or discouraged. If theunder determinist mode of interpretation is accepted, then the lack ofcritical thinking tradition in Asia could be explained by the fact thatsomehow members of these traditions decided not to go put critical thinkinghigh on their list of priorities, despite the fact that critical thinkingskills could be found deep within the traditions themselves. READ: Ambition in Macbeth examples Essay1034Asian Philosophy and Critical Thinking: Divergence or Convergence?Hence, the values typically associated with Asian culture such as socialharmony and deference to the elders and teachers are thus seen asconsequences of the cultures deciding to put a certain set of prioritiesabove others. Social harmony was instrumental in bringing about thecultural unity that is the most distinctive characteristic of Chineseculture. It is valued above most other types of values because it goes handin hand with social stability, whose alternative is perceived as chaos andgeneral burden of social structure. The prioritization of social harmonycan also be seen in other Asian cultures such as the Thai one, and resultsin Thais trying as far as they possibly can to avoid open conflicts anddisagreements. In the case of China, since all the elements that couldbring about the rise of modern science were in place, it is quite clearthat the Chinese culture actually chose not to go along the path taken bythe Europeans. The decision made by a culture to adopt a particular systemof beliefs and practices certainly did not happen suddenly, as if at oneparticular moment of history, members of a culture had a meeting anddeclared their cultures adoption of this or that set. The decisionoccurred gradually throughout the historical development of a culture, andcan be seen in China adopting Confucianism ratherthanthemorematerialistic and scientifically inclined Taoism and Mohism, and in Indiaadopting the more mystical doctrine emphasizing the role of meditation andprivate insights rather than publicly demonstrable methods of knowing. Ithink that reasons for such decision are enormously complicated, but it ishardly conceivable that China was somehow destined to lag behind Europe inthe science race due to factors they could not control. This may be taken to show that critical thinking and Asian thought aredivergent. If the Asian cultures chose not to go along the path wherecritical thinking is one milestone, then both do not seem to go with eachother, and Atkinson may be vindicated when he argues that critical thinkingis a part of Western culture only. If the Asian cultures prioritize sets ofvalues which are incompatible with critical thinking, and if they freelychose those sets over the set adopted by Europeans for whatever reasons,then it appears that critical thinking would belong to European cultureonly, and to adopt it to Asian cultures would be the same as to importingforeign ideas and practices to alien lands. Thus, Atkinsons argument seemsto fit well with the under determinist position. This line of reasoning, however, would be valid only if a culture decidedas its own set of priorities at one time will always remain so for allother times. If the Thai culture, for example, once decided that socialharmony should take precedence over critical argumentation andopendebates, then critical thinking practices would be forever alien to them. But that is surely a very unreasonable position to take. Cultures, likehumans, often make decisions that later are amended or revoked with newdecisions made; when things are not the same any longer. Decisions toprioritize one set of values over another are not etched in stone, but evenso the stone can be broken down or else taken to a museum or a pedestalwhere it loses its real meaning. Decisions at one time reflect thecircumstances normal at that particular time, and to stick onto pastdecisions with no plan of adapting or making new decisions in response tochanging circumstances would make the culture frozen and unabletoparticipate. Opting not to correct their past decisions, a culture would ineffect be telling the world that it is constructing a wall around itself,giving nothing to the world and receiving nothing. However, sociologicaland economic conditions of the current world do not permit such a scenariofrom happening. Cultures need to change themselves, not merely to survive,b ut to prosper and to permit better lives for their members. Consequently, Asian cultures and critical thinking are divergent only ifthe former opt not to correct their decisions. But since we are talkingonly about decisions, then it is not difficult at all to suggest thatcultures would make new decisions in response to changing times. Doing sowould make the two more convergent. Hence, the divergence and convergence,after all, depend on what decisions a culture makes. There is nothingnecessarily attached to a cultures path along history that makes itessentially divergent or convergent from the modern critical thinkingtradition, or from any tradition for that matter. Since the philosophy of aculture is but an abstract and theoretical expression and justification ofthe cultures decision to choose one set of priorities over another, Asianphilosophy and critical thinking are neither necessarily divergent nornecessarily convergent. ConclusionAny attempt to introduce, or we should say to bring back critical thinkingpractices to the cultures of Asia would, therefore, begin within thecultures themselves. This is in line with the under determinist idea thateach culture has its own peculiar development path which is not necessarilyshared with others. The mission of spreading the truth of one culture toanother is a misplaced. One that apart from sounding patronizing, issomething the current morality cannot accept. Thus the first step in suchan attempt must consist of a series of arguments designed to show to mostmembers of the culture where critical thinking is to be introduced, thatcritical thinking is really good. However to do that would at least requirelarge amounts of explanations, something that is definitely out of scope ofthis present essay. Besides, to argue that critical thinking is actually agood thing to have is difficult, because it may run counter to the deeplyestablished belief that critical thinking i s just a label fortheconfrontational mode of life that the culture finds unpleasantanddifficult to accept. Though the task is difficult, I believe that it is unavoidable. As aninsider of my own Chinese cultural tradition, I am trying to convince themembers of my culture of the value of critical thinking and its importantrole in educating citizens for the increasingly globalized world of todayand tomorrow. An important part of my argument for combining criticalthinking and its belief systems to the Chinese culture is the idea thatpeople should view the elements of their culture which could present themost serious obstacles to critical thinking as benign fiction. That is,elements such as respect of the elders and the belief in social ranking andso on should be viewed in the same way as a modern person views his or herown traditional customs and ceremonies. One is in a sense a part of theculture where the ceremonies happen, but in another sense detached from it. This is because he knows himself only to serve a certain function in theculture, and in addition, knowledge of other cultures enables furtherdetachment from his own customs and ceremonies. Such an argument would naturally require a lot more space and time than isavailable here. What I hope to have accomplished in this essay, however, ismuch more modest. It is, as we have seen, an argument that Asian philosophyand Asian thought in general do not necessarily conflict with criticalthinking and its presuppositions. Furthermore, it is the influential makingof decisions throughout the history of each culture itself, which, Ibelieve, is flexible and adaptive enough to effect important changes forthe future. 1065BibliographyAtkinson, D. 1997. A Critical Approach to Critical Thinking. TESOLQuarterly 31, 71-94. Blair, J. Anthony and Ralph H. Johnson. 1991. Misconceptions of InformalLogic: A Reply to McPeck. Teaching Philosophy 14.1, 35-52. Davidson, Bruce. 1995. Critical Thinking Education Faces the Challenge ofJapan. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 14.3, 31 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/spr95/davidson.html. Fuller, Steve. 1997. Science. Birmingham: Open UP. Hatcher, Donald. 1995a. Critical Thinking and Epistemic Obligations. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines 14.3, 38 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/spr95/hatcher2.html. Hatcher, Donald. 1995b. Should Anti-Realists Teach Critical Thinking?. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines 14.4, 21 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/summ95/hatcher.html. Hongladarom, Soraj. 1998a. Critical Thinking and the Realism/Anti-RealismDebate, http://pioneer.chula.ac.th/~hsoraj/web/CT.html. Hongladarom, Soraj. 1998b. Humanistic Education in Todays and TomorrowsWorld. Manusya: Journal of Humanities, 1 (forthcoming). Hostetler, Karl. 1991. Community and Neutrality in Critical Thought: ANonobjectivist View on the Conduct and Teaching of Critical Thinking. Educational Theory, 41.1, 1-12. Matilal, Bimal Krishna. 1990. Logic, Language and Reality: IndianPhilosophy and Contemporary Issues. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. McGuire, John. 1998. Is Critical Thinking Cultural Thinking?. Unpublishedms. McPeck, John E. 1991. What is Learned in Informal Logic?, TeachingPhilosophy, 14.1, 25-34. Needham, Joseph. 1969. The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East andWest. London: Allen Unwin. Paul, Richard. 1993. Critical Thinking: What Every Person Needs to Survivein a Rapidly Changing World. Santa Rosa, CA: Foundation for CriticalThinking. Ronan, Colin A. 1978. The Shorter Science and Civilization in China: AnAbridgement of Needhams Original Text. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Sutton, Robert. 1995. Realism and Other Philosophical Mantras. Inquiry:Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 14.4, 18 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/summ95/sutton.html. Tscherbatsky, F. Th. 1962. Buddhist Logic. New York: Dover. References1 The literature on the nature and definitions of critical thinking areenormous. Probably the most intense debate among critical thinking expertscenters on the question whether critical thinking can be a separateautonomous academic disciplines dealing with the general form of thinkingto be applied by students in all of their academic areas. Or whether it isnot autonomous at all, but should always be part of important academicdisciplines. However, I believe that these debates giveuslittleunderstanding of what critical thinking should be. For critical thinkingwould be nothing if not applied to real cases, and the study of it wouldnot be totally effective if the skills and theories unique to it were notabstracted and studied on their own. The other debates focuses on thenature of critical thinking, or the meaning of critical thinking itself. Richard Paul (1993) provides a definition that no one can gainsay: Criticalthinking is the kind of thinking one thinks of ones thinking in order tomake ones thinking better. Hatcher (1995a; 1995b) calls for the kind ofcritical thinking that is based on the so-called epistemological realistposition this is contrasted by Sutton (1995) and Hostetler (1991), whoargue that critical thinking is more amenable to the anti-realist position. Whatever it is, there is still no correct definition concerning the truemeaning of critical thinking.