Other Cosmic Quandaries Essay Example for Free

Other Cosmic Quandaries Essay Even readers with no prior experience with theoretical physics, cosmology, or astronomy, will find Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries (2007) by Neil deGrasse Tyson, very accessible. In fact, it may very well be the ideal starter manual both for aspiring cosmologists and non-specialist readers who are curious about the history and ultimate destiny of the universe. The vast majority of cosmology books are dry and overly laden with mathematical equations and technical jargon. While such information is very useful for specialists, it would instantly put off a non-scientific audience. Tyson, on the other hand, keeps his presentation engaging and fun by introducing each topic clearly and concisely, successfully simplifying complex astronomical concepts and making them easy to understand. On the subject of black holes, he helps us understand them by asking us to visualize certain phenomena with each of our senses. He also uses funny analogies and examples to explain physical principles. First, in seeking to prove that the laws of physics are universal, he suggests the use of science as a sort of universal Esperanto in gaining the peaceful acquaintance of alien cultures: â€Å"You don’t even know whether shaking their hands – if indeed they have hands to shake – would be considered an act of war or of peace. Your best hope is to find a way to communicate using the language of science†(p. 33). A few pages later, he proves the universality of physics by ordering a hot cocoa in a dessert shop in Pasadena, California. He ordered whipped cream with his drink, however, the chocolate mix did not show any evidence of it, in spite of the waiter’s assertions to the contrary: `Since whipped cream has a very low density and floats on all liquids that humans consume, I offered the waiter two possible explanations: either somebody forgot to add the whipped cream to my hot cocoa or the universal laws of physics were different in this restaurant†(p. 37). If the latter explanation was correct, perhaps said dessert shop could become a tourist site where patrons can hurriedly dine on entrees that disappear at random intervals. To introduce concepts such as x-rays, he cites popular shows such as Superman and Star Trek to give the audience a familiar point of reference. However, the most interesting part of the book was chapter 23, when he used the children’s classic ‘Goldilocks and the Three [Planets] to compare the habitability of Venus, Earth and Mars. Who knew one could compare planets to porridge? `Once upon a time, some four billion years ago, the formation of the solar system was nearly complete. ` `And among the dozens of planets that had formed, some were on unstable orbits and crashed into the sun or Jupiter. Others were ejected from the solar system altogether. In the end, the few that remained had orbits that were `just right` to survive billions of years† (p. 207-8). Of course Venus was much too hot with its oppressive atmosphere of carbon dioxide with an atmospheric pressure 90 times that of the earth. Even though it has a reputation for being the planet of love, the climate is most reminiscent of Hell. Mars, on the other hand, is much too cold. Even though there is water at the poles, the average surface temperatures are on par with the Antarctic†¦sometimes it can get even worse than that. Earth is just right because of its distance from the sun, a wide range of habitable areas (for a wide variety of species), and enough water to sustain them. Another enjoyable chapter was â€Å"Hollywood Night†, which highlighted many of the myths and misconceptions the film industry uses to entertain people. Overall, the book was lively and engrossing. Placing his work in the context of Galileo, James Joule, Jacob Cornelius Kapteyn, and Pierre-Simon Laplace, he brings the excitement of new discoveries closer to us. It is almost as though we are there with the great scientists of the time. After one semester of Astronomy, I was already familiar with most concepts Tyson introduces and could therefore very easily follow his arguments. The outline of the book was comparable to many philosophers because he would pose a question at the beginning of the chapter and try to present a compelling argument for each section. The only part that merits criticism is chapter five, which in my opinion is redundant. There are many experiments a reader can carry out with a stick and a patch of mud to measure time and the position of the sun, but the chapter does not introduce any new information or arguments. While Tyson successfully manages to infuse humor, unfortunately, the jokes tend to repeat and reappear in different chapters. For example, he twice mentions that if the sun were yellow, snow would also be yellow â€Å"whether or not it fell near fire hydrants. † Recently, there has been much discussion among many scientists and philosophers that mysticism and empiricism are not as separate as most people seem to think. The concluding section of Tyson’s book gives a strong and coherent description of the relationship between religion and science. Ultimately, Tyson concludes that there is no such relationship. In the future, I am looking forward to learning much more about life, the universe, and everything, but this is a good start for now. References Tyson, N. D. (2007). Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. NY: W. W. Norton.

Advertisements Help Women Make Informed Decisions Essays -- Advertisi

Do advertisements give us a false sense of reality? Advertisements aren’t supposed to portray real life. Feminists exaggerate when criticizing advertisements and the power they have on culture. The sole purpose of advertisements is to sell products, not to change society’s values, and marketers are less likely to shape our nation’s culture than to be shaped by it (Makin www.digitas). Advertising simply serves to inform us of the choices that we have as consumers, and leaves us to make rational decisions based on what we need (Ingham www.aber). Most women are relatively satisfied with their appearance and advertisements impact them minimally. Women are not affected negatively by the images they see in advertisements. Women don’t want to be attractive because advertisers tell them that they should be. Advertisers put attractive women in ads because that it is what men want to see and what women naturally aspire to be. Advertisements don’t tell us what we should want to look like. Rather, they show what we already want to be. They are not intended to â€Å"brainwash† individuals into purchasing their products over others. Jean Kilbourne states, â€Å"Eighty percent of American women think that they are over weight.† Of course, that’s because many of them are – according to the Framingham Heart Study, Seventy percent of women over forty years of age are indeed above their optimal weight (Makin www.digitas). People don’t want to buy products demonstrated by overweight models, because they associate being overweight with negative connotation. Advertisers use images that are pleasing to the human eye, thus showing the models we aim to be like. When we watch an advertisement on television, or look at one... ... The world of advertising is not the real world and is much different. Since we know this, we are able to look at the various aspects of how advertisements work and look at them with open eyes as well as an open mind. We understand how and why advertisements use specific techniques to sell products and that they are not out to make women self-conscious or to strive to live in this imaginary, perfect world. Advertisements help give us a better understanding of ourselves (Ingham www.aber). All things considered, advertisements help us more than they hurt us. They help us make informed decisions about the products we choose to purchase. By purchasing the best for us we are able achieve our goals and become the successful, beautiful woman that we strive to be. Sources Cited www.aber.com www.digitas.com www.social.com www.teenink.com

Gentleman of the Jungle

In Kenyatta’s The Gentlemen of the Jungle, man renders space in his hut to elephant who seeks shelter from man. Man resorts to violence after elephant and the rest of the animals take advantage of his kindness. â€Å" my deer good man, will you please let me put my trunk inside your hut to keep it out of this torrential rain? ’’ asked the elephant, knowing very well that he needed more space than just what his trunk was going to occupy. Man invited elephant to put his trunk in, once invited, the elephant pushed his whole body into mans hut pushing man out of his hut â€Å"as there is not enough room for both of us, you can afford to remain in the rain while I am protecting my delicate skin from the hailstorm† said the elephant. Against the one tone beast man was helpless so he seeks the help of the King of the jungle, who deems the elephant to be just. With no one to turn to for justice, man resorts to violence. Under the pretence of civilizing Africa, colonial powers entered into Africa and brought tobacco whisky and religion, once in, they took gold silver and spice to nourish their land as did the elephant to protect its delicate skin. Colonial inhabitants like the Elephant were big and powerful. Against their gun powder and muskets, the sharpest African spear is blunt; they were more advanced in weaponry and larger in number since Africa was then divided into many little tribes. There are several reasons why colonizers explored the world. Although their motive for Africa is made known after the colossal damage they caused in Africa, their facade was the premise of making the world a better place for all to live. The colonizers of Africa needed resources to build the life of luxury they wanted, but they had a problem; they did not have enough resources in their land to live the lifestyle they wanted; hence the exploration. The Colonizers took more than they were offered by the Africans. Elephants are known to appear calm and docile, but can be very violent. An elephant is unpredictable and can turn on any one at any time, with a high probability of causing colossal damage to their surroundings. According to www. discovery. com, an elephant is â€Å"the beast which passes all others in wit and mind. † With this knowledge of elephant’s capability to outsmart man, one can argue that elephant intentionally asked for man’s help with the ulterior motive of taking what is rightfully man’s property. The hide of an elephant is very hard and can withstand any burden; hence why the elephant is referred to as a beast of burden. The scientific name for an elephant is pachyderms, which means thick-skinned animals. Elephant’s statement that his â€Å"skin is too delicate† is insulting, and condescending to man, considering the fact that an elephant’s hide is very rough and rugged; a characteristic that is quite opposite of the delicate skin of man. One can argue that this is an effort by the author to give the reader a glimpse of the attitude of colonizers towards Africans; the attitude of the African being inferior to the colonizers. Once in Africa, in this case, man’s hut, with the size and might of an elephant, the natural inhabitants of Africa were pushed out of their land. How then does one defend himself from a beast that weighs a ton, to whom do you ask for help if your cry for justice is suppressed with what is an unjust law? The African allowed the colonizers on to their land and the colonizers established their own law on the land of Africa to judge and dissolve disputes how they see fit. Another point that sparks my attention as a reader is Kenyatta’s choice of the members of the animal kingdom. Why the choice of the lion, buffalo, leopard, and hyena as the intruders of man’s hut, and the members of the ruling committee of this case. Why not a cat, a mouse, or any other domestic animals? To further investigate the nature of these animals, an in-depth research was done on the personalities of such animals. The head of the Judging committee, the Lion, is notorious for its greedy nature. Lions steal what is not rightfully theirs. It is in their nature to take advantage of weaker species whenever the opportunity presents itself. The hyena is by nature a scavenger. The spotted African hyena â€Å"features prominently in African mythology and folklore, where its portrayal varies from being a bringer of light, to a symbol of immorality and depravity. †(www. wikipedia. com) African folklore associates the hyena with immorality and depravity; this says a lot about the hyena in this story considering the fact that it was a member of the unjust rulers of the animal kingdom, and also an intruder to man’s hut which he built for himself. Hyenas are opportunistic and consistently fight with lions in the wild because they’d rather steal the lion’s food than hunt for themselves. The rhino is a bully. Most people view the rhino as a slow lumbering animal; however, they can turn 180 degrees at the blink of an eye and when necessary can run remarkably fast. The leopard operates with stealth, and is known to be the most secretive, shrewdest and elusive of the large carnivores. It is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself. All of the above named animals have tendencies to appear docile, but have great capabilities of doing damage. It is not like the nature of these animals to even co-exist together. However, in this story, they, like colonial powers unite and form an alliance against man, the African. Like the recurring theme of colonizers taking Africa’s wealth, the animal kingdom continues taking from man. The colonial powers, like the elephant had ulterior motives of taking what’s rightfully the property of man, the African. This constant power struggle and trend of injustice and disregard for the African caused the African to seek violence as the ultimate problem solver.

Acc 556 Week 1 - 1028 Words

Internal Accountant’s Report to Management | |Accountant | Memo To: Management From: Internal Accountant Date: 10/8/2011 Re: Government Bid Occupational fraud is defined as the use of a person’s job for individual enrichment through the purposeful mishandling or misapplication of his or her employer’s capital or assets (Wells, 2005). Occupational fraud can have a serious impact with far-reaching consequences. In 2004 for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) conducted a survey that provided 508 usable studies of fraud for a total of over $761 million†¦show more content†¦The final category is conflict of interest. A conflict of interest occurs when an employee has an undisclosed economic benefit in a situation. For example, maybe the employee has a family member who works for one of the companies bidding on a project. If the employee knows that the family member will benefit and does not disclose the information to his superior than that is a conflict of interest. To begin the review process there should be some knowledge of the processes and procedures in the accounti ng department. It may be a good idea to observe all of the procedures that go into creating the financial statements. Look for any weaknesses or questionable practices and create a list of questions. Then in the next phase the auditor can conduct interviews to get a better understanding of the accounting staff. Observations and interviews can set the groundwork and provide information into any nuances or potential fraud or abuse. Any material weaknesses found can be further explored. Another recommended method for completing a status review is to work back from the financial statements. Make sure that all balance sheet accounts are properly documented and choose a handful of transactions to verify. In verifying the transactions it is important to look at the original documentation for each transaction. It is important to ensure that all of the documentation is accurate and complete. If there are missingShow MoreRelatedAcc 556 Complete Discussion Acc556 Acc 556 Complete Cour se Week 1 to Week 112045 Words   |  9 PagesACC556 ACC 556 Complete Course Week 1 to Week 11 Download Answer here http://workbank247.com/q/acc556-acc-556-complete-course-week-1-to-week-11/12254 http://workbank247.com/q/acc556-acc-556-complete-course-week-1-to-week-11/12254 http://workbank247.com/q/acc556-acc-556-complete-course-week-1-to-week-11/12254 ACC 556 Complete Discussion ACC 556 Week 1 Discussion Financial Statements  Ã‚  Please respond to the following: * From the e-Activity, analyze Apple’s most recent financial statementsRead MoreEssay Acc 556 Week 9 Acc556 Week 914012 Words   |  57 PagesACC 556 Complete Course ACC556 Complete Course Click Link for the Answer: http://workbank247.com/q/acc-556-complete-course-acc556-complete-course/22176 http://workbank247.com/q/acc-556-complete-course-acc556-complete-course/22176 ACC 556 Week 1 Discussion Financial Statements  Ã‚  Please respond to the following: * From the e-Activity, analyze Apple’s most recent financial statements. Based on your analysis, predict whether Apple’s financial health will likely improve or deteriorate over the nextRead MoreAcc 556 Week 10 Acc556 Week 1013988 Words   |  56 PagesACC 556 Complete Course ACC556 Complete Course Click Link for the Answer: http://workbank247.com/q/acc-556-complete-course-acc556-complete-course/22176 http://workbank247.com/q/acc-556-complete-course-acc556-complete-course/22176 ACC 556 Week 1 Discussion Financial Statements  Ã‚  Please respond to the following: * From the e-Activity, analyze Apple’s most recent financial statements. Based on your analysis, predict whether Apple’s financial health will likely improve or deteriorate over the nextRead MoreAcc 5561986 Words   |  8 PagesSyllabus School of Business ACC/556 Version 5 Forensic Accounting Copyright  © 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description In this course, students are introduced to the conduct of fraud examinations, including a discussion of specific procedures used in forensic accounting examinations and the reasoning behind these procedures. Topics include an overview of fraud and abuse, forensic evidence, substantive procedures for cash outflow irregularitiesRead MoreIncome Taxation Solutions Manual 1 300300 Words   |  1202 Pagescorporations assets are used for business purposes, the corporation qualifies as a small business corporation and a subsequent sale of shares would be entitled to the Buckwold and Kitunen, Canadian Income Taxation, 2012-2013 Ed. Solutions Manual Page C-1 Copyright  © 2013 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. capital gain deduction of $750,000. Although Court will be subject to further taxation when dividends are paid to him from the corporation, double taxation will not occur to the extent that income consists