Flowers For Algernon - Comparing And Contrasting Essay -- essays resea

Numerous mainstream books are frequently changed over into TV films. The splendid fiction novel, Flowers for Algernon composed by Daniel Keyes, was formed into a sensational TV film. Blossoms for Algernon is about an intellectually hindered man who is allowed the chance to get astute through the headways of clinical science. This sincerely contacting novel was adjusted to TV so it could interest a more extensive, progressively broad crowd. In spite of the fact that the novel and film are comparable regarding plot and topic, they are diverse as far as characters. The plot of both the novel and film adaptation of Flowers for Algernon share basic similitudes. The two of them include an impeded moderately aged man, Charlie Gordon, who gets an activity to uplift his knowledge. Charlie’s IQ in the long run outperforms human regularity to uncover that the investigation proved fruitful. In both the film and novel, Charlie turned out to be considerably more smart than the educators who worked with him. In the film, Dr. Strauss was humiliated to uncover that Charlie was more astute than him. That played an achievement occasion in Charlie’s recognizable proof of himself. Gradually his insight started to diminish and he inevitably came back to his unique perspective. All through the story, Charlie experienced a wide range of feelings that he had never experienced on the grounds that he didn’t have the basic information to get them. The scene when he was at the dance club with his collaborators allowed him the chance to encounter sel ling out and outrage. â€Å"I never realized that Joe and Frank and the others got a kick out of the chance to have me around just to ridicule me† (Keyes 30). The plot for the two forms likewise deliberately portrayed Charlie’s mental injuries that he endured after his activity. These upheavals were frequently brought about by sentimental tension and the excruciating recollections he would review. At whatever point Charlie got close with Alice he would will in general get amazingly anxious or have a visualization, making him ruin the occasion. â€Å"I dropped a fork, and when I attempted to recover it, I thumped over a glass of water and spilled it on her dress† (56). One of Charlie’s most difficult recollections was the one about the memento occurrence. The two variants worked superbly of underlining this specific second. â€Å"His garments are torn, his nose is draining and one of his teeth is broken† (38). These flashbacks happened commonly in t he novel yet the f... ...n the lady at the bar in the film. Norma, Charlie’s sister, was another significant character who wasn’t included in the film. She was a piece of the motivation behind why Charlie was sent away. As a kid she loathed Charlie in light of the fact that he would continually demolish things for her, similar to the ‘A-Paper’ episode. â€Å"Not you. You don’t tell. It’s my imprint, and I’m going to tell† (81). She generally felt like Charlie was an aggravation too â€Å"He’s like a baby† (81). In the film, Rose wasn’t as feeble as the novel depicted her. She appeared to have Norma’s feeling of empathy from the novel which made her character rather baffling. All in all, there was a distinction of characters in the film. In spite of the fact that the novel and film are comparative as far as plot and subject, they are distinctive as far as characters. Charlie’s feelings and individual preliminaries were an enormous piece of the two plots on the grounds that the entire story is about his own development and encounters. Prejudice was a significant issue in the life of Charlie Gordon in light of the fact that it was difficult for him to be acknowledged anyplace else however the bread shop. Albeit a portion of the first characters were expelled from the film, their characters were joined into that of another character.

Epistemology †empiricism Essay

Standards like those Parmenides accepted that are said in contemporary language to be from the earlier standards, or standards of reason, which just implies that they are known before understanding. It isn't that we become familiar with these standards first sequentially but instead that our insight into them doesn't rely upon our faculties. For instance, consider the rule â€Å"You can’t make something from nothing. † If you wished to guard this guideline, okay continue by leading a trial in which you attempted to make something from nothing? Truth be told, you would not. You would put together your guard with respect to our powerlessness to imagine ever makingâ something from nothing Everything we know starts from four sources. The main, our faculties, can be thought of as our essential wellspring of data. Two different sources, reason and instinct, are subordinate as in they produce new realities from information previously provided to our brains. The fourth source, authority (or â€Å"hearsay,† or â€Å"testimony† of others), is essentially auxiliary, and used actuality claims are in every case all the more wiggly and hard to approve. Different wellsprings of information are normally asserted, and it isn't unfathomable that there may exist different sources; however in the event that they do exist,â knowledge got from them is dangerous, and cautious investigation as a rule finds that they can be subsumed under at least one of the four known sources and should be truly addressed as authentic, separate wellsprings of dependable data. In rundown, what is the idea of our insight about this present reality of items/occasions? Our insight into the truth is made out of thoughts our brains have made based on our tangible experience. It is a texture of information woven by the brain. Information isn't given to the psyche; nothing is â€Å"poured† into it. Or maybe, the psyche produces observations, ideas, thoughts, convictions, etc and holdsâ them as working theories about outer reality. Each thought is an (abstract) working model that empowers us to deal with genuine articles/occasions with some level of down to business productivity. Anyway convincing our considerations and pictures might be, they are just remote portrayals of the real world; they are devices that empower us to manage reality. It is just as we attract nondimensional maps to assist us with understanding four-dimensional region. The semanticists have since a long time ago helped us to be careful to remember confounding any kind of guide with the genuine scene. â€Å"The map,† they state, â€Å"is not the region. † A reflection, by definition, is a thought made by the psyche to allude to all articles which, having certain attributes in like manner, are thought of in a similar class. The quantity of items in the class can go from two to unendingness. We can allude to all men, all tropical storms, all books, all vitality formsâ€all everything. While reflection building is an inevitable mental processâ€in certainty it is the initial phase in the association of our insight into objects/eventsâ€a significant issue is innate simultaneously. At elevated levels of reflection we will in general gathering together articles that share however a couple of characteristics for all intents and purpose, and our abstractionsâ may be practically inane, without our knowing it. We fall into the propensity for utilizing natural deliberations and neglect to acknowledge how void they are. For instance, what do the articles in the accompanying reflections share practically speaking? All agnostics, every Western colonialist, all blacks or all whites (and in the event that you think it’s skin shading, reconsider), all preservationists, all trees, every single French individuals, all Christians. At the point when we think in such elevated level deliberations, it is frequently the situation that we are imparting nothing important by any means. â€Å"The singular article or occasion we are naming, obviously, has no name and belongsâ to no class until we put it in one. † Going as far back as Plato, scholars have generally characterized information as evident advocated conviction. From the earlier information is information that is supported autonomously of (or preceding) experience. What sorts of information could be legitimized with no intrigue to understanding? Absolutely, we can know reality of definitions and legitimate facts separated as a matter of fact. Henceforth, definitions and legitimately fundamental certainties are instances of from the earlier information. For instance, â€Å"All unicorns are one-horned creatures† is valid by definition. Essentially, the followingâ statement is a certain wagered: â€Å"Either my university’s football crew will dominate their next match or they won’t. † Even on the off chance that they tie or the game is dropped, this would satisfy the â€Å"they won’t win† part of the expectation. Subsequently, this announcement communicates an intelligently essential truth about the football crew. These two proclamations are instances of from the earlier information. Notice that in the specific instances of from the earlier information I have picked, they don't give us any genuine, authentic data about the world. Despite the fact that the announcement about unicorns is valid, it doesn't disclose to us whether there are any unicorns on the planet. Thus, the football expectation doesn't reveal to us the real result of the game. Experience of the world is required to know these things. The second sort of information is a posteriori information, or information that depends on (or back to) understanding. Likewise, the descriptive word observational alludes to whatever depends on understanding. Any cases dependent on experience indicate to add new data to the subject. Thus, â€Å"Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit† and â€Å"Tadpoles become frogs† would be instances of a posteriori information. We realize the point of solidification of water and the existence pattern of tadpoles through experience. So far, most savants would concede to these focuses. The troublesome inquiry presently emerges: Is there any from the earlier information that does give us information about this present reality? What might that resemble? It would be information expressible in an announcement with the end goal that (an) its reality isn't resolved exclusively by the significance of its terms and (b) it provides data about the manner in which the world is. Besides, since it is from the earlier, it would be information that we could legitimize through explanation, freely of experience. The inquiry, at that point, is whether reason alone can enlighten us regarding a definitive nature of the real world. 1. Is it conceivable to have information by any stretch of the imagination? 2. Does reason give us information on the world freely of experience? 3. Does our insight speak to reality as it truly seems to be? Logic asserts that reason or the keenness is the essential wellspring of our central information about the real world. Nonrationalists concur that we can utilize motivation to make determinations from the data gave by sense understanding. Be that as it may, what recognizes the pragmatists is that they guarantee that reason can give us information separated as a matter of fact. For instance, the realists call attention to that we can show up at numerical facts about circlesâ or triangles without estimating, explore different avenues regarding, or experience roundabout or triangular items. We do as such by developing levelheaded, deductive verifications that lead to completely obvious ends that are in every case all around valid for the world outside our brains (from the earlier information about the world). Clearly, the realists figure the subsequent inquiry ought to be addressed positively. Induction is the case that sense experience is the sole wellspring of our insight about the world. Empiricists demand that when we start life, the first hardware of our keenness is a clean slate, or clear tablet. Just through experience does that vacant brain become loaded up with content. Different empiricists give various clarifications of the idea of consistent and numerical certainties. They are totally concurred, in any case, that these facts are not effectively inactive in the brain before we find them and that there is no certifiable from the earlier information about the idea of the real world. The empiricists would react â€Å"No! † to the second epistemological inquiry. Regarding question 3, both the pragmatists and the empiricists feel that our insight represents reality as it truly may be. Constructivism is utilized in this conversation to allude to the case that information is neither as of now in the psyche nor inactively got for a fact, yet that the brain develops information out of the materials of experience. Immanuel Kant, an eighteenth century German thinker, presented this view. He was impacted by both the pragmatists and the empiricists and endeavored to arrive at a trade off between them. While Kant didn't concur with the pragmatists on everything, he believed we can have from the earlier information on the world as we experience it. Despite the fact that Kant didn't utilize this mark, I call his position constructivismâ to catch his unmistakable record of information. One alarming outcome of his view was that in light of the fact that the brain forces its own request on understanding, we can never know reality for what it's worth in itself. We can just know reality as it appears to us after it has been separated and prepared by our brains. Thus, Kant responds to address 3 adversely. By and by, on the grounds that Kant thought our psyches all have the equivalent intellectual structure, he thought we can show up at general and target information inside the limits of the human circumstance. Prior to perusing further, take a gander at the expressway picture for a case of a classicâ experiment in observation. Did you find the correct solution, or were your eyes tricked? One way that cynics assault information claims is to highlight all the manners by which we have been deluded by hallucinations. Our involvement in perceptual hallucinations shows that in the past we have been mixed up about what we thought we knew. These errors lead, the doubter claims, to the end that we can never be sure about our convictions, from which it follows that our convictions are not advocated. Another, comparative technique of the cynic is to highlight the chance tha

Double diplomas

Double diplomas Did you know that you cant double-major at MIT? Okay, Im just being pedantic. A double-major generally means that one gets a single diploma with both areas of specialization written on it, and we dont do that at MIT. If you complete the requirements for two majors at MIT, you actually get two diplomas to show off at graduation (and to hang pretentiously on your putative future office wall, for that matter). Somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of MIT students graduate with bachelors degrees in two subjects (stats are here, but I happen to know theyre not complete, because I should be listed as a year 3 student with a second major in VII-A. You may notice there are no year 3 VII-As listed. Yep.) The MIT website is terribly confusing about the requirements for completing two majors (perhaps thinking that if they make it difficult to understand, only the truly worthy will be able to dance at graduation with a diploma in each hand), so Im going to try and demystify the process a little. The first concept to understand is the General Institute Requirements (GIRs). In a nutshell, everybody at MIT has to either take or pass out of the following: 2 semesters of physics (mechanics and EM), 2 semesters of calculus (differential/integral and multivariable), 1 semester of chemistry, 1 semester of biology, 8 semesters of humanities/arts/social sciences, 1 semester of an appropriate Institute lab, and 2 semesters of appropriate restricted electives. (There are a few other things you have to take, such as PE classes and 2 semesters of communications intensive classes in your major, but for the purposes of this discussion they dont count.) Now for the important part: anything you take which doesnt fall under the umbrella of the GIRs as described above counts for units outside the GIRs. For a single degree, a student has to accumulate 180 units outside the GIRs. This is easy; you can accumulate 180 units outside the GIRs just by completing the requirements for your major. For two degrees, you have to complete 270 units outside the GIRs, which is substantially harder (unless you come in with a lot of AP or transfer credit). Most people take 48 units (4 classes) per term; if you double without much AP credit, you have to average 60 units (5 classes) per term. This probably does not sound like a big difference to you but believe me, 60 units hurts a lot more than 48, especially toward the middle of term. Personally, I came in with a meager 27 units of credit (and didnt pass out of any intro classes), so double-majoring has been extremely painful. (Check out last semester. Owww.) Some majors are easier to double with than others. The list of requirements for each major is here; some majors, like 9, are somewhat requirement-light and lend themselves to doubling, while others, like 16, have so many requirements that its difficult to squeeze in another major. (My friend Woody 08 is trying to double in 16 and 2. Not for the faint of heart.) Just in case you were wondering, two majors and two minors is the maximum amout of ridiculousness with which you can graduate MIT. Triple-majors used to be allowed, until someone realized that knowing there were people capable of triple-majoring at MIT made them feel sad. And finally, for Imma: (who asked HiIm the parent of a freshman. Her birthday is coming up soon, so I was hoping you could tell me where I might order a (yummy) birthday cake for delivery to her dorm. Thanks!) So there are basically two deliciously decadent cake-making places I thought off off the top of my head, so Ill give you info for both and let you see what looks best. 1. Mikes Pastry is the classic Boston North End dessert place no trip to the North End is complete without completely blowing ones diet at Mikes. Theres no direct information about delivery on the website, but Im sure if you call the phone number, theyd be happy to deliver. 2. Rosies Bakery. I actually like Rosies more than I like Mikes Pastry (shh, dont tell anyone), and they would allow you to directly place an order online. (For comparison, Rosies has more of a personal feel Mikes, being the place to go in Boston, sometimes feels (and tastes) kind of assembly-line.) To be honest, just looking at the website is making me hungry for one of their ridiculously delicious brownies. 3. (In case the other two options dont work) The Cheesecake Factory has a restaurant in the Prudential Center and another in the Cambridgeside Galleria. I would suggest letting someone (a roommate, perhaps?) in on the plan if you ship it to the roommate, the roommate can be on the lookout for it and will make sure the cake gets promptly refrigerated after arriving at the dorm. (A friend of mine sent me Chipotle burritos for my birthday this year as a surprise, and I didnt check my mailbox until three days after they arrived. They werent in good shape, lets just say that much.)

Current Grading Practices Used By Many Schools No Not...

The first thing I expolored is why current grading practices utilized in many schools no not necessarily reflect accurate student achievement. First and foremost, grading varies from teacher to teacher. So if a student gets an â€Å"easy† teacher, grades may be inflated, whereas if a student gets a â€Å"hard† teacher, grades may not look as promising. Teacher values and beliefs on education play a major factor in this variance of grades. Consequently, under most current practices where teachers can determine how the will grade students, different teachers may grade the exact same course very differently. For example, one teacher may have different categories of grades carry a different weight (ie, tests might be 50% or homework might be 10%, participation or attendance might factor in), while another teacher might grade strictly on a total points basis. Because of these, and other notable differences, I am pleased to see that schools are utilizing an approach w hich strives to eliminate extraneous factors and which puts more meaning into the grades stu dents earn (Cox, 2011). Over the years, more schools have shifted to a grading system called â€Å"standard-based grading.† This system is exactly as it sounds. Students are graded strictly on their mastery of a given set of standards for each course in secondary school, or for each subject taught by an elementary school teacher. The ultimate goal of this system is for grades to actually mean something to parents, students, andShow MoreRelatedGrading System Rationale6250 Words   |  25 PagesGrading Systems - SCHOOL, HIGHER EDUCATION Tweet students grades teachers learning ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Search All U.S. Universities Bottom of Form ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Bottom of Form SCHOOL Thomas R. Guskey HIGHER EDUCATION Howard R. Pollio SCHOOL Few issues have created more controversy among educators than those associated with grading and reporting student learning. Despite the many debates and multitudes ofRead MoreGrades4266 Words   |  18 Pagesgrade points a student earned in a given period of time divided by the total number of credits taken.[1] The GPA can be used by potential employers or further post-secondary institutions to assess and compare applicants. A Cumulative Grade Point Average is a calculation of the average of all of a students grades for all semesters and courses completed up to a given academic term,[2][3][4] whereas the GPA may only refer to one term. 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Disability was defined as any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.   Impairment does not necessarily lead to a disability, for the impairment may be corrected.   I am, for example, wearing eye glasses, but do not perceive that any disability arises from my impaired vision.   A disability refers to the function of the individual (rather than of anRead MoreEducation in South Africa12740 Words   |  51 Pagesaround 48,000 schools – including 390 special needs schools and 1,000 registered private schools. Of all the schools, are high schools (Grade 8 to 12) and the rest are primary schools (Grade 1 to 7). School life spans 13 years - or grades - although the first year of education, grade 0 or reception year, and the last three years, grade 10, 11 and grade 12 or matric are not compulsory. Many Primary schools offer grade 0, although this pre-school year may also be completed at Nursery school. RecentlyRead MorePerformance Management and Appraisal10885 Words   |  44 Pagesthings done through people, is an essential part of every manager’s responsibility, but many organizations find it advantageous to establish a specialist division to provide an expert service dedicated to ensuring that the human resource function is performed efficiently â€Å"People are our most valuable asset† is a clichà ©, which no member of any senior management team would disagree with. Yet, the reality for many organizations are that their people remain under valued, under trained and under utilizedRead MoreStudy Guide Essay25129 Words   |  101 Pagesthis course interesting and useful throughout your career. This course was designed to meet the unique needs of students like you who are both highly motivated and capable of completing a degree program through distance learning. Our faculty and administration have been involved in distance learning for over forty years and understand the characteristics common to successful students in this unique educational environment. This course was prepared by CCU faculty members who are not only outstandingRead More THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES65118 Words   |  261 PagesDurham E-Theses THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES LEE, SHIUAN,EN,CHRIS How to cite: THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at LEE, SHIUAN,EN,CHRIS (2009) Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/242/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal

Essay on The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien Lord Acton once said, Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. He was probably referring to the powerful kings and queens who held power over many people. But, we could see how power is something many of the characters in Tolkiens story are trying to have and hold onto in some form or another. In The Fellowship of the Ring J.R.R. Tolkien tells us a story about Frodo Baggins who is ordered by Gandalf to destroy the powerful ring discovered accidentally by his older cousin, Bilbo. Like the rest of the hobbits, Frodo has lived quite peacefully and well, not having to worry about how dark and dreary the rest of Middle Earth was becoming under Saurons growing power. Now, Frodo,†¦show more content†¦It would possess him (70). After having said this, he tells Frodo how this ring of doom originated. Clearly, Gandalf is wise enough to know that behind all that power lies weakness and evil. Even if one might first use the ring for something good and meaningful to others , it will eventually possess that person and make that person the slave to the ring. Galadriel even knows this quite well. Frodo offers her the ring, since he believes she deserves it the most and also knows how to control it. When Frodo tells her this, Galadriel seems to be strongly tempted to take the power offered by Frodo. She tells him, For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold! (431). The exclamation point reveals to us how Galadriel might be really taken in by the thought of power at this moment and how raptured she is in this thought. But, she too is wise as Gandalf is. In the end, she even tells Frodo, We will not speak more of it (431). She knows that even speaking about such power can bring about destruction. Interestingly though, Galadriel seems to be almost crazy at this moment, presenting herself to Frodo while relating to him what good she could bring to her elves. The ring is so alluring. Too much of a go od thing cannot last long. She isShow MoreRelatedEssay about J.R.R Tolkien and The Fellowship of the Ring997 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, better known as J.R.R. Tolkien, was born on January third 1892 in Bloemfontein South Africa and was the son of Arthur and Mabel Suffield Tolkien. After his fathers death in 1896 Tolkiens mother moved herself and her two children, J.R.R (at the time called Ronald) and his younger brother Hilary to Sarehole near Birmingham. When Tolkien was twelve his mother died and he and his brother were sent to live with one of their relatives when a Catholic priest became their legalRead MoreThe Myth about Tolkien Essay1529 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Lord of the Rings is racist. It is soaked in the logic that race determines behavior.† (Ibata 2). Many people have tried to perpetuate the myth that J.R.R. Tolkien was racist. They cite various scenes in The Lord of the Rings, in both the books and in the movies. These people are l ying or ignorant. J.R.R. Tolkien was not a racist, nor did he ever intend for his novels to be viewed as such. There is plenty of evidence to defend Tolkien from these claims such as: the themes of his novels, likeRead More J.R.R. Tolkien Biography Essay examples1521 Words   |  7 Pages J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa, although he considered himself a British man throughout his adulthood. He experienced World War I firsthand in the trenches. He was a professor of Old English and other archaic languages and had a strong love for such languages. Tolkien also felt a strong tie for his homeland, England, and desired to create mythology for England. 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He will be remembered for his great imagination and intriguing stories. His interest in language was the spark that led to the creation of The Lord of the Rings (Hodges 33-35). Tolkien led an interesting life that influenced his books greatly. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3Read MoreThe Lord Of The Rings1383 Words   |  6 PagesLord of the Rings is an enchanting story with masterful use of setting and sensational characters that engages readers and can move them to experience life in a deeper way. As a child J.R.R. Tolkien lived in Africa until his father passed away. Then his mother moved them to England. Mrs. Tolkien made certain that her children learned literature and languages. It was probably due somewhat to his mother’s influence that Tolkien became who he was: an author and a linguist (Corday). Tolkien had a specialRead More J. R. R. Tolkien Essay1509 Words   |  7 PagesThree Rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky, Seven for the dwarf lords in their halls of stone, Nine for mortal men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord in his dark throne. In the Land or Mordor where the shadow lies. One Ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie†¦ (J.R.R. Tolkien, Rings) nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;These are the most famous recognized lines in The Lord of the Rings, J.R.RRead MoreThe Tyger, The Lamb and Lord of the Rings1031 Words   |  4 PagesThere is an immense amount of symbolism used throughout both poems, and many different things can be taken away about the author’s thoughts religion, nature, and the battle between good and evil in one’s mind. 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Tolkiens Lord of the Rings â€Å"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them† (Tolkien, The Two Towers 233)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the masters of British Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was able to create a fantasy world with an endless supply of parallelisms to reality. The fantasy world was found in the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† Tolkien is able to create wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise be considered nonsense.

Should the English Police Use Firearms Free Essays

string(66) " in dealing with public order and terrorism \(Reiner 2000, p67\)\." Should the English police carry and use firearms? This essay explores the debate whether the English police carry and use firearms? It is a debate that has been a focal point in the public, policing agency, government and political arenas since the formation of the police. The English police are well known for their ‘unarmed’ tactic of policing and are only a few police forces worldwide that do so. It was this model of policing that Sir Robert Peel tried to distill from when he first formed the Metropolitan Police back in 1829, which as England as a country keeps to its traditions. We will write a custom essay sample on Should the English Police Use Firearms or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, due to increase in gun crime and terrorist attacks it is perhaps maybe time that the English police force kept up with an ever sophisticated and armed criminal/terrorist. In this essay the main themes I will focus on will be the background of the police, British models of policing, for and against armed response and the level of gun crime in the UK. The term ‘police’ derived from the Greek word ‘politeia’ meaning government or state. ‘Police’ refers to a social institution that most modern societies have to ensure social control. In modern society there is an ideological assumption that the police are a fundamental part of social control and without them there would be chaos (Reiner 2000, p1), however not every society has existed with a formal police force. The role of the police in its efforts for the control of crime and maintaining order is one that has changed through history and is an area of great debate in their effectiveness and the functions the police have in modern society. The police in modern society are called upon routinely to perform a wide range of tasks from public reassurance to terrorism and respond to emergencies, critical incidents and crises, many with an element of social conflict (Grieve et al. 2007, p19). A state run police organisation is a modern form of ‘policing’ (Reiner 2000,p2), however ‘policing’ is a different idea to that of the ‘police’. Understanding the function and role of the police requires consideration to the ideology of policing. The concept of policing can be defined as ‘the function of maintaining social control in society’ (Reiner 2000, p3). Policing can be carried out by an array of people and techniques of which the modern idea of the police is one. The police as a specialised institution of social control are seen as a product of the division of labour in modern societies and can be distinguished from other types of policing by their ability to use legitimate force. In modern democracy the police are both the symbolic ‘front’ of the state’s authority and responsible for the protecting individual and collective freedoms (Neyroud Beckley 2008, p21). In the UK policing is seen to be ‘by consent’ rather than a state run military model, thus its success is dependent on public co-operation and approval than fear (Grieve et. al 2007, p19). The English police force is only a number of police forces in the world were firearms are not routinely carried by all officers. It has kept in accordance to when they were first formed in 1829 by Sir Robert Peel, after the Metropolitan Police Act was passed by parliament. Upon the forming of on Metropolitan police force (1829), Sir Robert Peel’s intention was that the police’s role was for the prevention of crime. Efforts were made so that the new police did not look like soldiers, where Sir Robert Peel tried to avoid accusations of setting up a continental system of ‘agents’ like the French model of policing. The police weaponry was limited to a wooden truncheon, though cutlasses were available for emergencies and for patrolling dangerous beats and inspectors and above could carry pocket pistols (Emsley 1996, p26). The decision not to arm the Metropolitan Police in 1829 was intentional. The use of force used by the police was only to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient. The aim was to convey ‘civilian’ status (a citizen in uniform), distancing the police from the military. Sir Robert Peel in his model of the Metropolitan police implemented that the police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence. The days of the ‘local bobby on the beat’ and that of a civilian in clothing seemed to be a past time view of the police force by the 1960s. A new system of policing emerged, encouraged by the Home Office, which saw the number of officers on foot and put more into cars. This new system of policing was called ‘unit beat patrol’ (UBP), together with personal radios issued to all officers to enable quicker responses and cover more area (Newburn 2008, p91). This new ystem of policing intended to improve policing and police-community relations, yet it was seen to have the adverse effects. The UBP saw changes not only to the style of policing but also the image, as Chiball (1977) described it: ‘The â€Å"British bobby’’ was recast as the tough, dashing, formidable (but still brave and honest) â€Å"Crime-Buster† (cited in Newburn 2008, p91). However, the most notably change was the model of policing, it had seemed that the original â₠¬Ëœdemocratic’ model had been replaced by a ‘military’ model of policing. A new trend of hard-liner policing of political and industrial conflict emerged as serious disorder develop in England in the 1970s to 1980s. New forces within the police force were developed, specially trained, readily mobile to cope with riots with the formation of The Metropolitan Police Special Patrol Group in 1965. This was a mobile reserve, developed with a paramilitary role in dealing with public order and terrorism (Reiner 2000, p67). You read "Should the English Police Use Firearms" in category "Essay examples" All forces produced similar units which were trained in riot control and use of firearms. The military model of policing was ever present during the miners’ strikes of the 1980s, where the police now using centrally co-ordinated police operations and officers were now routinely using riot shields, helmets with visors and long batons in public disorders and riots. The use of force by the police had reached new levels as police used new tactics to ‘disperse and/or incapacitate’ protestors, outlined from the Tactical Options Manual approved by the Home Secretary in 1983 (Emsley 1996, p184). Plastic bullets and CS gas were more commonly deployed and even used in public disorder and riots with the showing of a police force more readily and willing to use excessive force against the public. However, it was common for complaints to be made regarding excessive force by the police but only to be dismissed due to the structure of the complaints system and the legitimacy issues in accountability of the police of use of force. It is evident that the use of force by the police over time has increased and also changed as has the model of policing, tactics, technology and weaponry available to the police. However, what weapons are available to the police and how they use is a topic of public concern and often political controversy. The legal use of force, the Criminal Justice Act 1967 section 3, states the ‘any person may use such force as is a reasonable in the circumstances’ for the lawful purposes. Article 2 of the European Convention amends this provision to equire that the use of lethal force by police officers should be necessary and proportionate (Newburn 2008, p468). With the emergence of guns more readily available and used by the police, it is only necessary that such overseeing bodies like The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are formed. Established in 1942, the ACPO function is an independent professionally led body with the aim of centralising the development of policing s trategies as a whole (Grieve 2007, p27). In the ‘Manual of Guidance on the Management, Command and Deployment of Armed Officers (2010) the guidelines for using lethal force are as stated in Article 4: ‘Law enforcement officials, in carrying out their duty, shall, as far as possible, apply nonviolent means before resorting to the use of firearms. They may use force and firearms only if other means remain ineffective or without any promise of achieving intended results’†¦Article 5 states: ‘Exercise and restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and legitimate objective achieved’. Consequently, in the UK, police officers are given the discretion to determine if the suspect poses a threat to the police officer or the public as PACE does not actually define what is ‘reasonable force’. In the pursuit of these suspects, police officers are given the power to use deadly force through probable cause of harm. The courts decide whether the use of deadly force is justified or not and in some cases, police officers are charged because their use of deadly force is considered to be unjustifiable. Hence, there is a very thin line separating the justification of the use of deadly force from an act that is unjustified. The ethical and moral dilemma of police officers therefore rests not only on the regulations of their agency but on their analytical and ethical decision. In 2008/09, there were 6,868 authorised firearms officers within the police force which was made up of 136,365 (Home Office, 2010). This is a small minority of police officers who are trained and authorised to use firearms but when considering that the English police are seen as an ‘unarmed’ force, these numbers are quite high. A debate of great concern for the public but also crime agencies and political arenas, is whether English police officers should carry and use firearms? The increasing use of guns by criminals and gun related deaths to both the public and English police officers has been a catalyst for supporters in the carrying and use of firearms by police officers. The 1960s was seen as the turning point in the arming of police officers as in Shepard’s Bush, London, three plain clothed police officers were shot dead (Newburn 2008, p473). This incident prompted the creation of the Metropolitan Police’s ‘D11’ which trained officers on firearms. However, even with the creation and training of police armed response teams such methods proved inadequate to deal with incidents like the Hungerford massacre. Michael Ryan became Britain’s first spree killer (Squires Kennison 2010 p77), when he killed 16 people. The Thames Valley Police Tactical Arms Firearms team was 40 miles away and took an hour and forty minutes to assemble; this resulted in the debate about the effectiveness of having specific armed response teams and not a general armed police force that could deal with situations more effectively and quicker. In outlining the history of the UK police force Neyroud Beckley (2008) argues that the baton-days prior 1980s was not enough to protect public safety against criminals. He cites the case of the Hungerford Shootings and the Thames Valley Police Force where an armed man killed two persons and injured one after a random shooting. The police force was heavily criticised because of the length of time it took for the police officers to respond to calls. The police was also criticised because the police use of firearms was largely focused on protecting the safety of the officers and on preventing fatal shootings, instead of focusing on public safety. Since then, the public expectations of the police and the use of force has been a dilemma for the UK police. Following the shootings, there was a call for more aggressive approach to enforcing the law. Is the use of deadly force justified? For the Thames Valley Police it is justified because it protects not only the police officers but also public security (Neyroud Beckley, 2008, p253). Security threats cannot be allowed in a society since they affect the confidence of the public on the police. In the terms of consequentialism, shooting a person who is out to massacre innocent is justified because the death of the criminal would mean sparing the lives of many others, restoring the peace and order needed by the society to properly function. The arming of police officers routinely could be considered a small step, as police officers are routinely armed already in a variety of situations, e. g. at airports and when providing security for political leaders or institutions. Already rapid-response units of armed officers are available to deal with armed criminals, but these need to be specially summoned and authorised which consumes time and lead to being ineffective in the situation. Armed police can be seen to reassure law-abiding citizens at a time when gun-related crime is increasing in most European countries and parts of North America. Much public opinion holds that something must be done to tackle this. People may feel safer when they see armed police, especially if they perceive them as a response to a heightened risk. Thus, for example, police officers at British airports and places government buildings routinely carry guns after recent terrorist attacks on England. Just as quickly as incidents brought about a feeling of approving by many of the carrying and use of firearms with deaths of police officers and public, it brought about incidents that gave the disapproval. Having armed police response may have its benefits when dealing with armed and dangerous criminals or terrorist threats; however the problem faced by armed police officers is knowing how much of a threat that suspect really poses and if they are correctly identified as carrying firearms or even the correct suspect. A notably example of these problems faced by armed response police, was the Harry Stanley shooting in 1999. The police received a call that a man believed to be Irish was armed with a shotgun and an armed response team was dispatched to deal with the situation. Upon arriving at the pub the armed response team shouted to Mr Stanley and as he turned the officers took this action as an aim at them with the suspected gun and in response shot him dead. It was revealed that Harry Stewart was in fact carrying a wooden chair leg and posed no threat at all to police officers or the public. However, it was not only the wrongful killing of Harry Stuart that was scrutinised but the events of the incident told by the police officers as it did not match forensic evidence (Squires Kennison 2010, p172). A similar incident again highlighted the problems faced with armed police officers, the shooting of Jeans Charles de Menezes in 2005. Two weeks after the London bombings, Jean Charles de Menezes was followed by a surveillance team who had mistaken him for Hussain Osman, a suspected failed suicide bomber from the previous day. As Jean Charles de Menezes boarded a train at Stockwell train station he was confronted by anti-terrorism officers who shot him seven times, certain that he was a suicide bomber (O’Driscoll 2008, p341). Initially, a discernible reluctance to accuse the acting officers of any wrongdoing. On the contrary, there was a general acceptance that their actions were both defensible and consistent with Metropolitan Police procedures for dealing with suspected suicide bombers. Viewed in this light, the shooting of Menezes was an unfortunate mistake, but nothing more. The war on terror, it is claimed, presents a novel form of war that necessitates (and therefore legitimates) a robust engagement from the relevant security forces (O’Driscoll 2008, p342). Yet this simple formulation overlooks the possibility that it was the very conditions of the war on terror that gave rise to the circumstances where such a ‘mistake’ could occur. Police violence, according to Box (1983), tends to increase in proportion to the elite’s fear of disorder, and the more fearful the elite, the more likely they are to tolerate illegal violence against potentially dangerous groups (Belur 2010, p323). Thus, in societies with extremely unequal social structures, such as those in some Latin American countries, the fate of the socially marginal is regarded with indifference by the state and the middle-class public alike. Even in strong democracies like the United Kingdom, Jefferson (1990) found that dehumanization and demonization of dissident and marginal groups seek to construct an ‘authoritarian consensus’ among the ‘respectable majority’, which allows them and the government to authorize or condone certain coercive measures (cited Belur 2010, p324). For the debate whether English police officers should carry and use firearms, it is important to look at the statistics of gun crime in England as an indication on the severity of the problem for a justification. There has been a dramatic rise in the ‘street gang’ culture within the UK, characterised by illegal gun ownership and violence (Caddick Porter 2011, p1). A new wave of gun crime has contributed to the so called ‘gun culture’ that many of the UK’s youths participate in, despite a background of increasingly restrictive legislations and better policy responses. There were 53 fatal police shootings between 1990 and 2011 (Inquest 2011). The figures for fatal shootings might be deemed ‘low’, however the police in England have an international reputation for being ‘unarmed’. Overall, there were 19,951 police operations in 2008/09 in which a firearm was authorised. The overall level of gun crime in England and Wales is very low – less than 0. 5% of all recorded crime. In 2007/8 there were 9,865 offences in England and Wales in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reportedly used, a 2% increase on the previous year. In 2007/8 there were 455 firearm offences in which there was a fatal or serious injury, 3% lower than in 2006/07. 6. 8% of all homicides committed during 2007/08 involved the use of firearms, down from 7. 8% in 2006/07 (Home Office (2010). Sir Robert Peel back in 1829, formed the Metropolitan Police with the aim to convey ‘civilian’ status (a citizen in uniform), distancing the police from the military. Sir Robert Peel in his model of the Metropolitan police implemented that the police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence. There have been a number of major changes to the police force as well as in technology and weaponry which is certainly a necessary solution to new problems faced by the police from criminals. However, there is a reason why as early as 1829, English police officers have remained unarmed. Arming the police is an easy way of ignoring the fundamental failures of society. Guns are not a response to crime. What is actually needed is more effort in preventing crime through detective work and policing strategy rather than focussing on responding to it. Nor does arming the police offer a solution to fundamental socio-political issues which contribute to crime. Routinely arming the police is an uneven response to gun crime, as it will affect some sections of the community more than others. For example, as certain ethnic groups are often associated with particular types of criminality, police use of firearms will damage police credibility within communities which feel that they are the subject of too much police suspicion. Even if the police believe they are carrying weapons in self-defence, others will view it as an aggressive act. This is a big change, both culturally and practically. The large majority of policemen and women go through their whole career without handling firearms. Even with the special selection measures and intensive training given to the few firearms officers today, mistakes sometimes occur and innocent people are shot, either by mistake because the armed officers are acting on inaccurate information, or because they are bystanders caught in the cross-fire of a shoot-out. Arming all police officers would mean ditching the current stringent selection methods and inevitably result in less training being rovided, so mistakes would become much more common and more people would be wounded or killed. If the English police officer has managed to last from 1829 from its first formation without carrying and using firearms then it does not need them now. The current responses in place to terrorist and armed criminals in place are sufficient; although not perfect by any means it would be a devastating blow for the people of England tradition and the effects costly. There are enough replacements to the use of firearms and those options should be explored. References Belur, J. (2010). Why do Police Use Deadly Force? Explaining Police Encounters in Mumbai. British Journal pf Criminology. 50 (5), p320-341. Caddick, A Porter, E. (2011). Exploring a model of professionalism in multiple perpetrator violent gun crime in the UK. Criminology Criminal Justice. 1-22. Emsley, C (1996). The English Police: A Political and Social History. Essex: Pearson. Grieve, J et al. (2007). Policing. London: Sage Publications Hallsworth, S Silverstone, D. (2009). ‘That’s life innit’ A British perspective on guns, crime and social order. Criminal Criminal Justice. 9 (3), p359-377. Leishman, F Loveday, B Savage, S (2000). Core Issue In Policing. 2nd ed. Essex: Pearson. Lutterbeck, D. (2004). Between Police and Military:The New Security Agenda and the Rise of Gendarmeries. Cooperation and Conflict. 39 (45), p45-68. Malcolm, J (2002). Guns and Violence: The English Experience. London: Harvard University Press. McLaughlin, E (2007). The New Policing. London: Sage Publications. Mitchell, L Flin, R. (2007). Shooting Decisions by Police Firearms Officers. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making,. 1 (4), p375-390. Newburn, T (2008). Handbook of Policing. 2nd ed. Devon: Willian Publishing. Newburn, T (2005). Policing: Key Readings. Oxon: Routledge. Neyroud, P and Beckley, A (2008). Policing, Ethics and Human Rights. 2nd ed. Devon: Willian Publishing. O’Driscoll, C. (2008). Fear and Trust: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes and the War on Terror. Journal of International Studies. 36 (2), p339-360. Reiner, R (2000). The Politics of Policing. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sharp, D. (2005). Who Needs Theories in Policing? An Introduction to a Special Issue on Policing. The Howard Journal. 44 (5), p449-459. Squires, P ; Kennison, P (2010). Shooting to Kill. Sussex: Wiley ; Sons Ltd. How to cite Should the English Police Use Firearms, Essay examples

Uber Management and Business Context

Question: Discuss about the Uber for Management and Business Context. Answer: Introduction As technology has attached itself with every aspect of daily life even with transportation, several companies have come forward with the innovative idea of building global cab service network with the help of Smartphone and internet. Among all of them, Uber is probably the most preferred brand of cab service and food delivery at present. With its quick and efficient service, Uber has established its identity in all the prominent cities across the world and holds maximum share of the transportation market in countries like United States and Australia (Uber, 2017).Looking at its pioneering position in the market, the report attempts analysis of its internal and external contextual factors along with domestic and international contextual factors as well as the issues related to Ubers business and management context is to be critically analysed (Cannon Summers, 2014). Ubers market segmentation, positioning and targeting is of great importance to be analysed in this context. Uber covers personal transportation market, especially for the people who travel to different places. The target consumer group for Uber is the section of people who need cabs on urgent basis and particularly who are business professionals. The people who have to travel at odd times of a day mostly prefer to use this kind of cab service. Presently, Uber holds a stable position of the market principally because it has showed signs to evolve with the rapid market changes. The service of Uber has made the journeys in the cities more convenient and accessible at any point of day (Tamberino, 2015). The most approved way of analysing Ubers internal contextual factors is to attempt a SWOT analysis on it. This analysis involves evaluation of an organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; alongside this, it discusses about the potential competitors of the chosen company (Uber, 2017). Commencing with the strengths, Ubers widespread global presence in more than 50 countries and over 200 cities is its greatest strength. Besides, the brand image that Uber has already developed even in the developing countries certainly serves as an advantage. High customer satisfaction rate with the application of supreme technology has been strengthening Ubers customer base for more than seven years (Thomas, Le Masson Weil 2017). In addition, Uber has less amount of fixed investment since it serves as a market place. Among fewer of its weaknesses, the most problematic aspect of Uber is that its image is entirely dependent on its drivers and that the smallest deviation in their pro fessional mannerism can sabotage the brand image of the company (Uber, 2017). However, if this has to be considered as a weakness, it will not be wrong to say that all the cab companies around the world suffer from this. Another limitation of this company is that in contrast with the huge demand and cash burning, monetization is really complex at present. However, Uber has boundless opportunities especially in the developing countries where unorganized market has a large share in the economy. Since Smartphone and internet usage is ever rising, Uber being a digitally hired transportation medium sees numerous opportunities in this context. In addition, the disposable income rate is rising as well as the consumers are becoming more inclined towards convenience of this kind of cab service (Singh, 2013). On the other hand, the external contextual factors are to be examined by PESTLE analysis of the global company. The political and legal factors include significant questions of government licenses, whereas in some countries this license process can take time. Besides, the laws deciding minimum wage for taxi drivers may affect the profit margin of this industry. The economic factors across the world, however, mostly go in favour of Uber as the growing level of profit in corporate sectors have been increasing demand for the convenient cab transportation. In contrast, the inflation and growing maintenance cost is likely to reduce profit margin of Uber (Dua, 2013). Being a technology-based company it is highly in favour of Uber that mobile apps usage is rapidly rising and that the market is always open for innovation and technological up gradation. The social factors include increasing population in the cities and their demand of cab transportation facility. Environmental factors propose the trend of electrical and hybrid cabs towards forming a more promising, eco-friendly and sustainable environment. The cabs used by Uber are in line with this view of sustaining a green environment (Shontell, 2017). The contextual factors aim to analyse the key organizational factors that define the internal environmental forces like the strategy and goals of the organization as well as its business environment, size, organizational culture, resources and technological aspects (Uber, 2017). The internal contextual factors are preferably discussed with Mckinsey 7S model that discusses the structure, system, skills, strategy, staff, and operational style and shared values of the chosen organization. Uber, from a start-up has speedily grown rather than its competitors and currently has 9 subsidiaries and 80 executives. The CEO Travis Kalanick heads the company and under him, four directors along with the CEO form the managing board. Ubers operational system depends on the customer rating system and digital media booking (Cannon Summers 2014). Ubers strategy of combining modern network orchestrator model with capital-intensive framework of service providing has been providing the company with larger profit margins, consistent growth opportunities and has enabled it to respond quickly to user complaints and to evolve with market changes. Although Uber initially did not show any interest in having shared values in the organization, in 2015 the company declared its elaborate 14 corporate values that are to be strictly adhered by the organization. The company emphasizes on the hiring of the staffs, especially drivers as technically are the face of Uber that users experience (Wirtz Tang, 2016). The external contextual factors are explained by Porters five forces model that analyses the external environmental forces of bargaining power of the suppliers and the buyers, the threat faced by the entry of new ones, threat for the already existing substitute services and the competitiveness among the existing companies in the market in case of Uber (Uber, 2017). Uber mostly hires cars from different sources on contractual basis and in this case, the suppliers tend to bargain and try to gain the most out of their cars given on rent. However, on the other hand, there is no such scope for the consumers of Uber to bargain; rather Uber itself surges price whenever the situation demands. Since it is quite a profitable market, more companies are likely to invest in this field and the threat of new entrants always remains. Moreover, Uber faces tough competition from its rivals like Lyft, Ola Cabs, Sidecar, Didi Dache, Curb and the like (Singh 2013). This innovative and emergent form of cab services have greater target market base that helps in developing the brand in spite of its several takers (Cannon Summers 2014). This analysis of Uber reveals several risks that the enterprise is dealing with at present. The foremost risks that lies before Uber is about Uber IPO; initially, there was a talk on this but it seems that poor condition of the market, poor performance and revenue generated and most importantly weak economic condition of a country can highly affect the business and can delay the proposed IPO. There is also a battle on whether Uber drivers are contractors or employees and if the drivers are to be accepted as full time employees, this can cause a huge money-suck for the company. In addition, the increasing competition between Uber and other cab service companies like Didi and Lyft creates the need for Uber to raise its expenditure (Thomas, Le Masson Weil 2017). The study about Uber should entail the appropriate mitigation strategies for the number of risk factors that are faced by the organization. The contextual theory of services provided by Uber can be improved by incorporating better client service experience and employing practices that will effectively regulate the operations and management of all the conveyance function. Moreover with a purpose of making public transport more feasible, Uber operates with strategic an infrastructural amenity which makes optimum use of technology along with service operation. Since Smartphone and internet usage is ever rising, Uber being a digitally hired transportation medium sees numerous opportunities in this context. In addition, the disposable income rate is rising as well as the consumers are becoming more inclined towards convenience of this kind of cab service (Uber, 2017). Therefore in regards to the challenges that take place in their services can be effectively solved with the help of a successful operating plan. In fact the sound design structure and innovation policies of Uber reflect the congruency within the applied model and business processing (Wirtz Tang, 2016). Therefore, this analysis can be concluded on a brighter note which has efficiently employed and analysed all the contextual factors and resources which are the significant constituents of Uber. The essay entails and is an account of the strengths, weakness along with the relative opportunities and threats that allows determining the business statistics of the cab service organization (Uber, 2017). References: Aversa, P., Haefliger, S., Reza, D. G. (2017). How to assess the value of a business model portfolio?.Mit Sloan Management Review. Cannon, S., Summers, L. H. (2014). How Uber and the sharing economy can win over regulators.Harvard business review,13, 1-4. Dua, T. (2017). Brand crises on steroids: Why Uber is the Trump of brands - Digiday. Digiday. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://digiday.com/marketing/brand-crises-steroids-uber-trump-brands/ Dobbs, M. (2014). Guidelines for applying Porter's five forces framework: a set of industry analysis templates.Competitiveness Review,24(1), 32-45. Shontell, A. (2017). Here's are the biggest threats to Uber according to Morgan Stanley, the bank that's helping the $62 billion startup raise its next round. Business Insider. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-are-the-biggest-threats-to-Uber-according-to-Morgan-Stanley-the-bank-thats-helping-the-62-billion-startup-raise-its-next-round/articleshow/50583413.cms Singh, A. (2013). A study of role of McKinsey's 7S framework in achieving organizational excellence.Organization Development Journal,31(3), 39. Tamberino, R. (2015). Uber: A Winning Strategy Technology and Operations Management. Rctom.hbs.org. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://rctom.hbs.org/submission/uber-a-winning-strategy/ Thomas, M., Le Masson, P., Weil, B. (2017). How easy it is to reproduce Uber Business Model?analyzing the design logics behind Business Model Innovation. Uber. (2017). Uber.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://www.uber.com/en-IN/ Wirtz, J., Tang, C. (2016). Uber: Competing as Market Leader in the US versus Being a Distant Second in China.SERVICES MARKETING: People Technology Strategy, 626-632.

Gray Wolves In Yellowstone Essays - Yellowstone, Canid Hybrids

Gray Wolves In Yellowstone The reintroduction of Gray Wolves into Yellowstone has had many positive affects such as controlling the populations of large game and taking out the small week stupid ones. Some farmers complain about them killing cattle but who cares what they think. The gray wolf, also called the timber wolf, is the largest of about 41 wild species within the dog family, Canidae, of the order Carnivora. All living wolves are considered a single species, Canis lupus. There are 32 recognized subspecies of the gray wolf. Wolf size varies. Adults range from about five to six and a half feet from nose to tip of tail, from 26 to 36 inches high at the shoulders, and weigh from 40 to 175 pounds. Gray wolves aren't necessarily gray but grizzled gray is the most common color they can also be white, black or red. Wolves are distinguished from dogs by characteristics of the skull. At one time the wolf lived throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere. Most wolf populations are in Canada and Alaska, where they are relatively stable. Of the lower 48 only Minnesota has a wolf population large enough to maintain itself. Wolves live in packs. The Forestry Service reintroduced gray wolves to the northern Rocky Mountains as well as Yellowstone National Park in an attempt to re-establish the species after an absence of more than 60 years. Gray wolves were exterminated from the area by the late 1920s. They are designated as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in most of the lower 48 states. The reintroduction program is a cooperative effort with the National Park Service and USDA Forest Service. Late last century, we realized that something was wrong with the ecosystem in Yellowstone National Park. Without the wolves Yellowstone fails to maintain its natural state. It was made clear that the ecosystem in Yellowstone would never function properly until they were back. They decided that the wolf should be reintroduced into the ecosystem at Yellowstone. Many people, thought that this was foolish. The debate over wolves and Yellowstone has pissed off a lot of people, who will continue to rage for years. Why were wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone? Wolves helped restore Yellowstone's ecosystem to a condition that resembles the way used to be. The wolf, is a large predator, and therefor an important part of the parks ecosystem. Once the population recovered, interactions between predators and prey were restored. The wolves select the weakest and most vulnerable members of the populations of deer, elk, bison,? and kill them. Such actions enhance the health of the parks game species as well as weeding out the wussies. Even with wolves roaming the parks, visitors will rarely see them. They will be able to understand the importance of the wolf and see how the balance of life is essential. The biological factors resulting from reintroducing the wolf are important. However, the wolf itself is a mystery and symbol to mankind. Today, not everyone feels that same way about the wolf and its surroundings. Many don't know and understand the importance of the wolf and its duty. What you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.

What is the Meaning of `Sure Thing` Essay Example

What is the Meaning of `Sure Thing` Essay Example What is the Meaning of `Sure Thing` Essay What is the Meaning of `Sure Thing` Essay Essay Topic: Sure Thing One of the key thematic aspects of David Ives short play Sure Thing (1988) is the question of whether the plays two characters, Bill and Betty, genuinely achieve communication adn connection by the close of the play or whether the perceived true communication and relationship between the characters is actually a result of superficiality and repetition. In order to fully understand the plays device of restarting the same scene again and again, it is necessary to regard both possible outcomes or thematic interpretations as equally viable and simultaneous. In other words both aspects of the them are intended by Ives: that people do and do not achieve true communication and build genuine connections and relationships during the course of repeated, almost absurdly repeated events.In fact the device of the bell can be interpreted as showing both the universality of the repeated encounter between Bill and Betty but also of the universal nature of seclusion and isolation: the inability for p eople to reach one another despite repeated attempts to find the right mode and the right words. An example of how the repetition of scenes works to indicate the failed or broken aspects of interpersonal communication is when the first exchange of dialogue takes place:BILL-TABLE #1: Excuse me. Is this chair taken?BETTY-TABLE #1: Excuse me?BILL-TABLE #1: Is this taken?BETTY-TABLE #1: Yes it is.BILL-TABLE #1: Oh. Sorry.BETTY-TABLE #1: Sure thing(Ives)The initial status between two strangers is a closed, almost impenetrable solitude with little room for affection or emotional response.   The exchange of dialogue is meant to indicate the walls that exist between people in modern society, the way that politeness and   decorum serve a function   of facilitating isolation and precluding human interaction The next exchange of dialogue (after the scene is reset by the bell) show a slight softening of the decorum and the socially facilitated barriers of formal discourse:BILL-TABLE #3: E xcuse me. Is this chair taken?BETTY-TABLE #3: Excuse me?BILL-TABLE #3: Is this taken?BETTY-TABLE #3: No, but I’m expecting somebody in a minute.BILL-TABLE #3: Oh. Thanks anyway.BETTY-TABLE #3: Sure thing.(Ives)It is important to note that Bettys line that she is expecting somebody reveal the first overt emotional reference of the play but that the emotion is still a function of personal defensiveness and serves to inhibit rather than encourage further interaction. The dual progression demonstrated by these two opening scenes: one a movement toward emotion and toward interpersonal communication, the other a simultaneous movement toward defensiveness and isolation exemplify the progression of dual themes that persist right through to the end of the play.By the time Bill and Betty have made a demonstrable connection one that the audience can at least belive may be genuine, there is still no change in the outer formality of the dialogue and its simultaneously evasive and self-pr otective function. More than learning to truly reach one another or truly communicate, the characters can be understood to have reached a mutual understand of permissable superficiality. A sample of the closing dialogue shows that Ives intends the ambiguity of the perception of the charatcers true connection and emotional response to function, in fact, as a way of expressing two themes simultaneously which contradict one another but are nevertheless apparent throughout actual human society:BILL-TABLE #3: Y’know I was headed to the-BETTY-TABLE #3: (simultaneously) I was thinking about-BILL-TABLE #3: I’m sorry.BETTY-TABLE #3: No, go ahead.BILL-TABLE #3: I was going to say that I was headed to the movies in a little while,   Ã‚  Ã‚   and†¦BETTY-TABLE #3: So was I.(Ives)In conclusion, Ives intended Sure Thing to express a dual theme: that human both incapable of reaching a state of true connection and communication but they are equally incapable of escaping the cons tant drive to seek just such a connection and relationship. In this way, the device of scene-repetition in the play is able to express to seemingly contradictory themes simultaneously in order to more fully represent the actual state of human relationships in the modern world.

HS 5600 ASSIGNMENT 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

HS 5600 1 - Assignment Example In addition, the system is non-linear. This provides a contradiction in the proportionality of the output in the context of the input. Other differentiating characteristics include the system being deterministic. This denotes the notion that chaotic behavior is random. Complexities are the factors that make a situation or event inexplicable. In this context, the author describes complexity as the inability to equate the real cause of any chaotic behavior in any situation. In addition, the chaos theory contains complex systems that contain numerous independent elements that continually interact with spontaneous organization and reorganization over time into elaborate structures. Meteorological predictions provide a foundation for determining the consequences as a result of various actions that affect the environment. In this context, predictions in the chaos theory attempt in giving a detailed report into the expected repercussions as a result of chaotic behavior. Also, they help in reducing fatalities and the prevention of chaotic behavior. During the Cold war, deterrence was quite successful despite the fact that there were one or two hitches focused towards preventing the war. Historically, however, deterrence seemed to work much less due to the fact that the cold war, with its bipolar simplicity and strong command on both sides. The threat of mutual, nuclear annihilation represents an extreme case of deterrence . Certainly, deterrence has broken down more often since the end of the Cold War than during it.Based on the case theory we can assume that the international system to be a state of self organizing critically, then we can consider that the Cold war, which was brought about by a breakdown in deterrence, is an instance in which at least parts of the of the system spill into chaos. 5. The article provides an example of a similar formula of deterrence involving nations. Using the formula

Christian and islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christian and islam - Research Paper Example It is possible for members of a particular religion to identify and define themselves against other people who are not in that religion. The dilemma arising in this case is how outsider may be connected to the salvation offered by that particular religion. Does the religion’s purview of salvation include or exclude people outside that religion? Different authors and scholars may suggest different answers to this question. In an attempt to seek both individual and collective salvation, different religious arguments arise to explain differences between one religion and another. Inclusivist, exclusivist and universal pluralism are common positions explaining difference between Christianity and Islam. From an inclusivist perspective, both Christianity and Islam have teachings and beliefs that are true. Though Christians believes that their faith is true, inclusivists believe that other religions are partially true. As an absolute religion, Christianity does recognize that other religions can provide salvation. It only tells of the unique word of God, incarnate in Death of Jesus on the cross and provide a social context for salvation. It teaches that to accomplish salvation God assesses people behaviors on earth. God applies results of the death of Jesus and resurrection to everyone regardless of the religion. Therefore, God makes it possible for anyone to earn salvation including people from other religions. This opinion is not accepted by everyone especially the conservative and evangelical Christians who believe that religious inclusivism contradicts the teachings of the bible. These critics find support from Acts 4:12 that emphasizes on the point that salvation is for no one else other than Christians. Is there any form of inclusivism in Islam? According to Hick (2005), the concept of people of the book has some elements of

Cosmopolitan Promotional Strategies

Cosmopolitan Promotional Strategies A case study into the promotional strategies of a consumer magazine and how these integrate into the marketing strategy of the sector of magazine publishing. Promotional Strategies What I chose and why For this case study I have chosen to critiqueCosmopolitan. This magazine was chosen for numerous reasons. Firstly for itshistorical role within the landscape of womens magazines in the UK. Alsobecause up until recently Cosmopolitan was the highest selling womens magazinein the UK. Due to the launch of Glamour, Cosmopolitan has lost this title. Iwill explore the promotional strategies Cosmopolitan has employed to try toregain their past position as top of the magazine rankings, and look at howsuccessful they have been to date. Cosmopolitan has been the magazine of choiceuntil Glamour launched in 2000. Glamour broke convention by printing in asmaller size that could fit in a womans handbag. Glamour ultimately ushered inthe era of convenience in magazines. Women no longer turn to magazines foropinion, unless its on makeup and clothes Cosmopolitans target audience According to the Cosmopolitan media pack: Cosmo women are young, ambitious, informed. Themajority are in full-time work. They earn and they spend! Cosmo women spendover 1 billion a year on fashion. They account for 1 out of every 11 spenton cosmetics and skincare in the UK. Cosmo readers live well: they spend over2 billion on their homes, 3.5 billion on food and almost 1.4 billion on newcars.1 PEST Analysis Political Future When the title launched in the UK in 1972, theeditor Joyce Hopkirk -and fashion and beauty editor Deirdre McShany bothcame from the Sun. Left-wing views were quite prominent in the UK version. Infact, in the second UK edition, Germaine Greers husband caused a stir byposing nude in the magazine an inside joke for feminists. In its early stages, Cosmopolitan was constantlyin the headlines. The Daily Mail was shocked by its use of the wordvirgin in an ad, and London Transport insisted that the wordfrigid, used in another ad, must be covered up with a black strip.However, the black strip wasnt long enough, and on some posters the advertread, I was f.d!. The current trend in womens magazines is movingaway from political and social issues and more into the world of celebrity andsensationalism. Despite this, Cosmopolitan is determined to maintain itspolitical routes. In January 2005, Sam Baker, the magazines current editor,contacted the leaders of the Labour, Liberal and Conservative parties forinterviews in the magazine to coincide with the 2005 general election. In aninterview with Louise France for The Observer she explained herreasoning behind these political features: Bakerdoesnt care what her readers vote, she just believes that they need toexercise their rights. If we dont, were in danger of disenfranchisingourselves. And if we dont start voting we run the risk of never voting.2 Economic Future The magazine market has hada5% year-on-year rise in the number of copies actively purchasedaccording to ABC figures released for the period to December 2004. However,there has been fear about a possible saturation of the womens magazine market.ABC figures showed there was no cause for concern. This yearhowever, I believe is the year of the womens magazine market. These latestfigures reveal an upward surge in womens glossies such as Glamour,Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire. This increase in circulationindicates that womens appetite for glossies magazines hasnt abated or reachedsaturation point like many feared.3 Despite a clear rise in womensmagazine readership, Cosmopolitan which rose 5.08% from 397,272 in December2003 to 417,445 in December 2004 Cosmopolitan still finds itself in anunstable position, trailing in second place to Glamour magazine, which had a5.67% year on year increase, from 548,672 to 579,761. Social-Cultural Future Womensmagazines, especially fashion magazines, tend to address well-educated youngreaders who are seen as loyal, independent, and ready to spend. This explainsthe overall in conformity of magazine content, with their sections devoted tocelebrity features, fashion, beauty, health, interior and lifestyle. Butmagazine publishers like the media industry in general are now viewingyouth as an increasingly elastic category (Gough-Yates, 2003, p4). On a whole,Cosmopolitan has tried to fight this trend towards celebrity and fashion, bymaintaining a sexual orientation to its features. However, elasticity in thereadership is more wide spread. Currently, there are large proportions ofBangladesh, Indian, Black Caribbean, Black African and Chinese women in thedemographic that Cosmopolitan targets4. Again, Cosmopolitan hasresisted this cultural change; the majority of non-white faces in the May 2005edition were from the advertisement pages. Technological Future Cosmopolitanhas not bought into technological change as much as its contemporaries. Mostwomens magazines now have an online version of the magazine for people toview. However, Cosmopolitan choose provide a service with their online presence;a means for its audience to purchase the branded items, and access otherservices related to the magazine and its readers. Cosmopolitans website ismore of a Cosmopolitan portal. From the PESTanalysis, it is clear that Cosmopolitan does not adjust well to change. It seesitself as an institution due to its early political routes and is finding ithard to shake this responsibility. Promotional strategies employed The Message The strapline for Cosmopolitan is For FunFearless Females. While it emphasises strength in women, there is anunderlying element of not being afraid to be feminine, indicated in the use ofthe world females instead of women. This coincides with McCrackens (1993)belief that when buying a magazine we are buying into a feminine ideal. Infact, she believes that women readers are duped bymagazines into becoming slaves to trends in fashion, beauty and femininity. The Cover It isconvention among womens magazines to have their featured star celebrityadorning the covers. This is a major promotional tool in the currentcelebrity-focused climate. Cosmopolitan strays from this slightly. While themagazine will have a celebrity featured in every edition, these celebrities areoften not featured on the cover. Instead, Cosmopolitan has created a coverelement called Cosmo Loves, and a celebrity of choice is placed on the coverunder this banner. There is a page inside the magazine that offers the coverstar a small focus without this, the audience would feel cheated. Cosmopolitanstill uses cover layout conventions and takes note of page real estate, withthe word Sexy a word synonymous with what people expect of Cosmopolitancontent written in a large font in the top left hand corner. There is alsothe use of numbers in the top left hand corner, and even a circle in the area -a tool used in shops to mark sale or special items, the red circle has become asymbol of the good deal. This real estate formula of putting the items mostattractive to buyers in this area was due to product placement, but is not asnecessary as it used to be. Before magazines where overlapped on the newsstandsand their only exposed area was the top left hand corner. Now larger magazineslike Cosmopolitan are given premium space on magazine stands in shops like W HSmith, and the whole front cover is visible. However, making use of page realestate is still valid if you take into account that people generally read fromtop to bottom, left to right. Content Cosmopolitan has seven main sections: Celebs New Real Life Love, Sex Success Youniverse Health Shops Every Month The celeb section only has four features andthere is notably no features section. Instead the magazine is verycompartmentalised with standard pages like Cosmo Money, Cosmo Careers andCheats Guide. Cosmopolitan is ultimately a service magazine. It offers a lotof advice and how-to information. Where there are features, the focus onreal-life stories, which often have a sensational element. This paired with the colloquial use of languagecreates intimacy. Not only is Cosmo your friend, its a life manual; it is anecessary element in the readers life. This element of necessity of key in themarketing strategy of the magazine, and also the overruling strategy of itsparent company, Natmags, which publishes other manual-like titles includingGood Housekeeping and Mens Health. It also has a Cosmo Offers section. This month,the offers consist of 20% off at Oasis. Affiliation with particular shops is anewer magazine promotion convention; it gives the reader an added motive to buythe magazine, and broadens the scope of the magazines ethos, by including theconnotations of the shop they have chosen to be associated with. Layout/visual In an effort to reclaim the top spot,Cosmopolitan has copied Glamours handbag size. The have also copied otherlayout elements from Glamour magazine, like the information strip at the top ofthe magazine. They do still produce the magazine in their larger A4 format. Forthe May edition, the A4 version had a free book, while the smaller version hadno free gift. This could work adversely for Cosmopolitan, as it implies thatthe larger version is less valuable and so needs the book to justify the price. Price Cosmopolitan have opted for premium pricing, at2.95. There doesnt seem to be clear justification for this price, consideringGlamour, the market leader is a pound cheaper at 1.95, and Marie Claire, whichis rated just behind Cosmopolitan, is now 2.50. Considering Cosmopolitanappeals to the everyday aspect of its audience and doesnt by into fantasy viacelebrity, they make price themselves out of the market. For a magazine aboutthe real world, the price comes across as unrealistic. Advertising Cosmopolitan has earned a reputation for beingshocking and sensational through sexual politics. This has often beenrepresented in its advertising campaigns. In 2002 the magazine embarked on anad campaign that had visual ambiguous images. On was of an open fake fur bagwith pink satin lining; another was a woman in a bikini with a thin stream ofwhite liquid running down her stomach and another was a lipstick that was shotto look like a vibrator. Extreme tactics like the ones mentioned above arenecessary for a magazine like Cosmopolitan. Many sexual taboos no longer existin current society; without them there is no need for Cosmopolitan. There adcampaigns prove we still have problems with sexual themes, and thus validatethe need for the magazine. The May edition of Cosmopolitan has 300 pages(304 including front and back cover). Of these, 122 pages are advertising,excluding classifieds and Cosmopolitans own adverts. According to McCracken (1993, p91): It is no longer appropriate to assume that the magazineis only useful for advertising food and cleaning products. The magazine needsto increase the range of products it advertises to ensure consistent andongoing revenue. Brand Expansion Some believe that modern society has broken sodecisively from the past we have lost the certainty of the past and no longerhave traditions to live by. Without traditions we have no idea of how to live.Brands, however, can provide us with a substitute to traditions: brands havebecome the new traditions they shape and give meaning to everyday lives -brands are the new traditions in our society. (Grant, 1999) Cosmopolitan have strived to create a brand,through extended products. They have associated magazines: Cosmo Girl! andCosmo Bride; they have their own awards, which is an extension of theirposition to recommend people and products; and they also have a lingerie line.On top of this, their cover mounts are often branded. For the A4 May edition,the free book is an edited version of a book that has not yet been released,and has Cosmopolitan edition written on it. Overview/conclusion Cosmopolitan have maintained their politicalstance and prove that there is still a need for what some might call a femininepolitical crusade with the use of shocking sexual advertising and the recentcoverage of the general election. These have marketing strategies andpromotional strategies that it has employed since its launch in the 1970s.However, with social changes, and the readers new love affair with celebrity -which is not just fuelled by other womens glossies, but also by the influx ofwomens weeklies Cosmopolitan will need to do more to regain its position asmost read womens magazine. Reference Cosmopolitan Media Pack France, L. Cosmo is not just about sex. Observer Magazine. 16 Jan, 2005 Top 100 Selling Consumer Magazines. ABC. 2004 Gender. National Statistics. October 2004 Bibliography Gough-Yates, A. Understanding Womens magazines: Publishing, markets and Readerships (Routledge, 2003) McCracken, E. Decoding womens Magazines. (Macmillian, 1993) Grant, J. The new Marketing Manifesto. (Texere, 1999)

Deception Point Page 90

Face-to-face with him, Rachel felt like a teenager standing on the doorstep with a new boyfriend. â€Å"Thanks. No problem at all. Really.† Something inside her sensed Tolland wanted to kiss her. After a beat, he turned shyly away. â€Å"I know. You want to get to shore. We should get to work.† â€Å"For now.† Rachel smiled softly. â€Å"For now,† Tolland repeated, taking a seat at the computer. Rachel exhaled, standing close behind now, savoring the privacy of the small lab. She watched Tolland navigate a series of files. â€Å"What are we doing?† â€Å"Checking the database for big ocean lice. I want to see if we can find any prehistoric marine fossils that resemble what we saw in the NASA meteorite.† He pulled up a search page with bold letters across the top: PROJECT DIVERSITAS. Scrolling through the menus, Tolland explained, â€Å"Diversitas is essentially a continuously updated index of oceanic biodata. When a marine biologist discovers a new ocean species or fossil, he can toot his horn and share his find by uploading data and photos to a central databank. Because there's so much new data discovered on a weekly basis, this is really the only way to keep research up-to-date.† Rachel watched Tolland navigating the menus. â€Å"So you're accessing the Web now?† â€Å"No. Internet access is tricky at sea. We store all this data onboard on an enormous array of optical drives in the other room. Every time we're in port, we tie into Project Diversitas and update our databank with the newest finds. This way, we can access data at sea without a Web connection, and the data is never more than a month or two out of date.† Tolland chuckled as he began typing search keywords into the computer. â€Å"You've probably heard of the controversial music file-sharing program called Napster?† Rachel nodded. â€Å"Diversitas is considered the marine biologist's version of Napster. We call it LOBSTER – Lonely Oceanic Biologists Sharing Totally Eccentric Research.† Rachel laughed. Even in this tense situation, Michael Tolland exuded a wry humor that eased her fears. She was beginning to realize she'd had entirely too little laughter in her life lately. â€Å"Our database is enormous,† Tolland said, completing the entry of his descriptive keywords. â€Å"Over ten tera-bytes of descriptions and photos. There's information in here nobody has ever seen-and nobody ever will. Ocean species are simply too numerous.† He clicked the â€Å"search† button. â€Å"Okay, let's see if anyone has ever seen an oceanic fossil similar to our little space bug.† After a few seconds, the screen refreshed, revealing four listings of fossilized animals. Tolland clicked on each listing one by one and examined the photos. None looked remotely like the fossils in the Milne meteorite. Tolland frowned. â€Å"Let's try something else.† He removed the word â€Å"fossil† from his search string and hit â€Å"search.† â€Å"We'll search all living species. Maybe we can find a living descendant that has some of the physiological characteristics of the Milne fossil.† The screen refreshed. Again Tolland frowned. The computer had returned hundreds of entries. He sat a moment, stroking his now stubble-darkened chin. â€Å"Okay, this is too much. Let's refine the search.† Rachel watched as he accessed a drop-down menu marked â€Å"habitat.† The list of options looked endless: tide pool, marsh, lagoon, reef, mid-oceanic ridge, sulfur vents. Tolland scrolled down the list and chose an option that read: Destructive Margins/Oceanic Trenches. Smart, Rachel realized. Tolland was limiting his search only to species that lived near the environment where these chondrulelike features were hypothesized to form. The page refreshed. This time Tolland smiled. â€Å"Great. Only three entries.† Rachel squinted at the first name on the list. Limulus poly†¦ something. Tolland clicked the entry. A photo appeared; the creature looked like an oversized horseshoe crab without a tail. â€Å"Nope,† Tolland said, returning to the previous page. Rachel eyed the second item on the list. Shrimpus Uglius From Hellus. She was confused. â€Å"Is that name for real?† Tolland chuckled. â€Å"No. It's a new species not yet classified. The guy who discovered it has a sense of humor. He's suggesting Shrimpus Uglius as the official taxonomical classification.† Tolland clicked open the photo, revealing an exceptionally ugly shrimplike creature with whiskers and fluorescent pink antennae. â€Å"Aptly named,† Tolland said. â€Å"But not our space bug.† He returned to the index. â€Å"The final offering is†¦ † He clicked on the third entry, and the page came up. â€Å"Bathynomous giganteus†¦ † Tolland read aloud as the text appeared. The photograph loaded. A full-color close-up. Rachel jumped. â€Å"My God!† The creature staring back at her gave her chills. Tolland drew a low breath. â€Å"Oh boy. This guy looks kind of familiar.† Rachel nodded, speechless. Bathynomous giganteus. The creature resembled a giant swimming louse. It looked very similar to the fossil species in the NASA rock. â€Å"There are some subtle differences,† Tolland said, scrolling down to some anatomical diagrams and sketches. â€Å"But it's damn close. Especially considering it has had 190 million years to evolve.† Close is right, Rachel thought. Too close. Tolland read the description on the screen: â€Å"‘Thought to be one of the oldest species in the ocean, the rare and recently classified species Bathynomous giganteus is a deepwater scavenging isopod resembling a large pill bug. Up to two feet in length, this species exhibits a chitinous exoskeleton segmented into head, thorax, abdomen. It possesses paired appendages, antennae, and compound eyes like those of land-dwelling insects. This bottom-dwelling forager has no known predators and lives in barren pelagic environments previously thought to be uninhabitable.† Tolland glanced up. â€Å"Which could explain the lack of other fossils in the sample!† Rachel stared at the creature on-screen, excited and yet uncertain she completely understood what all of this meant. â€Å"Imagine,† Tolland said excitedly, â€Å"that 190 million years ago, a brood of these Bathynomous creatures got buried in a deep ocean mud slide. As the mud turns into rock, the bugs get fossilized in stone. Simultaneously, the ocean floor, which is continuously moving like a slow conveyer belt toward the oceanic trenches, carries the fossils into a high-pressure zone where the rock forms chondrules!† Tolland was talking faster now. â€Å"And if part of the fossilized, chondrulized crust broke off and ended up on the trench's accretionary wedge, which is not at all uncommon, it would be in a perfect position to be discovered!† â€Å"But if NASA†¦,† Rachel stammered. â€Å"I mean, if this is all a lie, NASA must have known that sooner or later someone would find out this fossil resembles a sea creature, right? I mean we just found out!† Tolland began printing the Bathynomous photos on a laser printer. â€Å"I don't know. Even if someone stepped forward and pointed out the similarities between the fossils and a living sea louse, their physiologies are not identical. It almost proves NASA's case more strongly.† Rachel suddenly understood. â€Å"Panspermia.† Life on earth was seeded from space. â€Å"Exactly. Similarities between space organisms and earth organisms make excellent scientific sense. This sea louse actually strengthens NASA's case.† â€Å"Except if the meteorite's authenticity is in question.† Tolland nodded. â€Å"Once the meteorite comes into question, then everything collapses. Our sea louse turns from NASA friend to NASA linchpin.†