Whole Foods Strtegic Analysis - 7671 Words

Whole Foods Inc. Strategic Management Review | An Academic Review of Whole Foods Strategic Decisions | Critical Strategic Milestones * Whole Foods Market founded in 1980 with 19 employees. (History, 2012 :1) * Whole Foods Market goes public on January 23rd, 1992. (History, 2012 :1) * In 1996 Whole Foods Markets acquires Fresh Field Markets picking up 22 stores located on the east coast and Chicago area for 4.8 million shares of common stock and an option for 549,000 additional shares. (Thompson, 2010; C-13) * In response to price competition from other large grocers Whole Foods launches its 365 Everyday Value product line in 1997. (Thompson, 2010; c-19) * In 1998 Whole Foods Market was name as of FORTUNE†¦show more content†¦foods market. Customer preferences have shifted to looking for a higher quality product rather than what is most convenient. While not a controlling interest in the overall food market today, it is steadily growing with sales of $24 billion in 2008 in the U.S. and $52 Billion globally. Whole Foods accounted for .9% of total grocery sales in 2009. Cust omer preferences are slowly shifting to this higher quality organic produce. Competitors Intersections: Trader Joe’s is the most appropriate rival to analyze for this section of the report dealing with how rivals are coping with the marketplace and how their actions are impacting Whole Foods. Year ending 2009, Whole Foods had $12 Billion in sales, while Trader Joe’s was $8.0 Billion. They are the next closest rival to Whole Foods. Trader Joe’s offered no discount specials or coupons like Whole Foods did when the recession hit hard in 2008. This may be a major factor in why Whole Foods is doing so much better than them currently. Marketing impact of Whole Foods can be seen by a direct increase in sales since the recession hit. Trader Joe’s does incorporate a low cost strategy in the marketplace. They utilize a wide selection of house labeled items that are a significant value compared to the name brands. These house labeled items are stillShow MoreRelatedStrategic Assignment5157 Words   |  21 PagesARGOS | STRTEGIC PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION AND STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT | Assignment | KEHUL KAVAIYA 7/22/2010 | Edexcel Level 7 BTEC Postgraduate Advanced Diploma Management Studies ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: UNIT No: 04 17 UNIT NAME: Strategic Planning and Implementation Strategic Marketing Management By: KEHULKUMAR NAROTTAMDAS KAVAIYA Student ID: STUD-7266 Company: Argos Limited Type | Public | Industry | Retailer | Founded | 1973 | Head OfficeRead MoreChemical Industry9502 Words   |  39 Pagesin goals accomplishment, opportunities and markets that can be exploited in favour, and threats that are present in external and internal environment, or called as SWOT analysis. This paper is also conducts External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix, Competitive Profile Matrix, Financial Analysis, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix, The Internal – External (IE), Matrix Grand Strategy Matrix, SPACE Matrix, and Islamic Perspective. According to the study of Chemical

Hi About That Free Essays

Katienagler Just another WordPress. com site Home About Introduction MAR 21 Mike Rose Annotated Bib and Summary Posted on March 21, 2012 by naglerk11 Standard Rose, Mike. â€Å"Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language: A Cognitivist Analysis of Writer’s Block. We will write a custom essay sample on Hi About That or any similar topic only for you Order Now † College Composition and Communication 31. 4 (1980): 389-401. Print. Mike Rose brings all the chapters of this book together by not just researching how writers write, produce, plan, revise, etc. ; but instead he is asking what physically and mentally keeps a writer for be unable to write the next sentence. He said that the â€Å"writer’s block† could be due to â€Å"anxiety, fear of evaluation, insecurity, etc. ; he decided to dig deeper and come up with the best reasoning. He came to find out that the five sstudents he studied who experienced writer’s block were all using rules and/or planning strategies that had been embedded into their heads that may not be compatible with their composing process, therefore hindering their writing rather than improving it. This relates to my question because there really are aspects to writing that we have been told are helpful but may actually keep us from excelling. Rose states that sometimes less is more. Sstudents who did not experience blocking had an outline, but they were very vague. They were each open to change tthroughout their composing process, unlike the five other sstudents. Berkenkotter, Carol. â€Å"Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer. † College Composition and Communication 34. 2 (1983): 156-69. Print. Berkenkotter mainly focused on the writer’s planning, revising, and editing approaches. She wanted to see how much time sstudents spent on each of these procedures of writing. She wished to learn about the different planning and revising strategies of a good writer in order to correlate this with what we already hold to be true of how a skilled writer plans and revises. She believes that it is important for us to â€Å"pay close attention to the setting in which the writer composes, the kind of task the writer confronts, and what the writer can tell us of his own processes. † Fitzgerald, Jill. â€Å"Research on Revision in Writing. † Review of Educational Research. 4th ed. Vol. 57. American Educational Research Association. 481-506. Print. How to cite Hi About That, Papers

A Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening comparison free essay sample

?Both Robert Frosts â€Å"A Road Not Taken† and â€Å"Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening† are about making choices, affecting life. The both reflect on the human nature of questioning one’s self and one’s decisions in life. In â€Å"A Road Not Taken† it seems as if the speaker is upset that they had not taken a different path in life so he decides to â€Å"take the one less travel by. † â€Å"Stopping By the Woods on a snowy Evening† tell us that the speaker is upset and regrets that they have missed things in life. Both have to do with the feeling of making the wrong choice and facing disappointment in life while both poems are about different situations. â€Å"A Road Not Taken† is about coming to a cross road in life and trying to decide which path to take. To me it seems as if the speaker has followed the mainstream life style that everyone else around them had and they wanted to do something different in life. We will write a custom essay sample on A Road Not Taken† and â€Å"Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening comparison or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The choice to do something different led them to â€Å"take the path less traveled†. â€Å"Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening† the subject stops to gaze at the beauty of woods yet he leaves remembering that he had a prior engagement. The moods and motivation of both poems are similar, contemplative and conflicted. Both speakers are alone on their paths to make their own choices in life. Yet they seem fascinated with the calmness that is in front of them in the woods. Both poems tell that the speakers have internal conflicts about their lives and the road is used at a metaphor for life. The speakers in both poems use different ways to decide what path to take for different reasons. Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening the character is facing a decision of life and death when he is looking at the â€Å"dark woods† and â€Å"frozen lake† and his obligations in life outweigh staying in the woods in the isolation of the â€Å"lovely and â€Å"deep and dark† woods. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† the speaker is confronted with the choice and option to follow the norm and take the path most traveled or take the path less traveled. He takes the path less traveled and in a way is going against the norms of society. He takes time to contemplate his decision and weighs out his choices when he says â€Å"Oh I kept the first for another day. †

Resarch and Statistics Paper Psy 315 Essay Example

Resarch and Statistics Paper Psy 315 Essay Research and Statistics Paper Psy 315 Define and explain research and define and explain the scientific method (include an explanation of all five steps). Proper Research is primarily an investigation. Researchers and scientists gather data, facts, and knowledge to help better understand phenomenon, events and people. Through research, analysis, investigations, and experimentation, we gain a better understanding of our world. As I skimmed the text to find a definition, I found the word research several times on several of the pages in the first chapter. Research is fundamental to any scientific enterprise and statistics is no exception. The scientific method is the set of procedures that enable scientists and researchers to conduct investigations and experiments. Scientists observe an event and then form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess about how something works. These researchers then perform experiments that support the hypothesis or these experiments prove it wrong. A conclusions can be made from the investigations and experiments with the data collected and analyzed. The conclusion helps to prove or disprove validity of the hypothesis. There are several steps that are followed in the scientific method. The steps to this method can be followed by answering questions before and along the way of the investigation. The scientific method can have five steps. The researcher asks themselves these questions and tries o find the answers: 1. What event or phenomenon are we investigating? 2. How does this event occur? A guess as to how the event happens is formed. This is our hypothesis. 3. How can we test this hypothesis? The experimenter then tests the hypothesis through experiments. 4. Are the results looking valid? We will write a custom essay sample on Resarch and Statistics Paper Psy 315 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Resarch and Statistics Paper Psy 315 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Resarch and Statistics Paper Psy 315 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The researcher records the observations. Does the experiment need to be changed? Possibly, the researcher adjusts the experiment as the data helps to fine tune the investigation. 5. Does the data support the hypothesis? The researcher analyzes the data. The analysis will have statistical information that is crucial to the investigator. Without statistics, there can be no real scientific analysis of the investigation or experiment. The analysis will tell the researcher if the hypothesis is supported or if they are in essence incorrect. Authors: Cowens, John Source: Teaching Pre K-8, Aug/Sep2006, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p42-46, 3p, 6 Color Photographs, 1 Graph Informastion from: Cowens, J. (2006, August/September). The scientific method. Teaching PreK-8, 37(1), 42. Define and substantively compare and contrast the characteristics of primary and secondary data (not sources). There are two ways that researchers obtain data, primary and secondary. Primary data is collected by the person conductin g the investigation. Secondary data is collected from other sources. Primary data is information collected that is specifically geared toward the investigation. This specificity is a plus for primary data. Primary data can be expensive to collect due to the expense of experimentation and surveys. The man hours can be high and the cost can be high. The time it takes to collect original data can be long and grueling. Secondary data can be a good resource due to the ease of availability. Secondary data can be less expensive and less time consuming. However, secondary data may be information that is not as specific to the investigation or collected for a different specific purpose. Rabianski J. Primary and Secondary Data: Concepts, Concerns, Errors, and Issues. Appraisal Journal [serial online]. January 2003;71(1):43. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 11, 2013 Explain the role of statistics in research. (Keep the focus within the field of psychology). - Statistics plays a very large role in the field of psychology. Statistics is vital to research in any field of science. Before statistics and even now, people want to know if there is a real cause and effect when they experience an event. Early man (let’s call him Grog) would step out of his drab cave in the early morning. Grog would perhaps spot an eagle soaring across a beautiful clear blue sky. Our early man, Grog may then have a great day of hunting. Later, Grog would reflect and think about his good day and remember the early morning eagle. Grog would tell and possibly re-tell the tale to his fellow cave people. The appearance of the early morning eagle would become a â€Å"clear† and significant sign or omen that the day’s hunt would be good. This would be especially true if the omen appeared and the hunt was good more than once. Is this statistically significant? Grog did not have the proper tools ( not paper or stone or computer) nor the brain power to do the statistical procedures on his observations. This appearance and the resulting good hunt could be a real significant event with true cause and effect or it could be pure chance and be nothing more than flimsy anecdotal evidence. Unfortunately for Grog, he did not have statistics or the expertise to perform the required investigations of proper research. Often, psychologists want to know what a person will do when confronted with a certain situation or stimulus or event. With inferential statistics researchers/psychologists use the information/data to infer or to make a conclusion based on the data from the research. â€Å"Probability† is derived from inferential statistics. How probable is it that a person will act a certain way can be answered through inferential/probability studies. - The Cult of Statistical Significance By Stephen T. Ziliak and Deirdre N. McCloskey1 - Roosevelt University and University of Illinois-Chicago - â€Å"The Cult of Statistical Significance† was presented at the Joint Statistical Meetings, Washington, DC, August 3rd, 2009, in a contributed session of the Section on Statistical Education. For comments Ziliak thanks many individuals, but especially Sharon Begley, Ronald Gauch, Rebecca Goldin, Danny Kaplan, Jacques Kibambe Ngoie, Sid Schwartz, Tom Siegfried, Arnold Zellner and above all Milo Schield for organizing an eyebrow-raising and standing-room only session. - - Psychological Research Methods and Statis tics Edited by Andrew M. Colman 1995, London and New York: Longman. Pp. xvi + 123. ISBN 0-582-27801-5 Research in psychology or in any other scientific field invariably begins with a question in search of an answer. The question may be purely factual for example, is sleep-walking more likely to occur during the stage of sleep in which dreams occur, namely rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, than in dreamless (slow-wave) sleep? Alternatively, it may be a practical question for example, can the use of hypnosis to recover long-forgottenexperiences increase the likelihood of false memories? According to current research findings, incidentally, the answers to these questions are no and yes respectively. ) A research question may arise from mere curiosity, from a theory that yields a prediction, or from previous research findings that raise a new question. Whatever its origin, provided that it concerns behaviour or mental experience and that it can be expressed in a suitable form for investigatio n by empirical methods that is, by the collection of objective evidence it is a legitimate question for psychological research. Psychological research relies on a wide range of methods. This is partly because it is such a diverse discipline, ranging from biological aspects of behaviour to social psychology and from basic research questions to problems that arise in such applied fields as clinical, educational, and industrial or occupational psychology. Most psychological research methods have the ultimate goal of answering empirical questions about behaviour or mental experience through controlled observation. But different questions call for different research methods, because the nature of a question often constrains the methods that can be used to answer it. This volume discusses a wide range of commonly used methods of research and statistical analysis. The most powerful research method is undoubtedly controlled experimentation. The reason for the unique importance of controlled experiments in psychology is not that they are necessarily any more objective or precise than other methods, but that they are capable of providing firm evidence regarding cause-and-effect relationships, which no other research method can provide. The defining features of the experimental method are manipulation and control. The experimenter manipulates the conjectured causal factor (called the independent variable because it is manipulated independently of other variables) and examines its effects on a suitable measure of the behaviour of interest, called the dependent variable. In multivariate research designs, the interactive effects of several independent variables on two or more dependent variables may be studied simultaneously. In addition to manipulating the independent variable(s) and observing the effects on the dependent variable(s), the experimenter controls all other extraneous variables that might influence the results. Controlled experimentation thus combines the twin features of manipulation (of independent variables) and control (of independent and extraneous variables). In psychological experiments, extraneous variables can seldom be controlled directly. One reason for this is that people differ from one another in ways that affect their behaviour. Even if these individual differences were all known and understood, they could not be suppressed or held constant while the effects of the independent variable was being examined. This seems to rule out the possibility of experimental control in most areas of psychology, but in the 1920s the British statistician Ronald Aylmer Fisher discovered a remarkable solution to this problem, called randomization. To understand the idea behind randomization, imagine that the experimenter wishes to test the hypothesis that the anti-depressive drug Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) causes an increase in aggressiveness. The independent variable is ingestion of Prozac and the dependent variable is a score on some suitable test of aggressiveness. The experimenter could assign subjects to two treatment conditions strictly at random, by drawing their names out of a hat, for example, and could then treat the two groups identically apart from the manipulation of the independent variable. Before being tested for aggressiveness, the experimental group could be given a pill containing Prozac and the control group a placebo (an inactive dummy pill). The effect of the randomization would be to control, at a single stroke, for allextraneous variables, including ones of that the researcher had not even considered. For example, if two-thirds of the subjects were women, then each group would end up roughly two-thirds female, and if some of the subjects had criminal records for offences involving violence, then these people would probably be more or less even divided between the experimental and control groups, especially if the groups were large. Randomization would not guarantee that the two groups would be identical but merely that they would tend to be roughly similar on all extraneous variables. More precisely, randomization would ensure that any differences between the groups were distributed strictly according to the laws of chance. Therefore, if the two groups turned out to differ on the test of aggressiveness, this difference would have to be due either to the independent variable (the effect of Prozac) or to chance. This explains the purpose and function of inferential statistics in psychology. For any specified difference, a statistical test enables a researcher to calculate the probability or odds of a difference as large as that arising by chance alone. In other words, a statistical test tells us the probability of such a large difference arising under the null hypothesisthat the independent variable has no effect. If a difference is observed in an experiment, and if the probability under the null hypothesis of such a large difference arising by chance alone is sufficiently small (by convention, usually less than 5 per cent, often written p . 05), then the researcher is entitled to conclude with confidence that the observed difference is due to the independent variable. This conclusion can be drawn with confidence, because if the difference is not due to chance, then it must be due to the independent variable, provided that the experiment was properly controlled. The logical connection between randomized experimentation and inferential statistics is explained in greater depth in Colman (1988, chap. 4). A grasp of the elements of statistics is necessary for psychologists, because research findings are generally reported in numerical form and analysed statistically. In some areas of psychology, including naturalistic observations and case-studies (see below), qualitative research methods are occasionally used, and research of this kind requires quite different methods of data collection and analysis. For a survey of the relatively uncommon but none the less important qualitative research methods, including ethnography, personal construct approaches, discourse analysis, and action research, see the book by Banister, Burman, Parker, Taylor, and Tindall (1994). In chapter 1 of this volume, David D. Stretch introduces the fundamental ideas behind experimental design in psychology. He begins by explaining the appropriate form of a psychological research question and how incorrectly formulated questions can sometimes be transformed into questions suitable for experimental investigation. He then discusses experimental control, problems of sampling and randomization, issues of interpretability, plausibility, generalizability, and communicability, and proper planning of research. Stretch concludes his chapter with a discussion of the subtle and complex problems of measurement in psychology. He uses an extremely instructive example to show how two different though equally plausible measures of a dependent variable can lead to completely different in fact, mutually contradictory conclusions. Chapter 2, by Brian S. Everitt, is devoted entirely to analysis of variance designs. These are by far the most common research designs in psychology. Everitts discussion covers one-way designs, which involve the manipulation of only one independent variable; factorial designs, in which two or more independent variables are manipulated simultaneously; and within-subject repeated-measure designs, in which instead of being randomly assigned to treatment conditions, the same subjects are used in all conditions. Chapter 2 concludes with a discussion of analysis of covariance, a technique designed to increase the sensitivity of analysis of variance by controlling statistically for one or more extraneous variables called covariates. Analysis of covariance is sometimes used in the hope of compensating for the failure to control extraneous variables by randomization, but Everitt discusses certain problems caused by such use. In chapter 3, A. W. MacRae provides a detailed discussion of the ideas behind statistics, both descriptive and inferential. Descriptive statistics include a variety of methods of summarizing numerical data in ways that make them more easily interpretable, including diagrams, graphs, and numerical summaries such as means (averages), standard deviations (measures of variability), correlations (measures of the degree to which two variables are related to each other), and so forth. Inferential statistical methods are devoted to interpreting data and enabling researchers to decide whether the results of their experiments are statistically significant or may be explained by mere chance. MacRae includes a brief discussion of Bayesian methods, which in contrast to classical statistical methods are designed to answer the more natural question: How likely is it that such-and-such a conclusion is correct? For more information on Bayesian methods, the book by Lee (1989) is strongly recommended: it explains the main ideas lucidly without sidestepping difficulties Inferential Statistics For descriptive statistics such as correlation, the â€Å"mean,† or average, and some others that will be considered in context later in the book, the purpose is to describe or summarize aspects of behavior to understand them better. Inferential statistics start with descriptive ones and go further in allowing researchers to draw meaningful conclusions — especially in experiments. These procedures are beyond the scope of this book, but the basic logic is helpful in understanding how psychologists know what they know. Again recalling Banduras experiment of observational learning of aggression, consider just the model-punished and model-rewarded groups. It was stated that the former children imitated few behaviors and the latter significantly more. What this really means is that, based on statistical analysis, the difference between the two groups was large enough and consistent enough to be unlikely to have occurred simply by â€Å"chance. † That is, it would have been a long shot to obtain the observed difference if what happened to the model wasnt a factor. Thus, Bandura and colleagues discounted the possibility of chance alone and concluded that what the children saw happen to the model was the cause of the difference in their behavior. Psychologists study what people tend to do in a given situation, recognizing that not all people will behave as predicted — just as the children in the model-rewarded group did not all imitate all the behaviors. In a nutshell, the question is simply whether a tendency is strong enough — as assessed by statistics — to warrant a conclusion about cause and effect. This logic may seem puzzling to you, and it isnt important that you grasp it to understand the many experiments that are noted throughout this book. Indeed, it isnt mentioned again. The point of mentioning it at all is to underscore that people are far less predictable than chemical reactions and the like, and therefore have to be studied somewhat differently — usually without formulas. 1. 1 Determine appropriate measures based on an operational definition for research tools. Researchers utilize the method of operational definition to better tailor their research. They must know what all of the variables are, how to measure these variables and how they fit into the study. They must make sure that they are actually studying what they say they are studying. The definitions/parameters of the variables must be strictly defined. 1. 2 Select appropriate data collection methods to investigate psychological research problems. The research methods and the way all experimentations are collected must be done in a scientific, logical and ethical manner. Most research methods are either non-experimental, experimental, or quasi-experimental. These are separated by the number and extent of the of controls used. The controls help to account for the effect of variable use on the non-control or experiment group. 1. Examine the differences between descriptive and inferential statistics and their use in the social sciences. When a chart or graph (the shape of a distribution) is described in words, then one is using â€Å"descriptive statistics†. These descriptions can help to summarize and analyze a large amount of data. With inferential statistics researchers/psychologists use the information/data to infer or to make a conclusion based on the dat a from the research. â€Å"Probability† is derived from inferential statistics. How probable is it that a person will act a certain way can be answered through inferential/probability studies. REFERENCES: Aron, A. , Aron, E. , ; Coups, E. (2006). Statistics for psychology (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Allyn Bacon. Cowens, J. (2006). The scientific method. Teaching PreK-8, 37(1), 42. Hawthorne, G. (2003). The effect of different methods of collecting data: Mail, telephone and filter data collection issues in utility measurement. Quality of Life Research, 12(8), 1081. McPherson, G. R. (2001). Teaching ; learning the scientific method. The American Biology Teacher, 63(4), 242. .

3D Printing for Educational Purposes

3D Printing for Educational Purposes 3D Printing for Educational Purposes Can’t Imagine Abstract Things? Just Print Them! 3D printing is a hot topic in education these days, and this ever-developing technology is helping students grasp abstract topics and ideas. From fine arts to math, universities everywhere are using 3D printers in the classroom – and here’s why! 3D Printing – It’s an Art! From Sculpture 101 to culinary school, 3D printers are being used more and more within the arts, and with amazing results. Architecture students can use the printers to recreate their designs, allowing them to examine how their structures will look in the real world and make immediate tweaks and changes to improve their designs. At culinary institutes, students can design new and different cupcake and loaf pans, cookie cutters, and decoration molds, ensuring that they are able to stay at the forefront of food aesthetics. Turning the Abstract into Concrete Math is full of abstract and theoretical ideas that can be challenging for students to grasp. Using 3D printers to visualize and create mathematical concepts, shapes, and curves makes it much easier for students to understand how a theorem or shape actually appears in reality. 3D printers also make it easier for professors to effectively teach these ideas, as they ensure that both audial and visual learners have an equal footing in the classroom. Engineering New Ideas Many engineers pride themselves at being at the forefront of technology and innovation, so it only makes sense to have the latest technology – such as 3D printers – in the classroom. Students can learn from this new manufacturing technology itself, as well as utilize it for their own designs and to solve engineering problems. Using a 3D printer to create prototypes can help students to actually test their engineering skills and to physically see where improvements may be needed. Students can also see how existing parts, such as the various components of a car engine, may be modified – they can then print and test these, thereby creating innovation within the engineering industry through printing! Anatomy (Past Present) in 3D The human body is one of the most complex machines on the planet, and students everywhere – be them freshman biology students or final year medical students – are learning about anatomy through the use of 3D printers. By creating 3D images and cross-sections of organs, nerve systems, and the brain, students have one of the most effective study aids on the planet! In addition to the workings of the human body, 3D printing can also help archaeology students to examine artifacts, skeletal remains, and fossils in greater detail. By printing such artifacts, students are able to physically handle what would normally be ‘hands-off’ materials from museums, exhibitions, and archaeological digs. What were once abstract concepts and 2D pictures or diagrams are suddenly brought to life in the classroom using 3D printers, helping students become better learners and critical thinkers. Whatever you’re majoring in, it’s likely that a 3D printer will be coming to your classroom soon! The advantages it gives to both students and professors make this an important tool for learning across the arts and sciences – hopefully you’ll get to try one out for yourself! Additionally, you can get a custom essay on 3D Printing topic from our essay writing company.

The Agents of Erosion

The Agents of Erosion The process known as weathering breaks up rocks so that they can be carried away by the process known as erosion. Water, wind, ice, and waves are the agents of erosion that wear away at the surface of the Earth. Water Erosion Water is the most important erosional agent and erodes most commonly as running water in streams. However, water in all its forms is erosional. Raindrops (especially in dry environments) create splash erosion that moves tiny particles of soil. Water collecting on the surface of the soil collects as it moves towards tiny rivulets and streams and creates sheet erosion. In streams, water is a very powerful erosional agent. The faster water moves in streams the larger objects it can pick up and transport. This is known as critical erosion velocity. Fine sand can be moved by streams flowing as slowly as three-quarters of a mile per hour. Streams erode their banks in three different ways: 1) the hydraulic action of the water itself moves the sediments, 2) water acts to corrode sediments by removing ions and dissolving them, and 3) particles in the water strike bedrock and erode it. The water of streams can erode in three different places: 1) lateral erosion erodes the sediment on the sides of the stream channel, 2) down cutting erodes the stream bed deeper, and 3) headward erosion erodes the channel upslope. Wind Erosion Erosion by wind is known as aeolian (or eolian) erosion (named after Aeolus, the Greek god of winds) and occurs almost always in deserts. Aeolian erosion of sand in the desert is partially responsible for the formation of sand dunes. The power of the wind erodes rock and sand. Ice Erosion The erosive power of moving ice is actually a bit greater than the power of water but since water is much more common, it is responsible for a greater amount of erosion on the earths surface. Glaciers can perform erosive functions - they pluck and abrade. Plucking takes place by water entering cracks under the glacier, freezing, and breaking off pieces of rock that are then transported by the glacier. Abrasion cuts into the rock under the glacier, scooping rock up like a bulldozer and smoothing and polishing the rock surface. Wave Erosion Waves in oceans and other large bodies of water produce coastal erosion. The power of oceanic waves is awesome, large storm waves can produce 2000 pounds of pressure per square foot. The pure energy of waves along with the chemical content of the water is what erodes the rock of the coastline. Erosion of sand is much easier for the waves and sometimes, theres an annual cycle where sand is removed from a beach during one season, only to be returned by waves in another.

Can the United States Continue to Run Current Account Deficits Essay

Can the United States Continue to Run Current Account Deficits Indefinitely - Essay Example ates like China and Japan have afforded the United States with inflows that have made it possible for the United States to increase its current account deficit. However, analysts are of the opinion that the rising level of United States current account deficit may become unsustainable and risky thus make the large foreign investors consider shifting their investments in the United States loan securities away to other nations. It is also likely that the consequence of the persistent United States foreign debt may be making it a politically weak nation and reliant to large investors like China. According to Carbaugh (2011), the purchase of the United States current account deficit can continue indefinitely because the desire of foreigners for the American loan assets may not stop. The United States has a history of having run current account deficits continuously from 1820 to 1875 (McKinnon, 2001). Its economic growth by then solely remained reliant to foreign debts. Furthermore, the United States saving rate is lower than that of its main trading partners like China and Japan. All these factors make the United States current deficit likely to be persistent indefinitely as long as they remain

HYPNOTHERAPY & NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING Essay - 1

HYPNOTHERAPY & NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING - Essay Example Therefore, all the suggestions are entered to the subconscious without conscious intervention. Once conscious faculties are sure that monotonous stimuli unlikely to endanger their subject, they become complacent and irresponsible. With attention gone there can be no conscious intervention which leads to the state of conscious suspension. Conscious faculties are alert and vigilant to check the security or any danger from external stimuli. Therefore, the conscious faculties intervene when suggestions are on their way to the subconscious. To produce monotony to the sense of feeling, the subject should be made very comfortable by reducing all possible external stimuli. The pressure on the subjects body should be released by avoiding any unpleasant sensation commonly known as pins and needles. The subject should be instructed to sit properly without the legs crossed. The room environment should be calm and temperature should be maintained at constant level. If the emotional force generated by thoughts or perceptions is not discharged through appropriate action, the pressure will build up and escape where it finds least barrier. If it is not discharged, building of such a force might lead to destructive level of pressure. Hypnotist displays posters before his performance which claims to possess mysterious hypnotic powers, the power to control minds, and the power to control the actions of others. At the actual show, special stage props, a carefully planned presentation, and the impressive appearance of the hypnotist, all play a part in contributing still further to building up emotion in the audience. In normal situations the emotion is discharged through appropriate action. The builded pressure escapes where it finds least barrier. When the asserting pressure is moderate, feelings such as satisfaction, dislikes etc. are released. It can render the conscious faculties inefficient and incapable of carrying out their normal duties. In our working model of the

Experiential Learning Essay Example for Free

Experiential Learning Essay Growing up in a southern state with traditional family and religious values has made transitioning into college life a bit difficult. Questioning myself and my own bias from my experiences in life is an ongoing process, as I wonder â€Å"is it me? † or its possible that I feel strongly about issues because my values and ethics overshadow all. I feel as if I move from a state of passive to aggressive in my actions just as I do my own state of internal feeling of who I am. Sometimes I feel like I have been treated unfairly both as a child and now, simply for being female. In my actions I sometimes pretend that this does not bother me and that a woman’s place is in the home, being a good mother and wife, bit other times I lash out when this is expected of me from my church, family, and some facets of society. I struggle in this passive aggressive way in my own religion too. As a Baptist, sometimes I feel like the teachings are true and correct and that social issues, such as homosexuality are undesirable and need to be â€Å"fixed†. Other times, however, I feel like homosexuality and other so-called social issues brought up in the church should not be treated like diseases and we have no business trying to â€Å"cure† others. Growing up white, female, and very religious, I was taught ideals that seemed to contradict themselves. The most notable cases were of people in poverty. We were not a poor family, but I would see a great majority of people in my state of Tennessee living in very unpleasant conditions. From teachings of the church and my family, I was taught to help those, who cannot help themselves. But, the irony was that most conservative people around believed that everyone could help themselves and that their state of poverty was simply due to laziness. I remember thinking that I was just a kid and had no control over my home life and that these other impoverished kids I would see could not help their situation any more that I could. So it was confusing that no one seemed to go out of their way (with a few exceptions) to help poor people back home. We were, also, expected to treat people equally and not have any â€Å"hate in our hearts† for anyone for any reason. It wasn’t obvious to my friends and I that our parents were in any way bigoted toward minorities, because they didn’t use racial slurs or openly discuss their dislike for other races. But, when my friends and I started becoming older and noticing boys, our parents wouldn’t hide their shock when we said that we had an attraction for a boy of another race. Then I realized that my parents did not believe in interracial relationships and for awhile I thought that it was not racist, but now I see that my upbringing was all twisted together with racism, sexism, and contempt for the poor and homosexuality. Like many southern girls, I was supposed to find a nice man to marry and going to college was the way to find this man. My family and the society I grew up in had all these expectations of me, hidden agendas, and covert prejudices that I am still trying to understand fully. I want to be treated like an intelligent woman, whose ideas have merit. I get so angry and feel aggressive when people believe that college is just a â€Å"hobby† and that I am here just to find â€Å"Mr. Right†, I am tired of all the years of playing the passive role of the quiet and complacent â€Å"southern belle†. I, also, want to widen my base of friends to include people who do not let religion become a barrier to their lives. Many times from what I have seen in the church, people mindlessly believe what the preacher says and don’t take time to understand that everyone is human and should be treated fairly. I wish I had the courage to go to speak to people, who are homosexual, but I still can’t. This is one of the goals I am working on now.

Tycho Brahe :: Essays Papers

Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe provided a great deal of information to the science community and will never be forgotten. Brahe had a large influence on the Scientific Revolution and its happenings. Many people in the time of Brahe believed that what is discovered through the Scientific Revolution, about the world, is the truth. Also at this time people believed that the Bible or their faith would surely out weigh reason that was brought by the Scientific Revolution. The are many things that make up Tycho Brahe the person, like his family. Brahe’s family is of old and distinguished nobility. Members of Brahe’s family served the king and their country, in council and on the battlefield. 1 Tycho, the first born son to Otte and Beate Bille-Brahe, in December 1546. Tycho parents named him after his grandfather. Brahe’s childhood made also made up an important part of who he is. Brahe studied law and philosophy at the universities of Copenhagen and Leipzig. Each night after his long day of studies, Brahe would always be found looking at the stars in the night sky, before he went to bed. This some people would say, played a large role in what Brahe should do with his future. Brahe is said to be a colorful character when he is in school. "He allegedly challenged a fellow student to a duel with swords in a dispute over who was the better mathematician. Brahe's nose is partially cut off, and he was said to wear a gold and silver replacement upon which he would continually rub oil."2 After Brahe’s wonderful education he would begin his journey to find out more about the sky and all that is in it. In 1972 Brahe discovered a supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia. "Brahe's meticulous observations showed that the supernova did not change positions with respect to the other stars (no parallax). Therefore, it was a real star, not a local object."3 This is early evidence against the immutable nature of the heavens.4 "In 1577 his studies of a bright comet showed that it traversed the spheres of the planets, and was not an atmospheric exhalation or an ill omen. Both these phenomena contributed to growing dissatisfaction with the Aristotelian belief in the perfect and unchanging nature of the celestial spheres."5 Brahe spent most of his time traveling and lecturing about his discoveries that he would make.

Perceptions of African American Women Essay

It was amazing to know that Dr. Mae C. Jemison who happens to be the youngest of three children born to a middle class African American family, Charlie Jemison, a maintenance worker and his wife, Dorothy, a teacher. Dr. Mae C. Jemison was the first black woman astronaut to be in space in an era filled with segregation and racism, she is a Chemical engineer, scientist, physician, teacher and astronaut, she has a wide range of experience in technology, engineering, and medical research. In addition to her extensive background in science, she is well-versed in African and African-American Studies, speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili, as well as English and is trained in dance and choreography. Dr. Mae C. Jamison was an inspiration to me, and probably to many African American women. She was full of resilience and determination especially to have reached and achieved success in an unusual field of endeavor for many African American women, I applaud her determination to make a difference among the African American women and blacks in Diaspora. After graduating from Morgan Park High School in 1973 at the age of 16, Dr. Mae Jemison earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, while also fulfilling the requirements for a BA in African-American Studies. After earning these degrees in 1977, she attended Cornell University and received a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981. During medical school she traveled to Cuba, Kenya and Thailand, providing primary medical care to people living there. This is an indication of her humanitarian efforts and eagerness to reach out to the less privileged population. Having a desire to do more with her life, she enrolled in graduate classes in engineering and applied to NASA for admission to the astronaut program. She was turned down on her first application, maybe because she is a black woman, but she persevered and in 1987 was accepted on her second application. She became one of the fifteen candidates accepted from over 2,000 applicants. When Dr. Mae Jemison successfully completed her astronaut training program in August 1988, she became the fifth black astronaut and the first black female astronaut in NASA history. In completing her first space flight, Dr. Mae Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space, making her the first African-American woman in space. She says, â€Å"I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to others’ limited imaginations. I have learned these days never to limit anyone else due to my limited imagination. † This is an inspiration to other blacks in general who normally assume a second class citizen and believe that they will never do well or will be appreciated in whatever they do. This is a wake-up call, and manifestation of the saying â€Å"Determination is the mother of invention†. In 1993, Dr. Mae Jemison resigned from NASA and founded the Jemison Group, Inc. to research, develop and implement advanced technologies suited to the social, political, cultural and economic context of the individual, especially for the developing world. Current projects include: Alpha, (TM) a satellite based telecommunication system to improve health care in West Africa; and The Earth We Share, (TM) an international science camp for students ages 12 to 16, that utilizes an experiential curriculum. Among her current projects are several that focus on improving healthcare in Africa. She is also a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College. Dr. Mae Jamison made a name for herself and name for blacks in general; Her entrepreneurial spirit put her in the limelight and acts as a boost to determined black men and women in Diaspora. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. It was quite surprising to read about Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, I know almost nothing about this â€Å"giant and queen of modern Africa† who is presently the current president of Liberia. According to what I have read so far about this â€Å"queen of Africa† she was born In Monrovia, the capital of Liberia on October 29, 1938. During this period, Liberians had no clue that the First female president of an African country had been born into their mist. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a daughter to descendents of original colonists of Liberia (ex-African slaves from America, who promptly on arrival set about enslaving the indigenous people using the social system of their old American masters as a basis for their new society). These descendents are known in Liberia as Americo-Liberians. From what I read, I noticed that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was truly an intellectual power house, a charismatic leader and destined to make a change in Liberia and contribute her quota in Africa. From 1948 to 1955 Ellen Johnson studied accounts and economics at the College of West Africa in Monrovia. After marriage at the age of 17 to James Sirleaf, she travelled to America (in 1961) and continued her studies, achieving a degree from the University of Colorado. From 1969 to 1971 she read economics at Harvard, gaining a masters degree in public administration. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf then returned to Liberia and began working in William Tolbert’s (True Whig Party) government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf also served as Minister of Finance from 1972 to 73, but left after a disagreement over public spending, this is an indication of her prudence and will power. As the 70s progressed, life under Liberia’s one-party state became more polarized to the benefit of the Americo-Liberian elite. On 12 April 1980 Master Sergeant Samuel Kayon Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group, seized power in a military coup. With the People’s Redemption Council now in power, Samuel Doe began a purge of government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf narrowly escaped – choosing exile in Kenya. From 1983 to 1985 she served as Director of Citibank in Nairobi. I will say that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had a lot of courage, because it was quite unusual for a woman to challenge a dictatorial incumbent president in Africa without being kidnapped, tortured or killed in the process, although She was later sentenced to ten years in prison. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf spent just a short time incarcerated, before being allowed to leave the country once again as an exile. During the 1980s she served as Vice President of both the African Regional Office of Citibank, in Nairobi, and of (HSCB) Equator Bank, in Washington. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf played an active role in the transitional government as the country prepared for the 2005 elections, and eventually stood for president against her rival the ex-international footballer, George Manneh Weah. Despite the elections being called fair and orderly, Weah repudiated the result, which gave a majority to Johnson-Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf eventually became Liberia’s first elected female president, as well as the first elected female president in the continent Africa. . In 2005 She established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission with a mandate to â€Å"promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation† by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in the country and in November 2007, she received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.

Self-Defense Law

Post | Self-Defense Law | A WSJ Article by Joe Palazzolo and Rob Barry | | Robert Hallam| 4/1/2012| LAW-13 Paper #2 | Self-defense laws, also known as â€Å"stand your ground laws†, have been a significant aspect of many court cases. However, like most other laws, these laws can be used improperly and cause excess controversy around a case. Joe Palazzolo and Rob Barry’s article titled â€Å"More Killings Called Self-Defense† from the March 31st edition of Wall Street Journal brings attention to these self-defense laws.The case discussed in the article is an example of self-defense laws causing controversy, as many protestors believe these laws were used improperly. This is also a common issue as the number of justifiable homicides seems to be on the rise. Are these â€Å"stand your ground laws† truly being abused? This is the main issue causing the debate surrounding cases around the country. The article describes a case of homicide in which 17-year-old Tr ayvon Martin was shot and killed by supposed neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman. This case has become very controversial for several reasons.Much debate has been sparked as to whether this homicide was actually an intentional hate crime, as Martin was a black teenager, who supposedly posed no real threat to the killer. Despite lack of evidence against Martin, Zimmerman still claims that his act was out of self-defense and he has not been charged or arrested. Zimmerman claims he was walking to his car and Martin approached him and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Recent evidence shows that there was virtually no damage inflicted on Zimmerman’s face or nose.Zimmerman also claims that Martin had bashed his head into the ground, leaving him with serious head injuries. New video evidence goes against his claim, revealing no head injuries (Zerlina, 2012). His lawyer has yet to make any further comments. Although it cannot be assumed that race was a main factor in th is case, it is still the cause of much debate. Since Martin supposedly posed no real threat to the killer, protestors believe that this is not considered justifiable homicide and the self-defense law is being used improperly.The article provides statistics regarding justifiable homicide and self-defense laws, as well as the relationship between the two. According to the information provided in the article, the data on the relationship between the two has not been sufficiently studied, thus many questions surrounding the issue are still left unanswered. For instance, according to criminal scientists, â€Å"the data on justifiable homicide and their relationship to â€Å"stand your ground laws† has not been rigorously studied†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ So the question remains unanswered if â€Å"a rise in justifiable homicides reflects killings that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. Other questions are left unreciprocated as well. What is the typical relationship between the killer s and the victims in these sorts of cases? These types of questions remain debatable, according to the statistics and data provided. Many other statistics are mentioned in the article, such as data regarding methods of murder (weapons; guns being the most popular in cases of justifiable homicide), age of victims, and as mentioned previously, race. It appears that many self-defense laws are far too susceptible to abuse (Richard A Mann, Barry S Roberts , 2010).The newer concept commonly seen in stand your ground laws follow the obscene Florida variation that â€Å"not only eliminates the duty to retreat, but also presumes that a person who uses deadly force in his home or vehicle had a reasonable fear of harm, and it immunizes the killer from civil lawsuits† (palazzolo, 2012) ; as opposed to the common standard â€Å"Castle Doctrine† system in which individual home owners were perfectly justified in using deadly force against home intruders.The opposition to these new la ws asserts that a legal statute was even included in said doctrine that â€Å"you can shoot to kill if your life is in peril, period. † However that does not give you the right to pursue possibly innocent non-immediate threats and that those situations are best handled by notifying authorities. According to the legal definition of self-defense, the harm of another person is only justifiable †if a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm† (lectric law ).So, according to this definition, homicide is only justified if there is a present danger and an attack is being made to avoid such danger. The defense must be done to prevent a crime which would amount to a felony if committed (lectric law ). These laws are intended to allow an individual to prevent real harm on his or her self. In short, was the case concerning the murder of Martin truly a case of self-defense, or should Zimmerman be charged with homicide? Here is where the debate comes into play.In this case, it appears that there is no evidence collected against Martin, and so the homicide should not yet be considered justifiable. This is an example of the self-defense laws being too susceptible to abuse. If an act of homicide is going to be deemed justified, there should always be a sufficient amount of evidence. The possibility of Zimmerman’s case being a hate crime still exists, but there is not enough evidence to support this either. Although self-defense laws are helpful to many cases, these powers can clearly be abused.Since proper evidence has not been provided, it is improper to make official conclusions, but it seems that Zimmerman’s case may be an example of the self-defense laws being too susceptible to exploitation. Zimmerman’s case does not seem to follow the legal definition of self-defense, yet he was not charged or arrested. Protestors are fighting for Zimmerman’s arrest, as not enough evidence has been found against Martin, the victim of gunfire who supposedly presented a threat to the attacker. These protestors are rallying nationwide in support of Zimmerman’s conviction.Works Cited (n. d. ). Retrieved april 2, 2012, from lectric law : http://www. lectlaw. com/def/d030. htm palazzolo, j. (2012). more killings called self defense. wall street journal , 1-2. Richard A Mann, Barry S Roberts . (2010). Essentials of business law and the legal environment . Mason: Sout-Western Cengage Learning. Zerlina. (2012, march 29). feninisting. com. Retrieved march 25, 2012, from http://feministing. com/2012/03/29/george-zimmermans-self-defense-story-of-trayvon-martin-shooting-falls-apart/

Free Essays on P&G Scope

Analysis of Current Situation To begin with, an analysis about the current situation is conducted. Market Situation The Canadian mouthwash market was initially developed by the pioneering brand of Listerine. It dominated the market until the entry of Scope in 1967. Scope is a first brand that offered both effective protection against bad breath and a better taste than other mouthwashes. Starting from year 1976, Scope became the market leader in Canada. After that, several other brands came into the market and share the whole Canadian mouthwash market. Until 1988, Plax, a product of Pfizer Company, was launched and got an immediate success. This has caught many in the industry by surprise. From 1986 to 1990, the whole mouthwash market is growing gradually. In 1987, it experienced a 26% increase and after that, the growth rate was kept in a level of 5 percent to 1990. ( See appendix I). Among all the households in Canada, 30% are heavy users of mouthwash products, whose usage were once per day; 34% are medium users with 2 to 5 times a week; 11% are light users who use mouthwash less than once a week. Apart from these users, 25% of all the households are non-users. (See appendix II). There are mainly 3 reasons for not using mouthwash: don’t believe they have bad breath; believe that brush the teeth is enough; find alternatives like gums and mints. Competitive Situation From 1988 to 1990, Scope is leading the mouthwash market with an average share of 33% (See appendix III). Followed to Scope, there are other brands such as Listerine, Listermint, Cepacol, etc, who are share the market with an average of 10%. Plax, the new entry brand, has gained it market share from 1% in 1988 to 10% in 1989 and 1990. Besides, is has an on-going trend of fast growing in the market. From the data of the survey among mouthwash users’ images of major brands, Plax had achieved a strong image on the â€Å"Removes plaque / healthier te... Free Essays on P&G Scope Free Essays on P&G Scope Analysis of Current Situation To begin with, an analysis about the current situation is conducted. Market Situation The Canadian mouthwash market was initially developed by the pioneering brand of Listerine. It dominated the market until the entry of Scope in 1967. Scope is a first brand that offered both effective protection against bad breath and a better taste than other mouthwashes. Starting from year 1976, Scope became the market leader in Canada. After that, several other brands came into the market and share the whole Canadian mouthwash market. Until 1988, Plax, a product of Pfizer Company, was launched and got an immediate success. This has caught many in the industry by surprise. From 1986 to 1990, the whole mouthwash market is growing gradually. In 1987, it experienced a 26% increase and after that, the growth rate was kept in a level of 5 percent to 1990. ( See appendix I). Among all the households in Canada, 30% are heavy users of mouthwash products, whose usage were once per day; 34% are medium users with 2 to 5 times a week; 11% are light users who use mouthwash less than once a week. Apart from these users, 25% of all the households are non-users. (See appendix II). There are mainly 3 reasons for not using mouthwash: don’t believe they have bad breath; believe that brush the teeth is enough; find alternatives like gums and mints. Competitive Situation From 1988 to 1990, Scope is leading the mouthwash market with an average share of 33% (See appendix III). Followed to Scope, there are other brands such as Listerine, Listermint, Cepacol, etc, who are share the market with an average of 10%. Plax, the new entry brand, has gained it market share from 1% in 1988 to 10% in 1989 and 1990. Besides, is has an on-going trend of fast growing in the market. From the data of the survey among mouthwash users’ images of major brands, Plax had achieved a strong image on the â€Å"Removes plaque / healthier te...

Straight-Tusked Elephant - Facts and Figures

Straight-Tusked Elephant - Facts and Figures Name: Straight-Tusked Elephant; also known as Palaeoloxodon and Elephas antiquus Habitat: Plains of western Europe Historical Epoch: Middle-Late Pleistocene (1 million-50,000 years ago) Size and Weight: About 12 feet tall and 2-3 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; long, slightly curved tusks    About the Straight-Tusked Elephant Understanding the Straight-Tusked Elephant requires a quick primer in modern elephant classification. Living elephants are represented by two genera, Loxodonta and Elephas; the former comprises two species (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) of African elephants, while the latter contains but a single species: Elephas maximus, the Asian elephant. Long story short, most paleontologists consider the Straight-Tusked Elephant to be an extinct species of Elephas, Elephas antiquus, though some assign it to its own genus, Palaeoloxodon antiquus. As if thats not confusing enough, this prehistoric relative of the Asian elephant was native to western Europe! Classification issues aside, the Straight-Tusked Elephant was one of the largest pachyderms of the Pleistocene epoch, standing 12 feet tall and weighing in the neighborhood of two to three tons. As you might expect given its name, this elephants most distinctive trait was its exceptionally long, slightly curving tusks, which it used along with its unusually long tongue and trunk to strip the leaves off trees. Judging by fossil remains, the Straight-Tusked Elephant roamed the European plains in smallish herds of a dozen or so individuals, and was eventually out-competed in its increasingly frigid ecosystem by the well-insulated Woolly Mammoth. (By the way, some experts believe it was the Straight-Tusked Elephant that spawned the Dwarf Elephants of the Mediterranean basin.)

The Crusades Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Crusades - Research Paper Example Islam from present day Pakistan to Morocco and from the base of Turkey down to East Africa. This made Islam a threat to Christianity since there was a chance that Muslim invaders will spread their Jihads into European lands that were considered Christian at that time.Carl Erdmann points out that 11th Century reforms in the Church were the main cause of the First Crusade sanctioned by the Catholic Church. This is because the reform sought to purify all elements of the European society including warriors and militants. He, therefore, explains the Crusades as an attempt by the Catholic Church to divert violence and military force towards 'sacred' activities. In March 1095, Pope Urban II sent troops to go the Eastern Church which had its headquarters at Byzantium to help them defend themselves against a Muslim invasion. In the Council of Clermont a few months after that, in November 1095, Pope Urban II called for Christian armies and warriors to be sent to Jerusalem to re-take the city o f Jerusalem and establish a Christian state there.From an analysis of the activities of the first Crusade sanctioned by Pope Urban II, it appears that there was the need for the Pope to defend the borders of Christian Europe. This seems to be a natural course of action any religious leader would have taken against the Muslim expansion. The Crusades were successful and the Christians took Jerusalem in July 1099. They set up the Syrian and Palestine Christian states and took the island of Cyprus as a security point.

About Business Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About Business - Personal Statement Example My keen interest on the functionality of the business soared as I began to study Business in my GCSE level. I become more enthusiastic on every aspects of Business across the globe. My father who owns real estate’s with over ten employees has been a bigger inspiration for my zeal for business. He has made me to assist him in the management of the business and this has enabled me to deeply understand the management of business finances and the taskforce required for the business to be successful. My zeal for business has enabled me to own photocopying business at the vicinity of the college. The business is doing well and this demonstrates that I have the correct attitude towards my career. As depicted in my zeal I have always remained focused on harnessing my business developments and I have a deep conviction that the small beginnings and more knowledge on Business studies will enable me to be a key player in the Business

Films and American Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Films and American Popular Culture - Essay Example This article is relevant to my topic, because it analyzes the negative effects of the mainstreaming of rap music on the goals of rappers. Blair showed concern for the commercialization of rap music, because commercialization has historically benefitted white firms more and diluted the genuineness of black rap music. He narrated the history of rap in the U.S. He argued that Marxian hegemony theory can best explain how mainstream black rap has become a tool for the elite to propagate their own interests and goals. This is a good article, because it explores the theoretical underpinnings of commercializing black rap. It directly answers the research question also on the challenges of rap music. Blair’s findings that commercialization is not an absolute good for black rappers contradicts the implications of the findings of Hunnicutt and Andrews, because in their study, black rappers use mainstream music to broaden their prominence and audiences. Hence, for Hunnicutt and Andrews, m ainstreaming black rap can also indicate the acknowledgement of the invisible voices of low-income, young, black men. Deflem, M. (2001). Rap, rock and censorship: Popular culture and the technologies of justice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association, Chicago, May 27-30, 1993. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97.htm The source came from a paper presented at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association, Chicago, May 27-30, 1993, so it is trusted as a scholarly article. This source is relevant, because it examines how popular music has been put on trial, because of its deviant messages. Deflem reviewed literature on music censorship and its effects on the development of rap music and other forms of popular music. Findings demonstrated that the law has been used to regulate social processes and institutions, but the history of music censorship demonstrated that the law and law enforcement could not significantly impact and limit musical expressions, mainly because of the First Amendment protection. The strength of this article is that it answers both research questions. Its weakness is its focus on the legal history of music censorship. This article has the same findings as Blair, in that dominant social institutions and tools are being used to limit or crush the social, economic, cultural, and political messages of black rap music. Hunnicutt, G. & Andrews, K. H. (2009).Tragic narratives in popular culture: Depictions of homicide in rap music. Sociological Forum, 24 (3), 611-630. The source came from a peer-reviewed journal, so it is trusted as a scholarly article. It is important to the research, because it answers the question about the goals of rap music. They explored homicide themes in rap lyrics across the period 1989–2000 and used the framework of cultural criminology. Their sampling included 360 titles, where they took the first top 30 songs for each year. Find ings showed three categories: 1) exaltation of killing, 2) moralizing tales about the destruction of violent death and the need for change in society, and ? or 3) homicide used as a figure of speech for being a â€Å"bigger† or more popular rapper. Some songs cautioned about the consequences of leading a criminal life, while others remarked on the power structure, and situations of preserving respect, zero tolerance, and vengeance. Homicide is also surprisingly gendered, with men killing men. The

Key Points Of Idealism In The Matrix

Key Points Of Idealism In The Matrix One of the best movie trilogy of the decade is The Matrix , made by Larry and Andy Wachowskis 1999 movie. The plot revolves around a young man by the name of Thomas Anderson who lives a double life; by day he is just another ordinary, anonymous citizen in a modern city, but by night, Thomas takes on the character of Neo, a renamed hacker. As a hacker, Thomas soon discovers that within the Internet lies a whole other network; one that is much more complex. Through this, Neo discovers that the world he had believed to be real was actually false a mirage, created by somebody. In reality, his idealistic, Utopian world, run by highly intelligent machines, differed immensely from the actual real world. One of the main idea that the film portrays draws on the possibility that humans actually hold a skewed image of our experiences, the objects we represent, and the world in general; what we well thought was real may not actually exist. The film Set is in the future after a nuclear war, the planet has been discovered to have been invaded by robots, thus making it uninhabitable by normal means. In order to control and dominate the human race, these robots have implanted small amounts of a special fluid, known as bio-port, in the nervous system of every human being. These bio-ports function as a means of brainwashing and influence the minds of the humans, causing them to believe that nothing in their world has changed. As a result, the humans fail to realize that they have become slaves to the robots. In other words, the world in which the people live in and their everyday experiences are in fact just illusions produced by computer acting directly on their brains (the matrix). People who live in this world live in a virtual world, created by the machine. Nevertheless, some individuals, it is unclear how, managed to escape the action of the computer and see the world as it, the real world. They then try to fight the machine with the help of their savior, Neo so they can live in the ideal world, where the machines are not in power. The Matrix illustrates the concept or theory of idealism that Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, wanted to apply international relations/politics. When talking about global politics, Idealist sees international relation as they should be and not how it is (realism). For an idealist, international relation should be harmonious, with a balance of power between different Country and the respect for international law guaranteed by a global organization. Wilson also believed that what was profitable and advantageous for his country would also greatly benefit other foreign nations. Like Wilson, in movie, the main character Neo and a group of the human population want to fight the machine so they can live in an ideal world, different from the one they are currently living. Another concept in the movie that relate to idealism is based on the philosopher Socrates idea of the Allegory of the Cave. In the book the republic, Socrates is speaking about his ideal city, but also talk about how people sometimes believe they are living in the best world possible, when in fact they are not. The allegory of the cave describes a situation in which men have been chained inside a dark cave, facing the same blank wall since birth. The closest representations of images that these men have are projections of shadows from the entry of the cave that they cannot see. These projections, while not accurate representations of the real world, are the only images the men have ever seen since birth. Thus, they are regarded by the men to be true representations of the world. When one of them finally leaves or escapes the cave and sees the real world- Like Neo did in the movie by disconnecting himself from the fake world- he will try to tell the people who stayed in the cave that the world that they are living in is false. To relate it to idealism in international relation, we can pick a country like France or the United Sate who advocate idealism in a sense that they want other nations (or people living in other nation) to also live in the best possible country they can. For example, an idealist would like to see the citizens from North Korea live in a country with freedom and democracy, like Neo wanted to make people living in a dream world to see the real world as it was and then build their ideal world by fighting the machines. The movie also shows that not everybody chooses to see the truth even if presented to them, simply because it can be ugly at times. An example would be when Morpheus (the person that shows Neo the real world) in the beginning gives Neo the opportunity a choice between discovering the truth and staying in the dream world, or see the world as it is and make it better. In relation to politics and international relations, an example o f a country like that today would be North Korea or Ex-Communist countries such as Russia, where citizens believed that they were living in ideals worlds. In addition, the United States has also had some presidents that used Idealist policies as their international policy, like George W Bush or Woodrow Wilson. They wanted to be like the United States (democracy, capitalism). The good thing is that the US is a democracy, which means that even if they adopt an idealist position as their foreign policy is would not hurt other countries as bad as a communist country like North Korea, the USSR or a dictatorship Germany by Hitler was in power. Another theme in the movie that related to Wilsons idea of Idealism is liberty which is by definition The condition of being free from restriction or control . For example, for the founding fathers, liberty was their ideal, so they fought England to become a free nation. In the movie when Neo understand that he is controlled by the machine, he wants to become free. Is an individual considered to be free if he/she operates in world he believes to be true, but in reality is not? Is a human considered to be free if he/she is used like a toy in a virtual world? Those questions come in the mind of the viewers while watching the matrix, and challenge them to consider whether they are actually free or if in fact they would never know if they were in a dream. Since Neo had never experienced true freedom, he made the decision to seek out the truth in the real world, that was his ideal, but he also wanted to save the others that were still dreaming. In creating the character of Neo (who eventually succeeds in crossing the boundaries of his own universe into the real world), the film makers tried to share an understanding that we get caught in different dilemmas, having to be realistic or idealist; Pragmatic or idealist. Conclusion The Movie The Matrix illustrates the concept of Idealism, which can be applied in the field of International Relations. Many countries strongly believe that their views are the best and attempt to impose their ideals on other countries. President Woodrow. Wilsons idealistic vision of international relations focused on seeing things as they should be and as one would hope them to be. On the contrary, a realist would see things only as they are (Machiavelli). Wilson also believed that international relations ought to be harmonious and peaceful, enforced through the obedience of states with rules of international law and order guaranteed by supranational organization, There must be, not a balance of power, but a community of Powers, not organized rivalries, but an organized common peace (Speech, January 22, 1917 in the Senate, Wilson). Wilson challenged the traditional European diplomacy that was based on different alliances and behind the door contract. As a firm believer in the concep t of international alliance, he believed in the cooperation of states and multilateralism; decision making in terms of external action should be taken in consultation with the international community and / or based on joint action. The movie also demonstrates that we should be cautious of any sort of authority and that we should be wary of any form of obedience that requires some kind of blind submission to authority. Try to recap the MAIN POINTS of your paper at the end hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.need a good conclusionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you want to explain how ALL your themes in the movie relate to Wilsons view of idealismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦just make it clear à ¯Ã‚ Ã…  

The Storm: An Inner Reflection Essays -- Emotions Psychology Essays

The Storm: An Inner Reflection Memories are all we have sometimes, but what if memories bring out unwelcome feelings? In Romesh Gunesekera's short story "Ranvali," a young lady goes back to her father's old holiday bungalow and begins to discover new feelings toward her beloved Communist father. The story is set in an idyllic bungalow in Ranvali, by the coast of India. Theorists such as Roland Barthes would argue that setting in modern narratives "no longer need meaning: they simply are: that is their meaning." (qtd in Chatman 145). However, in "Ranvali," the storm that besieges the bungalow while the young lady is there clearly mimics her thoughts and gives the reader a greater sense of the inner turmoil that she must be going through. It can thus be shown that the storm is an essential part of the setting that Gunesekera uses to evoke certain feelings in the readers of "Ranvali." In the story, the storm mimics the narrator's inner turmoil at discovering new feelings about her father. But is the storm part of setting? Chatman makes a distinction between existents - characters and setting. For Chatman, "setting 'sets the character off'; it is the place and collection of objects 'against which' his actions and passions appropriately emerge" (Chatman 134). The storm is part of the description of the 'place' where the story unfolds. The memories of the narrator's father, which may be considered the 'actions and passions' within the story, emerge before and after the occurrence of the storm. The storm is thus part of the background to which the events in "Ranvali" occur. Chatman also gives three criteria for being a character - presence, being named and importance (Chatman 139). The storm in "Ranvali" is clearly not explicitly... ...der is given a definite analogy to how she might be feeling. Gunesekera's use of this narrative device as opposed to using the narrator to describe her emotions makes the reader sympathetic to the narrator's plight in an almost unconscious way. Although the storm is part of the setting, it subconsciously draws a connection to the narrator's inner thoughts. The reader thus can imagine that a storm rages within her mind, with thoughts about her father's idealism conflicting with her love for him. Without this narrative device of the storm, the story would have been much impoverished, as the final effect of "Ranvali" would have been much reduced. Works Cited Chatman, Seymour, "Existents" Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1978. 131-145. Gunesekera, Romesh. "Ranvali." Monkfish Moon. London: Granta, 1992: 89-102.

Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality PSY250 As research into personality progressed, scientists began to look beyond psychoanalysis and trait theories for other explanations into how personality develops. They started to look at the biological factors that influence personality formation (Hans Eysenck, Jeffrey Gray, Sir Francis Galton (genetic study of twins)), the effect of growth needs on personality formation (Abraham Maslow), and the basic aspects of the humanistic personality theory and how it compares to the biological explanation of personality formation (Eric Fromm, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow). These topics will be considered in more detail in the following discussion. Although environment plays a part in personality, genes also make significant contributions. Some genetic disorders, such as Angelman or Williams syndrome are characterized by excessive happiness and friendliness. Biological aspects of a person’s temperament, such as introversion/extroversion, actively, and impulsively, also help shape the personality. Studies of identical twins have shown that twins separated at birth and raised in different environments still share many personality traits. Therefore, we are not simply blank slates totally influenced by what our environment writes on us. Responses to certain environmental stimuli seem to be hard-wired into our nervous system and endocrine systems. Electroencephalograms (EEG) have shown that, at a very basic level, extroverts show less arousal to stimulation then introverts do. Hans Eysenck theorized that because of this low level of arousal, extroverts seek out stimulating circumstances while introverts, who may be receiving too much stimulation from the environment, try to â€Å"get away from it all† by shying away from stimulating environments. Differences in activation of the brain’s hemispheres may also effect personality formation. Greater activation of the right hemisphere, which is believed to have a role in negative emotions, may cause over reaction to negative stimuli. On the other hand, higher activation of the left hemisphere, thought to play a role in positive emotions, could result in more powerful reactions to positive stimuli. Jeffrey Gray proposed the idea that our nervous systems may be responsible for influencing whether we are more motivated by punishment or reward. Disruption in the function of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin can also effect personality. Will Sheldon expanded on Ernest Kretschmer’s ideas that body type might be connected to certain mental disorders and applied them to the general population. Sheldon developed three body types and associated personality characteristics: mesomorphs – muscular, large-boned; athletic, ectomorphs – slender; studious, and endomorphs – roly-poly; good-natured. Sheldon’s ideas were too simplistic, but it might be possible that certain biological factors could affect both personality and body type. Social influences may affect body type, which may in turn affect how others react. Both aspects can influence personality development. â€Å"A stable personality depends on a healthy, well-functional brain† ( was this supposed to be cited) Certain diseases and disorders can change can change or destroy one’s personality. Strokes damage part of the brain and can cause a dramatic change in personality. Pick’s disease also causes deterioration of the brain. It may cause a marked change in in a person’s beliefs or preferences. Alzheimer’s disease, as the disease becomes advanced, seems to result in total loss of personality. Postpartum depression is triggered by a biological process. Severe, untreated symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions, and persistent disturbing thoughts of suicide, being possessed, or harming the infant. Environmental toxins, such as mercury, and both legal and illegal drugs, including Valium, Prozac, cocaine, and herion, can result in biological changes to the body that may temporarily or permanently alter personality. Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Theories of personalities have been studied for many decades. The biological and humanistic approaches to personality have both become infamous in studying the science behind personality. Abraham Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs because he did not believe that the conditioning theories adequately portrayed the complexity of human behavior. In analyzing both the biological and humanistic theories, one can see where Maslow may have been right in that assumption. The basic perceptions of humanistic and biological theories vary significantly. There are some basic ideas behind humanistic psychology. Humanists focus on the present rather than looking at the past or toward the future. Well individuals should take responsibility for themself; regardless of the actions and every individual possess inherent worth. Even negative actions do not negate the value of the person. The achievement of personal growth and understanding is the goal of life (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). On the other hand biological theorists believe that genetics can determine a person’s personality. Some concepts state that even if biology plays no direct role in personality, the way a person looks affects how one sees himself/herself and how others interrelate with him/her. This unintended affect controls how a person develops into adulthood. Biological viewpoints teach that intelligence and genes could define a person’s personality. Temperament and mental disorders are thought to be determined by biology. Humanistic theories seem to be generalized, though biological theories are overcomplicated. Although they are wide-ranging opposites in their concepts, together they contain the essence of personality. Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist believed that the people are not controlled by the mechanical forces which include the reinforcement and stimuli forces of behaviorism or some unconscious instinctual impulse of the psychoanalysis. He placed his main focus on what people can really do as opposed to their limitations. His hierarchy of needs has established a major precedence on which human interactions can follow so as to make sure that they achieve productive as well as agreeable outcome. The main essence is to actually prepare people for common existence with themselves and those who are around. The essence of humanistic psychology is usually similar to cognitive psychology as it does acknowledge behavior more than just a stimulus that is determined and hence recognizes perception as the actual essence of actions and behavior (Valiunas, 2012). His hierarchy of needs does represent how exactly growth ought to influence formation of personality. He developed his personality theory in relation to the needs of people. It shows the main influences of human needs to formation of their unique personalities. Maslow contemplates that each trait of human functioning conveys to a complete individual. Maslow consequently referred to these functions as the hierarchy of needs. In his theory Maslow states that there are five key categories of an individual needs. The initial category is physiological needs such as food, water, air, clothing, shelter, and sleep. Previous to realizing or achieving the needs on this level it becomes unfeasible to even consider the next category (Valiunas, 2012). The following category is related to safety, which basically assimilates the need for feeling safe and secured. The third of category in Maslow hierarchy of needs comprises the sense of belonging, needs, and love. It is rational because once an individual is secured then he/she can demand for sense of belonging and love. The next category has to do with self-esteem; it encompasses the need for education, respect, self-competence, and achievement. This is a very important level of needs to an individual’s personality; this level is where an individual focuses his/her energy to feeling proficient, they learn to respect him/her, and to respect others. According to Maslow’s theory, needs impact individual personality in a way that before they hit the highest point of need in the hierarchy one feels discouraged consequently affecting his/her personality. Individuals in the first category do not believe in themselves and be deficient in motivation in life, and tend to implicate different personality compared to those on the highest category of needs. Those on first category of needs will tend to also lack confidence in whatever they do as opposed to those who have achieved self- actualization (Valiunas, 2012). Biological factors are related to some extent with the Maslow’s hierarchy of personality because biological factors for example brains, heredity and physical characteristics are needed during the growth level. There are two biological factors that influence the formation of personality of an individual, heredity and environment factor. Inheritance of a trait is pertinent to individual's personality (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Basically, individuals inherit a propensity towards a definite structure and propensity to function in definite ways, thus influencing the individual personality development. On the environmental factor, the contact between the mother and a child for biological fulfillment play an important function in personality growth. Care and love enhance a sense of protection and security. Humanistic theories of personality do represent an affirmative view of human behavior. Personality is usually defined as the organized as well as the dynamic set of various characteristics which are possessed by people and which influences their cognitions, behavior as well as their motivations (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Humanistic psychology does emphasize that people do have a free will and do play active role in the determining of how exactly they tend to behave. Humanistic psychology usually focuses on the subjective experience of individuals as opposed to definitive and forced factors which determine behavior. Maslow does believe that all people who are interested in growing ought to move towards the self-actualization level of happiness and satisfaction. The psychological perspectives on expansion of personality do remain influential which comprises of humanistic perspective, isodynamic and existential perspectives, and cognitive, sociocultural and behavioral perspective (Valiunas, 2012). There are many factors that determine our personality. Some of these factors are either humanistic or biological. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and humanistic personality’s theory play a major role in the formation of one’s personality and so are the biological factors. Though humanistic and biological theories are opposites, they do comprise of the main essence of personality and the blend between these two theories creates effective results. While humanistic and biological theories have many differences and fewer similarities, both theories try to address the issues of personality and try to give a better understanding of personality traits. Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality PSY250 As research into personality progressed, scientists began to look beyond psychoanalysis and trait theories for other explanations into how personality develops. They started to look at the biological factors that influence personality formation (Hans Eysenck, Jeffrey Gray, Sir Francis Galton (genetic study of twins)), the effect of growth needs on personality formation (Abraham Maslow), and the basic aspects of the humanistic personality theory and how it compares to the biological explanation of personality formation (Eric Fromm, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow). These topics will be considered in more detail in the following discussion. Although environment plays a part in personality, genes also make significant contributions. Some genetic disorders, such as Angelman or Williams syndrome are characterized by excessive happiness and friendliness. Biological aspects of a person’s temperament, such as introversion/extroversion, actively, and impulsively, also help shape the personality. Studies of identical twins have shown that twins separated at birth and raised in different environments still share many personality traits. Therefore, we are not simply blank slates totally influenced by what our environment writes on us. Responses to certain environmental stimuli seem to be hard-wired into our nervous system and endocrine systems. Electroencephalograms (EEG) have shown that, at a very basic level, extroverts show less arousal to stimulation then introverts do. Hans Eysenck theorized that because of this low level of arousal, extroverts seek out stimulating circumstances while introverts, who may be receiving too much stimulation from the environment, try to â€Å"get away from it all† by shying away from stimulating environments. Differences in activation of the brain’s hemispheres may also effect personality formation. Greater activation of the right hemisphere, which is believed to have a role in negative emotions, may cause over reaction to negative stimuli. On the other hand, higher activation of the left hemisphere, thought to play a role in positive emotions, could result in more powerful reactions to positive stimuli. Jeffrey Gray proposed the idea that our nervous systems may be responsible for influencing whether we are more motivated by punishment or reward. Disruption in the function of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin can also effect personality. Will Sheldon expanded on Ernest Kretschmer’s ideas that body type might be connected to certain mental disorders and applied them to the general population. Sheldon developed three body types and associated personality characteristics: mesomorphs – muscular, large-boned; athletic, ectomorphs – slender; studious, and endomorphs – roly-poly; good-natured. Sheldon’s ideas were too simplistic, but it might be possible that certain biological factors could affect both personality and body type. Social influences may affect body type, which may in turn affect how others react. Both aspects can influence personality development. â€Å"A stable personality depends on a healthy, well-functional brain† ( was this supposed to be cited) Certain diseases and disorders can change can change or destroy one’s personality. Strokes damage part of the brain and can cause a dramatic change in personality. Pick’s disease also causes deterioration of the brain. It may cause a marked change in in a person’s beliefs or preferences. Alzheimer’s disease, as the disease becomes advanced, seems to result in total loss of personality. Postpartum depression is triggered by a biological process. Severe, untreated symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions, and persistent disturbing thoughts of suicide, being possessed, or harming the infant. Environmental toxins, such as mercury, and both legal and illegal drugs, including Valium, Prozac, cocaine, and herion, can result in biological changes to the body that may temporarily or permanently alter personality.

Economics: Portfolio Theory Essay

Sometime during the 1980s, investors on the whole concluded that internationally diversified portfolios produced the best risk-adjusted returns, and that it was possible to identify and trade in a sufficient number of international stocks to make this conclusion a reality. Indeed, performance could also be enhanced by investing in a well-selected mix of stocks from other economies. The lasting benefit of all of international investing, however, depended on a key tenant of modern portfolio theory-that overall portfolio risk was lowered through diversification into noncorrelated investments-which has been shown especially to apply to international investments. The key (to the theory) is the lack of correlation between most foreign markets and one’s own. In a perfectly integrated market, on the other hand, the correlation between markets would be quite high and there could be no gain from diversification per se. Harry Markowitz, along with Merton Miller and William Sharpe, won the economics Nobel Prize in 1990 for his â€Å"pioneering work in the theory of financial economics. † Markowitz has applied computer and mathematical techniques to various practical decision-making areas. He is often referred to as the father of modern portfolio theory (MPT). This is based on his contributions to portfolio theory first in the article â€Å"Portfolio Selection, † published in the Journal of Finance in 1952, and then in his book, Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments, first published in 1959. Between these two publications and since the publication of the book, Markowitz has made many other contributions using mathematical programming and computer modeling techniques to address realworld problems to aid in decisionmaking. He got the Nobel Prize for the development of the theory of portfolio choice and contributions to the theory of price formation for financial assets, the so-called Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAMP). Becoming an economist was not a childhood dream of Harry Markowitz. His first two years at the University of Chicago were spent emphasizing the reading of original material where possible. Here again, he was especially interested in the philosophers. When it was time to choose his upper-division major at the University of Chicago, after some consideration. He first went through the basics of macroeconomics, which is the big picture of the economy of a country and its governance. Then he went through microeconomics, which is the economics of individual economic units of business. After going through these basics, he found his true love, the economics of uncertainty. The concepts of expected utility, personal probability, efficiency, and efficient sets, as taught by the outstanding faculty at Chicago, inspired him to pursue his later works. Harry Markowitz tells the story of how he stumbled up on his dissertation topic in the Personal Notes section of the third printing of his first book, The Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments. He was a student in the economics department of the University of Chicago and a research fellow of the Cowles Commission. He was sitting outside Jacob Marschak’s office waiting for the opportunity to discuss suggestions for his Ph. D. dissertation topic. An older man also was waiting outside the Marschak’s office and they began talking. The other man identified himself as a stockbroker and suggested that Markowitz should consider doing a dissertation on the stock market. When he later spoke to Marschak about the idea, he agreed that it was reasonable. Markowitz recalled that Alfred Cowles, the founder of the Cowles Commission, had done work in that area. Markowitz was sent to Marshall Ketchum in the Business School to get a reading list so that he could understand the theories on stock investments as revealed in the literature. The basic concepts of portfolio theory came to him one afternoon in the library while reading John Burr Williams’ The Theory of Investment Value. The dissertation that resulted provided the underpinnings of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). In reviewing Williams’ work, as referred to above, Markowitz noted that he recommended that a stock be valued by finding the present value of its future dividends. His treatment of risk involved finding a large number of securities with maximum present value and divide funds among them. This treatment provided no measure of individual securities nor of the resulting portfolio. Markowitz provided the methodology for eliminating that shortcoming. His approach was to use expected return as the positive attribute of a security and the variability of the possible returns around its expected return as a measure of risk or uncertainty, the negative attribute of the security. This provided the missing risk measure for individual securities. However, the problem of the portfolio of securities also needed to be addressed. The question was, when securities are mixed into a portfolio, how will the expected return and the risk measure of the portfolio be determined? This is the next contribution that Markowitz provided in his portfolio theory. The third ingredient needed to put the securities together in a portfolio was a methodology for handling the interaction of the respective variabilities of individual securities when mixed together in a portfolio. Quantification of this key element had been missing in investment theory up to this point. A couple of simple examples to help understand this problem follow. First, visualize taking two securities that have identical variability of returns over time. If we mix these together in a portfolio, the portfolio will look just like the two individual securities looked separately. The result is that we have not diversified away any rise by building that portfolio. Now, think about taking two securities that move in opposite directions in their variability of returns over time. As time passes, the portfolio variability of return will be less than the individual securities variability of returns because of the canceling out of the variability of one security’s deviations by an opposite deviation from the other security. These are two extreme examples to illustrate the concept of diversification. In the real world, we usually have something in between these two extreme examples, but some risk reduction can be achieved by diversification. Accordingly, the portfolio’s risk could be less than any of the individual securities included in the portfolio. A measure of this interaction between securities’ variability is called the correlation of returns variability. The next large contribution provided by Markowitz was that he was able to demonstrate mathematically that given a group of individual securities with their measures of expected returns, individual variabilities, and the correlations of their variability with the variability of each of the other securities, one could determine an efficient set of portfolios of those securities. This efficient set is the set of portfolios that have the highest expected return for any level of portfolio risk. Alternatively, it can be said that this efficient set is the set of portfolios that have the lowest portfolio risk for any level of expected return feasible with those securities. This is the cornerstone of Modern Portfolio Theory. Every textbook on investments used by colleges and universities all over the world includes the Markowitz MPT concepts. In his book, Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments, he also introduced the concept of a one-factor model. This model would reduce greatly the number of measures of correlations needed to determine portfolio risk. During the 1950s, Markowitz, along with others, decided that many practical business problems were beyond analytic solution. This implied that simulation techniques were required. One of the problems with simulation models is the amount of time required to program a detailed simulator. This is the problem that he attacked in his work on SIMSCRIPT. It allowed the programmer to describe the system to be simulated rather than describing the detailed steps the computer must take to accomplish the simulation. SIMSCRIPT, would then take the system description provided by the programmer and translate it into detailed computer actions necessary. This provided a very large time savings in putting together simulation models for many kinds of business situations. Between the two books on SIMSCRIPT Markowitz, with others, published another book on economy-wide production capabilities in 1963. This book is Studies in Process Analysis: Economy-wide Production Capabilities. Later, in 1967, this book was published in Russian.