Art History (Art history from 1945 to the present) Research Paper

Art History (Art history from 1945 to the present) - Research Paper Example This is required to understand the comparison between the art forms and the artists. If we see the period of modern art it started taking form post the Second World War. Te war changed entire equations in every perspective world over. It was as good as a period of creation post destruction. Hence defying the set rules of art comes as the first logical step. Abstract expressionism evolved through this theory. An object is for everyone to see. What an artist perceives beyond the form is what makes viewing the object in a different light. Another view is to perceive the object through the art that is expressed. In such case keeping the art abstract comes in as natural Abstract expressionism hence does not recognize any form, any shape, any definite layout. It believes in the beauty of the material in its original form. This is a very vibrant concept. Recognizing that the material does not have a form is fine but to be able to see the beauty in its original form is another thing altogether. In Gutai art, Yoshihara clearly states that the material in its original form tries to communicate to us. When an artist transforms it, he imposes his thought process on the material. Hence the material loses its own beauty, value and nature. Gutai manifesto also states that the spirit of the material used and the human spirit connect to each other whenever they are in the original form. Now if we try and understand this concept, we realize that Yoshihara doesn’t want to go beyond the framework laid down by the nature. He sees beauty in its original form and hence these artists were able to see the beauty in the ruins and the destruction as well. They ha ve quoted that even the decay is beautiful in the nature. This is off course a very liberating thought and a different viewpoint of looking at the beauty that is surrounding us. Hence the texture, the grain, the originality of the material is in itself conveying something through its own coarse

Decoding the Dna of the Toyota Production System Essay Example for Free

Decoding the Dna of the Toyota Production System Essay Many manufacturing industries such as aerospace, consumer products, metals processing and industrial products had tried to adopt the TPS in their factories. But they have failed and get frustrated. The essence of the TPS could be in the system itself, the connections, activities and production flows. Also the great flexibility of their operations and this push the system to innovate and improve. The scientific method plays an important role inside the improvements and creation of any new methodology. Toyota uses a rigorous problem-solving process that integrates the sm. The system simulates workers ad managers to engage in the kind of experimentation that is widely recognized as the cornerstone of a learning organization. The four rules guide the design, operation and improvement of every activity, connections, and pathway for every product and service. The output of an ideal person, group of people, or machine is very specifically and clear. This kind of knowledge helps Toyota to reduce batches. The rules make workers capable and responsible for doing and improving their own work, by standardizing connections between individual customers and suppliers. The flow problem must be push to the lowest possible level of the organization. What did you learn? The first factor I learned is that we can’t copy o try to implement any system, no matter how success is it; we have to know the essence of the methodology and then try to apply it to another industry sector. In other case, we could fail as the article mention. The second factor I learned was the concept of the four rules that could have the essence of the success of the TPS system. These rules complement the entire philosophy of kanban, poka yoke, wastes, TPS house, etc. The problem is that many observers (managers, workers, teachers†¦) may forget to study the rules. The third and last important concept was the implementation of the scientific method in order to design new improvements that push the company to a higher level of quality, innovation and profit. It is the first time that I heard about a real application (outside a laboratory) of the scientific method. How can you apply them into your professional career? As I have told in other articles, the TPS is part of any Industrial Engineer but more in those who will specialize or work on the manufacturing industry. Also, the article mentions that today many industries want to try this methodology in order to success. So it’s important to understand the four rules or the whole Toyota system to make an improvement on our workstations, any working area or entire industry. It will depend in the position or level of organization we are. Conclusions  The Toyota’s system success is based on the way of managing, how rules are followed and implemented, the specified and rigid methodology, the connection between the levels of the organization, and of course the high variety of tools and techniques that TPS has. But what makes this system effective is the four rules that other companies hadn’t did at all. These rules make the production system more flexible with a high variety of products at low cost. The great benefit of nested, modular organizations is that people can implement design changes in one part without unduly affecting other parts.

India and Pakistan- Conflict over Kashmir Essay -- International Confli

Introduction In late 1947, the newly created states of India and Pakistan went to war over the valley of Kashmir. A United Nations brokered ceasefire divided the state into Indian and Pakistani controlled territories, and resolved that a referendum would be held in which the people of Kashmir would be able to choose to join either country. The referendum has not been held to this day. India granted its portion of Kashmir a special status within its constitution, allowing for a great degree of self-autonomy. However, successive Kashmiri governments have been dissolved by the government of India, and elections have only been held in the presence of its armed forces. In 1965, Pakistan and India waged a second indecisive war over Kashmir. In the 1980s, resistance within Kashmir itself against the Indian government took on a violent nature, with guerilla attacks against Indian army bases. India responded with heavy army clampdowns, and since then the situation has only escalated and get worse. It is e stimated that well over 34,000 people have died within the valley, and the relations between the two countries have become increasingly acrimonious. India blames Pakistan for the militant uprising, claiming Islamabad is supporting cross border terrorism. Pakistan responds that it merely provides diplomatic and moral support arguing, furthermore, that India’s history of human rights abuses in the valley is to blame. With both countries now in possession of nuclear arms; the recent war in KARGIL and the increasing number of civilian deaths, refugees, and other human rights issues within Kashmir, the conflict seems to be taking on a more serious nature. In this paper I will discuss the Kashmir conflict in some depth, examining the problem in... ...there is poverty. Kashmir is the finest place to start, and not merely because it is the core of the Indo-Pakistan conflict. Our histories, cultures and religions have converged in Kashmir. Our rivers begin there, mountains meet there, and our dreams rest there.† Works Cited "The Hindu : A View from Pakistan: Resolving Kashmir Now." The Hindu. Eqbal Ahmad, Nov. 1996. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . "BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Protest against Kashmir 'disappearances'" BBC News - Home. 10 Mar. 2000. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . Kashmir - A Way Forward. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . "Indian Predicament In Kashmir | Pakistan Daily." Pakistan News | Pakistan Daily. 26 Aug. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. .

Scene 5 Act 5 Commentary

Macbeth:She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in the petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle, Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing. 5. 5 17-28) Act 5, Scene 5 Commentary In act 5, scene 5 of Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses metaphors, diction, mood and tone to emphasize the concept that life is meaningless, in order to suggest the theme of ambition without moral constraints. Upon hearing of his wife’s death, Macbeth reflects on how pointless his own life has become. Shakespeare uses tone to declare Macbeth’s feelings toward life. Throughout this passage, the tone is very bitter and cold. â€Å"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (5. 5 26-28) After hearing a women’s cry, Macbeth realises his own mortality, and he speaks scornfully. While reflecting on how meaningless his life has become, an angry mood is established. Once realising his life is full of noise and melodrama, he sees that he really failed and his life does not signify anything. He quickly becomes enraged at how his life has turned out. Shakespeare has a very specific diction, and in this particular passage, he chooses to use repetition. â€Å"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow† (5. 18) BY repeating ‘tomorrow’ over and over, the boredom of life in general is stressed by dragging the word out. He also chooses to use â€Å"petty pace† (5. 5 19) and â€Å"dusty death† (5. 5 22), forming alliterations. The use of similar sounds put emphasis on the fact that the days are just dragging on dreadfully, which only lead to death. All through Macbeth’s solil oquy, Shakespeare incorporates various metaphors, one of which compares life to a bad actor who wanders and worries on stage. â€Å"Life’s but a walking shadow, a oor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. † (5. 5 23 -25) Macbeth believes that life is just an illusion, and once you are done wandering around, you just disappear and leave nothing important behind. He also compares life to a candle. â€Å"Out, out brief candle. † (5. 5 22) The brief candle is one that is dimly lit – that no one wants – and burns out quickly. The candle symbolizes how short and dull life is. By adding â€Å"Out, out† (5. 5 22) Macbeth shows how he wants the candle to burn out.He is contemplating suicide and does not want to live anymore because he is ashamed of his life. This entire passage is centred on the concept that life is insignificant, which exemplifies the theme of ambition without moral constraints. Due to Macb eth’s ambitions, he is in too deep to turn around. It is far too difficult to turn around and stop killing, so his choice is to just keep going. Up until this time, Macbeth had expected to win the battle between him, Malcolm and Macduff. He thought winning this war would finally bring him happiness again.Once Lady Macbeth died he realised that is not the case. His actions went unchecked by any morals, which just led to the destruction of his life. Lady Macbeth killed herself because she could handle the guilt anymore, and now that his wife is gone, he sees the damage and realises that he failed at making his life noteworthy. The theme of ambition without moral constraints is shown through Macbeths realization that life is futile, that is presented by Shakespeare’s use of metaphors, diction, mood and tone.

Brothers Grimms

German folk literature undoubtedly is of the nationalistic nature, but not in the negative sense that most people usually associate it with. The Brothers Grimms folk tales have been thought of to have greatly influenced the German nationalistic attitude of which was pertinently shown in the twentieth century. Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Karl Grimm (1786–1859) are German philologists and avid collector of folk tales. They are the brothers who were made famous by the hundreds of children stories they wrote. Their book contains a collection of what probably are still the most famous children’s stories.The Brothers Grimms started taking an interest in fairy tales in 1803. Since then, both began writing down the tales that have been handed down from generation to generation. Most of these were not German, but are in fact of French origin. The Brothers Grimms went to a large extent to modify these stories and add a German touch to each of them. Ther e were a lot of myths regarding how these stories were collected. Only until a few years back had it been known that these stories were collected from the bourgeoisie, instead of what was believed to be from uneducated German peasants.The results of these extensive studies on folklore lead to the publication of their book Kinder- und Hausmarchen (English: Children's and Household Tales) contain the most beloved folktales in the work today. They have been translated to numerous languages – evidence that indeed these stories have interest the world. The first volume of the first edition of the Brothers Grimms collection of Folk tales was published in 1812, which contained 86 stories. The second volume followed in 1814 and contained 70 tales. Much were added and subtracted from the original set of stories in the succeeding editions of the collection.By the seventh edition, the Grimms’ Fairy Tales totalled 211 tales. Among the most popular of these 211 tales are The Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin. It would be impossible to fully analyze each one of these stories as there are so many of them. Contrary to what the names suggest, these folktales are not so much about elves and fairies but more on foolish younger brothers, beautiful ladies, vain queens, mighty kings, wicked stepmothers, and anthropomorphized frogs and mice.Trickster figures are also rampant in Grimms’ stories, and most often than not, the heroes must trick these tricksters in order to fulfil their fortunes. The first edition of the Brothers Grimms stories received several criticisms. The book was entitled Children’s and Household Tales. However, critics feel that these stories are not suitable for children. The stories contain in-depth scholastic information that was regarded to be too heavy for children. They also had references to such subject matter such as sex and violence.The Brothers Grimms resolv ed to change some details of their fairy tales to fit suitability for children. Snow White and Hansel and Gretel used to have wicked mothers in the first edition. In the subsequent editions of the story, it was changed to wicked stepmothers. They also removed proofs of Rapunzel’s betrayal to the prince. She was not made pregnant in the later editions. Also, since these stories were not originally German, a lot of terms had to be changed. A fairy is an enchantress. A prince is a king’s son, while a princess should be a king’s daughter.Considerable attempts were also made to reconstruct the stories and make it more German. Many of the stories in Grimms’ fairy tales are considered to be coming-of-age stories. Young boys must prove their worth against the strong forces of nature or their domineering siblings. Young girls must leave their parents behind and learn to live with their husbands. The stories show how a lady or a gentleman should behave, with emphas is on decorum, responsibility and respect for superiors. The stories invoke obedience as reverence and love for the king. Great honor and glory is attributed with serving in the military.Loyalty also played a major part in the plot of the stories, which stress that anything beside a nationalistic spirit is unacceptable. Class separation is also very prominent in the stories. Generally, heroes are of low social status who turned out to be part of the royal family in the end. Heroes are depicted as gentle and compassionate to old women, poor peasants, and even to wounded animals. They are always rewarded with some treasure such as gold and silver, or are provided with a beautiful bride. On the other hand, a foolish character often finds himself a victim of some magic spell.The Brothers Grimms could not have stressed in their Fairy Tales the importance of the above mentioned values. With the over two hundred fairy tales in their collection, these values repeat themselves in all stories . Regardless if that story is about romantic love, filial love, adventure or heroism. These are the values which constantly show in each of the tales. Obviously, the brothers would want their readers to familiarize and apply these onto their daily lives. It is evident in the fairytales that the Grimms would want to teach about good values such as sympathy, kindness, loyalty and bravery.They want to educate by illustrating that heroes are richly rewarded while the villains are severely punished. The stories allow them to impart the values that are necessary for a nation to survive. The Germany we now know is different from what Germany was before 1800. It was only a group of people united together by one language, nothing more. With the publication of Grimms’ fairy tales, they combined fairytales that depicted real German culture and unified Germany. In fact, they have done their jobs perfectly well as Germans have a strong sense of nationalism.The Brothers Grimms, through the ir fairy tales are strong advocates of nationalism in Germany. However, what sets the Grimms’ fairy tales apart from the rest are the violence involved, especially in punishing the wicked. They contain more violence compared to other folk tales. This probably is the reason why the first edition received so much criticism on the stories as being children’s stories. The Brothers Grimms did not intend their stories solely for the children, however. As philologists, they sincerely hoped that their works can be used as resources in the studies of not only German literature but of German history, as well.Needless to say, the Brothers Grimms are granted as their collection of fairy tales have indeed made it to the cultural archives of German philology and are being used by scholars worldwide in understanding the German culture and language better. The Brothers Grimms were not only writers but are also active nationalists. They lived in an era when Germany was still a colony o f the French, and literature proved to be an outlet for them to do their share to preserve the German heritage. They wrote about princes and princesses, of magic and witches.But more than just being bedtime stories, these stories stirred the nationalistic character of their readers. They fought using their stories the promotion of a nationalistic Germany. The stories manage to bring back to life a time when knights were bold and the ladies were fair, when good always triumphed over evil, and when bravery and virtuosity were held in the highest esteem. Under Napoleon’s French rule, the Brothers Grimms strived to preserve what was German. That age was the age of Enlightenment. It was an age where traditional things are done in unconventional ways.France was probably the strongest advocate of the idealogies of Enlightenment at that time. Its ideals launched the infamous French Revolution which affected the whole of Europe. And France brought these Enlightenment ideas with them t o Germany. The brothers were two of those who encouraged their fellow Germans to reject the French ideologies, and instead take pride of their own culture. Through what may probably be thought of as cute bedtime stories nowadays, the brothers rallied to their people an intellectual backlash against the Germans which culminated the War of Liberation unifying the whole of Germany against Bismarck’s rule.This intellectual backlash further presented itself in other areas such as philosophy, science and politics. Other intellectuals resolved to reject the Enlightenment, and instead looked deeper into their culture for inspiration. This movement known as Romanticism spread far beyond Germany. And undoubtedly, our Brothers Grimms made a huge contribution to that development process. People started looking within themselves the attitude and abilities demonstrated in Brothers Grimms characters. People started to place much importance into their own cultural heritage.They were made awa re how important it is for a country to preserve its culture so it can also survive. In a way, whenever Grimms’ heroes fight the wicked spirits, the brothers are also fighting the French colonizers. In an impressive way they participated in motivating the rest of the German people to stand up and fight Napoleon’s rule. It was easy for the French to colonize a Germany that was not unified. Germany at that time don’t recognize themselves as one country. They do not have that sense of pride to be Germans.More so, they don’t as so much care regarding their cultural wealth. The Brothers Grimms changed that. The Brothers Grimms united the German people with the use of their popular collection of folklores. With the publication of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales, Germany now has something they can be proud of, something that was exclusively shared by the Germans. All a country needs to unite as one is to have something in common, and that’s what the Brothe rs Grimms provided. The brothers detailed in their folklores the ideals valued by each German.When the Germans read about these entertaining stories, they were not only entertained but their German pride has been strengthened and their nationalistic character has been awakened. The fairy tales hide in themselves the secret to overcoming the French dominion on Germany. The past was recaptured in entertaining stories of love and adventures. The brothers discovered that Germany had a charming and magical past. This belief helped keep up their enthusiasm to further write their folklores which eventually have affected and influenced the rest of Germany to instil nationalism into their hearts and minds.And the brother could not have chosen a better audience – German children. The children who were brought up with Grimms’ Fairy Tales grew to have a great sense of nationalism within them. The Grimms managed to incorporate into the child’s minds what is expected of him a s part of the Germany. Like the characters of the fairy tales he used to read, this child grew up to be virtuous, responsible, loyal and a great deal of nationalist pride. With all those characteristics, what more can a country need from its countrymen? The Grimm’s Fairy Tales have widespread influence. W. H.Austen regarded it as one of the founders of Western Literature. The Nazis patronizes it, especially among the children as it teaches them to be racist, especially in choosing their marriage partners. With this, the Allied Forces banned the stories as it promoted racial instincts. These tales were also referenced by Holocaust writers, i. e. Jane Yolen in her memoirs Briar Rose. It is simply amazing how a collection of children’s stories can have so much influence, not only in the authors’ hometown but to the rest of the world. Even up to this date, reading a Grimms’ Fairy Tale can still stir up the one’s patriotic side.One can’t help but sympathize with the major character’s plot to fight and defend what is rightfully his. The Brothers Grimms would have been proud to see how their works have affected so much. Nobody can contest the fact how much these cute stories have helped awaken the nationalistic Germans. We are fully aware that Germany is one country who really prided and regarded itself highly. The Brothers Grimms have indeed revolutionized Folk Literature. Folk stories do not only serve as bedtime stories for children but are also believed to inspire nationalists.Indeed, even a country’s fairy tales are reflective of that country’s ideologies. Brothers Grimms have found a most effective way of promoting the nationalistic attitude. They used entertaining fairy tales – subtle but sink deep in the youngest of hearts. References A. S. Byatt, â€Å"Introduction† p. xxx, Maria Tatar, ed. The Annotated Brothers Grimm. Haase, Donald, ed. 1993. The Reception of Grimms' Fairy Tales: Responses, Reactions, Revisions. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press. McGlathery, James, et al. 1988. The Brothers Grimm and Folktale.Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press. Peppard, Murray. 1971. Paths Through the Forest: A Biography of the Brothers Grimm. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Tatar, Maria. 1987. The Hard Facts of Grimms' Fairy Tales. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Tatar, Maria. 2004. The Annotated Brothers Grimm, W. W. Norton & Co. Ward, Donald. â€Å"New Misconceptions about Old Folktales† p 98 James M. McGlathery, ed. , The Brothers Grimm and Folktale. Zipes, Jack. 2002. The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World, Palgrave MacMillan.

History of the Oven From Cast Iron to Electric

History of the Oven From Cast Iron to Electric Ancient people first began cooking on open fires. The cooking fires were placed on the ground and later simple masonry construction was used to hold the wood and/or food. Simple ovens were used by the ancient Greeks for making bread and other baked goods. By the middle ages, taller brick mortar hearths, often with chimneys were being built. The food to be cooked was often placed in metal cauldrons that were hung above the fire. The first written historical record of an oven being built refers to an oven built in 1490 in Alsace, France. This oven was made entirely of brick and tile, including the flue. Improvements to Wood Burning Ovens Inventors began making improvements to wood burning stoves primarily to contain the bothersome smoke that was being produced. Fire chambers were invented that contained the wood fire, and holes were built into the top of these chambers so that cooking pots with flat bottoms could be placed directly upon replacing the cauldron. One masonry design of note was the 1735 Castrol stove (aka stew stove). This was invented by French architect Franà §ois Cuvillià ©s. It was able to completely contain the fire and had several openings covered by iron plates with holes. Iron Stoves Around 1728, cast iron ovens really began to be made in high quantities. These first ovens of German design were called Five-plate or Jamb stoves. Around 1800, Count Rumford (aka Benjamin Thompson) invented a working iron kitchen stove called the Rumford stove that was designed for very large working kitchens. The Rumford had one fire source that could heat several cooking pots.  The heating level for each pot could also be regulated individually. However, the Rumford stove was too large for the average kitchen and inventors had to continue to improve their designs. One successful and compact cast iron design was Stewarts Oberlin iron stove, patented in 1834. Cast iron stoves continued to evolve, with iron gratings added to the cooking holes, and added chimneys and connecting flue pipes. Coal and Kerosene Frans Wilhelm Lindqvist designed the first sootless kerosene oven. Jordan Mott invented the first practical coal oven in 1833. Motts oven was called the baseburner. The oven had ventilation to burn the coal efficiently. The coal oven was cylindrical and was made of heavy cast iron with a hole in the top, which was then enclosed by an iron ring. Gas British inventor  James Sharp patented a gas oven in 1826, the first semi-successful gas oven to appear on the market. Gas ovens were found in most households by the 1920s with top burners and interior ovens. The evolution of gas stoves was delayed until gas lines that could furnish gas to households became common. During the 1910s, gas stoves appeared with enamel coatings that made the stoves easier to clean. One important gas design of note was the AGA cooker invented in 1922 by Swedish Nobel prize winner Gustaf Dalà ©n. Electricity It was not until the late 1920s and early 1930s that electric ovens began to compete with gas ovens.  Electric ovens were available as early as the 1890s. However, at that time, the technology and distribution of the electricity needed to power these early electric appliances still needed improvements. Some historians credit  Canadian Thomas Ahearn with inventing the first electric oven in 1882. Thomas Ahearn and his business partner Warren Y. Soper owned the Chaudiere Electric Light and Power Company of Ottawa. However, the Ahearn oven was only put into service in 1892, in the Windsor Hotel in Ottawa. The Carpenter Electric Heating Manufacturing Company invented an electric oven in 1891. An electric stove was exhibited at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. On June 30, 1896, William Hadaway was issued the first patent for an electric oven. In 1910, William Hadaway went on to design the first toaster made by Westinghouse, a horizontal combination toaster-cooker. One major improvement in electric ovens was the invention of resistor heating coils, a familiar design in ovens also seen in hotplates. Microwaves The microwave oven was a by-product of another technology. It was during a radar-related research project around 1946 that Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, noticed something very unusual when he was standing in front of an active combat radar. The candy bar in his pocket melted. He began to investigate and soon enough, the microwave oven was invented.

Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2

Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2 Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2 Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, marketers are interested in the major causes of attitude’s failure to predict consumer behavior. The TORA Model is used to determine the factors, which affect consumers in their decisions to purchase products (Hoyer, 2012). There are several factors that influence consumer behavior and can create certain barriers to predicting consumer behavior:Level of involvement. It is known that attitudes may predict consumer behavior if an individual’s cognitive involvement is rather high. In this case, consumers effectively use the information that â€Å"gives raise to their attitudes† (Hoyer, 2012, p. 146). If the level of involvement is low, attitudes are not strong enough and are less predictable. In other words, the attitude-behavior relationship is weak if consumers fail to â€Å"resolve the in consistency through elaboration† (Hoyer, 2012, p. 146).Consumer knowledge and experience. Attitudes can predict behavior if consumers have enough knowledge and experience about the object of the attitude (Hoyer, 2012). On the other hand, low level of knowledge and experience can become an important barrier to predicting consumer behavior (Hoyer, 2012).Analysis of the key reasons. Hoyer (2012) suggests that â€Å"attitudes are more strongly related to behavior when they are accessible or top of mind† (p.147). This fact means that attitudes have little impact on behavior if accessibility of attitudes is rather low. For example, the reduced attitude accessibility for some attributed of a product.Emotional attachment. High level of emotional attachment can be viewed as a strong predictor of consumer behavior. The higher is the consumers’ emotional attachment to the brand, the more likely they will be involved in purchasing process (Hoyer, 2012).Normative factors. Nor mative factors affect attitude-behavior relationship. In some cases, normative beliefs create barriers to predicting consumer behavior. Some consumers are more motivated to follow the established norms, while others violate these norms (Hoyer, 2012).Situational factors. Situational factors create barriers to predicting behavior. In some cases, these factors may prevent a consumer behavior from being performed. In other cases, situational factors may change attitude. As a result, the attitude-behavior relationship becomes rather weak (Hoyer, 2012).Besides, Geoffrey P. Lantos (2010) suggests that problems with predicting consumer behavior may be connected with personality traits. Attitudes are closely connected with personality traits, which can be found in observable behavior of an individual (Lantos, 2010). Both attitudes and personality traits can be used to give explanation to an individual’s behavior (Lantos, 2010).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing pra ctitioners argue that consumers use brands in order to develop and assess their unique and memorable experiences. As a result, marketers highlight the importance of the concept of brand experience in predicting consumer behavior. Lia Zarantonello and Bernd H Schmitt (2010) have conducted a research that helps to address the issue regarding the relationships between attitudes’ failure to predict consumer behavior. They assume thatdifferent consumers have different experiences and, as a result, different experiential appeals (Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010). They explore experiential types moderate the relationships between brand attitude and consumer behavior and intention. Researchers have found that there are several types of consumers, who demonstrate different attitudes and behavior: â€Å"hedonistic, action-oriented, holistic, inner-directed, and utilitarian consumers† (Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010, p. 532). Besides, the relationship between consumer attitudes, behaviors and intentions is the most powerful for holistic consumers, whilethe weakest relationship is for utilitarian consumers (Ajzen, 2005; Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010).The major causes of the attitude-behavior gap prevalence The attitude-behavior gap might be prevalent due to a variety of factors, including market and environmental factors, as well as personal and informative factors (Devinney et al.,2010). Ethical issues play an important role in consumer purchasing decisions. Recent research point out to the fact that there is a gap between consumer attitudes (what consumers are planning to do) and consumer behaviors (what consumers actually do) (Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010;Devinney et al., 2010). This phenomenon is defined as attitude-behavior gap. Researchers suggest that it is necessary to fill the gap through the proper understanding and analysis of the consumer rationalizations that can justify their behavior and decisions in order to develop effective strategies that will help to promote and enhance behavioral change (Devinney et al.,2010). Special attention should be paid not only to the relationship between attitudes and consumer beliefs, but also to purchase intention or consumer behavior.The attitude-behavior gap can be assessed by the Attitude and Attitude Strength, Consideration and Choice (A2SC2) Model, which assumes the influence of attitudes on consideration and choice. Researchers state that â€Å"attitude strength moderates the influence of attitudes on consideration, such that attitudes guide consideration more for strongly held attitudes than for weakly held attitudes and consideration of a brand mediates the influence of attitudes and attitude strength on choice† (Priester et al., 2004, p.574). Researchers compare consumer behavior and attitudes of Health Enthusiasts and Organic Idealists and find the attitude-behavior gap. Organic Idealists and Health Enthusiasts demonstrate positive attitudes toward purchasing organic food (Priester e t al., 2004).The attitude-behavior gap stands for the discrepancy between consumer’s intentions and consumers’ actions. This gap poses a serious threat to sustainable development supported by consumer behaviors. According to Hans C.M. van Trijp and Arnout R. H. Fischer (2010), sustainable consumption depends of the gap between attitudes and behaviors, which can be explained by the application of social dilemma theory, consumers’ value orientations, and other theories. In order to bridge the attitude-behavior gap, it is recommended to use the proper techniques and strategies from commercial marketing with the major goal – to promote sustainable development. Researchers state that â€Å"social marketing of sustainability is based on the voluntary increase in consumer motivation, opportunity and ability towards behaving sustainably† (Trijp Fischer, 2010, p. 73). In other words, the attitude-behavior gap involves consumers’ concern on sustainab ility of their choice and the lack of performance of their actual choice behaviors (Trijp Fischer, 2010).Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the use of consumer attitudes to predict consumer behavior is not always helpful. Consumer attitudes can be viewed as both an obstacle to a marketer and a benefit. Those marketers who ignore consumer attitudes of a product or service do not succeed in developing effective marketing strategies because of certain limitations. In contrast, those marketers, who have a deep understanding of consumer attitudes, may predict the behavior of consumers. They should be able to distinguish the existing differences between consumer beliefs, attitudes, intentions and behaviors, as well as to take into consideration the fact that attitudes may not always help to predict behavior.The Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior help to give explanation to consumers’ intention of being involved in consumer behavior. In general, consumer attitudes reflect consumers’ evaluation of a product or service and personal motives, which affect consumer behavior and purchasing habits of consumers. The attitude-behavior gap might be prevalent because of a variety of factors, including market, environmental, personal and informative factors. Attitudes may not always be helpful in predicting consumer behavior.

Architecture Definition Includes Construction & Design

Architecture Definition Includes Construction & Design What is architecture?  The word architecture can have many meanings. Architecture can be both an art and a science, a process and a result, and both an idea and a reality. People often use the words architecture and design interchangeably, which naturally broadens the definition of architecture. If you can design your own career goals, arent you the architect of your own life?  It seems there are no easy answers, so we explore and debate the many definitions of architecture, design, and what architects and social scientists call the built environment. Definitions of Architecture Some people think architecture is like pornography - you know it when you see it. Everyone may have an opinion and an elegant (or self-serving) definition for architecture. From the Latin word architectura, the word we use describes the job of an architect. The ancient Greek arkhitekton was the chief builder or master technician of all craftsmen and artisans. So, what comes first, the architect or the architecture?   architecture 1. The art and science of designing and building structures, or large groups of structures, in keeping with aesthetic and functional criteria. 2. Structures built in accordance with such principles.- Dictionary of Architecture and Construction Architecture is the scientific art of making structure express ideas. Architecture is the triumph of human imagination over materials, methods, and men to put man into possession of his own earth. Architecture is mans great sense of himself embodied in a world of his own making. It may rise as high in quality only as its source because great art is great life. - Frank Lloyd Wright, from the Architectural Forum, May 1930 It is about creating buildings and spaces that inspire us, that help us do our jobs, that bring us together, and that become, at their best, works of art that we can move through and live in. And in the end, that is why architecture can be considered the most democratic of art forms. - 2011, President Barack Obama, Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony Speech Depending on the context, the word architecture can refer to any man-made building or structure, like a tower or monument; a man-made building or structure that is important, large, or highly creative; a carefully designed object, such as a chair, a spoon, or a tea kettle; a design for a large area such as a city, town, park, or landscaped gardens; the art or science of designing and building buildings, structures, objects, and outdoor spaces; a building style, method, or process; a plan for organizing space; elegant engineering; the planned design of any kind of system; a systematic arrangement of information or ideas; and the flow of information on a web page. Tensil Architecture at Denver International Airport. George Rose/Getty Images (cropped) Art, Architecture, and Design In 2005, the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude implemented an idea, an art installation in New York City called  The Gates in Central Park. Thousands of bright orange gates were placed throughout Central Park, the great landscape architecture of Frederick Law Olmsted, erected as designed by the artistic team. Of course, The Gates is art, because what else would it be? wrote art critic Peter Schjeldahl at the time. Art used to mean paintings and statues. Now it means practically anything human-made that is unclassifiable otherwise. The New York Times was more pragmatic in their review called Enough About Gates as Art; Lets Talk About That Price Tag. So, if a man-made design cant be classified, it must be art. But if its very, very expensive to create, how can it be simply art? Depending on your perspective, you might use the word architecture to describe any number of things. Which of these items might be called architecture - a circus tent; a sports stadium; an egg carton; a roller coaster; a log cabin; a skyscraper; a computer program; a temporary summer pavilion; a political campaign; a bonfire; a parking garage; an airport, bridge, train station, or your house? The list could go on forever. The Architecture of the Car Park, 2010, by Herzog de Meuron, 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida. Roger Kisby/Getty Images What Does Architectural Mean? The adjective architectural can describe anything related to architecture and building design. Examples are abundant, including architectural drawings; architectural design; architectural styles; architectural modeling; architectural details; architectural engineering; architectural software; architectural historian or architectural history; architectural research; architectural evolution; architectural studies; architectural heritage; architectural traditions; architectural antiquities and architectural salvage; architectural lighting; architectural products; architectural investigation. Also, the word architectural can describe objects that have a strong shape or beautiful lines - an architectural vase; an architectural sculpture; an architectural rock formation; architectural drapery. Perhaps it is this use of the word architectural that has muddied the waters of defining architecture. When Does a Building Become Architecture? The land is the simplest form of architecture, wrote American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), implying that the built environment is not exclusively man-made. If true, are the birds and the bees and all builders of natural habitats considered architects - and are their structures architecture? Architect and journalist Roger K. Lewis (b. 1941) writes that societies tend to value most a structure that transcends service or functional performance and that are more than mere buildings. Great architecture, writes Lewis, has always represented more than responsible construction or durable shelter. Artfulness of form and artistry of building have long been the dominant standards for measuring the extent to which human made artifacts are transformed from the profane to the sacred. Frank Lloyd Wright claims that this artistry and beauty can only come from the human spirit. Mere building may not know spirit at all, Wright wrote in 1937. And it is well to say that the spirit of the thing is the essential life of that thing because it is truth. To Wrights thinking, a beaver dam, a beehive, and a birds nest may be beautiful, lower forms of architecture, but the great fact is this - architecture is simply a higher type and expression of nature by way of human nature where human beings are concerned. The spirit of man enters into all, making of the whole a godlike reflection of himself as creator. Apple Headquarters Designed by Norman Foster in Cupertino, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images So, What Is Architecture? Architecture is an art bridging the humanities and the sciences, says American architect Steven Holl (b. 1947). We work bone-deep in Art - drawing lines between sculpture, poetry, music and science that coalesce in Architecture. Since the licensing of architects, these professionals have defined themselves and what they do. This hasnt stopped anyone and everyone else from having an opinion with no one architecture definition. Sources Gutheim, Frederick ed. Frank Lloyd Wright On Architecture: Selected Writings (1894-1940). Grossets Universal Library, 1941, p. 141Harris, Cyril M. ed. Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. McGraw- Hill, 1975, p. 24Holl, Steven. Five Minute Manifesto. AIA Gold Medal Ceremony, Washington, D.C. May 18, 2012 Lewis, Roger K. Introduction. Master Builders, Diane Maddex ed., National Trust for Historic Preservation, Wiley Preservation Press, 1985, p. 8McIntire, Mike. Enough About Gates as Art; Lets Talk About That Price Tag. The New York Times, March 5, 2005, www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/nyregion/enough-about-gates-as-art-lets-talk-about-that-price-tag.htmlSchjeldahl, Peter. Gated. The New Yorker, February 28, 2005, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/02/28/gatedWright, Frank Lloyd. The Future of Architecture. New American Library, Horizon Press, 1953, pp. 41, 58-59

Creatingyour dream job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creatingyour dream job - Assignment Example Teamwork Able to lead the team with expertise, address team conflicts, use emotional intelligence to understand team dynamics and synergize individual strengths into team's overall strengths. Interpersonal Skills Able to socialize with and empathize/respect people to gain a good rapport and credibility and be aware of prevailing issues, maintain composure in critical situations. Problem Solving and Decision making skills Able to identify current and potential problems/opportunities and take a quick and informed decision before or during the issue at hand. Planning and Organizing skills Able to weigh and prioritize the tasks, set and meet objectives and deadlines by devising plans to ensure successful execution of activities. Creativity Brings innovative and cost effective ideas/solutions to problems, introduces a positive change by identifying and applying best practices, makes efficient use of available resources to deal with all HR operations. MS Office and Internet Able to use tec hnology to communicate throughout the organization for handling conflicts and manage HRIS and other HR related Operations, proficient in MS Excel and MS Word for document and data maintenance. AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Maintain HR Business Relationships by observing cost and headcount trends, evaluating employee feedbacks to identify unusual trends and provide relevant solutions to relevant departments. Oversee the entire Recruitment and Selection process including identifying hiring needs, implementing cost-effective sourcing of candidates and oversee orientation in compliance with company's recruitment and selection procedure. Oversee and manage the Performance Appraisal process in communication with the Line Managers and update the HOF with relevant results that is the names of high performers and low performers. Oversee and manage the Training and Development programs at regional level by identifying training needs, facilitating Line Managers in developing Development Plans/career paths and updating HOF with training schedules. Manage employee relations by conducting regular meetings with Line Managers to identify workplace dissatisfactions and conflicts, suggest them appropriate ways of managing these issues, conduct exit interviews and update HOF with full report. Manage HR Operations at regional level Manage Job Descriptions' provisions and updates to ensure JD's for all positions are available and updated. Highlight employee engagement needs in the region, coordinate with Organizational Development to plan appropriate activities and facilitate development programs. (Lane) Compensation And Benefits Package As a Relationship Manager of HR

Scientific literacy questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scientific literacy questions - Essay Example Kepler developed the laws of planetary motion in 1605 CE. The laws state that the orbit of every planet is an ellipse around the Sun. In 1610 CE, Galileo published the first scientific treatise based on observations made through a telescope. When he publicly supported heliocentrism, he met with clerical opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. Galileo was warned to abandon his support for a Sun-centered cosmology, but. he later defended his views, he was tried by the Inquisition, forced to recant and spend the rest of his life under house arrest. Today, we accept that neither the sun nor the earth is the center of the Universe. The motivations of empiricists vary with the gestalt of their time. The earliest astronomers were in fact astrologers. People believed divination of the future was possible from the study of the motions of heavenly bodies. Philosophers have often viewed astrophysics as a corporeal method of simply understanding physical reality and our place in the cosmos. P hysical scientists sought answers to pressing questions based interpretations of observable data. This path from subjective to objective knowledge raises an interesting question for our egos. In 1961, Frank Drake formulated a method of estimating the likelihood of extraterrestrial life (PBS). The Drake equation states N = R* fp ne fâ„“ fi fc L; where, N is the number of civilizations in our galaxy, with which communication might be possible, and: Current estimates of the values of the variables follow. Where, R* = 7/year, fp = 0.5, ne = 2, fl = 0.33, fi = 0.01, fc = 0.01, and L = 10,000 years; N = 7 Ãâ€" 0.5 Ãâ€" 2 Ãâ€" 0.33 Ãâ€" 0.01 Ãâ€" 0.01 Ãâ€" 10,000 = 2.1. Thus, two communicative civilizations probably exist in our galaxy at any given time, on average. Furthermore, there may be up to two hundred more that are not trying to communicate, and there are billions of galaxies like ours. Based on this reasoning, it seems fallacious to believe we are perfectly unique in

Health Promotion - Appraoches and Methods Assignment

Health Promotion - Appraoches and Methods - Assignment Example This paper examines the factors, the causes, indications of drug abuse and its implication on society. Furthermore, we will focus on health promotion project that will give in an insight of drug abuse program and strategic analysis towards its preventative measures. Significance of this Study It has been seen that there is a tremendous use of drugs among young adolescents and teenagers between 11 years to 24 years of age (Blum, 2011). This study is significant as it addresses the social issues which influences youth towards drug use. There have been many arguments between people as some relate drug abuse as a genetic or biological malfunction or some argue that it is a personal choice of the individual to what he indulges into (Li, Mao, & Wei (2008); Abadinsky (2010)). However, in most cases friends who are already drug users influence young kids. There is peer pressure, and they would rather fit in their group and not be called as ‘outcasts.’ These groups may also be as sociated with criminal groups or activities. Research also indicates that the use of illicit drugs has become a part of the lifestyle and taken as a pleasurable experience (Hammersley, Marsland, & Reid, 2003). Teenagers indulge in these activities as they may suffer from depression due to unemployment, low quality housing and may feel deprived of physical or emotional insecurity of their wellbeing (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003). In other cases, some young adults are rebellious or just naturally curious and want to experiment into drugs without knowing the consequences of it. It has been seen that young adults may seek drugs as a defense mechanism against any trauma or tragic incident they have gone through in their life (?aminer & Bukstein, 2008). There are other factors due to which young adults are prone towards drugs like the easy availability and low cost of the drugs, which increases the risk of drug and substance abuse. Besides this, advertisements of pain relieving drugs also aff ect young kids and their thought process (Sussman & Susan, 2008). Hence, examining all these factors we can say that it is necessary to initiate such programs and campaigns through which the younger generation are made aware of the physical and psychological changes when they are exposed to prolonged drug abuse and its aftermath on the society. There are many behavioral problems associated with prolonged drug abuse. It gives rise to domestic and child abuse, hallucinations and impaired judgment. It has also been seen that the drug use has given rise to increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in youth as they do not take precautions when they are on drugs (Hammersley, Marsland, & Reid, 2003). Persons are also more inclined towards homicidal activities with suicidal tendencies as well (Marvin, Sharon, & Thomas, 1979) Drug Abuse Project The main purpose of a drug abuse project will be examining all these elements, how drug abuse originates and also define moral and ethical val ues in youngsters specially teenagers to instill healthy lifestyle in their life. In order to rebuke this system where drugs are easily available it is necessary to have such social and cultural settings that encourage positive approach towards life and the prescription of drugs is made limited as most youth perceive them safer than common street drugs. One of the important features of this report is to project these issues through media to affected persons as well

Gift-Giving and Exchange as an Important Element in Japanese Society Essay

Gift-Giving and Exchange as an Important Element in Japanese Society - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the research that along with the Confucian values, wrote Ilchman, Katz, and Queens, in particular, the value of humaneness, such obligation extend outwards to teachers, relatives, close neighbors and business associates. Japanese companies, for instance, allocate funds for equitable compensation to employees for ceremonial events or kankonsosai. Such importance given to the exchange of gifts allows the act to pervade in Japanese ceremonies and customs that is why it reveals a wealth of information in regard to Japanese rituals. There are four classifications of occasions or instances when gift-giving is required among the Japanese: life-cycle ceremonies, gift-giving occasions regulated by the calendar, emergencies that cause sudden deprivations and special events that call for prompt gift-giving. These occasions are diverse and are consistently well defined, and most importantly for this study, associated with particular rituals. They also entail Japanese p rinciples that are the basis of rituals and ceremonies. These include the concepts of obligation, duty, reciprocity, among others. Gift-giving is a prominent element in life-cycle ceremonies or â€Å"rite of passage† events and therefore provide a wealth of insights on the rituals that define these stages and the growth phases between them. As it is, people are preoccupied with gift-giving in birth, marriage, and death of people as well as in education, wedding anniversary, etc. In so many instances, gift-giving becomes a means of exchange –a kind of exchange that articulates obligation. For instance, during a wedding, there is normally a table outside of the hall where the wedding takes place. Young people sat behind this table and they are tasked to collect the money contained in envelopes given by arriving guests. What is interesting, perhaps for most foreigners, is that the amount contained in the envelope is strictly recorded along with the name of its giver.

A Letter to God by Gregorio Lopez Y Fuentes Essay

A Letter to God by Gregorio Lopez Y Fuentes - Essay Example However, the expected rain turned to hail and soon destroyed all his crops which placed his family in an anticipated hunger throughout the year. Thinking about his God whom he knows would provide for their needs, the farmer then writes a letter to him which he sent through the mail. In the amusement of the postman and the postmaster, the former tried to correspond with the farmer but found the task to be challenging when he opened the letter and found out that the farmer was asking for a hundred pesos in order to re-sow the fields and to live by while they wait until harvest time. The postmaster then made his best to raise the money but was able to just send seventy pesos. When the farmer received his mail, he was disappointed when he opened it seeing it was not the full amount he asked for. So he made another letter telling God he just received seventy pesos and asking him to send the full amount of a hundred pesos because he badly needs it. Moreover, he asked the money not to be se nt through the mail because the post office employees are crooks, thinking the thirty peso deficit was taken by them.

Gift-Giving and Exchange as an Important Element in Japanese Society Essay

Gift-Giving and Exchange as an Important Element in Japanese Society - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the research that along with the Confucian values, wrote Ilchman, Katz, and Queens, in particular, the value of humaneness, such obligation extend outwards to teachers, relatives, close neighbors and business associates. Japanese companies, for instance, allocate funds for equitable compensation to employees for ceremonial events or kankonsosai. Such importance given to the exchange of gifts allows the act to pervade in Japanese ceremonies and customs that is why it reveals a wealth of information in regard to Japanese rituals. There are four classifications of occasions or instances when gift-giving is required among the Japanese: life-cycle ceremonies, gift-giving occasions regulated by the calendar, emergencies that cause sudden deprivations and special events that call for prompt gift-giving. These occasions are diverse and are consistently well defined, and most importantly for this study, associated with particular rituals. They also entail Japanese p rinciples that are the basis of rituals and ceremonies. These include the concepts of obligation, duty, reciprocity, among others. Gift-giving is a prominent element in life-cycle ceremonies or â€Å"rite of passage† events and therefore provide a wealth of insights on the rituals that define these stages and the growth phases between them. As it is, people are preoccupied with gift-giving in birth, marriage, and death of people as well as in education, wedding anniversary, etc. In so many instances, gift-giving becomes a means of exchange –a kind of exchange that articulates obligation. For instance, during a wedding, there is normally a table outside of the hall where the wedding takes place. Young people sat behind this table and they are tasked to collect the money contained in envelopes given by arriving guests. What is interesting, perhaps for most foreigners, is that the amount contained in the envelope is strictly recorded along with the name of its giver.

Geologic Time Scale Tourism Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geologic Time Scale Tourism Project - Essay Example The period Permian which ended roughly 252 million years ago marked the end of the Palezonic era. It was immediately preceded by the Triassic period and immediately followed by the Carboniferous period. Evidence of the Permian period has been found in eastern part of Imperial Russia. During the Permian period the supercontinent (Pangea) was formed as different land masses joined together to form a single unit. The formation of Pangea occurred over a long period of time and ended with collision between Siberia-Kazakhstania, Laurasia, and China as noted by Kazlev (2002). With the formation of one landmass, there water masses correspondingly joined to form one massive ocean called Panthalassa. As the supercontinent formed, the sea level dropped and warm shallow seas that existed at the time reduced in extent (Gradstein, Ogg & Smith, 2004). The supercontinent that was so formed took the shape of a giant pacman. The mouth of the â€Å"pacman† faced east, enclosing part of the ocean to form a smaller sea. A sea called the Tethys covered a major part of what now constitutes Central and Southern Europe. The Zechstein sea which covered present time Europe was an extremely salty inland sea that existed in the Permian period. The extremely salty conditions that prev ailed near and around the Zechstein sea only allowed a few plant species to thrive, mainly bivalves and brachiopods (Kazlev, 2002). Apart from the establishment of the supercontinent, super-ocean, and salty seas, the Permian period saw the establishment of a groups of mountains as a result of plate tectonics. During the Uralian Orogeny, for example, the Ural Mountains were formed as the Siberian plat Kazakhstania and Pangaea collided (Gradstein, Ogg & Smith, 2004). At the beginning of the Permian era, the climate was extremely cold and many parts of the earth was covered in ice. However, the formation of Pangaea brought with it extreme climate and environmental changes owing to

Manifest Destiny American Civil War Essay Example for Free

Manifest Destiny American Civil War Essay Manifest Destiny In the 1840s the United States increased its territory to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This land was acquired through treaty, war, and negotiation. The opportunities of this large area of land offered in terms of resources and trade were great. The positive of M.D. do not outweigh the negative consequences. Manifest Destiny is a historic duty, in the 1800s the Americans believed that the manifest destiny of the United States was to expand to the Pacific Ocean. The United States started as costal colonies but eventually the fulfilled their manifest destiny and expanded buy conquering and purchasing land. The Americans gained more land by buying it from France in the Louisiana Purchase and they also acquired land by cession as they did in the Mexican Cession. Other ways of expanded their land was to take it by force; many settlers killed the Indians and stole their land from them. The Americans in the 1800s believed that it was the historic duty of their nation to expand to the Pacific Ocean. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs. They ignored the fact that the land was already occupied and began to move west. They did not recognize the Indians as people; they saw them as potential slaves, so they simply killed them and took their land. Much of the land was bought from France in the Louisiana Purchase, but other lands such as Texas, California and Oregon was not theirs. Using both military strength and negotiations, the US was determined to fulfill their historic duty. The main difference between the border issues of Oregon and Texas is the way these issues were settled. The Texas issue resulted in a war with Mexico, which gained land and lost soldiers. However, this did allow the US to gain more land than just Texas. The Oregon issue, on the other hand, was more peaceful. The US negotiated and made a treaty with Britain instead of going to war with them. However, both these issues were different ways the US gained land and expanded their nation.

Tensile Strength Test Of Concrete Engineering Essay

Tensile Strength Test Of Concrete Engineering Essay Concrete is a widely used construction material in the world. It is one of the most versatile, durable and environmental friendly material. Most importantly concrete is good at compression and is completely non-combustible, which makes it popular in this industry. But concrete has low tensile strength causing concrete to behave in brittle manner. This nature in concrete has lead to numerous test and research in order to increase the tensile properties of concrete. History of concrete dates back several thousand years to the day of the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. These early concrete compositions were based on lime although the Romans are known for their development of pozzolanic cement and lightweight concrete based on pumice. The credit for the introduction of steel as reinforcement is variously attributed to Lambot in 1855 for ferrocement boats, to Monier in 1867 and to Hennebique in 1897 who built the first reinforced concrete frame building. But the Notable steps forward in this century have been the introduction of pre-stressed concrete by Freyssinet in the 1940s and the motorway-building boom of the 1960s involving concrete pavements and bridges. Although the vast majority of concrete structures have performed satisfactorily for many years such progress has not been made without its problems. 1.1 HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE High strength is a concrete which has a cylinder compressive strength greater than 6000psi or 42 MPa. Generally, for building high rise structures, concrete with cylinder compressive strength over 140 MPa is used. In some laboratories in United States and Europe, a concrete with strength over 315 MPa has been produced, however, the problem with such strength is that it reduces the ductility of structure. Higher strength concretes leads to cost effective structural systems. Using such concrete, overall weight of the systems on the foundation reduces, resulting in size reduction, increase in available occupancy space, and thus cost of components. Many factors are taken into account for making a high strength concrete. Generally, such a concrete contains a higher Portland cement, strong aggregates, and a low water/cement ratio. Now-a-days, addition of super plasticizers, blast furnace slag, polymers, water reducing admixtures or silica fume are common 1.2 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE In last half decade, the compressive strength of commercial concrete has tripled approximately from 5,000 psi to 14,000 psi. In 1950s, a ready mixed concrete of design strength of 5000 psi was called as high strength. A decade later, Washington state highway department specified 6000 psi strength concrete for prestressed girders. High strength concrete made constructions such as 311 South Walker Drive concrete building; East Huntington, W.V., and other long span cable stayed bridges. Increased use of mineral admixtures and chemicals in 1960s lead to an increase in attainable strength. In 1973, Japan national railway built three high strength concrete bridges and they were found to meet all expectation by serving for over 20 years. Chicago city played a very important role in the evolution of commercial high strength concrete. The inventors of micro-silica concrete (MSC) realised that Chicago inner city development would be quite beneficial , which indeed was, and hence, with appointing high strength concrete pioneer, William Schmidt, they targeted an increase upto 6000 psi for a new 40 story tall Outer Drive East Condominium Project, using normal weight concrete. In 1072, the first 7500 psi concrete was used for a 52 story tall Mid-continental Plaza. Later, in 1974, 9000 psi concrete was supplied to 74 stories tall Water Tower Place, which was the tallest building at that time. In late 1980s, very high strength concrete as being successfully developed in many parts of North America. One of the best examples is Two Union Square in Seattle which is a 220 m tall, 58 story building. The original concrete specified for them was 14000 psi at 28 days, however, to incorporate a static modulus of elasticity of 50 Gpa, the concrete was upgraded to a compressive strength around 19000 psi. A test conducted after 4 years found that the compressive strength and modulas of elasticity were 19900 psi and 5.6 Gpa, respectively. Now-a-days, 14000 psi at 56 days is commonly used in many metropolitan cities. 1.3 MOTIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT of High strength concrete Modern methods have improved the quality of concrete by many folds. Aspects such as, long term failure studies, development of effective and powerful instrumentation, molecular structure of material, increased need of materials better for larger structures and increased ductility, and decrease of cost effectiveness of traditional material have redefined concrete. These days, concrete structural systems build from 15000-20000 psi concretes can be found quite easily. However, factors such as newer components or admixtures, microstructural studies, better material selection proportioning, long term performance, blended cement compositions, placement techniques and others; provide an ample scope of improvement. For e.g., use of slags and pozzolans as cementitious replacements contribute to energy conservation and disposal of industrial by-products, besides higher strength. Improved cements such as densified cements (DSP) and macrodefect free cements (MDF) and composite advancements, for e.g., slurry infilterated fiber concrete (SIFCON), have allowed the builders to achieve concrete with strengths up to 300 MPa. A very nice example of such concrete use is the undersea tunnel connecting British Isles and France. 1.4. APPLICATIONS OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE The use of high strength concrete has been increasing considerably high in construction world because of both technical and economical advantage. The use of HSC provides more economical construction due to reduced member cross-section and dimensions. HSC has been extensively used in high rise building and highway bridges. Major area of use has been high rise buildings. Tall construction feature whose construction would have been not possible in terms of durability and long term performance have been successfully constructed using HSC. The use of HSC helps in the reduction in structural member size, reinforcement percentage increasing floor space and decreasing dead weight. One of the examples of high rise building is the Mercantile Exchange building in Chicago which used 9000psi concrete. The other application of HSC is in prestressed Bridge girders. The use of HSC would allow using greater spans for a given number of girders as compared to NSC. Again for a given span, use of HSC provides economical cost by reduction in labour cost in the production of girders, transportation cost, erection cost and overhead expenses. Japanese I-shaped, box and rectangular section bridge girders have been constructed using 8500psi concrete where the spans are between 100 to 280 ft. One of the examples is Bennett Bay Bridge, Idaho which has which 1730ft segmental girder with two centre spans of 520ft and end span of 320ft. 1.5 DISADVANTAGES OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE HSC has brought about a lot of construction possibilities which would not have been possible with NSC. However HSC comes with some disadvantages too mainly because of lack of research and information about its behaviour in real construction field. As HSC is composed of mineral and chemical admixture, increased quality control is required. In codes minimum thickness and cover have been specified preventing realization of full benefit of using HSC. It can be difficult to cure adequately due to self-desiccation of low water/cement ratio mixes. HSC possess increased permeability which makes curing difficult as it prevents applied curing water from compensating any initial moisture loss. These are the disadvantages relating the use of HSC in real construction filed. 1.6 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The main objective of this research is to determine the true uniaxial tensile strength of concrete by carrying out a series of cylinder splitting test, modulus of rupture test and cylinder compression test. The research aims to utilise the simple correction factors proposed by Raoof and Lin (1999) which aims to overcome the shortcomings associated with the closed form formula used in the Brazilian concrete splitting test. Many experimental tests on various concrete mixes had been already carried out for the verification of the proposed correction factor. The criteria for this research were based on 3 days compressive and tensile strength of high strength concrete with total of 16 batches using two types of coarse aggregate. Also few batches testing were done for normal strength and self compacting concrete. In this research effect of constituent materials will also be studied. The purpose of this research is to compare and contrast the use of correction factors with the results the results obtained from previous experiments. 1.7 RESEARCH SCOPE The scope of this research included computation of splitting tensile strength, compressive strength and modulus of rupture on normal, high and self compacting concrete. The mineral admixtures, which have been used for this research project, were compromised of silica fume, fly ash. The superplasticiser and viscosity modifying admixture that was used in this research were Sika ViscoCrete10 and structure 480respectively. All the admixtures used in this research are used in real life applications. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW High strength concrete has been classified as one of the advanced construction materials. High strength concrete has both economical as well as durability benefits. It helps in the reduction in formwork area and cost with the accompanying reduction in shoring and stripping time due to high early age gain in strength. The composition of high strength concrete constitutes of mineral admixtures which provides a base for the use of waste products. 2.1 PREVIOUS RESEARCH WORK ON HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE High strength concrete uses various mineral admixtures such as silica fume, fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag and superplasticiser which increase the strength of High strength concrete. Most applications of high-strength concrete have used the strength property of the material. However, high strength concrete may carry various other characteristics that can be of great advantage for construction industry. Various researches have been carried out on high strength concrete in order to study other characteristics of HSC. Some research work that had been carried out on high strength concrete has been summarised below: M. Mazloom A.A. Ramezanianpour, J.J. Brooks(2004): carried out in joint collaboration between UK and Iranian university presented experimental work on short- and long-term mechanical properties of high-strength concrete containing different levels of silica fume. In this research the cement was replaced by silica fume with 0%,6%,10% and 15%. The researchers found that as the proportion of silica fume is increased the workability of concrete decreased but its short-term mechanical properties such as 28-day compressive strength and secant modulus improved. The mix portion sued in this research is shown in the table below. For each mix, the following specimens were made: 24 samples of 100 mm cubes for compressive strength; eight 80 x 270 (diameter x length) mm cylinders for creep; four 80x270mm and four 150x300mm cylinders for shrinkage; two 80270 mm and two 150x300mm cylinders for swelling. From the test carried it was also established that the percentages of silica fume replacement did not have a noticeable effect on total shrinkage. Moreover the compressive strength of the concrete mixes containing silica fume did not increase after the age of 90days. K. Lahlou, P.-C. Aitcin O. Chaallal (1992): This research presents the behaviour of High-strength concrete under confined stress. The investigation was carried out on three 28 day strength levels: 50, 80 and 115 MPa where the actual mixes used resulted in strength of 47, 78 and 115MPa.The study showed that improved confinement provides increased compressive strength. As a result a new ultrahigh-strength concrete of strength 250MPa was produced. Other outcome of the research was that the confinement efficiency increased with the increase in the compressive strength of the concrete. Zhen-jun He, Yu-pu Song (2010): this is one of the most recent researches carried out in china to study the failure criterion and triaxial strength of HSC before and after high temperature. HSC is susceptible to spalling, or even explosive spalling when subjected to rapid temperature rise as in the case of a fire. Though high strength concrete has been greatly used but very little research has been carried about the effect of high temperature on the concrete structure Triaxial tests were performed at all kinds of stress ratios after exposure to normal and high temperatures of 20,200, 300, 400, 500, and 600  °C, using a large static-dynamic true triaxial machine. The study showed that no explosive spalling was observed during the high temperature temperatures ranging from 200  °C to 600  °C. Also there was no change in the failure modes with the increase in the temperature where the failures under uniaxial tension were tension failure. The uniaxial compressive strength of plain HSHPC was not decreased after 200 and 300  °C. The brittleness-stiffness of HSHPC specimens between 200  °C and 300  °C is higher than that above 400  °C. The temperature around 400  °C is critical to the ultimate strength that decreases rapidly. The increasing extent of the triaxial to uniaxial compressive strength depends on the stress states, the stress ratios, and the brittleness-stiffness of HSHPC after different temperatures. M.I. Khan, C.J. Lynsdale (2002): the corrosion of steel reinforcement is a common cause of deterioration in reinforced concrete. The use of blended cements or supplementary cementing materials decreases the permeability, thereby increasing the resistance of concrete to deterioration by aggressive chemicals. The investigation carried out by Khan and Lynsdale (2002) aimed at developing HSC and carryout investigation into the optimisation of blended cementitious system for the development of HSC. PFA at 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% (by weight) was incorporated as partial cement replacement. To these blends, 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% SF replacement levels were incorporated to make various binary and ternary cementitious combinations. Cube compressive strength and cylinder splitting strength test was carried out and the oxygen permeability was measured using the given equation: From the experimental results it was noticed that as curing age increases, the reduction in strength with increasing PFA content becomes less apparent, especially for PFA contents J.J.Brooks, M.A. Megat Johari, M. Mazloo (2000): Chemical admixtures play a vital role in the production of High-strength concrete. Metakaolin (MK) is one of the new admixture commercially introduced. It is very important to know the setting characteristics of concrete as it helps in the scheduling of concrete construction operations. In this research the effect of chemical admixtures and shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA) on the setting time of HSC was investigated using the penetration resistance method (ASTM C 403). The penetration resistance (P) of all the different concrete mixes was expressed as P=aebt i.e. P was expressed as the exponential function of time. The general effect of the admixture retarded the setting times of HSC while the SRA had significant retarding effect when used in combination with superplasticiser. As a whole the conclusive statement is that increasing the levels of SF, FA provides greater retardation in the setting time of HSC. 2.2 PREVIOUS WORK ON TENSILE STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE Tensile strength of concrete is one of the basic and very important properties of concrete. The knowledge of tensile strength is very important in designing concrete structure. Various tests have been carried out in order to determine the tensile strength of concrete. Traditional direct tensile strength test are not commonly acceptable as it suffers many drawbacks. In these tests there is huge stress concentration near the grips and non uniform distribution within the sample. Researches have shown that results from such experiment are low and coefficient of variation is low. Hence more research has been carried out in order to find the true uniaxial tensile strength of concrete. Zhuhai lin and Laurence Wood (2003): After the proposal of correction factor by Raoof and Lin (1999), further research into the correction factor was carried out by Lin and Wood in 2003. In this research assuming uniaxial tensile strength and properties of the concrete, the Brazilian cylinder splitting test was analyzed by the isoparametric nonlinear finite strip element. The result from the research showed that at the onset of cylinder failure the tensile strength along the vertical diameter of cylinder was smaller than the assumed uniaxial tensile strength which means the splitting test underestimates the uniaxial tensile strength of concrete. The study also showed the effect of width of packing strip together with the ratio of (ft/fc) for the compressive strength constant at 30 N/mm2 and showed a linear relationship. According to Lin and Wood the range of correction factor for 30N/mm2 is about 1.09 to 1.40 for packing strip of 12mm, 1.10 to 1.44 for 13mm width, 1.09 to 1.41 for 14 mm and 1.09 to 1.39 for 15mm packing strip width V. Ramakrishnan, Y. Ananthanayayana, K. C. Gopal : As we already mentioned that different test have shown different values of tensile strength for the same concrete mix. V. Ramakrishnan and his associated carried out a research to compare the results in the various tests and to study the uniformity of the results. In this research over 600 specimens were tested for 28 days target strength. A comparative analysis of tensile strength test was carried out and the results were compared against cube compressive strength as shown in the plot above. After laboratory work it was found that modulus of rupture does not give the true tensile strength but only gives the highest value of tensile strength and lies between 1.3 to 2 times the cylinders splitting strength. The cylindrical splitting test was taken satisfactory as it gave more uniform and consistent results than other tensile strength tests. M.F.M. Zain et al: computation of correction factor for the determination of true tensile strength of HSC depends upon the compressive strength of HSC. It is very important to show the relationship between tensile splitting test and compressive strength of HSC. Zain and associates carried out a research in 2002 in order to determine the relation of splitting tensile strength of concrete with compressive strength, water/binder (W/B) ratio and concrete age. After the investigation a relationship between tensile strength, compressive strength and concrete by age was proposed which is . Plot for this relation is given below. The relation given above for the prediction of tensile strength of concrete was compared with French code, ACI code and CEB/FIP code and found to be very close. Hence this equation can be helpful in estimating the Splitting tensile strength of HSC. S Bhanja, B Sengupta(2005): Our research aims to use silica fume as one of the mineral admixture on HSC mixes. Many researches have been carried out to investigate the mechanical effect of silica fume on HSC but very few are carried out in order to analyse the effect of silica fume on tensile strength of concrete. S. Bhanja (2005) carried out research to develop a better understanding on the isolated contribution of silica fume on the tensile strength of concrete. In this experiment 32 mixes with silica fume binder ratio from 0.0 to 0.3 were tested for 28 days strength. From the research it was found out that the use of silica fume improves the tensile strength of concrete and depends upon the water cementitious material ratio of mix. Flexural strength showed greater development than splitting tensile strength. Two expressions were developed to establish the relationship between flexural strength, split tensile strength and compressive strength of silica fume concrete. It was also established that increase in tensile strength beyond 15% of silica replacement was almost irrelevant. 2.3. TENSILE STRENGTH TESTING OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE Although concrete is not normally designed to resist direct tension, the knowledge of tensile strength is of value in estimating the load under which the crack will develop. One of the most well known mechanical properties of concrete is that the tensile strength is 8 to 10 times less than compressive strength. Because of such a low tensile strength, the crack can be seen on the surface of concrete structure. Tension failure is still one of the most important issues because it influences the serviceability significantly. Tensile strength is one of the most important parameters used to evaluate tensile failure of a concrete. Tension tests are needed for concrete as complement to standard compression test in order to obtain a better assessment of structural performance. According to various research and literature review carried out it has been revealed that direct tension test are unsuitable as the results from such tests suffer from inconsistencies due to several uncontrolled variables. It is difficult in this test to avoid stress concentration near the grips and non-uniform stress distribution within the sample. Evans and Wright confirm that the results obtained in the direct tension test of concrete are low and the coefficient of variation is great. Hence this type of test is no longer accepted as reliable. The splitting test is rather simple to perform, does not require other equipment than that needed for the compression test, and gives an approximately similar value of the true tensile strength of concrete (Neville, 1971). According to investigation of splitting tensile strength carried out by O,Neil (2002) , the addition of silica fume, high-range water reducing admixtures and special curing conditions the tensile strength of the concrete wa s higher than that of conventional concrete. The tensile tests that are commonly used and that has been used in this project are detailed in full below: 2.3.1. MODULUS OF RUPTURE OR FLEXURE TEST A direct application of a pure tension force, free from eccentricity is difficult, and is further complicated by secondary stresses induced by the grips or by embedded studs. Because of these difficulties, it is preferable to measure the tensile strength of concrete by subjecting a plain concrete beam to flexure. This is in fact one of the two standard tension tests. The theoretical maximum tensile stress reached in the bottom fibre of the test beam is known as the modulus of rupture. The value of modulus of rupture depends on the dimensions of the beam and, above all, on the arrangement of loading. Two systems are used: a central point load, which gives a triangular bending moment; and symmetrical two-point loading, which produces a constant bending moment between the load points. Since concrete consists of elements of varying strength, it is to be expected that two-point loading will yield a lower value of the modulus of rupture than when one point load is applied. The centre- poin t loading has been discontinued both in United Kingdom and the U.S. Figure 4 Two point flexure test BS 1881: Part 4:1970 prescribes third-point loading on 150 by 150 by 750mm beams supported over a span of 600mm but when the maximum size of aggregate is not more than 25mm, 100 by 100 by 500mm beams with a span of 400 mm may be used. There are four possible reasons why the modulus of rupture test yields a higher value of strength than a direct tensile test made on the same concrete. The first one is related to the assumption of the shape of the shape of the stress block. The second one is that accidental eccentricity in a direct tensile test results in a lower apparent strength of the concrete. The third is offered by an argument similar to that justifying the influence of the loading arrangement on the value of the modulus of rupture. Fourthly, in the flexure test, the maximum fibre stress reached may be higher than direct tension because the propagation of a crack is blocked by less stressed material nearer to the neutral axis. Thus the energy available is below that necessary for the formation of new crack surfaces. The requirement for ASTM Standard C 78 75 are similar to those of BS 1881: part 4: 1970. If fracture occurs within the central one-third of the beam the modulus of rupture is calculated on the basis of ordinary elastic theory, and is therefore equal to PL/ (bd2). Where P= the maximum total load on the beam L=span b= width of the beam d= depth of the beam. If however fracture occurs outside the load points, e.g. at a distance a from the near support, a being measured along the centre line of the tension surface of the beam, then the modulus of rupture is given by 3pL/(bd2). This means that the maximum stress at the critical section, and not the maximum stress on the beam, is considered in the calculations. 2.3.2. CYLINDER SPLITTING TEST The splitting tensile test is used worldwide to measure the tensile strength of concrete. In splitting test a cylindrical or prismatic specimen is compressed along two diametrically opposed generators as shown in the in Figure 5 to prevent multiple cracking and crushing at the points of loading, the load is distributed through two bearing strips whose width differs in the various standards. If the material behaviour is linear-elastic, this geometry leads to nearly uniform tensile stress alone the plane of loading, and the expected rupture mode is the splitting of the specimen in two halves across that plane. In the case of concentrated loads, the maximum tensile stress on this plane can be calculated by à Ã†â€™ max = Where à Ã†â€™ max is the maximum tensile stress in the specimen when the applied load is P, D and B are the specimen depth and thickness respectively. Figure 5 Specimen positioned in a testing machine for determination of splitting tensile strength. Following the standards the maximum tensile stress at failure is a material property called splitting tensile strength. If the load-bearing strips are narrow enough to consider the loading concentrated, and the material behaviour is linearly-elastic -brittle is close to the tensile strength determined by ideal uniaxial tensile test. The tensile strength is evaluated in the standards by fst = Where Pu is the maximum load recorded during the test. The splitting tensile strength is then calculated on the assumption of a hypothetical load bearing strip of zero width. One of the main advantages of the splitting test is that only external compressive loads are required. A cylindrical or prismatic specimen is compressed along two diametrically opposed generators so that a neatly uniform tensile stress is induced in the loading plane. To avoid local failure in compression at the loading generators, two thin strips, usually made of plywood, are placed between the loading platens and the specimen to distribute the load. The specimen fails by splitting because of the induced tensile stress state. The maximum value of the tensile stress, computed at failure from the theory of elasticity, is the splitting tensile strength, ordinarily assumed in the standards to be a material property. The splitting test is simple to perform and gives more uniform results than other tension tests. The strength determined in the splitting test is believed to be closer to the true tensile strength of concrete than the modulus of rupture the splitting strength is 5 to 12 percent higher than the direct tensile strength. It has been suggested, however, that in the case of mortar and lightweight aggregate concrete, the splitting test yields too low a result. With normal aggregate, the presence of large particles near the surface to which the load is applied may influence the behaviour. According to Minders et al, 2003 as the age and strength increase the ratio of tensile to compressive strength decreases (figure ..) Probably due to the effect of drying shrinkage cracks air curing when compared with moist curing reduces the tensile strength more than the compressive strength.

Hammurabi :: Essays Papers

Hammurabi Of the many law codes surviving from the ancient Middle East, perhaps the most famous is the Code of Hammurabi, sixth King of the Amorite Dynasty of Old Babylon. Today, the code, engraved in stone takes on a unique form as a piece of art. However, decoded it is clear that this stone was obeyed and served as a sort of political propaganda. The noted stone found in 1901 by French archeologists, now rests in the Paris Louvre where it is preserved from moisture and natural decomposition. The raw material consists of an 8 ft. tall block of black basalt engraved with cuneiform. It clearly intended to be observed in public. The immense size of this rock was a sign of strength and authority and its dark coloration an ominous warning. At the top is a depiction of Hammurabi receiving the code from Shamash the sun god or god of justice. In this picture the two men are the same size, which symbolizes Hammurabi’s power being equal to that of the gods. Below this is a prologue praising Hammurbai’s wisdom and power. To further its legitimacy the law code was in those days regarded as subject for prayer, though the prayers here are chiefly cursings of whoever shall neglect or destroy the law. The content of the code regulates in clear and definite strokes the organization of society and the harsh punishment for crimes. For example, the witness who testifies falsely is to be slain. Indeed, more serious crimes were punishable with death. If a man builds a house poorly, and it falls and kills the owner, the builder is to be slain. If the owner’s son is killed, the builder’s son is slain. The idea of â€Å"eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth† could not be debated.

Empiricism †Science Essay

I have a standard deal with my students that if they recommend a book to me, I will read it. One of my students recommended Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, which turned out to be my least favorite book ever. After the first half, I jotted down some of the reasons why. Here is a list of problems I have with the book, most of which are either logical fallacies or just rhetorical stunts that annoy me. replacing the progress fallacy with the doomsday fallacy Quinn argues against the assumption that things are necessarily getting better, but he commits the opposite error, the assumption that things are necessarily getting worse. It is almost certain that some things are getting better and some worse. If Quinn wants to make the argument that we are headed for an environmental doomsday, he has to make the argument empirically. poisoning the well Pointing out the influence of culture on our thinking, Quinn sets up a ready answer for anyone who disagrees with him: the opponent is blinded by culture! Of course it is important to be skeptical of conventional wisdom, but we are no better off rejecting blindly what â€Å"Mother Culture† tells us than we would be accepting it blindly. the meta fallacy When someone produces a meta-x, they often pretend it is not, itself, an x. For example, when a news story gets hyped out of proportion, some reporters start covering the hype as if it were a story. They think their meta-hype is better than the hype, but it’s not. Similarly, Quinn tries to place himself outside culture in order to create meta-culture, but he can’t. He is just as much a victim of â€Å"Mother Culture† as the rest of us, and his book is just another piece of it. In fact, this kind of work has become a genre! Another book in the category is â€Å"Mutant Message from Down Under,† in which the author uses the rhetorical device of being kidnapped by Australian aborigines to give herself a voice apparently outside the culture of civilization. Quinn uses a telepathic gorilla, but its the same device with the same deceptive intent. the naturalist fallacy There aren’t many ideas in philosophy that are universally accepted. The one that comes the closest is the maxim that you can’t get â€Å"ought† from â€Å"is. † In other words, you can’t derive an ethical system from empirical observation. Historically, there have been lots of people that tried, and the results have been universally disastrous. Quinn attacks this view straight on, arguing that there is a law that all species (except humans) follow, and that we can figure out what this law is empirically. He fails on two fronts: the law he presents is empirically false, and even if it were true, it still wouldn’t make it possible to know what we should do. At best, it would help us predict the consequences of our actions, but that is not sufficient to derive an ethical system. Why do I say his law is empirically false? Well, one counterexample is trees. Trees are engaged in a internecine competition for sunlight in which they squander resources on preposterously long trunks, deprive other species of their food source, and poison their environments to eliminate competitors. Ever look at the floor of a dense pine forest? Nothing but pine needles. the Lorax fallacy. Quoth the Lorax, â€Å"I am the Lorax, and I speak for the trees! † To which I reply (1) what makes you think you know what the trees want, and (2) what makes the trees so special? It is probably wrong to assume that nature has intent, but in any case it is ridiculous to presume that we know what its intent is. To see how ridiculous this is, consider the unpublished first draft of â€Å"The Lorax,† in which another irritating troll appears and shouts, â€Å"I am the Borax, and I speak for the grass, and I say, chop down those trees — they’re blocking all the sun. â€Å" Then, â€Å"Wait! I am the Snorax, and I speak for the dung beetles, and I say, please breed enormous numbers of cattle. † Then, â€Å"I am the Thorax, and I speak for the slime molds, and I say, please make big piles of decaying organic matter. † And so on. You can see why it wasn’t a big hit. the biocentrism fallacy Quinn argues against anthrocentrism, the view that the universe was made for humans and that we have the right to do what we want with it. The alternative is biocentrism, an ethical system in which animals and other parts of nature have rights as well. It is often (wrongly) assumed that an ethical system that extends rights to more entities is morally superior to one that is more stingy. Of course, we already extend some rights to some animals, and we could extend more rights to more animals, but that does not change the fact that (a) we’re still the ones extending the rights and it’s still our choice, and (b) we would still be in the position of trying to figure out the intent of nature, if there is one. Anthrocentrism may seem self-centered, but there is no sensible alternative.inconsistency regarding the role of humans Sometimes Quinn considers humans part of the natural world, sometimes not, as it serves him. Where this error hurts his argument the most is his claim that all species that follow the law live forever, environmental conditions permitting. What â€Å"environmental conditions† is he talking about? He seems to mean the abiotic environment, but that’s absurd. For every species, â€Å"the environment† includes every other species. I am not sure, but I would guess that of all the species that have become extinct (for reasons that have nothing to do with humans) the vast majority have been wiped out because of other species (too many competitors, too little prey) rather than the abiotic environment. Humans are part of the environment, and every species that has been wiped out by human activity has been wiped out by â€Å"environmental conditions. † Quinn’s distinction in this case between natural causes and human activities is contrary to his argument in the rest of the book that humans are part of nature. identification of science as a form of mythology Quinn stamps the current scientific understanding of the origin of the universe as mythology. He pulls this stunt with a bit of rhetorical slight-of-hand. He offers an anthrocentric story of creation and then rejects it because it is anthrocentric. In fact, the narrator was invited to offer an explanation of â€Å"how things came to be this way† in an environment that was completely surrounded by human artifacts. It was perfectly reasonable to explain such an environment by focusing on the human activity that led this to be â€Å"this way. † In any case, telling and rejecting an antrocentric version of the origin of the universe does not undermine the claim that our scientific understanding is qualitatively different from the stories we usually label mythology. Specifically, if representatives from two culures with different creation myths met, there is nothing one could say or do to persuade the other to adopt a new myth (at least not rationally). By contrast, there is a lot we can do to convince someone to adopt the  scientific view — in fact, millions of people, raised to believe some version of Genesis, have come to adopt the scientific view on the basis of evidence and reason. ignorance of evidence When Quinn bothers to present empirical evidence for his position, it is almost always false. I already mentioned one biological error, the claim that no other species competes with other species the way humans do. I’m not a biologist, but I thought of 10 counter-examples before I turned the page. I already mentioned trees. What about the mold that produces penicillin? Simians that kill members of other species for sport, and members of their own species for social standing or mating priviledge? Beavers that wreak environmental havok to build safe housing? Species evolve mechanisms and behaviors that allow them to survive (more precisely, the ones that didn’t aren’t around). Quinn observes, rightly, that most of these mechanisms are peaceful, but that’s because non-violence is generally a good survival strategy, not because the species are following laws. There are exceptions throughout nature, including some aspects of human behavior. As for the economic relationship between population and food supply, Quinn gives a half-hearted voice to some 19th century ideas, but seems oblivious to a century of subsequent work. His model is absurdly simple and provably false. I don’t know as much about anthropology, but many of Quinn’s claims are contrary to what little I know. Judging by his track record, I am hardly inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt ugly misanthropy The population crisis is a serious and difficult problem. Its central questions are  (a) if we keep doing what we’re doing, will the population grow to a level that is either unsupportable or supportable only with an unacceptable quality of life? (b) if so, is there something different we can do that will lead to a smaller population and a better quality of life? The first is an empirical question. The only way to answer it is by using evidence and reason as best we can. Quinn has no interest in evidence or reason — he just assumes that he knows the answer. The second is an ethical question. Obviously there are a lot of things we can do to reduce the population. The hard part is finding one that actually makes things better. To do that, we have to think about ethics. If there is, in fact, a population crisis, then it makes a lot of traditional ethical problems harder. For example, saving a life becomes an alloyed victory. The problem, of course, is that once the sanctity of human life is off the table, the table becomes slippery and steep in every direction. Finding an acceptable ethical system in that context is a hard problem. Quinn’s misanthropy is a lazy, ugly solution. We can do better.