20 Cause Effect Essay Topics Interesting Issues to Debate about Environment

20 Cause Effect Essay Topics Interesting Issues to Debate about Environment If you are tasked with writing a cause and/or effect essay on the book â€Å"Living Downstream† written by Sandra Steingraber, then chances are you are facing the most challenging part of the writing process: selecting your topic. Picking the perfect topic can be difficult, at best, especially when you consider how many great topics there are in relation to this book. Thus, below you will find twenty topics that might be beneficial for you, or useful for your next assignment. Remember that these are only meant as a guide and may not be specifically applicable to your assignment: How Agricultural and Industrial Pollutants Have Been Shown in Medical and Scientific Assessments to Be Linked to Cancer Rates Which Environmental Factors Have Resulted in Higher Cancer Rates, and Which Cancers Specifically What Environmental Factors Have Been Scientifically Studied as Links to Cancer Compared to Genetic Cancers What Has Caused the Imbalance Between Scientific and/or Medical Studies for Environmental Factors versus Genetic Factors in Cancer Which Carcinogens Are Most Profoundly Influential and Detrimental to People and What Effects Do They Have What Causes Carcinogens to Enter the Body and Damage Living Tissue What Has Caused Cancer Rates Among Adults to Increase From a Mere 25% back in the 1950’s to 50% for Men and 40% for Women Today What Effect Increased Introduction of Chemicals into All Areas of Life Including Clothing, Food, Tools, and Housing Products Has Had on Society What Causes Immigrants To Show Signs and Symptoms of the Cancers Prevalent in Their New Home rather than Those of Their Place of Birth What Causes More and Higher Rates of Cancer to be Prevalent in Urban Regions Compared to Rural Regions What Effect Heavy Pesticide Use Has On Rural Communities What Effect Chemical Factories Have on Cancer Clusters in Nearby Populated Areas What Causes Cancer Clusters to Grow in Regions outside of Heavily Polluted Valleys or Rivers What Effect Pollution in Fresh Water and Salt Water Areas Has Had on the Local Fish Species How Polluted Water Has Impacted Fish and Shellfish Populations Compared to the Same Fish Species Living in Non-polluted Waters What Has Caused Cancer Rates in Children to Rise Steadily in spite of No Lifestyle Changes Over the Course of the Last Fifty Years What Effect Damage to the Endocrine and Immune System Has to the Body and the Promotion of Cancers within the Body What Effect Raising Awareness About the Toll That the Use of Chemicals Has Had on The Human Economy and Resulting Cancers Has Had What Effect Acting on Partial Scientific Evidence Can Have For Society What Effect the Adoption of a New Way of Looking at Chemicals Can Have on Human Rights Aren’t those great topics? Of course, just seeing the list of topics may not be everything that you need to get started on your own work. That’s why we prepared facts that will help to understand the book and a writing guide that will help to master cause effect essay writing. Below you will find a great essay sample below on the topics. Cause Effect Sample Essay â€Å"The Causes of an Imbalance between Scientific and/or Medical Studies for Environmental Factors vs Genetic Factors in Cancer† The causes of an imbalance between scientific and medical studies for environmental factors which cause cancer versus genetic factors that cause cancer is simple politics and money. Environmental concerns are something which have been often compared to that of politics. There are many political organizations responsible for funding individual research efforts, affording grants, and ensuring that only particular angles are covered. While the book â€Å"Living Downstream† has raised a great deal of serious concerns, it   would stand to reason that the work is not able to garner as much attention as it should because it does not play the political game, and instead the political game is playing everyone else. Of course, the book by Dr. Sandra Steingraber is a collective work which ignores the politics associated with environmentalists and instead provides data and data alone to convince the reader of the current cancer epidemic and the harmful source of said epidemic: chemical residues and pesticides which are now almost entirely prevalent across the whole environment. By not playing the political game, the doctor’s work has not raised the alarm that it should have and has not garnered the worldwide call to arms to stop the pollution and take preventative measures. Part of the reason for this is the fact that existing research, both medical and scientific, has followed closely the rates of genetic cancers and from that has claimed that cancers rates over the last fifty years have dropped and not risen as was claimed in the book. This is misleading at best. The studies, as clearly covered by the author, are not comprehensive nor do they take into account the environmental factors or cancer rates not related to genetic cancers. Additionally, one must refer back to the politics of the game and review the organizations behind the research, behind the grants, and behind the studies. The results which have opposed any increase or harm brought about by chemicals and pesticides have all originated in studies which have circumventing the main point brought to the surface by Dr. Sandra Steingraber in a clear attempt to avoid discussing the real problem. By focusing financial and, as a result, research efforts on genetic cancers, news sources report reduc ed cancer rates and people see no reason to stop exposing themselves to harmful chemicals. Overall, the causes of an imbalance between scientific and medical studies for environmental factors which cause cancer versus genetic factors that cause cancer is simple politics and money. With a focus on genetic cancers and a complete ignorance of environmental factors, big companies who are using said pesticides and chemicals and profiting from them do not have to take a hit to their profits. References BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PESTICIDES OF PESTICIDES IN MAMMALIAN SYSTEMS.  The Sciences  7.3 (1967): 33-38. Web. Chemical Carcinogens: A Review Of The Science And Its Associated Principles. U.S. Interagency Staff Group On Carcinogens.  Environ Health Perspect  67 (1986): 201-282. Web. Pesticides And Wildlife.  Oryx  7.05 (1964): 213. Web. Eckardt, Robert Edward.  Industrial Carcinogens. New York: Grune Stratton, 1959. Print. GROVER, P. L. Chemical Carcinogens.  Science  204.4399 (1979): 1301-1301. Web. Noà «l, Bernard. Pesticides.  Lignes  33.3 (2010): 62. Web. RENWICK, A. G., and B. S. DRASAR. Environmental Carcinogens And Large Bowel Cancer.Nature  263.5574 (1976): 234-235. Web. Steingraber, Sandra.  Living Downstream. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1997. Print.

Analytical Essay Sample on #8220;The Importance of Being Earnest#8221; by Oscar Wilde

Analytical Essay Sample on #8220;The Importance of Being Earnest#8221; by Oscar Wilde Oscar Wildes farcical comedy The Importance of Being Earnest is subtitled A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. The playwright himself penned this, so the reader is inevitably inclined to ask himself whether this deprecating subtitle is accurate. Despite the simple humor, the play is not trivial, but rather a biting and relevant social commentary on Victorian era values and principles that undoubtedly serious people can decipher within the lines of the comedy without feeling threatened about their own beliefs. In fact, the title of the play alone gives the reader some inclination as to what the story is about; the importance of being serious and resolute, which not coincidentally are two of the most important Victorian ideals. First performed in London in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnests plot centers on two couples who must overcome many hilarious obstacles on their journey to marriage. The play was critically acclaimed from its first performance and was instantly accepted by the public; a foreshadowing of the stories timelessness. Underlying the story line, Wilde illustrates the polite conventions and restrictions of Victorian society (Worth 126). This is aptly by Wilde in his droll depictions of aristocratic British men and women at the end of the nineteenth century. Despite his critical tone, Wilde does not alienate the members of his audience, but rather sheds light on the absurdity of societal traditions, such as courtship, engagement and marriage, while at the same time reaffirming the beliefs of his audience. To explore Wildes criticism of the absurdity of British culture and its implications in modern life, one must first examine the characters and plot of The Importance of Being Earnest. The two central figures are Jack and Algernon who are friends in spite of their seemingly artificial oppositions. Jack is a responsible, serious man who firmly announces his intentions of marrying Gwendolyn from the very beginning of the play. Algernon, on the other hand, is depicted as a sly, deceptive, yet likeable man who according to his aunt, has nothing, but looks everything (Wilde, act 3, 497). The two men, who the audience later discovers are brothers, are actually not as different as they first appear. Outwardly, they act very differently and constantly criticize one another on his actions, but in reality, both have the same ulterior motive and acts solely for his own benefit. Jack pretends to have a brother so that he may travel to London to see Gwendolyn. Similarly, Algernon, despite his claim that marriage is extremely problematic (act 1, 446), pretends to be Jacks brother so that he may journey to the countryside to see Cecily, the girl he has never met but wishes to marry. Both men pretend to be named Ernest in order to impress Gwendolyn and Cecily (obviously another pun on the title of the play). Hilarity ensues in both action and dialogue in terms of what the characters continually call nonsense. Jack and Algernon both pursue women who could be labeled modern women (relative to the contemporary Victorian woman). Gwendolyn is well educated and very opinionated in her beliefs, as evidenced by her desire to not be labeled perfect because that would limit her intentions to develop in many directions (act 1, 441). Likewise, Cecily, while not as well educated, is steadfast in what she wants from Algernon, such as her insistence that his name be Ernest. Gwendolyn and Cecily create much of the comedic elements of the play through their relentless demands of Jack and Algernon. For instance, when in act three the women discover the deceptions of Jack and Algernon, they do not submissively forgive the mens antics, but rather refuse to speak to either man until he delivers an adequate explanation and apology. These young men about town and revolting daughters (15), called so by critic Peter Raby, create a distinct dichotomy to the stern Lady Bracknell and Miss Prism, Cecilys governess. There is a sense of old society versus new society whenever Jack, Algernon, Gwendolyn, and Cecily interact with the older characters. As Gwendolyns mother and Algernons aunt, Lady Bracknell is excessively concerned with image and money. When she hears of Jacks desire to marry Gwendolyn, she questions him about his financial wellbeing and his personal habits. She is offended when she discovers that Jack has been adopted because it displays contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life (act 1, 450). Despite Jacks protest that his parental status has nothing to do with Gwendolyns happiness, Lady Bracknell refuses to give her approval of the engagement because in her superficial world, everyone is forced to live in an age of surfaces (act 3, 495). To Lady Bracknell, marriage has nothing to do with love and affection, but rather solely relies on the respectable social image that is created. Lady Bracknell is the stereotypical Victorian woman whose utmost concern is outward appearances and societal impressions. Money, status, and manners are the only necessities in life, without which one is destined to become associated with the detestable lower classes. In addition to Lady Bracknells archaic beliefs, Miss Prism and Doctor Chasuble also illustrate conventional Victorian ideals. It is evident that the two are in love, but repress their emotions because unruly behavior is not proper. Their relationship is an obvious contrast to Jack and Gwendolyns and Algernon and Cecilys, who admittedly are guilty of nonsense and reckless extravagance (act 1, 436). Surprisingly, in act three, the audience discovers that Miss Prism is the author of a novel of revolting sentimentality (act 3, 502) and more shockingly is an unwed mother. These revelations about Miss Prism blatantly contrast with Victorian acceptability. In spite of her deviations, Doctor Chasuble professes his love for her. This is yet another way in which Wilde portrays modern relationships and love. With his depictions of Bracknell and Miss Prism, Wilde creates an obvious paradigm between what a proper woman should be. Through their characters he is mocking the Victorian standard for woman because the audience can see that Gwendolyn and Cecily are truly the better women in thought and action. These ground-breaking elements contrast and spoof Victorian ideals, yet are subtle and humorous enough that the audience (especially at the time of the plays debut) is not offended by the plot or the characters. In todays world, there is nothing offensive about The Importance of Being Earnest, but it is necessary to keep in mind that compared to contemporary plays and novels, this is somewhat more modern. It still has the classic elements of a story line of that period: male-oriented, god-fearing, white, moneyed, and aristocratic (Raby 7). Although a majority of the characters live entirely for pleasure, the audience can still relate and enjoy the play. In such a hierarchical society where white men dominate, Wilde is careful not to offend or marginalize his target audience while launching a social critique. According to interviews (taken at the time of the plays production), Wilde adamantly insisted that The Importance of Being Earnest is not realistic because Realism is only a background, it cannot form an artistic motive for a play that is to be a work of art (39). In other words, reality has no bearing in his art, which perhaps is why he included the word trivial in his title. However, in relation to the play, is it accurate to say that reality is completely separate from art? Obviously Wilde recognized the absurdity of Victorian culture; otherwise, he could not have created a play whose humor is so relevant to both its contemporary and present-day audiences. The dialogue between characters, not the actions, is what makes The Importance of Being Earnest so humorous and transcendental (77). The characters revelations are true and consequently the farce is extremely comical. The Importance of Being Earnest set many precedents. It is one of the first plays to deal with modern issues, such as the New Woman. Wilde influenced many other artists to explore and critique societal norms and their ridiculousness. The Importance of Being Earnest will withstand the test of time through its satirical comedy and relevance to all audiences, because all audiences and readers, regardless of the time period, can relate to love, marriage, and the absurdity of society.

Assignment 1: Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tasks of HR Managers - Essay Example It covers numerous areas of the human resource like recruitment, performance, and compensation among others. Designing HR strategies refer to formulating ideas, which will make an organization achieve its goals (Graham, 2010).   A Human Resources manager, director, or generalist plays many roles in an organization (Leatherbarrow, 2010). Basing on the size of the company, these HR jobs, might have overlapping duties. In larger organizations, the HR manager, generalist, or director has clearly defined and separate roles in HR management. These duties or responsibilities bring extra responsibility and authority in the hands of the HR manager, then the director, and eventually, the Vice President who might lead several departments such as the administration. HR managers, and occasionally HR directors, oversee numerous different departments, which are each led by specialized or functional HR staff such as the compensation manager, the training manager, or the recruiting manager. Human R esource managers are supporters of both the company and the persons who work for the company. Therefore, a talented HR professional conveys a constant balancing performance to meet both needs productively (Martin, 2010). Therefore, HR managers should have full choice in implementing and designing HR strategy. There is an ever-present jeopardy that the idea of strategic HRM can become somewhat nebulous, meaning pleasant to have but difficult to realize. The risk of creating a rhetoric or reality gap is heightened. Broad and habitually bland statements of strategic intent can readily be created (Mayo, 2011).  Ã‚  

Gospel Choir by Walter Hawkins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gospel Choir by Walter Hawkins - Essay Example Somehow Walter Hawkins managed to combine being an attentive pastor, a successful musician and a loving father. He got two kids from his marriage with Tramaine Hawkins. Even though their marriage was quite short, they remained friends and link-minded people. The album series â€Å"Love Alive† were very popular and their success was growing with each next recorded hits. The audience loved that Gospel singer for his counter tenor and it can be said that his voice was so powerful that it made him sound almost like an opera singer. The role of the Choir in Walter’s performances cannot be neglected   because some velvety texture was added to his singing.   The worship of God, expressed in such talented manner, made its work and carried the necessary message to his audience . People got silent listening to his songs as they were full of his energy and love that was felt by people. It was not important what languages were understood by his listeners because language of lov e had always been understood by everyone. Walter Hawkins got many awards for his talent. Grammy Award (he was nominated nine times), Dove Awards and Stellar Awards are the most prestigious among all of them.Walter was an exceptional man because he was the best in accomplishing each task that he had started. His main contribution was his dedication to people, either to those ones who entered his life for long, or those ones who crossed it for a while. His singing career enriched the whole musical world with jazz improvisation connected.

Decision-Making Process Paper Essay Example for Free

Decision-Making Process Paper Essay My name is Jovon Roberson, I will be discussing my decision making process. I will try to supply research supporting my ideas. The paper will describe some steps of my process. I will compare some similarity to the text, and explain how some of the steps might be different. Most decisions people make in their life time will definitely be easy and some maybe very difficult. I truly believe that each individual is in control of their own destiny and in complete control of the decisions they have to make in their life time. My decision to start school was clearly decided right after I was terminated from my job. I was ill at the time and desperately needed to file for the family medical leave of absence so my job would not be in jeopardy, but that was a total loss. Once terminated I clearly had to make some important decisions about the future of my son and I, while thinking long and hard about how I was going to make ends meet. I had a discussion with one of my best friends and I came to the grips that I needed more than what I was getting and this really was my only option going to school. My steps are somewhat different from the ones in the text, but it is clear they there were important steps to take while making my decision to go back to school and I really believe it was one of the best decision I could have made. My decisions would have been different very different but in reality the the steps in the text provided more proper steps and they would have been a more thought out process for me butat the same time my decision would have been the same. It would have been precise, more thought out some plans would have been setup, and short term goals would have been set, long term goals would have been into play and set as well. More thought would have been there to back everything up not just the goals set in my head they would have been on paper in black and white. I would have been better prepared for all my future intents. People gather and evaluate information when they face major decisions or milestones in their lives. The internet has become a more important source of information as people gain experience and as they embrace broadband (Copyright 2012 Pew Internet American Life Project). In this paper I have discussed some similarity to the text, and explain how some of the steps might be different. The decisions people make in their life time will definitely be easy and some maybe very difficult and how I truly believe that each individual is in control of their own destiny and in complete control of the decisions they have to make in their life time. I hope I have covered everything in this paper that you have asked for. I thank you for your attention and your time. References: Copyright 2012 Pew Internet American Life Project http://pewinternet.org/Topics/Activities-and-Pursuits/Decision-Making.aspx?typeFilter=5

Study of Genetics Essay -- Biology, Genomics Era, Kenaf

1 INTRODUCTION Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a type of fiber crop (Dempsey, 1975) and is commercially cultivated in more than 20 countries, particularly in India, China, Thailand and Vietnam (Fao, 2008). World production of kenaf and allied fibers reported as 3,251,125 tons in 2009 (Fao, 2011). Kenaf has a wide range of applications in making biocopmosite board, textile, industrial filters, and high-quality paper. Malaysia is one of the main exporters of timber and timber based products in the world. Renewable resource for biocomposite and timber based products in Malaysia is one of the essentials in agriculture sector. Kenaf has been considered as a potential renewable source for biocomposite making industry in Malaysia. Furthermore, kenaf has been considered as a valuable substitute for tobacco plantation in Malaysia. Kenaf production is increased from 1,163 tons in 2005 to 4,185 tons in 2007 as reported by Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia (2008). Lack of suitable kenaf varieties for Malaysian climate is one the challenges that hinder kenaf integration. Kenaf varieties have not been extensively evaluated in Malaysia. The number of kenaf commercialized varieties is limited in the world. Besides, very few studies have been conducted on genetic control of fiber yield and fiber quality of kenaf. Understanding of the inheritance and genetic control of the fiber yield and quality will help in structuring breeding strategy to develop cultivars with improved fiber yield and quality. New tools and methods have been introduced to facilitate quantitative genetic studies, particularly in the study of complex traits. In genomics era, plant breeders benefited from new technologies and advances i... ...echnology to detect DNA melting behavior and developments in saturating DNA dyes, made possible to accurately plot and analyze melting behavior of targeted DNA (Vossen et al., 2009). High resolution melting (HRM) is a post PCR technique which can be used for high throughput mutation scanning and genotyping (Gundry, 2003). HRM curve analysis procedure can be used for SNP detection (Becsà ¡gh et al., 2010; De Koeyer et al., 2010; Lehmensiek et al., 2008; Miyamoto et al.; Rouleau et al., 2009; Studer et al., 2009a; Ujino-Ihara et al., 2010; Wittwer et al., 2003; Wittwer, 2009). Applicability of HRM curve analysis for genotyping of plants using SNP markers recently have been reported by many researcher (De Koeyer et al., 2010; Ganopoulos et al., 2010; Hofinger et al., 2009; Lehmensiek et al., 2008; Picard and Bosco, 2008; Studer et al., 2009b; Ujino-Ihara et al., 2010).

Maslow’s theory Essay

There is an interrelationship between Maslow’s theory and Herzberg’s theory. These two theories have a similarity in that both of them suggest employee satisfaction as a motivation factor. Form the above discussion, it is possible to tell that Herzberg cites esteem needs and self-actualization needs from Maslow’s theory as the motivators. Others needs do not cause motivation and failure to address them in the organization setting only leads to dissatisfaction. Criticisms Maslow’s theory Several criticisms exist about Maslow’s motivation theory. To begin with, there is limited scientific evidence if any to support the above theory. Furthermore, personal need priorities may not be in the order given by Maslow. For example, there is a possibility of social needs coming before security needs since one must belong to a society in the first place. Another criticism is that people do not necessarily satisfy each level of need at a time. Needs tend to conflict such that a person may be motivated to achieve different needs at the same time or make priorities depending on the urgency of each need. Maslow’s theory is therefore general and does not consider individual differences. Herzberg’s theory Herzberg’s theory does not also consider individual differences when analyzing factors that cause satisfaction and those that cause dissatisfaction. One dissatisfaction factor may be a motivator for someone else and vise versa. For example, increased responsibility could be a dissatisfier for someone who is resistant to change. Again Hertzber’s model is too simplistic and only addresses factors that people would consider normal motivational factors in any workplace setting. Describe goal setting theory. Explain how this theory can be applied to performance appraisal and compensation This is a motivational theory developed by Edwin Locke. It is actually an improvement of the final causality theory advanced by Aristotle which put forth that purpose can lead to action. According to Locke, an individual’s behavior is to a large extent influenced by their ambitions and goals (Latham and Locke, 2002). For this reason, goals significantly improve performance. Most individuals set goals in anticipation for something; usually a reward to be obtained after achieving the set goal. Goals can be said to affect performance in three different ways (Latham and Locke, 2002). Firstly, they narrow an individual’s attention so that all efforts are directed towards activities that are relevant to achieving the set goals. Similarly, irrelevant or undesirable activities are avoided. Secondly, goals increase effort as individuals strive to achieve the set goal so as to gain the expected reward. Thirdly, goals help individuals to develop persistence. In other words, they become more willing to work even in the midst of challenges and setbacks. Goal setting is guided by factors known as moderators (Latham and Locke, 2002). These include goal –commitment, attainability and self-efficacy. In order to attain a certain goal, an individual must be ready to face every challenge that he or she finds on the way. Commitment depicts the need to achieve no matter what the circumstances. Set goals must also be attainable so that individuals must not set goals that cannot be reached. Finally, self-efficacy must be present for goals to be achieved. This refers to the ability to act in a certain way so as to be able to achieve set objectives.

Digital Television †Is It Advancement?

Digital television is becoming a global trend with a startling velocity. Following the lead of North America and Western Europe, a host of countries in East/South Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe are also hastening the epic shift from analog to digital television. It is predicted that approximately 1 billion people will be viewing digital broadcast television by the end of this year. At the current pace, nearly 38 percent of the world's TV households will be receiving digital signals by 2010 (Informa Telecoms & Media, 2007, p. 2).Underlying this technological gold rush is an array of remarkable features that digital broadcasting presents: interactivity, multichannel capacity, immunity to interference by other signals, superb audio-visual qualities, and quasi-universal interoperability with other media that recognize digital language. These outstanding qualities are founded upon the quintessence of digital technology: the binary codification (comparable to the dots and dashes o f the telegraph code), which converts data into â€Å"a bitstream of zeros and ones† (Owen, 1999, p.151).Since digital technology can break down virtually any type of information (print, painting, music, sound, photography) into a uniform code of bits and bytes, it is now possible to establish universal compatibility among various media. As Timothy Todreas (1999) observes, â€Å"text, graphics, audio and video used to be within the purview of separate industries: print, radio, and television respectively. Once digitized†¦ bits can commingle effortlessly. Content can travel down the same distribution path and can be used interchangeably† (pp.78-79).Paradoxically, the atomize-ability of digital technology precipitates digital convergence, in which all the sophisticated traditional media taxonomies and typologies will become muddied and eventually obsolete. Aside from the universal connectivity of digital television with neighboring media, there are a few other prope rties of digital television: audio/visual excellence, multichannel capacity, and interactivity. The digital television is capable of delivering superior audio/video quality compared to its analog counterpart.However, the enhanced audio/visual fidelity of digital television is best exploited in a combined use with the Hi-Definition television system, an advanced method of injecting televisual signals onto the screen in a much more precise fashion than that of its predecessors, the NTSC and PAL systems. Contrary to common belief, HDTV is not an immediate offspring of the digital television system, although electronics makers, broadcasters, and policymakers of the digital television excitedly promote it as digital television's headliner.There are multiple, significant reasons behind the deliberate â€Å"passing† of HDTV as the figurehead of digital television, especially in a Japanese context. Compared to analog signals, digitized information takes much less bandwidth, i. e. , m uch less channel capacity to distribute content per unit of time. This technical â€Å"thriftiness† is an end result of the compression technology that can filter out redundant data and squeeze more data into a given bandwidth. The economic use of bandwidth means greater space to fit more channels, which ends the â€Å"distribution bottleneck† (Todreas, 1999, p.79) common to analog formats.The sudden abundance of bandwidth leads to an explosion of channel outlets, metamorphosing the television industry structure. The interactive function of digital television is yet another benefit of the efficient use of bandwidth. A broadened bandwidth not only increases the volume of channels and the velocity of information but also enables â€Å"two-way† traffic. With expanded two-way interactions between sender and receiver, digital television could transform the modality of broadcasting from a linear, unilateral communication to a cyclical, bilateral one.Apparently, the le vel of control for the user is strictly limited by the choices provided by the software programmer. However, the interactivity of television will incrementally open new modes of socio-economic and cultural interactions (Video-On-Demand and T-commerce, for instance) among the user (Swann, 2000). Still, all the perks of digital television don't come without costs and shortcomings. The multiple channels of digital television could inspire program diversification and perhaps contribute to a socio-cultural diversification.In fact, critics and viewers have already become disillusioned by the promise of channel multiplication, for it has impoverished, rather than improved, the program quality and originality in a way similar to what cable television did in the U. S. Likewise, the interactive functions of digital television could turn into a blight rather than a blessing. Tony Feldman (1997) posits that interactivity â€Å"runs the risk of giving the users so much power in determining thei r own experiences of content that the only message conveyed is the one the user chooses to receive.The freedom to chart your own course, therefore, can emasculate as readily as it can liberate† (p. 18). Development of HDTV The question of high definition television came up in the early 1970's when Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, raised the possibility of HDTV. The technology was first developed by the Japanese to produce a better quality picture than previously available, and in 1978 NHK came up with two new HDTV systems. One of them was an 1,125 line system, the other a 2,125 line system that was transmitted by satellite (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).Japan started the HDTV movement in 1970 and spent over one billion dollars on its development by mid-1990 (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). In the early 1970's the major players in the effort to produce HDTV were Sony Pictures, Panasonic, Ikegami, and NHK. Most of the engineering was undertaken by Sony and NHK te sted the concept over the air. Panasonic and Ikegami (along with Sony) developed cameras, video tape recorders and other equipment needed for an entire HDTV package. Philips, the Dutch equipment manufacturer, developed a new HDTV system called Eureka in the early 1970's.The system scanned 1,250 horizontal lines at 50 frames per second, with the same 16 to 9 aspect ratio as the Japanese system. This system was sometimes referred to as Vision 1,250 (Gross, 2000). The American television industry was finally waking up and coming out of the doldrums it had been in since the early 1970's. The Japanese production had already taken over television, VCR's, and the stereo business. It looked as if they would also become world-leaders in the development of HDTV (Fisher and Fisher, 1996).The US was behind in the development of HDTV over Europe and Japan. The Defense Department pledged to spend $30 million dollars on the technology. The Defense Department sanctioned the spending of this money p artly because the superior picture quality would have application for military reconnaissance and pilot training (Hart, 2004). The House Telecommunications Subcommittee held a hearing with the intent to insure that this new technology would flourish in the United States (Gross, 2000).The electronics industry is in a high stakes race. A 1989 government report stated that the United States stood a chance to lose 2 million jobs, and suffer a $225 billion dollar annual trade deficit by the year 2010 if the US does not produce a coherent strategy to compete in the HDTV and associated industries (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). During the Reagan era an industrial consortium known as â€Å"Sematech† wanted to push the United States to become the leading technological manufacturer of the computer chip. This chip is used in HDTV.Chipmakers are of vital importance to the overall well being of the electronics industry. They represent the USA's largest manufacturing business, with revenues for 19 89 of $300 billion dollars. This is a business that is larger than the steel industry, aerospace, and the automobile industry combined (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). The American Electronics Association (AEA) wanted funds in US government loans, grants and loan guarantees to further produce and improve HDTV. They felt once the government committed itself that deeply it could not pull out (Hart, 2004).The AEA's attempt to persuade the government to enter into a government-industry consortium failed. It was an ambitious program to form a consortium to develop the next-generation of HDTV sets. The plan attracted only nominal support in Congress. The Bush administration actively opposed the idea. It received vocal support from the industry but no financial commitments (Hart, 2004). The Bush administration wanted to pull the plug on the high-tech industries. Washington was determined to cut the $10 million dollars pledged for research and development of HDTV in 1989.It also wanted to cut all fe deral support including the $100 million dollars it pledged for research and development in 1991. The Japanese manufacturers of semiconductors are encouraged by their government to spend 50 percent more on research and development of the chip. This is often subsidized by the Japanese government. This is more money spent on chip development than its US counterpart (Hart, 2004). In 1977 the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) formed a study group to investigate HDTV in the United States.As early as 1973 an 1,125 scanning line HDTV system was shown to engineers with CBS supporting the system. By 1980 SMPTE recommended using a system of about 1,100 scanning lines per frame and an interlace system (Fisher & Fisher, 1996). Since the US decided to take the lead in HDTV development the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sponsored the movement by creating â€Å"The Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service† (ACATS). This was headed by former FCC Cha irman Richard Wiley (Schreiber, 1999). ACATS declared an open competition to help create a usable HD service for the US.The FCC requested those involved with this project to submit their proposals to the FCC for approval. Shortly after that 23 proposals were turned in to the FCC. All of them were in analog format (Schreiber, 1999). Many of the inventors felt that digital would not become available until the 21st century. Also many broadcasters were not interested in creating a new system that was not compatible with their existing system, since that would require them to invest heavily to create a new market form (Fisher and Fisher, 1996). CBS was the first network to actively pursue HDTV (Hart, 2004).This was unusual since at that time the broadcast networks had less money to invest in high cost programming. In part some of this was due as a result of the viewing audiences shifting over from the broadcast networks' programming to the cable stations. The loss of viewers to home VCR playback and rental movies, satellite delivery of Direct-TV, DBS and pay cable services also accounted for viewer erosion (Hart, 2004). In 1981 the Japanese company NHK was prodded by CBS to come to the United States to demonstrate their HDTV system.Members of CBS and SMPTE met with the Japanese in San Francisco, California, at the St. Francis Hotel at an annual television conference. The demonstration was very successful. The viewers were impressed with the NHK's system's â€Å"extraordinary resolution, rich saturated color and wide screen monitors and projection television displays (Hart, 2004, p. 92). † The general feeling of the people attending the conference was that the HDTV system broke all constraints of television picture quality imposed on them by the aging NTSC color standard.In 1983, based on what they saw at the conference, the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) was formed. Their goal was to improve the quality of video and develop new standards in tech nology. They were also instructed to come up with a recommendation for a usable HDTV standard for the United States by the spring of 1985. They were to present this standard to a subcommittee of the International Consultative Radio Committee (CCIR) which would set a world standard (Hart, 2004). The ATSC is a committee largely made up of engineers. In 1984 it had a yearly budget of $250,000.They decided to work on three parallel ideas to help improve the overall picture performance of US television. One group called the â€Å"improved NTSC† group headed by RCA Laboratories' Kern Powers, worked to improve the present standard by improving studio and transmission equipment and the television receivers. Another group called the â€Å"enhanced group† investigated new production and transmission systems that still used the 525 scanning lines and a 4 to 3 aspect ratio. They also sought to produce a better picture through different signal formats (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).The th ird group worked on HDTV at the CBS Technology Center and closely examined the Japanese NHK type of HDTV. This system would produce twice as many horizontal and vertical scanning lines as the NTSC system and would have an aspect ratio of 5 to 3 (Fisher & Fisher, 1996). Their goal was to have an HDTV standard that they could present to the FCC by the spring of 1985. Their standard would be compatible with NTSC, PAL and SECAM and they could transfer their video to 3 5 mm film for theatrical release (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).By March of 1985 ATSC did have a standard they felt they could present to the FCC. They picked 1,125 scanning lines as their standard because it was a compromise between twice the 525 NTSC standard, which equals 1,050 and twice 625 lines (used in Europe) which is 1,250. The system would also have a two-to-one interlaced scanning, a 5 to 3 aspect ratio and scan at 80 fields per second. This scanning rate was the only source of controversy, since the NTSC used 60 per se cond and most of Europe used 50 per second (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).The Europeans felt it could not be used by them because conversion could not take place without some degradation of picture quality. The Japanese approved of it since most of their experiments were conducted in a 60 field per second rate (Hart, 2004). By January of 1988 the ATSC voted on an HDTV system of 1,125 scanning lines, 60 hertz HDTV, 16 to 9 aspect ratio production standard. The vote approved of this standard 26 for and 11 against, with 8 abstaining. The Association of Maximum Service Telecasters (AMST) and the National Association of Broadcasters voted against the new standard (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).Late in 1987 the FCC steering committee submitted a list of five proposed guidelines in which to raise, or solicit, the funds from the participating companies involved with the development of HDTV. The most important guideline of the proposal was that â€Å"no one source contributes more than 15 per cent of the total, private funds raised,† according to the FCC (Hart, 1994, p. 216). In 1989 the American Electronics Association predicted that HDTV would reach the mass market by 1999 and that it would take until the year 2002 to reach 10 percent market penetration.They stated that HDTV would be megapixel, doubling the horizontal and vertical resolution of present television, with around 1,200 scanning lines by about 800 points across and close to a million pixels per screen. It was believed at this time that early HDTV sets would be expensive, large, projection TV's that would find their way into sports bars before they are accepted in private homes (Helliwell, 1989). It was the dawn of the digital age. â€Å"The leap from analog to digital could be as striking as that from black and white to color. † (Dupagne & Seel, 1998, p. 67).By 1990 General Instrument Corporation claimed it had perfected the first all-digital method of transmitting an HDTV signal that would be compatible w ith conventional broadcast channels. That year the FCC announced that it would select the new United States HDTV standard after extensive testing from applicants from six systems including European, Japanese and American companies (Hart, 2004). On May 24, 1993 the â€Å"Grand Alliance† was formed. The four leading pioneers of USA's quest for a high definition picture joined forces. General Instruments-DSRC, AT+T/Zenith, Thomson/Philips, and MIT were the companies that formed this alliance.The purpose of the Grand Alliance was to combine the various parts of their four separate systems into one complete system. This way they would produce a single, all-digital HDTV transmission system. The four HDTV systems that each company produced separately (before the alliance) had a good picture in a 6 Mhz channel, but none of them were deemed good enough to be considered the single acceptable standard (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). The new Grand Alliance systems comprised 1080 active scanning lines with 1920 pixels per line, interlaced at 59.94 and 60 fields per second, and a 720 active line with 1280 pixels per line, progressive scanning at 59. 94 and 60 frames per second. Both formats operated in the progressive scanning mode at 30 and 24 frames per second.The system used MPEG-2 video compression and transport systems and Dolby AC-3, 384 Kb/8 audio. It also used the 8-VSB transmission system developed by Zenith. This system was overwhelmingly approved by the ATSC membership. The old analog NTSC television will someday cease to exists as we know it. In its place high quality digital TV and HDTV will capture a larger and larger share of the market (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).The ATSC believed that its HDTV standard would rule the land-based-over-the-air broadcast not only in the United States but in the northern hemisphere, and even in a few Asian countries as well. Europe, Japan and Australia are going to have a different HDTV standard from the USA. America's standard uses a n eight-level vestigial sideband (8-VSB) 6- Mhz modulation for its over-the-air transmission. The European, Japanese, and Australian systems use an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system (Strassberg, 1998). But politics intervened and a world wide standard was not to be.Different parts of the world will all have their own high definition standards. All the different formats will have more scanning lines than the present NTSC system, but they will not have the same number of scanning lines as each other. Therefore, conversion will be necessary between each country's systems (Hart, 2004). When the people involved in trying to set up a standard for HDTV moved from the chaotic to a more organized collaboration the marketing strategies did not keep pace with the development. There was a consensus among the manufacturers that HDTV would never happen, or at least it would be on a smaller scale than predicted.In Japan their HDTV development was stunted because of a lack of attractive programming. In Europe HDTV was abandoned because there was no consensus among programmers, signal providers, and the public (Hart, 2004). Both Mexico and Canada have refused to sign off on the channel assignments granted to the US stations in bordering areas. This will lead to a clouding up of the signals in those parts of the states. Detroit had to delay its planned digital/HDTV delivery launch on November 1, 1998, because of signal mix-up (Stern, 1998). The Thompson Manufacturing Company emphasized that the success of HDTV will largely depend on the broadcaster.Though HDTV sets are being manufactured it will depend on the number of hours of high definition signal that is being transmitted out there, to pull the audience to the television screen (Hart, 2004). . The FCC and HDTV By 1990 the FCC decided that the HDTV signal would have to fit into one channel. The Japanese were suggesting that the US use their MUSE (Multiple Sub-Nyguist Encoding) system. This system would use one channel for the picture and another channel with information to boost it to HDTV level (Schreiber, 1999). By Congressional order the FCC has assigned a second TV channel to each of the nations 1,600 television stations.Each of these stations will now be able to offer digital signal service to the public. It will be up to the broadcasters as to what kinds of services to offer and in what format they wish to transmit in (Hart, 2004). Originally then FCC Chairman, Reed Hundt, wanted to auction off the HDTV channels. The proposal for this auction was then introduced to Congress by Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole. But, heavy lobbying by the broadcasters quickly killed the bill (Schreiber, 1999). Regulators were considering adding 30 Mhz, or channels 2 to 6, to the spectrum that broadcasters will be using when the shift to digital TV is completed.By the year 2002 the analog channels will be returned to the government. The FCC will then auction these returned channels off to pros pective buyers. Congress and the White House expected this auction to raise somewhere around $5. 4 billion dollars. If broadcasters are given this additional 30 Mhz this would set the FCC back by about $2 billion dollars (Schreiber, 1999). When the analog channels are no longer in use by the broadcasters and they are auctioned off, they will be used for non-broadcast use such as mobile phones, two-way paging, and wireless Internet access (Schreiber, 1999).The broadcasters will transmit both the existing NTSC analog signal on one channel and the new HDTV signal on another channel. This way the existing analog TV sets will not be rendered useless immediately. The FCC adopted this simulcast plan where each existing television station would be assigned a second 6-Mhz channel for the analog TV and a channel for HDTV service (Schreiber, 1999). On Thursday April 3, 1997, the FCC approved by 4 to zero the biggest advance to broadcasters since the 1950's when color was introduced to televisi on.The government announced that it was giving away to broadcasters free air-space. Critics of the FCC felt that giving this free air-space, without having the stations pay for it, was the biggest government give away of the century. To the 1,600 stations in this country this is an estimated $70 billion dollar gift of free channels (Schreiber, 1999). To create the necessary channels needed for HDTV the spectrum space was taken from UHF stations of channels 14 or higher. The government has had a history of setting aside unused channels in the past for the broadcasters.The government will be taking these channels back and making them available to fire, police, rescue, and other public safety groups (Schreiber, 1999). By November 1, 1998 the FCC ruled that the networks must begin to broadcast a digital signal. At first only the top 10 markets will get any of the new ATSC digital signals. Only about 5 hours of broadcast high definition signal will be available. The stations will be free to broadcast as little, or as much HDTV signal as they deem possible. By 1998 the first true high definition television sets were available for sale on the open market (Hart, 2004).The roots of HDTV lie in a 1996 decision by the FCC to require broadcasters to transmit two signals, one in analog (NTSC) and one in digital. The FCC required that broadcasters continue broadcasting the analog signal until the year 2006, although the deadline can be extended if digital grows too slowly in popularity. The FCC gave each TV station a second broadcast channel for digital signals used for the new HDTV programming (Schreiber, 1999). There has been some indication that the HDTV signal does not work as well as it was predicted, or promised, to work.The November 1, 1998 launch date for HD signal was to deliver crystal clear images and CD-quality sound. And it did, but only 40 percent of the time. After a test in Washington, DC, in 1998 it was found that a majority of the time the televisions usin g indoor antennas could not display a high definition image. It was an all or nothing at all thing with over-the-air digital signals. Test results stated that with terrestrial transmission, broadcasters and set manufacturers will be even more reliant on cable operators to reach their potential viewers (Schreiber, 1999).For someone who sets up their HDTV receiver during the winter months when the leaves are off the trees, there are some who did not receive a signal in the spring when the new leaves appeared. Often the first time a potential customer views an HD television set they have to become accustomed to some surprising effects. As a result of the image compression techniques that are used to squeeze such a high-resolution picture into a 6 Mhz channel there are no noticeable defects in the picture until there is motion on the screen.The motionless backgrounds appear in stunningly clear detail, but when an object moves the picture momentarily blurs and develops a â€Å"block lik e† image around the moving object (Strassberg, 1998). The bugs are still being worked out, but as it stands the first person to purchase a high definition TV set will not be sure it will work with an antenna, and they won't be able to connect to cable (Strassberg, 1998). Industrial Policy, Politics and HDTV In October 1988, the American Electronics Association (AEA) released a report forecasting the effect of HDTV on the U. S. economy and technological prowess.This report heightened fears of foreign threats to the domestic consumer electronics industry. A string of Congressional hearings followed. In May 1989, the AEA issued a second report, which included a recommendation for $1. 35 billion in government assistance (Hart, 2004, pp. 157-9). This was necessary, argued the report, to make American companies competitive with their international competitors. The resulting political fall out could have hardly been anticipated. The second AEA report was the proverbial â€Å"last st raw† in a very heated ideological battle over American industrial policy.One side of the argument feared that U.S. firms were unfairly disadvantaged against international competition because many foreign companies enjoyed generous subsidies from their governments, which often had much more cohesive industrial policies than that of the U. S. The other side argued that the best way to ensure American success could only be accomplished through the competitive process of a free market, which is what drove the American innovative spirit—not government mandates and funding. These differing positions were soon became part of a political battle between Capitol Hill and the Bush Administration (Bingham, 1998).The position of the latter was influenced by a stand against industrial policy taken by Bush during a campaign speech, where he declared, â€Å"I oppose the federal government's picking of winners and losers in the private sector. That's known as ‘industrial policyâ € Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Hart, 1994, p. 221). The debate had been percolating for some time. Just prior to the second AEA report, Senator Al Gore (D-Tenn. ) had been the most recent of a list of legislators to introduce yet another bill designed to spur HDTV development and push the Whitehouse towards a more proactive domestic industrial policy.The bill was motivated in part by Gore's unhappiness with Secretary Mosbacher, who had refused to attend a hearing by his Science Subcommittee (Bingham, 1998). Not all within the industry favored the Congressional push for government assistance. The Electronic Industries Association (EIA), whose members—unlike the AEA—included foreign owned companies as well as U. S. companies did not support government subsidization for fear they might not get a piece of the proverbial pie (Bingham, 1998). Philips and Thompson lobbied vigorously against this legislation.They argued that their system shouldn't be put at a disadvantage just because they wer e European companies. After all, their American subsidiaries provided American jobs just like their American owned counterparts, and their system, if chosen, would benefit the American public just like the other systems (Hart, 2004). This illustrates the problematic nature of industrial policy: provided you do decide that it is even in America's best interest to subsidize companies, how do you then rationalize subsidizing those very competitors all over again?Yet, if you do subsidize U.S. and not foreign owned companies, you still risk disadvantaging American workers (Bingham, 1998). As a consequence of the political battle over industrial policy, the Bush Administration developed an anti-HDTV policy. Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher, who had initially supported the promotion of a strong HDTV policy, became a critic of such policies as a result of the political fallout. In one Congressional hearing, he criticized the industry for holding back research in hopes that it might ge t funding from the government (Hart, 1994, pp.221-222).The second AEA report came at the climax of the battle. A focal point of the battle was DARPA, which had begun an initiative to fund HDTV technology in the public sector for â€Å"dual use† purposes (i. e. encourage technologies that provide significant benefits to both the defense and civilian sectors) (Bingham, 1998, p. 110). By the end of May, the White House had ordered a halt to pro HDTV industrial policies, and Craig Fields, a vocal supporter of DoD funded HDTV development, would eventually be dismissed in April of 1990.Interestingly, in the midst of all this fallout, Al Sikes, former head of the NTIA and a big proponent of HDTV, became the new Chairman of the FCC in August of 1989. However, the nomination had actually been submitted before the political battle over HDTV had escalated (Dupagne & Seel, 1998, p. 184). The introduction of digital helped alleviate the conflicting goals of progress versus compatibility, by offering an option so significantly advanced that it superseded the goal of compatibility.The conflicting goals reflect the much broader conflict between the FCC's dual mandates to promote and police. It is interesting to keep in mind, however, that new technology was not the only factor in this move. After all, the FCC actually chose to pursue an HDTV approach vis-a-vis a more compatible EDTV approach at least two months before, GI revealed its digital system (Hart, 2004). It might be very easy to lay the problems of adoption that have resulted from choosing a digital system, which was not compatible to NTSC, at the feet of the FCC.We could speculate that commissioners were unable to grasp the complexities and significance economic principles or the staff was to rigid in its thinking to find a truly innovative solution to the problems already discussed. However, the fact remains that the move towards DTV was also made by industry participants. The FCC could not force manufacture rs to propose a system they did not want (Hart, 2004). Once full digital HDTV had been achieved, many manufacturers voluntarily scrapped their analog systems in order to pursue digital systems. In making this choice proponents were at the mercy of economic forces beyond their control.They could not afford not to choose a digital system following GI's breakthrough: the risk that the public and officials would perceive such systems as technologically inferior was too great. Digital threatened the successful adoption of any analog system, regardless of the outcome of the contest. In the end the analog systems failed to compete adequately with the digital systems anyway (Hart, 2004). Conclusion Now era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system, which is set on February 17, 2009 (dtv.com).The veneration of HDTV as the single source of spectacular televisual experience and as the epitome of digital televisi on is a necessary mythology for the joint endeavor of the broadcasting industry, HDTV manufacturers, and the MPT to move digital broadcasting in the world forward. HDTV is, by definition, a specific type of television receiver that provides higher resolution than the NTSC standard by way of compressing, storing, and delivering a greater amount of image and sound information than previous transmission systems.There are a number of competing HDTV standards, and unlike common mis/conceptions, not all HD televisions are digital. Nor does the digital HDTV necessarily guarantee a better audio-visual fidelity than the analog HDTV. Additionally, HDTV is not the sole foundation of the audio-visual grandeur of the digital television system. Technically, not all HDTV can assist or accommodate diverse functions (e. g. , interactivity) that the digital broadcasting service would normally offer. Nor can all digital television receivers, likewise, convey as good a picture quality as a HDTV would p roffer.As the digitalization of broadcasting became an irreversible national policy of U. S. in 1990s, electronics companies tended to blend the two technical specifications, manufacturing only digital HDTV sets. And as the digital HDTV becoming a norm in the industry, digital television and HDTV are often used interchangeably, regardless of their technical and conceptual differences. Digital TV alone could enhance audio-visual quality to a considerable degree, since it involves no mediation of transmission towers or ground cables, thereby decreasing the chance for the deterioration of broadcast signals.Accurate or erroneous, the adoration of HDTV as the end-all and be-all of visual excellence would place the entire edifice of digital broadcasting in U. S. on a pedestal. More specifically, it is expected to have a dramatic impact on the viewer's awareness of digital broadcasting, and consequently, adoption of more advanced, multifunctional digital TV sets. As the audience is exposed to the crisp, vivid images of HDTV, they will see a compelling reason to switch to digital broadcasting. A wide and speedy diffusion of digital HDTV is a prerequisite for the energetic growth of digital broadcasting and a barometer to measure such growth.Second, digital HDTV sets are considered an axial item for the reinvigoration of U. S. ‘s economy led by the three engines: the AV equipment industry, electronics manufacturing, and online business. With many years of rigorous R&D endeavors, U. S. begin to claims its share of the global HDTV and associated A-V equipment market. HDTV is no longer a plain â€Å"household appliance† but a core IT technology, equipped with cutting-edge apparatuses, ranging from memory chips, mobile transmitters, and LCD, PLP monitors, to various paraphernalia that enable interoperability with other digital devices.Conclusively, odd it may sound, U. S. ‘s development of HDTV is infused with what might be called â€Å"techno-nationali sm† that has intensified throughout its competition with the Japan for economic and technological supremacy. The four-decade long endeavor of promoting HDTV as the global standard has been at once a medium and a theater of the techno-economic contest between the two techno-egos. HDTV is, after all, as much a political game as a business matter; as culturally intense a project as a technology-intensive battle.But this battle is not over. As the latest news report, â€Å"the electronic company Sony will debut a flat-screen t flat-screen television powered by organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that require less power and space. The OLEDs result in a television picture with stronger colors and a faster response time in pixels. The television will be introduced in Japan but will not be available in the U. S. for several years. † (Berhie, 2007)

Consciousness and Unconsciousness Essay Example

Consciousness and Unconsciousness Essay Example Consciousness and Unconsciousness Essay Consciousness and Unconsciousness Essay Consciousness vs Unconsciousness Descartes using the method of doubt, tries to create a firm foundation fornew sciences. This method should be based on something that is not susceptible to doubt. When Descartes applies the method of doubt, he doubts everything that are derived from senses. Descartes adopted the strategy of withholding his belief from anything that was not entirely certain and in dubitable. He decides that he cannot be deceived about his own existence, because if he did not exist, he would not be around to worry about it.If he did not exist, he would not be thinking; so if he is thinking, he must exist. This is the Cogito ergo sum, I think therefore I am. Thinking comes first, and for Descartes that is a real priority.The mind is better known than the body, and the cogito ergo sum makes Descartes believe, not just that he has proven his existence as a thinking substance, a mind, leaving the body as some foreign thing to worry about later. Descartes takes I as a hisfirst principle and thus I think is qualitatively different from our physical body.Thinking causes awareness and when we think we are conscious. Consciousness is very complete in itself for Descartes and it is unbroken, has no gaps.Freud challenges Descartes and says consciousness is less reliable than we think. Human beings cannot learn everything from consciousness. The essence for soul to Descartes, the attribute that makes a soul what is it, is thinking.But what then am I?A thing that thinks.What is that?Athing that doubts, understands, affrims, denies, is willing, is unwilling, and also imagines and has sensory perceptions.(Descartes Medidation #2).Descartes main concern is the mind-body problem. He claimed that human beings are composites of two kinds ofsubstances, mind and body.

What Are Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses

What Are Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses An adjective clause functions almost exactly like a solo adjective, to modify a noun. Adjectival clauses  are dependent clauses, and usually begin with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom  or whose) or a relative adverb (where, when, and why).   There are two main types of  adjectival  clauses: nonrestrictive and restrictive. Heres a little bit about how to distinguish between the two.   Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses An adjective clause set off from the main clause by commas is said to be nonrestrictive. Heres an example: Old Professor Legree, who dresses like a teenager, is going through his second childhood. This who clause is nonrestrictive because the information in the clause doesnt restrict or limit the noun it modifies ( Old Professor Legree). The commas signify that the adjective clause provides added, not essential, information. Restrictive Adjective Clauses On the other hand, an adjective clause that is restrictive should not be set off by commas. An older person who dresses like a teenager is often an object of ridicule. Here, the adjective clause restricts or limits the meaning of the noun it modifies ( An older person). A restrictive adjective clause is not set off by commas. So to review, here are the basic rules. An adjective clause that can be omitted from a sentence without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence should be set off by commas and is nonrestrictive. An adjective clause that cannot be omitted from a sentence without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence should not be set off by commas and is restrictive Practice Identifying Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses For each sentence below, decide if the adjective clause (in bold) is restrictive or nonrestrictive. When youre done, check your answers at the bottom of the page. Students who have young children are invited to use the free daycare center.I left my son at the campus daycare center, which is free to all full-time students.John Wayne, who appeared in over 200 movies, was the biggest box-office attraction of his time.I refuse to live in any house that Jack built.Merdine, who was born in a boxcar somewhere in Arkansas, grows homesick every time she hears the wail of a train whistle.My new running shoes, which cost more than a hundred dollars, fell apart during the marathon.I lent some money to Earl, whose house was destroyed in the flood.The thing that impresses me the most about America is the way parents obey their children.A physician who smokes and overeats has no right to criticize the personal habits of his patients.The beer that made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me. Answers RestrictiveNonrestrictiveNonrestrictiveRestrictiveNonrestrictiveNonrestrictiveNonrestrictiveRestrictiveRestrictiveRestrictive

Contracting for IT Software Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contracting for IT Software - Case Study Example The SLOC is a method that plays a huge role in estimating project costs for both an existing program and a program that is yet to be built. This approach is more straightforward and less risky particularly when dealing with an existing project. Three types of SLOC methods are used in project costs estimation. These are the physical SLOC, physical carriage returns, and the Logical SLOC. The physical SLOC is the most common in the development cost estimation process (Sudhakar 80). In the application of physical SLOC, one has to express the physical length of the code used by a programmer as seen by a physical eye. That is, the user applies this method by counting the lines of source code with the exclusion of comments and blank segments. To facilitate the counting process, a user builds automated counters of the physical lines of code. It is vital to note that the use of function points is another crucial method used in the estimation of IT software project costs. Function point entails a unit of measure that is used to determine the quantity of operational or business functionalities within an information system. The function points provide a measure of a software size. In general, it measures the size of a software development project by quantifying the software functionalities required by the user on the basis of the logical design and functional specifications. The function points method plays a huge role in ensuring that there is a clear measure of a software system’s size and complexity to aid in determining its development cost. Here, one function point represents one user required business function (Mislick and Nussbaum 66). It is essential to clarify the function point method can be used in the following way to determine the development costs of a software project.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English - Essay Example He wants to find his father, and thinks that a black American soldier is his father, and so he goes to find him. The soldier give him gifts and bring him back to the nuns. The real point of this story, however, is to tell two stories at the same time. The first and simplest story is the search of the boy Joe for his father. The much bigger story is the problem that all human beings have: they need to figure out their own place in the world. The time and the place of the story are explained at the beginning. There is a clue to the universal nature of the themes in the first line when the children are called â€Å"eighty one small sparks of human life.† (line 1) This description emphasizes how important each child is, even though they have been abandoned by their parents. The war has meant that these children are separated from all that they knew, and some of the local German people look at them and wonder what nationality they have. The nuns do not care what nationality the chi ldren have, and just see them as children needing care. There is one child who is given a special name, â€Å"the Brown Bomber† which is the name of a famous black American boxer. This is quite amusing for the people watching but it is not funny for the boy. Actually he has no name. The nuns call him Karl Heinz, which is a very Germanic name. The people watching call him Joe, after Joe Louis, which is an American name, but the boy does not speak English and does not understand that the name belongs to a boxer. It is only when he sees the black soldiers that he realizes there are more people like him: â€Å"I ran away from the orphanage because I belong with you.† (line 193) The sergeant realizes that it is not so simpler and points out that it is not a joke, because the boy is all alone in the world. The setting in Germany is very interesting because the Nazis were very fond of blue eyes and blond hair, thinking that these were signs of a super race. Joe has blue eyes, and he has black skin, and so he holds in his nature two opposite things. He is only six years old (line 30) and it is very sad that he does not know what his real name is, or who his parents are. He learns the truth from one of the older children who tells him that his mother was German and his father was an American soldier. The author does not mention that this was seen as a very shameful thing by the Germans, but the reader can guess this from the nun’s reaction. She explains that no one knows who his parents are, and reassures him, saying that he is a good boy and so they must be good people. The young boy Joe does not even know what an American is, or where that place is, and he has no idea about the ocean. This is a very sad part of the story because he is absolutely lost and abandoned with no idea about his own origins. Children often see the world more accurately than adults, and the story shows that he understands only that he must find out where his own people are . People tease him and say his father is in the woods, but he does not understand the joke and thinks they are being serious. On a deeper level, the story is saying that the American soldiers are, in a way, the father of this lonely little boy. His attachment to one particular man is a symbolic attachment to his ethnic origin, and also to the country of his father. The chocolate that the black soldiers give him is something he has never seen before, and it, too, is a symbol of the good things