Examine How Diet Can Affect Health

Diet means the kind of food a person customarily eats and this can affect someone positively or negatively, e.g. healthy eating can have a positive effect on someone. Healthy eating is consuming the right quantities of food from a range of foods. This is known as a balanced diet and this is essential to be healthy because if you don’t consume the right amount of foods, an excessive amount of sugar and salts, can result in being malnourished. It is important for us to eat healthy because it gives our body the nutrients it needs to perform physically and can strengthen our immune system. Healthy eating doesn’t only affect us physically, it can affect us emotionally, intellectually and socially. An example would be a person consuming an excessive amount of food or not eating the right proportion can make them feel insecure about their body, which would affect someone emotionally. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153998.php (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.livestrong.com/article/342648-the-positive-effects-of-a-healthy-diet/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/health/diet-nutrition/how-does-diet-impact-health (accessed on 09/10/2015) Physical Health Read also Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet A person’s diet can have a positive impact on their physical health. I’ve already mentioned that eating the right proportion can strengthen the immune system and give us the nutrients we need to perform physically. This is important because strengthening the immune system would mean fighting foreign intruders, like pathogenic bacteria and viruses and would also destroy cells within the body that may become an illness. Eating high amounts of fruits and vegetables would decrease infections, which would fasten the healing of injuries and infections and would decrease vulnerability to symptoms and difficulties from immune system dysfunction. According to Live Science article on the ‘Good Diet, Exercise Keep the Brain Healthy’, eating a well-balanced diet would mean â€Å"protecting the brain from damage, and counteracting the effects of aging.† This is positive impact because the brain is delicate, so it would be essential to shield the brain because damaging the brain would affect a person mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. Counteracting age would be beneficial because it would enable someone in the life stage of late adulthood be physically healthy because they can do exercise and do sports since they are counteracting age. Carolyn Robbins article on The Positive Effect of Health also shows the importance of diet. The article states that â€Å"giving your body the correct fuel will give you more energy and an overall sense of well-being.† This links to what I mentioned about nutrients providing the fuel we need to perform physically, food provides energy. http://www.livescience.com/2675-good-diet-exercise-brain-healthy.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/features/health/healthyliving/dietrisk.shtml (accessed on 09/10/2015) However, diet can have a negative impact on a person’s physical health. Physical activities are a great way of maintaining a healthy body, but an excessive amount of exercise would cause health problems. The person can feel tired, catch illnesses easily, is regularly sore and may have lack of sleep. This would make the person’s physical health weaken and may lead to affecting the other PIES. An excessive amount of salt and sugar can lead to illnesses such as diabetes or coronary heart disease, these bad habits can be passed on to family members. Passing on bad eating habits would result on children becoming obese and vulnerable to diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. It is important to have a balance proportion of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, dairies, and fruits and vegetables. This is significant in diet because eating too much would result on the person becoming obese, this later can result on bigger health problems. Nursing Times article states malnourished occurs when a person â€Å"has a poor diet that provides them with an incorrect balance of the basic food groups.† This means that a person has consumed an imbalance amount of food from the food group. For example someone may eat more dairy product than fruits and vegetables. This would affect someone physically because it would result on slower immune system and reduce muscle and tissue mass. http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/12/28/7-hidden-signs-of-overtraining.aspx (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/P/physical-health-mental-health/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/malnutrition/5001811.article (accessed on 09/10/2015) Intellectual Health Diet can affect people intellectually, eating a balanced diet can boost intelligence because a person is able to be more focused due to the nutrients being provided. Nutrients are important for growth. In taking the right amount of food would result on a person’s brain functioning properly. Oily fish is an example of food that boost a person’s intelligences. Disabled World article on â€Å"Why Fish Oil is Brain Fuel† states that the â€Å"long chain polyunsaturated Omega 3 fatty acids are the building blocks of the brain itself and are only found in any significant quantities in oily fish and of course fish oil.† These help strengthen the synapses in your brain related to memory. This is a positive impact on a person’s intellectual health because Omega-3 acid are beneficial for lowering blood pressure and Dr Madeleine Portwood have steadily found that fish oil expands behaviour, concentration levels and learning in the classroom. A high concentration level is essential for learning new information because if you are not focused than you would not process the information and therefore resulting in poor intellectual development. Good behaviour would improve a person’s contribution to learning and this would lead to improving the learning atmosphere in classrooms. http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/foods-fuel-brain (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/articles/intelligenceandmemory/omega_three.shtml (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fishoilbrainfood.shtml (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/brain-food-why-the-government-wants-your-child-to-take-omega-3-the-fish-oil-supplement-481930.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) However, diet can have a negative impact on a person’s intellectual health because eating the wrong proportion of food can affect someone academically. For example; a student studying for exams should stay away from processed food because it can lead to them feeling drained due to the chemicals in the ingredients. This would decrease the performance of the student in the exam and therefore, the student would achieve a grade that is not their potential. Fossette Allane article on ‘How Does Healthy Eating Affect Physical, Mental & Social Health?’ states that â€Å"you may feel restless or distracted or develop a headache, all of which can impair intellectual performance.† This means that certain food can have a negative impact on our health because if we are restless, distracted or have a headache we are less likely to learn, thus have a negative impact on our intellectual health. http://www.livestrong.com/article/445701-how-does-eating-healthy-affect-your-physical-mental-social-health/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/d/diet/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating-healthy-affect-physical-mental-social-health-6972.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://theconversation.com/you-are-what-you-eat-how-diet-affects-mental-well-being-27115 (accessed on 09/10/2015) Emotional Health What a person consumes can have a dramatic effect on them emotionally. The rapid increase on the number of people that are obese worldwide is related to disorders, such as depression. Children that are obese are often insecure about their body shape. This may be because of media influences and people views on beauty, more people see skinny people to be more appealing. An increase in appetite and not enough exercise can be viewed as a symptom of depression and people with depression are twice as more likely to eat more and less likely to exercise. Due to the lack of exercise and the excessive eating, the person would be more likely to be unhealthy because they are putting on body fat and not losing any. This may lead the person in viewing themselves as ‘worthless’ or ‘ugly’ because their body is putting on weight, so therefore there stomach would grow. This may cause them to be more insecure and feel like that people are making fun of them for the way they lo ok. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are another eating disorder that has emotionally impacted someone’s life. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia is when someone that sees themselves in being imperfect and would go into extreme measures to become perfect. Similar to obesity, anorexia nervosa and bulimia can make someone feel ‘worthless’ and insecure and not see themselves as beautiful. Eating disorders would cause someone to be emotionally unstable and broken. Help Guide had stated that with anorexia nervosa â€Å"the desire to lose weight becomes more important than anything else.† This shows that with eating disorders the person can become emotionally unstable that they crave to lose or gain weight. http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/health/diet-nutrition/how-does-diet-impact-health (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating-healthy-affect-physical-mental-social-health-6972.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.prevention.com/food/food-remedies/foods-proven-boost-mood-and-happiness (accessed on 09/10/2015) Nevertheless, diet can have a positive impact on our emotional health. Some people feel satisfied when eating processed food because the food can contain substances that lift self-esteem. Alex Korb says that â€Å"your brain releases dopamine in anticipation of eating good food, and that anticipation makes eating even more pleasurable.† This meaning that food can bring a good feeling when we are eating it. Food can play with our emotions; majority of people crave ice cream when they are overwhelmed and some eat chocolate when celebrating good news. Sara Tomm states that â€Å"when you look good, you feel good and you have self-confidence and fewer inhibitions.† This means that a person can have confidence can be increased through feeling good about your image. The way you view yourself can have an important role on your self-esteem. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/emotional-effects-bad-diet-2711.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/depression-and-obesity.aspx (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa.htm (accessed on 09/10/2015) Social Health Diet can affect a person’s health positively because eating the right proportion can make someone more social. When a person feels happy, their self-esteem and confidence increase and therefore, they would be more willing to social with other people; the gathering could be a family dinner. Eating a healthy balanced diet would lower illnesses related to malnourishment and hence would make the person more social. Leah Hyslop article ‘Socially Awkward? Eat Sauerkraut and Pickles’ states that â€Å"fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and yogurt, may help alleviate the symptoms of chronic shyness.† This means that certain food that are fermented, which is the process in which food is visible to bacteria and yeasts, either through immunisation or naturally through the air, can play with our moods. Sauerkraut and Pickles can make people feel more social. In the article, it mentions that a research was conducted and had found that fermented food can help us not be socially awkward. I had researched more into the studies and discovered that certain food we eat can make us approachable to other people. This would make relationships with others stronger. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11667407/Socially-awkward-Eat-sauerkraut-and-pickles.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://vitals.lifehacker.com/your-diet-foods-should-make-you-feel-full-not-just-b-1737682858?utm_expid=66866090-76.Xf7HV5ZSS3i8CtAkjmzQiA.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.webmd.com/20150618/social-anxiety-fermented-food (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://greatist.com/happiness/social-media-food-050813 (accessed on 09/10/2015) If a person doesn’t eat the right proportion of food or skips a meal, this would more likely result on the person becoming irritated and annoyed at the littlest things. This can make the person more likely to become outraged or annoying to others, therefore would put more strains on their friendship with others. Majority of people would not be relevant to someone that may experience mood changes because of hunger. David Benjamin article on Social Benefits of a Healthy Diet states that â€Å"few people want to spend much time with someone who is short tempered or shows unpredictable changes in mood or behaviour.† Hunger can cause a person to become grumpy or less active because of their body craving nutrients that would give them energy to perform physically. Due to being less active a person can feel socially excluded because they may not perform their potential. They may feel that their friends or family are different playing field than them. Consuming to much sugar an d processed food can also make someone easily angry. http://www.livestrong.com/article/199179-social-benefits-of-a-healthy-diet/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating-healthy-affect-physical-mental-social-health-6972.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) Factors that Effect Health: Employment Physical People with injuries, such as back pain, find it beneficial to go back to work after the healing process is completed. It would be better for the person to go back to work because they would be physically active and won’t prolong the injury in worsening. For example, a teacher arriving back to work from a leg injury would walk from classrooms to classrooms, which cause the muscles not to strain. Being out of work for a long period of time can worsen the recovery period of a person with injury. Employment can also help a person’s recovery because it provides an income for the employee. There could be a finical barrier preventing a person when it comes to recovery; if they are unemployed they may not be able to afford medications or gym membership. Therefore, employment can help someone recovery period and also make them physically active because they can afford to buy gym memberships or fitness equipment. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214326/hwwb-is-work-good-for-you.pdf (accessed on 09/10/2015) Intellectual Employment can make a person wiser and experienced from working in a particular occupation for a long period of time. This would mean that the person’s intellectual health would be healthier since they have become more experienced in the occupation, thus knowledge had increased. This shows the benefits of employment has on a person’s intellectual health. Another example of how intellectual health can improve with employment is if a person is returning to work after a period of illness, which can include mental ill-health. Employment can help the recovery period because it can prevent intellectual skills from diminishing. People with mild or severe mental health problems can benefit from working because their minds would be busy with work load and less likely for them to have depression. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212266/hwwb-mental-health-and-work.pdf (accessed on 09/10/2015) Emotional Having a steady job can make someone feel proud that they achieved or accomplished their goals. Thus increasing their confidents and self-esteem because they would view themselves more highly. Emotions in the workplace can play a huge role in how an entire functions in organisation. Positive emotions, such as happiness and joy, in the workplace can help the employees and employers work efficiently and have a more enjoyable atmosphere. Negative emotions, such as anger and stressed, can create a holistic atmosphere in the workplace. For example; an employee that feels that they are being used by their profession. This is more related to retail workers and teachers because they are often working overtime and are not paid for the overtime. http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/how-employers-can-boost-employees-emotional-resilience/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.fastcompany.com/1311650/engaging-your-employees-emotional-benefits (accessed on 09/10/2015) Social Work meets important psychological needs in societies, where employment is the norm. Therefore, work becomes a key factor to individual identity, social roles and social status. A social benefit of employment would be that a person can have a friendship with their colleagues. This meaning that a bond would be established between colleagues, which would make the work environment more enjoyable. Getting paid can allow the person to go places, such as restaurants or concerts, with friends or family members. This would make the person socially more active. It offers a vibrant connection between the individual and society and allows people to contribute to society and attain personal accomplishments. Employment also offers a sense of independence to a person. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/231006/13-1135-economic-and-social-benefits-associated-with-further-education-and-skills-learning-for-those-not-in-employment.pdf (accessed on 09/10/2015) https://www.infoxchange.net.au/news/social-inclusion-through-meaningful-employment-benefits-social-firms-find-out-more-social-firms (accessed on 09/10/2015) Factors that Effect Health: Unemployment Physical Depression can lead to affecting a person’s physical health as well. They are less likely to exercise, which would make them physically unhealthy. Robert Leahy article on ‘Unemployment Is Bad for Your Health’ states that unemployment people are â€Å"more likely to have poor health habits, characterized by excess drinking, smoking, lack of exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle.† This means that unemployment can cause a person to adapt bad behaviour, which can affect a person’s physical health. Excessive drinking can occur because of depression. If a person fails to get a job, it can result on them judging and viewing themselves as worthless. Further making the person addicted to alcohol or smoking. This is a problem because an excessive amount of drinking and smoking can lead to diseases, such as cancer. Unemployment is a cause of early mortality. Studies show that unemployed people with no prior illness were more likely to die at a younger age than the general population. For example, one study displayed that unemployed people with no prior illness were 37% more likely to pass away over the following 10 years than the overall population. Long-term unemployment is related with socio-economic deficiency. People in poverty die younger, have fewer healthy lifestyles and live in less vigorous environments. The financial strain of unemployment also has direct health impacts, with people in debt being more prone to depression. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-leahy-phd/unemployment-health_b_2616430.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1646287/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0811/the-cost-of-unemployment-to-the-economy.aspx (accessed on 09/10/2015) file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/http—www.aphref.aph.gov.au-house-committee-ewr-owk-report-chapter2.pdf (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.urban.org/research/publication/consequences-long-term-unemployment/view/full_report (accessed on 09/10/2015) Intellectual Unemployment can have a negative affect a person’s intellectual health because they would not have the motivation to rely on their academic achievement. This can be difficult for a person with mental health problems because unemployment can slow down recovery period and increase psychological distress, further worsening their intellectual health. Work is significant factor for everyone mental health because it gives a sense of purpose, income and can even promote independence. Unemployment increases the risk of developing mental health problems, such as depression. Unemployment can often result bad credit loans and people may become easily manipulated trying to earn something for a living. This have a negative effect on a person’s intellectual health because they might not be able to comprehend what they are doing due to desiring money. file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/iwh_briefing_mental_health_2009.pdf (accessed on 09/10/2015) Emotional The loss of organised time, social contact and status have negative effects on health. Unemployment can make someone depressed for not having a job. Majority of people struggle to find a job due to the job market being difficult. This can result on someone viewing themselves in a negative way, such as labelling themselves ‘worthless.’ Wyatt Myers article ‘The Effects of Long-Term Unemployment’ says that â€Å"long-term unemployment brings depression, anger, stress, and a lack of self-confidence.† A person who is unemployed once runs a greater risk of being unemployed again. This means that if a person was to be unemployed for a long period of time, such as a year or two; can lead to them blaming themselves. Unemployed people have lower levels of emotional wellbeing extending from symptoms of depression and anxiety to self-harm and suicide. This may lead to long-lasting job insecurity, an advanced than usual contact to deprived quality jobs and a lack of control over employed life. Depression, anger, stress and lacking self-confidence can prevent a person from applying for a job. This might be because they were unsuccessful in job interviews or applications previously, which would result on their confidence decreasing. The loss of ‘position’ or rank and the loss of self-esteem are related to depression. This can triggers stress mechanisms that increase risk of diseases such as coronary heart disease. http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/effects-of-long-term-unemployment.aspx (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/09/19/the-long-unemployed-emotional-effects-of-unemployment/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/14/health/mental-health/psychology-unemployment/ (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/emotional-responses-unemployment-12711.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) Social Unemployment can have a negative impact on a person’s social health. Not having enough money can result on someone being socially excluded in their friendship circle because they can’t afford meals or tickets. The person’s relationships with friends and family members may change more dramatically if they rely on them for financial support, which can result on strains forming in their relationship. An example would be if someone was living off their parents. This means that their parents are paying for their living arrangement, mobile phone, food and maybe even clothing. The parents may feel that their child is a failure because in western cultures it is seen as a norm for children to leave their family home when they reach a certain age. However, this is not the case for Asian and African culture because they tend to want to keep their children with them until they marry someone else and start their own family. Relying on someone finically can make relationships with others worst because it can make people feel like they are being used due to spending money, which is necessary to make a living. Unemployed person would not have the necessary amount of money to buy enough food or pay for their homes. Geoff Riley article ‘Revision: Consequences of Unemployment’ articulates that â€Å"unemployment is linked to social deprivation.† This means that unemployment can cause a loss of socialisation, which can make friendship circles decrease and can result on a person feeling depressed. http://www.tutor2u.net/economics/blog/revision-consequences-of-unemployment (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-adverse-effects-unemployment-391203 (accessed on 09/10/2015) http://www.bridgingeurope.net/consequences-of-high-youth-unemployment.html (accessed on 09/10/2015) https://www.spssi.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=1457 (accessed on 09/10/2015)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Critique

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the autobiography of Maya Angelou. I find it to be a rather interesting novel, since it is based on a true story. It also helps the reader understand how black people lived and felt during that period. In the novel, there is a wide range of themes, from family ties, to rape, and even literacy. In Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the three main themes are racism, prejudice and the roll of black women. The first and most visible theme in the novel is racism. During 1969, it is common to see a black person as inferior to a white person. In the novel, Angelou shows the crudeness of white Southern attitudes toward African Americans. For example, in chapter 24, Marguerite goes to the dentist and Dr. Lincoln, a white man, refuses to treat her because she is black. He says: â€Å"I’d rather stick my hand in a dog’s mouth than in a nigger’s. † (Angelou 189). Not even because of necessary medical attention does a white person leave aside the race and treat a black patient. Putting aside her strong feelings against racism, Angelou demonstrates how she develops the understanding of the rules for surviving in a racist society. For example, in chapter 5, when the â€Å"powhitetrash† mock Momma, she stood humming while Marguerite is filed with rage, indignation and helplessness. Momma instead shows her how to maintain dignity and pride while dealing with racism. With her indifference towards the disrespectful white girls, Momma serves as a role model to all black people in her community by being the bigger person in a situation like this. The second theme in the novel is prejudice. Maya, her friends and her relatives will always be subject to prejudice simply because they are black. For example, in chapter 23, during Marguerite’s graduation, Mr.  Edward Donleavy gives a speech in which he mentions how blacks only achieve greatness through sports, not through academics: One of the first-line football tacklers at Arkansas Agricultural and Mechanical College had graduated from good old Lafayette Country Training School†¦ One of the best basketball players at Fisk sank his first ball right here at Lafayette Country Training School. (Angelou 179) The fact that Mr. Donleavy assumes that students from this school are only good for sports, simply because of their race, shows how he speaks based on prejudice beliefs. Prejudice in the novel is seen from both sides: in white people and black people. Since most white folks in Stamps mistreat blacks, black people assume all whites are the same, which means they are also prejudice against white people. For example, in chapter 2, Marguerite mentions her passion for literature, especially for Shakespeare, a white writer. She says how Bailey and she can’t mention Shakespeare to Momma: â€Å"she’d question us about the author and we’d have to tell her that Shakespeare was white, and it wouldn’t matter to her whether he was dead or not. (Angelou 14). Shakespeare is a great writer, but Momma doesn’t know this since she is prejudice against white writers and doesn’t give herself the chance to find out about this writers greatness. The third theme presented in the novel is black women’s roll. Angelou presents women’s condition during this period and describes their lives in a male-dominated society. She also shows how it’s even harder being a black woman, having to overcome this storm of sexism and racism. Some women are able to do so and become great. For example, Momma is a successful black woman, who owns a store and is considered to be wealthy. She is able to overcome the condition she is submitted to by society and become the most successful black woman in Stamps. Marguerite also serves as an example for black women’s roll during 1969. She lives in a hostile world defined by beauty in terms of whiteness: Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of this kinky mass that Momma wouldn’t let me straighten? My light-blue eyes were going to hypnotize them†¦ (Angelou 2) Marguerite believes the only way to be a beautiful and successful woman is by being white. With the help of strong female role models in her family and community: Momma, Vivian, Grandmother Baxter, and Bertha Flowers, she is able to overcome her racist and sexist beliefs, succeed in her life and become the great woman she is known to be today. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a true story about the author’s hard life during the 1960’s, a time in which black people are seen as inferior in many different aspects by society. The novel shows how they fight against racism, sexism and prejudice, and how white people also experience prejudice from black people. These themes are presented in the most realistic and crude way possible. In the end, Maya transforms from a victim of prejudice and racism with an inferiority complex to a self-confident young woman who is able to react to racism with dignity and pride.

Justification For The 9/11 Attacks Essay Example for Free (#911)

Justification For The 9/11 Attacks Essay ? The United States of America is a country, which has a free-market economy, freedom of expression for its citizens and the most influential power structure in the world. According to the CIA Fact Book (2009), â€Å"It is a country that has an average per capita GDP of $48,000 and population of around 307,212,123. America is a country, which is home to Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and atheists a like†. All of the above are the reasons for the attack on United States of America on September 11th 2001. According to Crenshaw (2003), â€Å"When the new kid in class wants to become popular, he can either be friends with the already popular guy who is strong, smart and captain of the football team, or he can pick on him and try to replace him† (P. 20). That is the psyche of the terrorists who attacked America. From the point of Al-Qaeda, it makes perfect sense to attack America because Saudi Arabia, Egypt and any other region they wanted to operate in became an ally of America. The terrorists could not operate in a state which was sharing intelligence with America, or who could foil their plans. After running from one country to another, Osama Bin Laden finds refuge in Afghanistan and uses one of America’s strengths against itself. The strength known as the free media is used to declare an open war against United States of America, and then America’s freedom is used for their own heinous agenda to carry out the attacks. In the path of world domination, the terrorists chose to attack the most leading state and come under the limelight. According to Abdullah (2003), â€Å"Their attack did not end on 9/11, but their implantation of fear in the hearts of people across the world began as a consequence of the attacks aftermath†. If you choose to believe that America could have prevented these attacks by choosing not to form allies with the chosen Middle Eastern countries, then you must also realize that could have served a major blow to America’s economy and foreign affairs. Even if America has allies in the Muslim world for global interests, it does not mean that America should become a target of terrorism. Organizations like Al-Qaeda have the ability to convert an average citizen into a extremist through their brainwashing techniques, creating hatred and blame for the Americans. This war cannot be won through infantry and missiles; this war can be won through diplomacy and open talks about foreign policy. Even if the prior bombing attacks were prevented, another set of attacks would have taken place. Suicide bombers are not apparent, these are men and women who are out to kill as much and give their life while doing it. These are people with a fatal death wish that can take hundreds of lives with them. We need to understand the reason behind this behavior; these people are coming from countries like Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon and countries, which are underdeveloped. Their governments cannot even provide the citizens with basic health insurance, education, clean water and even electricity at times. With conditions such as these, people are easier to make to believe in a purpose, which may be as irrational as suicide bombing, to attain the fruits of afterlife. Even if that is the case, that the American government could not prevent this attack because the enemy was so committed to make a statement by recruiting attackers through brainwashing people who at times were citizens of America. Even if this war is not biological, nuclear or any of such kind, yet its psychological. Still, the doubt remains that American government could still detect the sense of anti-American propaganda spreading in the world and if it did detect it, why did it not take measures to control or counter it? The American government could have carried out a campaign to insure that it would not seem unreasonable or offensive to the Muslim world. According to Adherents (2009), The Muslim community consists of over 1. 5 billion, which is over 21% of the population of the world. Thus, it is imperative that they should have been taken into consideration before making decisions such as the openly denying of the Palestine peace treaty and forming allies with Saudi Arab even though majority of the terrorists attackers in the past and of even 9/11 were Saudis. United Sates of America must realize that it couldn’t have prevented the 9/11 attacks, but it can try to take a different approach with its foreign and national policies because the present track has not proven to be affective. Therefore, America has to realize that it is in a position of power as the world leader and with that power has received some unwanted enemies who wish to take that power from the country. In order to win this war and not let this power go into the wrong hands, America must fight along side the rest of the world. Crenshaw, M. (2003). Why America is the Primary Target? Terrorism As A Globalized Civil War. New york: Longman. Middle East Review of International Affairs. (MERIA). (December 04 2003). Causes of anti-Americanism in the Arab world: a socio-political perspective by Abdel Mahdi Abdullah. Retrieved 05th June 2009. From http://meria. idc. ac. il/journal/2003/issue4/jv7n4a6. html Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 06th June 2009. Fact Book. Retrieved June 06th 2009. from Justification For The 9/11 Attacks. (2017, Feb 23).

Draft of the Baltic Sea in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Draft of the Baltic Sea in Germany - Essay Example First of all, the mines were constructed on fragile ecosystems and hence endangering the survival of wolverines, ptarmigan and also fishmillion (Boutilier & Black 2013). Secondly, the cultural and social lives of the areas like Ekati have been disrupted. Lastly due to inadequate regulatory frameworks in Canada there is no provision that the long term and environmental effects will be handled but the companies in the long term. Just to take an example of Victor mines, the environmental pollutions include the fact that 100,000 m3of salty water is pumped into river Attawapiskatmillion (Boutilier & Black 2013). Consequently, this leads to endangered aquatic lives. Another risk is that 1.2 million cubic meter of muskeg will be cleared. In addition to that, the Methyl mercury released by dewatering muskeg is potentially risky to the environment. In a different aspect, an estimate of 2.5 million rocks from the mines are dumped anywhere in the environment each yearmillion (Boutilier & Black 2013). Some of the rocks are environmental hazards since some contain dangerous chemicals which are swept into the water reservoirs. Last but not least, the area surrounding the mine is the home of woodland caribou and endangered species. This means that the lives of these animals will be further endanger. In conclusion, it is important for each country to make sure that before activities such as mining are approved, both short and long-term effects should be considered. The exploration in Canada should be an example to other countries in the mining industry. Legitimizing industry and multi-sectorial regulation of cumulative impacts: A comparison of mining and energy development in Athabasca, Canada and the Hunter Valley, Australia. Resources Policy, 38(4),

Risk Appraisal and Remediation of Oil-contaminated systems Dissertation

Risk Appraisal and Remediation of Oil-contaminated systems - Dissertation Example The main purpose of the determination of both the risk posed to the receptors and the extent of that side was mainly achieved through background research and essential data collection, the development of a conceptual site model (CSM) describing the pollution linkages and the risk values calculated by using the RISC4 software. Through the conceptual site model and software used in the conduct of the research, a number of important results were found. For instance some of the high risk receptors of the various risks that were posed were found to include workers of the company on board the vessel that crashed against the Bligh Reef, the marine animals in areas of 5,500 square meters (14,000km2), the water within the area of 5,500 square meters (14,000km2) and air within 5,500 square meters around the spill. Again, the quantitative results turned out an average risk of 5.2E+02. Having identified the pollution linkage and the risk posed to receptors, one of the core objectives of the rese arch was then to identify remedial actions that are necessary in reducing the possible harm that receptors may receive. Out of the discussions, it became clear that a well coordinated risk assessment held the key in preventing the disaster. On the other hand, key factors like the fact that the Bligh Reef, which was the site of the disaster had a number of environmental conditions such as the presence of plant forest and high tidal activities, which were all sources of the accident. The fate of the crude oil, which includes the ability of the oil to evaporate and undergo volatilisation also accounted for the degree of harm that was caused because the air became highly polluted. Several pathways which included both active and passive pathways also made it possible for the hazard to reach receptors, which included human receptors and environmental receptors. In order to curtail the intensity of the harm that receptors may get from the spill the use of solidification as a remediation st rategy is suggested. This is because it helps in further spread of spilled oil to nearby sources. For all future oil transportation, it is recommended that a technology based risk assessment models such as RISC 4 be used to get a better idea of the levels of risks that exists so that appropriate remedial measures will be taken in relation to the identified risks. Keywords — Risk assessment, fate, receptors, contaminants, transport pathway, oil spill, RISC 4 Table of Contents Introduction 6 Historical Background 6 Natural Environment of Prince William Sound 9 METHODOLOGY 17 Sources of Information 17 The present study was conducted following the qualitative research approach. Subsequently, a lot of secondary data were collected for analysis under the methodology section of the paper. By secondary data, reference is being made to the fact that the data collected made use of existing data on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. This was necessary to do because the data collected did not h ave immediate access to primary data from the disaster grounds where first hand data collection could be collected. Noting the need to ensure a high quality paper that could be trusted as reliable and valid, the data collected ensured that only authentic academic sources of information were used. These included information from academic journal, books from the National Geographic Library and of course, internationally approved statistical websites. 17 Model used for Data

Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dance - Essay Example a communicator, does not seem to have come all that from the time when grunts and gesticulations were the main ways of getting message across.†Ã‚ ¹ He opines that in our day to day life we mostly lean heavily on indirect gestures and charades. HDoubler in the introduction of his classic book Dance says that the basis of unrest is the necessity to live and the unrest is the activity that has a purpose, â€Å"working toward the restoration of harmony with environment or self as the case may be.†  ² The history of dance reveals that in prehistoric era it was unintentional movement to please gods and the performer had no idea that he was creating art. The movements were rhythmical sometimes whirling to go beyond the ego and to become one with the whole. Dance was the media to express the pent up feeling, emotions and beliefs. ³ The changes the people experienced through out the life span had also been the subject matter in primitive cultures. Changes of seasons and the changes that came about on the winning or loosing wars were all expressed in dances. With the development of cultures two kinds of dance emerged: social dances and magical and religious dances. â€Å"The medicine men of primitive cultures, whose power to invoke the assistance of a god were feared and respected, are considered by many to be the first choreographers, or composers of formal dances.†4. Christine Loma is of the view that existing theatrical aesthetic ignores the social context of dance; the existing aesthetic gives importance to form and content. She refutes the common theory of aesthetic and instead brings out the more ‘appropriate aesthetic’, as she suggests, which emphasizes context and intent instead of form and content. To her the role of community dance, be it ceremonial or ritual, is to reconcile past, present and future. In giving more importance to celebrations â€Å"we emphasize the relationship of self and community. We all are bearers of our community experience as individual

If you were advising your government on stemming black market Essay

If you were advising your government on stemming black market economies, what would you propose - Essay Example Also, the term â€Å"underground market† used to also describe a black market is based on the actual activity done secretly, avoiding the knowledge of authorities and the government. Some of the examples of black market would be the trade of food, drugs, weapons, and even people (What is the Black Market, n.d.). Indeed, though people has built the mindset that black market is wrong mainly because it is against the law, it is also imperative to know its effects on one’s economy and its future relations with other states. Now when products such as weapons or drugs are being purchased through the black market, the supply and demand of the specific merchandise would be greatly affected, even towards its indirect substitutes, causing the purchase habit of consumers, pricing, and the market environment and conditions to change. An imminent result to which would be the imminent drop in demand from legal businesses because people would prefer to buy from the black market becaus e of the significantly low prices (The Effects of a Black Market Using Supply and Demand, n.d.). Because of this, the profitability of legal businesses decreases which stunts the growth of economy while a chosen few who are involved in the black market gets a good earning without having to pay taxes which is used to fund projects for its people. Aside from that, the price elasticity of goods in the market will also change based on the supply from the black market while the legal businesses will most likely institute a price hike. However, if this market condition stretches to a longer period of time, businesses would resort to lowering their prices just so they can survive as a business while catering to the needs of consumers. With all these said, the black market truly has effects on state sovereignty, forein policy, international economy, domestic & international security, and human rights. Speaking of its effect on human rights, each government has the responsibility of providin g fair goods to each individual at the same prices. With the black market, only people who have access to the underground market get to benefit a significantly low priced goods (Black Market and its Consequences, n.d.). The black market also affects international trade/economy as it causes a shortage of goods especially when the chosen few who have access to the black market decide to hoard all the goods to maximize the benefits of its low price, leaving the legal businesses to have a lack in goods to resell. Because of this, the supply of imported goods start, in order to meet the increasing demand of a specific product from people (Black Market and its Consequences, n.d.). The danger here is when only the rich one’s are able to afford the goods while the poor people are left with nothing they can afford. When it comes to domestic and international security, the black market poses doubt and puts a high risk transaction on any imported goods for domestic security and exported goods for international security. Thus, excessive regulations in foreigh policies will be instigated that would slow down trade activities (Black Market and its Consequences, n.d.). Also, generally, state sovereignty will now be controlled by those with access to the black market instead of the government. I strongly believe that the sectors of the black market t

Project Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Life Cycle - Essay Example During this stage a suitable response to the problem is documented in a business case alongside recommendations that detail solution alternatives. Feasibility study comes handy to examine if each alternative addresses objectives of the project before making the final recommendation. In the feasibility the team asks the question â€Å"can we do the project?†And in justification the question â€Å"should we do the project?† is asked. Planning is the next stage that serves to further develop the project solution. Here, the team makes a detail study of the work as it identifies the project steps and resource requirements and at the same time come up with a working strategy to help meet the set goals. To accomplish this, the team comes up with an outline of the tasks, activities, dependencies and timeframes. It is this point where the project manager develops the project budget to help control and monitor expenditure during implementation stage. Together all this is referred to as the scope management.The other important consideration is risk management, an aspect which looks into matters that pose possible threats to the whole process. Here, â€Å"high-threat† potential problems are established along with the measures that are to be taken (Kanda, 2011). Finally, the project manager documents a quality plan; detailing on quality targets, control measures, and assurance alongside an acceptance plan. During this third stage, the project plan is set on motion to carry out the task of the project as the team monitors the progress and make necessary adjustments, which are also recorded as variations from the original plan. In addition, this stage involves reporting on progress through regular team meetings. The information gathered here helps to maintain control over the path taken by the project through analysis of activities performance when comparing the output to the project plan. . Status reports delivered in

Managing Entrepreneur Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Entrepreneur Growth - Essay Example The interviewed entrepreneur, Raif, gave confident opinions and answers in order to confirm the theory. According to the theory of entrepreneurial growth, he gave the idea of being a good entrepreneur and a democratic leader. This has been indicated in the interview by the fact that he runs the family business by involving everyone into it and obtaining the clients’ feedback. He encourages his stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process of the company, as a result of which, the customers, along with providing the feedbacks, also give their suggestions as to what the new product should be like. This helps the entrepreneur manage the creativity and innovation in the product and services being provided. This also confirms to the theory of entrepreneur being creative which has been discussed above. Moreover, Raif also says that his business is trying to compete with the rivals and bringing a new product every year and considers baklava to be more profitable and call s it ‘gold line’. Thus, he is fully aware of the strengths of his business and is a challenging risk taker, ready to take a risk in the form of new product every year. The entrepreneur of the Swan Sweets has also confirmed to the theory of being proactive and promoting expansion. He intends to go international and expand his business geographically to as far as Singapore, Malaysia, WA. But this planning for expansion has been done very carefully and he is well aware of all the places around the world which contain his target markets and potential customers.

Boots Plc and Sainsbury Plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Boots Plc and Sainsbury Plc - Essay Example At the end of the report, the financial and non-financial factors that are critical to the future performance of both the companies are presented. Both the companies, Boots and Sainsbury are well-known names in retail industry. United Kingdom is the centre of the companies’ major business operations and although both the companies run their business outside the country also, but most of the companies’ sales are from the UK segment. The Boots Plc Group’s major activities include retailing of chemists’ merchandise, the provision of opticians’ and other healthcare services, the development, manufacture and marketing of healthcare and consumer products. The group’s major business segments include Boots The Chemists, Boots Opticians, Boots Healthcare International and Boots Retail International (Boots Plc Annual Reports, accessed 23/11/2005) Boots the Chemist operates over 1,400 stores, where in nearly every store there is a pharmacist to offer guidance and help on healthcare matters. J Sainsbury Plc is a leading UK food retailer with interests in financial services. It consists of Sainsbury's Supermarkets, Sainsbury's Local, Bells Stores, Jacksons Stores and JB Beaumont, Sainsbury's to You and Sainsbury's Bank. It employs 153,000 people A large Sainsbury's Supermarket offers around 30,000 products, 50% of these are Sainsbury's own brand including fresh produce. In addition to a wide rang e of quality food and grocery products, many stores offer delicatessen, meat and fish counters, pharmacies, coffee shops, restaurants and petrol stations (Company Overview, accessed 24/11/2005) The comparison and analysis of these two companies' financial performance and position has been broken down into sections so as to be useful for various users of the company's financial statements. It will be of assistance to the companies' management in assessing their performance over the recent year and making plans to overcome any future risks and failures. The companies' investors would find this comparison beneficial in order to decide on which company to choose for investment and which company offers better investment potential. The lenders would benefit from this report in terms of being aware of the companies' solvency and liquidity position. PART B: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Analysis From Management's Viewpoint A company's management is concerned with the financial results of its performance over the year that shows the management's capability and efficiency to generate sales and profit for the business effectively. The following ratios would be helpful in analysing both the companies from the management's viewpoint: Return on Capital Employed Boots Plc Sainsbury Plc 18.83% 1.64% The Return on Capital Employed ratio shows how much a company earns on the investment made in the assets. Boots Plc's return on capital employed ratio reveals a much profitable snapshot of the company's performance whereas Sainsbury Plc's financial results exhibit a much weaker position of the company in utilising its assets towards profit generation as compared to Boots Plc. Gross Profit Ratio Boots Plc Sainsbury Plc 46.13% 4.12% The Gross Profit ratio analyses the company's profit margin before accounting for various operating costs. Therefore, it represents the profit margin after accounting for cost of sales. Here, Boots Plc's financial results show that company is getting more profit on its sales after accounting

Guidelines for Writing a Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Guidelines for Writing a Lab Report Essay Writing a good lab report is an important goal of your science education, and gives you the opportunity to enhance your writing skills and to communicate your understanding of the scientific process to others. Your lab report for this semester will be a write up of your independent research project. This will follow the standard format for a lab report and should include the following sections: Title Introduction Materials and Methods Results Discussion Conclusion References For this course we are giving extra emphasis to the materials and methods section. This section should include sufficient detail to allow others to reproduce your experiments, without being overly descriptive. A guide to writing each section is as follows: TITLE Name the experiment. The title should be descriptive of what you did or what your data showed. A reader should be able to obtain some understanding of the content of your report from the title. In the research world, scientists scan the table of contents of journals to determine if there are any papers relevant to their research that they should read. Therefore the title is important for getting your work recognized. INTRODUCTION Explain why you choose this project, and what you hoped to learn from it. You will be required to research the background information for your project, and present the current state of knowledge for the topic of your research. In addition, you must explain your rationale for choosing this project, clearly state the objective or hypothesis, and predict the outcome of the experiments if the hypothesis holds true. Example: if an independent research project investigated the effect of hand sanitizers on the growth of E. coli, then the introduction should include background information on hand sanitizers (what they are, how they are used, the ingredients that kill bacteria), and background information on E. coli (what it is, why it is a problem). It would also include the experimental hypothesis, e.g. â€Å"Hand sanitizers will be more effective at killing E. coli than soap.† MATERIALS AND METHODS Describe how you conducted your experiments in sufficient detail that someone else could repeat them, WITHOUT excess detail. First and foremost, this section is NOT simply a list of materials and a step-by-step accounting of what you did. You should write your materials and methods in descriptive form, using past tense (describe what you did). Do not include reasoning in your methods – this belongs in the discussion section. You should describe what you did in enough detail that someone could repeat the experiment if he or she wanted to, but do not use excessive details. As you are doing your experiment, be sure you keep track of what you actually did in your lab notebook, especially any details which vary from the instructions in the lab manual. What you do could have important implications for the results you get, and your interpretation of those results. The Materials and Methods in your lab report should be what you actually did, and not just what the lab manual told you to do. Points to remember: * Organize this section carefully and logically, place the methods in the order in which you ran them. * Use subheadings that break the text into distinct sections (if warranted). Do not use subheadings such as â€Å"Lab 4.† Use a descriptive subheading, such as â€Å"Agarose Gel Electrophoresis† and make use of bold text to distinguish subheadings. * Provide enough information to allow others to repeat the same experiment * Use specific, informative language (quantify whenever possible) * Omit unnecessary information. You do not need to include every possible detail of the time you spent in the lab. Include only those procedures directly pertaining to the results you plan to present in the paper. * Include complete mathematical formulas if appropriate. * Do not make the common error of mixing some of the Results in this section RESULTS Present your data in such a way that someone could go directly to the results section and understand the results of your experiments. The results section will have a text portion and a portion that contains figures, tables, photographs, graphs, etc., depending on what kind of data you have. In the text of your results section, describe the trends and important points of your data. Point out what it is that you want your reader to come away with. Be sure you refer to the relevant figures and/or tables when you are writing your text. Refer to them as if you were citing them. For example: The purity of the enzyme improved with each step of the purification scheme (Table 1). For the data portion (i.e., figures and tables), there are many ways to present your results, and you should think very carefully about which is the best way. Is it a line graph, a bar graph or histogram, a pie chart, a table, a picture or diagram, or is it some combination of these? Whatever you choose, be sure it clearly shows your results. You want your reader to be able to look at your tables, charts, figures, etc. and know exactly what experiment was done for each one. You also want the reader to be able to understand what the results actually are. ALL of your data that relates to the report should be presented (even negative data). Points to remember: * Organize your data carefully and logically. If possible, present results in the same order as the methods. * Use subheadings that break the data into distinct sections (if warranted) * Summarize the data and emphasize important patterns or trends * Do not interpret your data; do not draw conclusions; do not speculate.in the results section (save these issues for the Discussion) * Graphs, drawings, and photos are considered figures. Each figure and table must have a title and be numbered sequentially as they are introduced in the text. (figure 1, figure2, table 1, table2) * Specify units on the axes of graphs and label all columns and rows of tables. * Computer programs, such as Excel, can help you draw graphs and diagrams. If the graphs are hand drawn they must be neat and accurate. * Examples of some of the ways that you can present your data are illustrated at the end of this handout. DISCUSSION Relate your results back to the introduction. Did you add to the current state of knowledge? What did you learn from your experiments? Were there any sources of error? What future experiments might you conduct? Was your hypothesis supported by your data? This section is for an interpretation of your results, e.g. what do your results mean? Why did you think that you obtained these results? What can be learned from this experiment.? Connect your results to the concepts behind the experiments and your hypothesesAre there any questions the experimental design leaves unanswered (related to your hypothesis or not)? How would you improve this experiment in the future? What other experiments would you do now to extend or confirm your results (what is the next step)? You should also indicate if there are any inherent flaws or sources of error in the experimental design. Do not use â€Å"human error† as an explanation. Only discuss experimental errors that you think actually occurred during your experiment. You should also avoid saying that taking more samples or doing more repetitions of the experiment would improve the data. That is almost always true of any experiment, and goes without saying. Points to remember: * Interpret your results; draw attention to your major findings. * Support your conclusions with evidence; convince the reader that your interpretations are sound and that your work represents a valid contribution to the field. * Recognize the importance of negative results. * Address both the advantages and limitations of your methods; What causes may be responsible for your findings? Suggest explanations if you have conflicting or unexpected results. * Go from specific to general; Start with a discussion of your specific results and end with more far-reaching conclusions or predictions; Can you make generalizations? What would the next questions be? * Be aware of phrasing used in scientific discourse, e.g. verbs like suggest, indicate, show, demonstrate; adverbs like possibly, probably, presumably, very likely; auxiliary verbs like may, might, would, could, etc. (qualifiers) CONCLUSIONS Summarize the meaning of your results in two or three sentences. REFERENCES List all of the information sources used for your introduction. Any references that you use should be cited in the text and listed in alphabetical order in a reference section at the end of your report. Use the APA citation style: For citations in the text: (Author, year) goes after the material from a particular source. For references section: Last name, First name. Year. Title of article. Journal. Volume. Page Numbers.

Causes of Anorexia Nervosa Essay Example for Free

Causes of Anorexia Nervosa Essay Many people wish to have a perfect body. Desires of having a perfect body could lead to a disorder called, anorexia nervosa. This disease is an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and a fear of becoming overweight. Anorexia nervosa is mainly related to an individual’s emotionality. Some of the causes of this disease are, personal feelings, stressful events, and cultural influences. The first cause of anorexia nervosa that is the most important cause is a worthless personal feeling. A person who has a low self-esteem usually feels valueless. Despite achievements in his or her life, they do not like the way he or she looks. These feelings cause the individual to feel rejected and have an alleged pressure from the society. Teens become very depressed when they are over weight, because people tease them and they feel that they cannot fit in with the crowd. Even if a teenager is not overweight, one may feel that they must maintain their body size. As a consequence, an anorexic person is always looking for the perfection, causing them to have a feeling of worthlessness. The next cause of this disorder is the existence of stressful events in life. Although anorexia is linked to a physical condition, the real cause is related to an individual’s emotionality. Someone may usually feel stressed and worried when they are working and are under pressure. The feeling of stress can cause one to not feel like eating. Commonly people suffer nervousness as a consequence of experience and life changes. These situations begin to affect the schedule of daily living. People can become very busy and feel that if they skip a meal it will be okay. Sometimes if more than one meal is skipped, this can lead to someone not participating in vital activities to stay healthy. In the case of anorexia nervosa, a person is stressed and begins to stop eating in the right times or even stop eating altogether. Another cause of anorexia is the cultural influence of the country where we live today. In many societies, they consider that the ideal beauty is based on extreme thinness. In today’s society, this idea has caused thousands of women and men to turn to starvation, diets, or people use products that supposedly make them lose weight in a few days. Being extremely thin has become an important factor for people. To many people being thin represents beauty, success, happiness, and self-control. People are targeted with messages from the media that they must diet to meet this standard. This ideal body image is almost impossible for most people to reach, leaving them very dissatisfied with their body image. The causes of anorexia nervosa are situations that may look normal, but have deathly consequences. This is a serious, possibly terminal illness. People, who have this disease have, negative personal feelings, stressful events in their life, and cultural influences.

Computer Simulations to test Projects

Computer Simulations to test Projects The idea of describing a physical phenomenon using mathematical models/computational tools is not a new one. About 430 years ago, Galileo Galilei exhorted that it is imperative to describe the results mathematically once a certain number of experiments sensate esperienze have been performed. If one succeeds in illustrating the physical phenomenon using the mathematical equations, then the response of the system of interest can be predicted for a broad range of conditions, including the ones for which conducting the experiments are very difficult, too costly, or not possible at all. In the recent years, the use of computational studies in materials research has been fueled by the drastic increase in the available computational power, resulting from the development of advanced computers with parallel architecture tuned for computationally intensive tasks. Nowadays, the leading engineering companies, such as GM, Ford, GE, Airbus and Boeing use computer simulations to model and test mechanical and aerodynamic characteristics of their products such as automobiles, jet engines and aircrafts before manufacturing the final product or even before testing a prototype in a wind tunnel or crashing them into a wall e.g. Figure 1. shows the deformed shape of the body of a truck body after it is crashed into a rigid wall simulated using a software. Among the numerous benefits of the simulation/computational tools in materials research, one is that if any problems are found in the design during modeling, it can be fixed before sending the technical drawings to the manufacturing unit of the company. Figure 1. 3D simulation of a truck crashing into a rigid virtual wall[1] Now, if we are going to predict the material behavior using the software/computational tools, then the accuracy of the software comes into limelight. The accuracy of these predictions depends on: 1. The accuracy of the adopted numerical solvers (e.g. a very popular scheme known as FEM), 2. The accuracy of the mathematical models that describe the materials behavior (i.e. constitutive laws). In addition to above, different mechanisms occur at different length scales that govern the macro behavior of the material. Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of predictions of the software, information of these mechanisms happening at different length scales is also required, which lays down the need for a multi-scale model. In science and engineering, nearly all problems are multi-scale in nature. For example, multi-scale modeling of cancer cells is now being considered as an indispensable tool to enable more accurate predictions of growth of cancer cells (reference). Now, in context of modeling behavior of metals, different mathematical models that describe the physics of deformation at different length scales are used and are shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. Overview of length scales involved in metals[2] At atomic scale, the interaction forces between neighboring atoms are calculated using the First-Principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) but the computations are limited to a few hundred atoms, which is too small to study the macro behavior of a material. To model the mechanical behavior of a material using molecular statics / dynamics several million atoms must be considered that involves days / weeks of computations. (Reference)Moreover, characteristic length that is accessible using molecular statics / dynamics modeling is very small than the mean free path of the motion of dislocations (defects in regular atomic lattice). Dislocations are the critical elements in a microstructure of a polycrystalline solid to accommodate the plastic deformation and to analyze the behavior of a material at a length scale, where the material hardening is controlled by the interactions of dislocation, discrete dislocation framework is used. However, due to the large amount of degree of freedoms r equired to analyze interactions of dislocations, the discrete dislocation framework is limited to model a material with volume up to 10 microns. Continuum mechanics / Peridynamics employ the phenomenological laws of motion and of deformation energy to describe the mechanical behavior of a material at macroscopic length scale neglecting any phenomena that occur at smaller length scales which leads to a deficiency in the accuracy of the predictions. Nevertheless, there exists a framework at an intermediate scale (meso-scale) that models dislocations behavior in terms of slip and considers some vital microstructural features providing a very close estimate of real-word phenomena within reasonable computational time, known as crystal plasticity. Crystal plasticity-based models work at a length scale where the groups of crystals i.e. grain in a material becomes evident. In crystal plasticity models, usually a representative volume element (RVE) of the actual component is analyzed that yields a value which represents the behavior of the whole material. Hence, using crystal plasticity alone, one cannot simulate the actual lab scale (at macro-scale) component. Therefore, in order to accurately describe, to fundamentally understand, to reliably predict, and to eventually control the behavior of a material under different conditions, it is of tremendous importance to develop novel approaches that investigate the multiscale nature of met als. In this research work, a new multi-scale framework is proposed that incorporates physics of fine scale phenomena using crystal plasticity-based modeling approach with a Peridynamics-based coarse scale modeling approach. In addition, an attempt is made to enhance their existing modeling capabilities both in term of accuracy as well as computational speed with an interest to study effects of microstructure on: instability, localization and formability in aluminum sheets at meso-scale, crack initiation and crack propagation in a lab scale component made of aluminum. [1] http://www.mscsoftware.com/product/dytran [2] http://www.kochmann.caltech.edu/pics/scales0.gif      

The Solidarity movement in Poland :: European Europe History

The Solidarity movement in Poland The Solidarity movement in Poland was one of the most dramatic developments in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It was not a movement that began in 1980, but rather a continuation of a working class and Polish intelligentsia movement that began in 1956, and continued in two other risings, in 1970 and 1976. The most significant of these risings began in the shipyards of the 'Triple City', Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia in 1970. The first and by far the most violent and bloody of the workers revolts came in June of 1956, when at least 75 people died in the industrial city of Poznan. The third uprising took place in 1976 with workers striking in Warsaw, and rioting in the city of Radom. What made the Solidarity movement peaceful and far more successful in comparison to that of the previous three? The Solidarity movement originated in the working class, but unlike the previous three risings it also worked with and was involved with the Polish intellectual community. Was this the reason behind its success? Or was it instead the result of the U.S.S.R. losing it's hold in the Eastern bloc, and the fledgling economy of Poland that made such a movement inevitable? While everyone of these points was a factor, the strongest and most compelling argument can be made for the unification and working together of Poland's most influential social classes, the Polish intelligentsia, the workers, and the Church. This strategy eventually led to the infamous 'roundtable' talks, and the collapse of communism itself in Poland. The Beginnings of a Movement The 'Polish October' of 1956 did not begin with Stalin's death in 1953, in fact Poland was quite calm, in stark contrast with other Eastern bloc countries. While demonstrations took place in Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and a revolt was taking place in East Germany in mid-June, Poland was slow to follow the 'New Course' that was being offered by neighboring countries. This was a result of a much slower relaxation than the other countries experienced. Regardless, social and intellectual unrest began building up, with collectivization being slackened and censorship showing cracks, the nation had a sense that a new start must be made. The Polish intelligentsia was one of the most important groups to emerge during this period. The Polish intelligentsia is, and remains, a distinct social class that is composed of those with a higher education, or those who at least share similar tastes.

Jesus is a True Hero Essay -- Religion Christian Christiantiy essays p

Over one third of the world's population call themselves Christians, or those who follow the teachings of Jesus. Jesus presence in the souls of humanity is everywhere. Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection, is still a day of rest and worship. The calendar still uses the year of his birth as a starting point, with A.D being after death and B.C being before the death of Christ. There are also major Christian holidays that are celebrated by millions each year, Christmas, the day of Christ’s birth, and Easter, the day of Christ’s resurrection. The life of Jesus is told in the new testament of the bible, which is still one of the best selling books of all time and has been translated in 2,000 different languages. The life and the lessons of Jesus are known by all his followers, the compassion he showed towards all people helped change the world. The life of Jesus is told in the New Testament, one of the most sacred and relished books by people all over the world. His mother was Mary, who was a virgin when he was conceived, and Joseph, a poor carpenter. The life of Jesus is contradictory to other messiahs such as Muhammad or Buddha. He was born in a manger as the son of a carpenter. The life he came from was not what was to be expected of a messiah. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was a savior because he did not fit the credentials that they thought a savior should have. Surely, a savior would have been born into a rich family and gone to the best schools. Jesus said â€Å"what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.† Meaning that the riches of the world are not worth having if you have to lie and cheat for them. Also a Man who has no money but is true to his faith and to god is richer than a man ... ...ieve in him. Jesus’ death for all of mankind’s sin was not a small sacrifice. Because of the huge sacrifice Jesus made, He can be considered a hero - a person who is admired for something He has done. In this case, Jesus is admired for taking all of mankind’s sin upon Himself. John 15:13 says, â€Å"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down His life for His friends.† Jesus did just that. He loved every person who ever lived and has yet to live so much that He laid down His life for them. All they have to do is believe with their hearts and minds that what the Bible says He did is true. There are many people who have been harassed, beaten, or even killed for believing this. Every year, it is estimated that 186,000 people are killed for believing in Jesus as their Savior and for refusing to deny their faith in Him. This reveals just how great a hero Jesus is.

The Internet as a Learning Tool Essay -- Technology Web Essays

The Internet as a Learning Tool The Internet has a universal appeal for most people. We (in the United States) have become dependant on it for our daily routines. We shop, send mail, read the news, look up movie reviews, etc., using the Internet. We depend on this service, because we have told ourselves that "It" has made our lives easier. We advocate the use of similar technologies within the classroom, because we are convinced that the use of computers and having access to the Internet is the best way to educate our children so they can have an equal chance to reach their potential and accomplish their goals. It is true that the Internet is a great source of information. Its value as a resource is immeasurable. Unfortunately, to get this benefit we have to pay a price. In some cases this comes as loss of privacy. The Internet and the digital world are a part of the public sphere; therefore, our speech has to be measured and revised to be appropriate for this realm causing our free speech to be limited. Access to the Internet is also restricted to a certain group of people. One has to own a computer, or have access to one to be able to make use of its benefits. Internet access is uneven, therefore unfair. The other potential problem with the Internet is the access that people with shady intents or with low morality have to it. Anyone with the means to a computer can be online with our innocent children. Are their intents innocent also? In the realm of education, I think that the Internet can be a great resource for information. Research can be easily planned and implemented for the benefit of both students and educators. Unfortunately, this brings us back to the issue of limited access. Some students are more readily... ...ose to a multimedia / interactive classroom as we think we are. The school district (LAUSD) has spent several millions on purchasing computers and hooking them up to the Internet. The emphasis is on acquiring technology instead of implementing it. I still think that the novelty of computers and its tremendous appeal to students of all ages should be utilized to teach. Works Cited "Fast, Easy and FREE Webpages." http://www.webspawner.com/ (1 Nov. 2001). "How to Publish Web Pages." http://itsweb.hartford.edu (1 Nov. 2001). "How to Publish Web Pages to an Internet Server." http://www.surfwise.com/support/publish.htm (1 Nov. 2001). "Personal Publishing." http://www.utexas.edu/ (1 Nov. 2001). "Publishing Your Page for Free." http://home.san.rr.com/artbytes/publish.htm (1 Nov. 2001). "Yahoo! GeoCities." http://geocities.yahoo.com (1 Nov. 2001).

Biomedical Ethics Essay

Alan Goldman’s piece, ‘A Refutation of Medical Paternalism’, contains an argument for why medical paternalism is wrong. Goldman argues from the idea of ‘The Relativity of Value.’ Explain this particular argument and show how it is an argument against medical paternalism (be sure to first define what medical paternalism is). Do you think this argument is correct? Why or why not? In biomedical ethics, the concept of patient autonomy versus is a huge consideration. This autonomy is often contrasted with what is called medical paternalism. Medical paternalism refers to physicians acting in regards to what they feel is best for the patient without much regard to the patient’s true wishes. It is the intervention of an individual’s right of action justified by reasons referring to the welfare and/or interest of that individual. While medical paternalism may be seen as positive, many refute it. In Goldman’s paper, â€Å"A Refutation of Medical Paternalism,† he talks about why medical paternalism is wrong. Goldman refutes medical paternalism by introducing various arguments that support his case. One aspect of his argument lies in the following claim regarding the relativity of values: â€Å"The fundamental faulty premise in the argument for paternalistic role differentiation for doctors is that which assumes that health or prolonged life must take absolute priority in the patient’s value orderings† (67). Goldman states that in reality, individuals do not consistently act in order to minimize loss of life although the long-term preference is to live long. If individuals did prioritize minimum loss of life constantly, all efforts would be strictly directed towards health-related areas. This is not the case, for â€Å"to realize or preserve those values that give meaning to life is worth the risk of life itself† (68). Therefore, Goldman states that it is illogical for a doctor to determine what is best for the patient when such doctor cannot speak for what the patien t’s set of values and priorities. While a doctor believes health is number one in priority, the individual may not always hold health as number one at all times. The second aspect to Goldman’s argument is centered on the value of self-determination. He argues that, as stated before, a doctor cannot truly know the true interests of his patient, and at  times, the patient may or may not even know his or her own interests. Because of this uncertainty, the doctor is less likely than the patient to make the right decision. â€Å"We value the exercise of free choice itself in personally important decisions, no matter what the effects of those decisions upon other satisfactions† (70). When choices are important to our lives, we like to know we have the ability to have some control over them. When a doctor holds the reigns of a patient’s well being without the patient’s say, it is hard to say that the decision made is fair. I personally concur with Goldman and the arguments he presents. I can se e both sides to the argument; I can see why medical paternalism can be beneficial in some cases, but I can see why overall it is a basic intervening of an individual’s autonomy. In the defense of medical paternalism, one can argue that it is expected of the medical practitioner to do what is best for his or her patient. However, as Goldman states, what does the practitioner know of what is best for a patient? For example, a patient may be in need for a blood transfusion. Yet if the patient happens to be a follower of the Jehovah’s Witness, the physician can’t possibly force the patient to take the transfusion, for it directly goes against the patient’s beliefs. I believe that although doctors may medically have an idea as to what is best for an individual, what is important is for the individual to comply, for it is his or her body that is being affected.

Tears of blood

The drink just lies upon the smooth, flat, varnished table where the suns reflection casts an eerie shadow of the ice, cold drink. If you glance closely, the water condensation slowly, slides, straight down the can leaving a puddle of water behind. To you this may seem like an ordinary alcoholic drink, but for one girl it is her deepest fears come true†¦ â€Å"I'm floating†¦I'm soaring†¦over beautiful fresh, green fields and past busy cities. The wind is carrying me to my dreams on the horizon. The world is spinning below me, such beauty from above. I'm floating†¦ I'm soaring†¦ through the soft, duvet of white clouds. The world, in all its pollution, poverty and corruption, is still beautiful. Which means, I'm beautiful behind my scars and faults and insecurities†¦ yes†¦ I am still beautiful.† She sat on the edge of her blue-patched bed, thinking, â€Å"This is my sanctuary†. For those few moments of silence going through her mind, she felt nothing could destroy this utterly perfect feeling. Nothing, nothing could bring her down from her holy, heights of freedom. â€Å"I am air. I am nobody. I am free.† But, to her sudden horror, † What†¦ I don't understand† She started jerking back to the cold, hostility, of real life. † Good-morning to you all, on this fine Thursday. The suns out and the birds are singing. So why not win a chance of a lifetime†¦ 2 weeks in Italy just ring up†¦0800800958†³ She suddenly remembered her dream, and that word, dream, haunts her. â€Å"It was just a dream, everything is only ever a dream.† She thought as she sighed, and looked around to what her life was. A tiny room, with just about enough space to stand up in, but to her that wasn't important this was her sanctuary. She comes up here everyday and locks herself in her room, crying, trying to run away from all the evil and betrayals, which go on downstairs. After a few moments, she slowly managed to drag herself out of bed and stumble into the bathroom. The lingering embrace of sleep pulled down her eyelids as she looks in the mirror. ‘Another morning, another day gone by' she thought. â€Å"TAMICA!† shrilled a woman in her late forties. â€Å"Yes, mother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she replied. â€Å"If you don't bloody hurry up you'll be late for school, and don't expect me to be home when the school rings wondering where you are. By the way, it's your responsibility to make sure your so called father does not leave the house drunk with the car keys and make sure all the back doors are locked when you come back from school, I don't want your father making a show of himself, understood?† â€Å"I'll see, depends init†¦' she replied with a since of insecurity. † What on earth to you mean I'll see, you do what ever I say or do not except food in the evening. It is your fault he drinks anyway.† By that time, she had, had enough. Tamika knew if see opened her mouth anymore she just end up crying first thing in the morning. So she hurried downstairs and walked out the house without any breakfast. With her head down throughout the entire journey from home to school, thinking about how possibly it could be her fault her father drinks himself stupid everyday†¦ Time passed by so fast that before and she knew it, it was three o'clock. She slowly walked through the quiet, dark streets dreading what would happen to her when she got home. As she got closer, and closer before she reached the two lion statues outside what seemed to be a peaceful, loving home. It seemed to her that the lions were protectors of her home. They sit outside day in day out protecting the house from predators, except what they do not know is that the predators are already inside waiting for a piece of innocent flesh. She bravely built up the courage to turn the hard, cold key to open the front door. Then, all of a sudden she could hear the taunt of the piano in the background, and fearful greenish liquid took over her body like adrenaline. It started feet first moving slowly and painfully up her spine, sending shivers to her brain. She opened her eyes, to find broken glass and cutlery all over the kitchen floor, and there in the far distance was her father. He was five foot five with white hair with a big beer belly. From the far distance, he looked perfectly normal but as she took a step closer she could see the cold can of beer in his hand and beside him lay a mountain of empty cans. She looked around at mess†¦ â€Å"I can't take it, I have had enough†¦aaaaarrrrrrggg!† She slowly tried walking towards the stairs, trying ever so hard not to be noticed by the predator. She had to be quiet as a mouse, but at the same time as, sly as a fox. She took one giant leap up. She could feel the stairs changing into what seemed to be an escalator and it was going up! She took a looked up only to find she could see soft duvet of velvet clouds covering the suns rays. This leaded to her sanctuary. She took one long, hard glimpse down at the broken home. Inside her dimly lit room she sat numbly listening to the soft sounds coming from her radio. So much emotions and thoughts were playing through Tamikas mind. All the horrible things her mother said about her to her face and behind her back, and just looking at her father like that everyday, tops it up. Her friend's dogs were better parents then they wear. A small crystal clear tear fell down her left cheek. She knew what she had to do to get ride of such pain and emotion. She went to the cupboard, slowly opened the first draw and hidden on top were no one could see was a dull, dirty, dark brown magnet†¦ but it was not the magnet, which would release all the pain, it was underneath the magnet that was so important. A small, shimmering, sharp blade just lay there. How can such a small object cause such pain in the world? Tamica stared, silently at the blade. With no thought to what she was doing the sharp lustrous edge slid, smoothly into her pale skin she watched absent-mindedly as a steady dribble of cherry red blood drawled gradually down the side of her wrist. As she pushed the blade in deeper, the stream of blood quickly intensified. The surge of anguish caused her to cringe. A chorus of words went through her mind†¦ â€Å"Pain, Pain, go away, Let me smile for just one day, Should that day I never see, Let my blood run cold and free† With each new drop, the circle of blood grew proving that she was serious. There were now six cuts her wrists each as deep as each other, and only millimetres apart. Her blood- stained fingers reached for the once shiny, silver blade, which was now covers in dark blood. She contemplated her next move. She pressed with the strongest amount of force she had inside her. This had given her more blood and pain then the others, but the scars were massive and impossible to conceal. After a few minutes the bloody blade broke through her skin slowly and a new thick red line quickly appeared. A wave of relief gushed through her body and escaped through her disfigured wrist. She laid back closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of complete relief. All her emotions and thoughts cleared. But nevertheless she knew this sensation would be over in a matter of seconds. She would have trouble walking tomorrow, but Tamica never thought that far ahead. As she gazed down at her disfigured limb, she was revolted, repulsed and ashamed that she could do such a thing. Then as she continued to stare another feeling had surface. The feeling of pride. She swiped the area where the blood was now drying and watched in astonishment as fresh cherry red blood drizzled from her open wounds. A renewed sense of relief consumed her. She had been cutting for so long now that she had lost sight of reality. She no longer controlled the blade, but the blade control her†¦

Ethics and Moral Theory Essay

The words â€Å"moral† and â€Å"ethics† (and cognates) are often used interchangeably. However, it is useful to make the following distinction: Morality is the system through which we determine right and wrong conduct — i.e., the guide to good or right conduct. Ethics is the philosophical study of Morality. What, then, is a moral theory? A theory is a structured set of statements used to explain (or predict) a set of facts or concepts.à  A moral theory, then, explains why a certain action is wrong — or why we ought to act in certain ways.à Ãƒ  In short, it is a theory of how we determine right and wrong conduct.à  Also, moral theories provide the framework upon which we think and discuss in a reasoned way, and so evaluate, specific moral issues. Seen in this light, it becomes clear that we cannot draw a sharp divide between moral theory and applied ethics (e.g., medical or business ethics). For instance, in order to critically evaluate the moral issue of affirmative action, we must not attempt to evaluate what actions or policies are right (or wrong) independent of what we take to determine right and wrong conduct. You will see, as we proceed, that we do not do ethics without at least some moral theory.à  When evaluating the merits of some decision regarding a case, we will always (or at least ought to always) find ourselves thinking about how right and wrong is determined in general, and then apply that to the case at hand.à  Note, though, that sound moral thinking does not simply involve going one way — from theory to applied issue.à  Sometimes a case may suggest that we need to change or adjust our thinking about what moral theory we think is the best, or perhaps it might lead us to think that a preferred theory needs modification. Another important distinction: Are moral theories descriptive or prescriptive ? In presenting a moral theory, are we merely describing how people, in their everyday ‘doings’ and ‘thinkings,’ form a judgement about what is right and wrong, or are we prescribing how people ought to make these judgements? Most take moral theories to be prescriptive. The descriptive accounts of what people do is left to sociologists and anthropologists.à  Philosophers, then, when they study morality, want to know what is the proper way of determining right and wrong. There have been many different proposals.à  Here is a brief summary. Theories of Morality (1) Moral Subjectivism Right and wrong is determined by what you — the subject — just happens to think (or ‘feel’) is right or wrong. In its common form, Moral Subjectivism amounts to the denial of moral principles of any significant kind, and the possibility of moral criticism and argumentation.à  In essence, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ lose their meaning because so long as someone thinks or feels that some action is ‘right’, there are no grounds for criticism.à  If you are a moral subjectivist, you cannot object to anyone’s behaviour (assuming people are in fact acting in accordance with what they think or feel is right).à  This shows the key flaw in moral subjectivism — probably nearly everyone thinks that it is legitimate to object, on moral grounds, to at least some peoples’ actions.à  That is, it is possible to disagree about moral issues. à  (2) Cultural Relativism Right and wrong is determined by the particular set of principles or rules the relevant culture just happens to hold at the time. Cultural Relativism is closely linked to Moral Subjectivism.à  It implies that we cannot criticize the actions of those in cultures other than our own.à  And again, it amounts to the denial of universal moral principles.à  Also, it implies that a culture cannot be mistaken about what is right and wrong (which seems not to be true), and so it denies the possibility of moral advancement (which also seems not to be true). à  (3) Ethical Egoism Right and wrong is determined by what is in your self-interest.à  Or, it is immoral to act contrary to your self-interest. Ethical Egoism is usually based upon Psychological Egoism — that we, by nature, act selfishly.à  Ethical egoism does not imply hedonism or that we ought to aim for at least some ‘higher’ goods (e.g., wisdom, political success), but rather that we will (ideally) act so as to maximize our self interest.à  This may require that we forgo some immediate pleasures for the sake of achieving some long term goals.à  Also, ethical egoism does not exclude helping others.à  However, egoists will help others only if this will further their own interests.à  An ethical egoist will claim that the altruist helps others only because they want to (perhaps because they derive pleasure out of helping others) or because they think there will be some personal advantage in doing so.à  That is, they deny the possibility of genuine altruism (because they think we are all by nature selfish).à  This leads us to the key implausibility of Ethical Egoism — that the person who helps others at the expense of their self-interest is actually acting immorally.à  Many think that the ethical egoist has misunderstood the concept of morality — i.e., morality is the system of practical reasoning through which we are guided to constrain our self-interest, not further it.à  Also, thatà  genuine altruism is indeed possible, and relatively commonly exhibited. à  (4) Divine Command Theory Many claim that there is a necessary connection between morality and religion, such that, without religion (in particular, without God or gods) there is no morality, i.e., no right and wrong behaviour.à  Although there are related claims that religion is necessary to motivate and guide people to behave in morally good way, most take the claim of the necessary connection between morality and religion to mean that right and wrong come from the commands of God (or the gods).à  This view of morality is known as Divine Command Theory.à  The upshot is that an action is right — or obligatory — if God command we do it, wrong if God commands we refrain from doing it, and morally permissible if God does not command that it not be done. Divine Command Theory is widely held to have several serious flaws.à  First, it presupposes that God or gods exist.à  Second, even if we assume that God does exist, it presupposes that we can know what God commandsà  But even if we accept theism, it looks like even theists should reject the theory.à  Plato raised the relevant objection 2500 years ago.à  He asked: Is something right (or wrong) because the gods command it, or do the gods command it because it is right? If the latter, then right and wrong are independent of the gods’ commands — Divine Command Theory is false.à  If the former, then right and wrong are just a matter of the arbitrary will of the gods (i.e., they might have willed some other, contradictory commands). Most think that right and wrong are not arbitrary — that is, some action is wrong, say, for a reason.à  Moreover, that if God commands us not to do an action, He does so because of this reason, not simply because He arbitrarily commands it.à  What makes the action wrong, then, is not God’s commanding it, but the reason.à  Divine Command Theory is false again. à  (5) Virtue Ethics Right and wrong are characterized in terms of acting in accordance with the traditional virtues — making the good person. The most widely discussed is Aristotle’s account.à  For Aristotle, the central concern is â€Å"Ethica† = things to do with character.à  Of particular concern are excellences of character — i.e., the moral virtues. Aristotle, and most of the ancient Greeks really had nothing to say about moral duty, i.e., modern day moral concepts.à  Rather, they were concerned with what makes human beings truly ‘happy’.à  True ‘happiness’ is calledEudaimonia (flourishing / well- being / fulfilment / self- actualization).à  Like Plato, Aristotle wants to show that there are objective reasons for living in accordance with the traditional virtues (wisdom, courage, justice and temperance).à  For Aristotle, this comes from a particular account of human nature — i.e., the virtuous life is the â⠂¬Ëœhappiest’ (most fulfilling) life.