Thresholds Theory of Classical Psychophysics Essay Example for Free

Thresholds Theory of Classical Psychophysics Essay Discuss the thresholds theory of classical psychophysics and explain how characteristics of the perceiver are also important in determining the selection of stimuli. The theory that our human cognitive ability has thresholds from the conscious level to a non-conscious level which varies over time in strength. These thresholds are physical and are not defined, but generally are from those activities and thoughts that are the most active having a threshold that defines our active consciousness, down to those thoughts that are several thresholds away and not seemingly linked to our current awareness. The concepts behind the theory attempt to bring together areas of knowledge, including the commonly-held beliefs about short-term memory being limited to around 7 ideas. In an evolutionary sense, humans walk forward and have to plan their next steps. If humans are running, they may be planning, say, 7 steps ahead. This planning allows them to avoid having miss steps. They have to be able to analyze the results of possibly taking steps, and then keep changing their focus after taking a new step forward .In theory people are imperfectly able to keep focus on a small set of priorities. This imperfection may be the solution, though, for allowing new priorities to be considered. An example is if when shopping in a market holding a red scarf you like, someone yells from behind you â€Å"Stop that thief Help† You start to turn around. Your cognitive threshold will swap out your interest in scarves for an interest in this new distraction. You may: †¢Want to see the thief to avoid them †¢Want to see the person yelling to verify they are not joking †¢Want to see if you are near the thief, or possibly in danger In other words, our cognitive and analytical threshold allows us to act in our world and react for what could be labeled as basic evolutionary needs. The cognitive threshold changes over time, for reasons including: †¢mental capacity: fatigue, chemical or emotional impairment/enhancement †¢situational: the ability to think about running is higher when actually running, than when performing some other activity †¢training: learning enhances ability to manage and perform more in those areas being learned, such as language, music, sports, science, and other skills The Cognitive Threshold theory assumes that what is referred to as â€Å"unconscious† or â€Å"subconscious† thinking is essentially thoughts that take place at a different level of awareness. Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves both the recognition of environmental stimuli and action in response to these stimuli. Through the perceptual process, we gain information about properties and elements of the environment that are critical to our survival. A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception these factors can reside: i) In the perceiver ii) In the Object or target being perceived or iii) In the context of the situation in which the perception is made. 1. Characteristics of the Perceiver: Several characteristics of the perceiver can affect perception. When an individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she stands for, that interpretation is heavily influenced by personal characteristics of the individual perceiver. The major characteristics of the perceiver influencing perception are: †¢Attitudes †¢Motive †¢Moods †¢Self-concept †¢Interest †¢Cognitive structure †¢Expectation 2) Characteristics of the Target: Characteristics in the target that is being observed can affect what is perceived. Physical appearance pals a big role in our perception of others. Extremely attractive or unattractive individuals are more likely to be noticed in a group than ordinary looking individuals. Motions, sound, size and other attributes of a target shape the way we see it. Verbal Communication from targets also affects our perception of them. Nonverbal communication conveys a great deal of information about the target. The perceiver deciphers eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, and posture all in a attempt to form an impression of the target. 3) Characteristics of the Situation: The situation in which the interaction between the perceiver and the target takes place has an influence on the perceivers impression of the target. The strength of the situational cues also affects social perception. Some situations provide strong cues as to appropriate behavior. In this situation, we assume that individuals behaviors can be accounted for by the situation, and that it may not reflect the individuals disposition Name and discuss briefly three (3) reasons why the memory of a healthy person may fail. Memory is one of the most important functions of the brain. Whether people realize it or not, their memories define who they are. There are many areas of the brain that help you create and retrieve memories. Damage or malfunction of any of these areas can lead to memory loss. Memory loss due to problems with specific brain areas may be different. It may involve only memory of recent or new events, past or remote events, or both. The amnesia may be only for specific events or for all events. The problem may involve learning new information or forming new memories. Mental or thinking abilities may still be present or may have been lost. Filling in the details with imagined events (confabulation), and disorientation to time and place may occur. Memory loss may be for words and thoughts only, or for the body can no longer perform specific actions calls motor action. Memory loss may also be partial, meaning failing to remember only a selected group of items. Self-esteem refers to how an individual feels about him or herself. Does someone view himself as a good person, worthy of good things? If he does, he probably has healthy self esteem. If an individual views himself as flawed and unworthy of praise or the respect of others, he probably has low self-esteem. Self-esteem motivates peoples actions as well as the decisions they make. Individuals with positive self-esteem are likely to believe that they measure up to others sufficiently. They are more likely to have the confidence to pursue different accomplishments, whether it is trying to do well on a test, trying out for a sports team, answering a question in class, or applying for a job. These individuals are not overly afraid of failure; they realize that failure is a natural part of life and whether they fail or succeed at something does not indicate their overall worth and ability as a person. There are several factors that influence self esteem. These include: Age: Self-esteem tends to grow steadily up until middle school, which may be due to the transition of moving from the familiar environment of elementary school to a new setting with new demands. Self-esteem will either continue to grow after this period or begin to plummet. Gender: Girls tend to be more susceptible to having low self-esteem than boys, perhaps because of increased social pressures that emphasize appearance rather than intelligence or athletic ability. When memories are stored in the brain, they cannot serve people unless they are retrieved. How do people retrieve memories? This usually happens when memories are challenged. For example, if someone asks a question, a person must attempt to retrieve information in order to answer the question. Sometimes the answer is easy; other times, a person takes time to answer it. The amount of time it takes to answer the question is connected to a persons awareness of what memories are stored. Sometimes a person is not aware at the time that he or she knows the answer, but later realizes that the information is there, ready to be retrieved. Sometimes, a smell or a sound can trigger a memory that a person did not know was there. Write short examples that are related to your daily activities using James-Lange theory, Cannon Bard theory and the cognitive theory James-Lange theory According to James-Lange theory theory, witnessing an external stimulus leads to a physiological reaction. Your emotional reaction depends upon how you interpret those physical reactions. For example, suppose you are walking in the woods and you see a grizzly bear. You begin to tremble and your heart begins to race. The James-Lange theory proposes that you will interpret your physical reactions and conclude that you are frightened. For an example, when I see a cockroach, feel like uncomfortable and move away from that place and my heart beet become fast by thinking of cockroach going to come near me. Cannon Bard theory Cannon-Bard theory states that we feel emotions and experience physiological reactions such as sweating, trembling and muscle tension simultaneously. More specifically, it is suggested that emotions result when the thalamus sends a message to the brain in response to a stimulus, resulting in a physiological reaction. For example: I see a snake I’m afraid I begin to tremble. According to the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion, we react to a stimulus and experience the associated emotion at the same time .The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion differs from other theory of emotion such as the James-Lange theory of emotion, which argues that physiological responses occur first and result and are the cause of emotions. Cognitive theory Cognitive theory is a learning theory of psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by understanding the thought processes. The assumption is that humans are logical beings that make the choices that make the most sense to them. Information processing is a commonly used description of the mental process, comparing the human mind to a computer. Pure cognitive theory largely rejects behaviorism on the basis that behaviorism reduces complex human behavior to simple cause and effect. However, the trend in past decades has been towards merging the two into a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral theory. This allows therapists to use techniques from both schools of thought to help clients achieve their goals.

Psychological Disorders Essay Example for Free

Psychological Disorders Essay 1. Does Katherine’s description meet the clinical criteria for a panic attack? Substantiate your  answer. A panic attack is described as an unexpected period wherein the person suffers intense fear that occurs without warning or any reason.   It is characterized by shortness of breath, palpitations, chest discomfort, trembling, choking feeling, intense sweating, nausea, dizziness, feelings of being detached from oneself, fear of going crazy, dying fears, numbness, and cold or hot flashes.   For an episode to be considered a panic attack, the person has to meet four of the symptoms.    In Katherines case, she described four of the symptoms to having a panic attack.   She said that she felt dizzy, had difficulty breathing, was feeling nauseous, and felt like she was detached from herself.   From this, I believe Katherine had a panic attack. 2. Does Katherine meet the criteria for a dissociative disorder? Explain. Dissociative disorders are related to anxiety disorders in the sense that they are also reactions to stress and anxiety factors.   A dissociative person often exhibits changes or losses in consciousness, memory, identity or environmental perception.   In this case, the anxiety factor is clearly the visit to the parents house.   For some unknown reason, the visit awakened buried memories.   Although Katherine did not exhibit memory loss or shift, she experienced a change of perception in her environment. Based on how Katherine described her symptoms, I believe shes suffering from a dissociative disorder.   Although Katherine does not display the usual memory loss and split  personality symptoms typical of dissociative disorders, she has, however, described that she felt  separated from her physical self, like she was outside looking in.   She said that even if she was aware of driving the car, Katherine also felt like a different being who was just looking at another being driving the car.   This seems to be a case of Depersonalization disorder. 3. What other disorders does Katherine appear to have? Analyze. Its not clear whether Katherine was abused at a young age.   But based from the way Katherine pictured her father coming up from behind her to assault her, it would seem that a similar event had occurred to her in the past.   Either her father did the same to her as a child, or a man who resembles her father or has qualities similar to her father had done the same to her.   As a result Katherine developed an acute stress disorder long after the traumatic event occurred. She went into panic on her way to her parents house.   Apparently, the drive to her parents triggered unpleasant feelings.   Perhaps the assault on her person happened in her parents house or in the nearby vicinity.   Her avoidance of her parents, her admission of feeling estranged from them, and not letting them know about her plans support this assumption.   Katherine uses avoidance to keep the panic attack at bay.   Her avoidance is typical of others who are suffering from acute stress disorder.   Katherines troubled sleep, irritability, and nightmares are the result of a traumatic event that she probably has buried in her consciousness.

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio The Fibonacci Sequence was firstly introduced by Leonardo of Pisa, known as  Fibonacci, in the year 1202. He studied on the population of rabbits. Firstly he assumed that a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field; one month later, rabbits become adult and are able to mate so that at the end of its second month a female rabbit can produce another pair of rabbits; he also assumed that rabbits never die and a mating pair always produces one male and one female rabbit every month from the second month on. The question that Fibonacci posed was: how many pairs will there be in one year? At the end of the first month, the pair mate, however they dont produce a pair, therefore there is still one only 1 pair. At the end of the second month the couple produces a new pair, so now there are 2 pairs of rabbits in the field. One of them is adolescent and the other is leverets. At the end of the third month, the original pair produces a second pair, the leverets become adolescents hence a total of 3 pairs in all in the field. For the next month, two adolescent pairs produce two new pairs and the newly-born pair become adult. Therefore, our field consits five pairs of rabbits. The terms of the sequence are given as, The Golden Ratio is a special type of ratio that can be seen on many structure of living organisms and many objects. It is not only observed in the part of a whole subjects, but also in arts and architecture for centuries. The Golden ratio gives the most compatible sizes of geometric figures. In nature, The Golden Ratio can be seen on the bodies of human beings, shells and branches of trees.  For Platon, the keys of the cosmical physics is this ratio. Also, this ratio is widely believed that it is the most aesthetic ratio for a rectangle. The Golden Ratio, is an irrational number just as pi or e and its approximate value is 1,618033988à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To define the Golden Ratio, ÃŽÂ ¦ or PHI is used. The Golden Ratio has been used for many years for different purposes. Some studies of the  Acropolis, the approximate value of golden ratio can be seen on many of its proportions. Parthenon is a typical example of this. The Parthenons facade including elements of its facade and elsewhere are said to be circumscribed by golden rectangles.  For many classical buildings, either the building itself or the elements of the buildings have a proportion which is equal to the golden ratio. This information gives a result that their architects most probably knew the golden ratio and consciously employed it in their buildings. On the other hand, the architects may use their senses and found a good proportion for their desgins, and their proportions closely approximate the golden ratio. Beside this, some analyses can always be questioned on the ground that the investigator chooses the points from which measurements are made or where to superimpose golden rectangles, and the proportions that a re observed are affected by the choices of the points. Some scholars disagree with the idea that Greeks had an aesthetic association with golden ratio. For instance, Midhat J. Gazalà © says, It was not until Euclid, however, that the golden ratios mathematical properties were studied. In the  Elements  (308 BC) the Greek mathematician merely regarded that number as an interesting irrational number, in connection with the middle and extreme ratios. Its occurrence in regular pentagons and decagons was duly observed, as well as in the dodecahedron (a  regular polyhedron  whose twelve faces are regular pentagons). It is indeed exemplary that the great Euclid, contrary to generations of mystics who followed, would soberly treat that number for what it is, without attaching to it other than its factual properties.[1]  In Keith Devlins opinion,  the claim that measurements of Parthenon is not supported by actual measurements even though the golden raito is observed. In fact, the entire story about the Greeks and golden ratio seems to be without foundation. The one thing we surely know that Euclid showed how to calculate its value, in his famous textbook  Elements, that was written around 300 BC.  Near-contemporary sources like  Vitruvius  exclusively discuss proportions that can be expressed in whole numbers, i.e. commensurate as opposed to irrational proportions. A geometrical analysis of the  Great Mosque of Kairouan  reveals a consistent application of the golden ratio throughout the design, according to Boussora and Mazouz.[22]  It is found in the overall proportion of the plan and in the dimensioning of the prayer space, the court, and the  minaret. Boussora and Mazouz also examined earlier archaeological theories about the mosque, and demonstrate the geometric constructions based on the golden ratio by applying these constructions to the plan of the mosque to test their hypothesis. The Swiss  architect  Le Corbusier, famous for his contributions to the  modern  international style, centered his design philosophy on systems of harmony and proportion. Le Corbusiers faith in the mathematical order of the universe was closely bound to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, which he described as rhythms apparent to the eye and clear in their relations with one another. And these rhythms are at the very root of human activities. They resound in man by an organic inevitability, the same fine inevitability which causes the tracing out of the Golden Section by children, old men, savages and the learned.[23] Le Corbusier explicitly used the golden ratio in his  Modulor  system for the  scale  of  architectural proportion. He saw this system as a continuation of the long tradition of  Vitruvius, Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, the work of  Leon Battista Alberti, and others who used the proportions of the human body to improve the appearance and function of  architecture. In addition to the golden ratio, Le Corbusier based the system on  human measurements,  Fibonacci numbers, and the double unit. He took Leonardos suggestion of the golden ratio in human proportions to an extreme: he sectioned his model human bodys height at the navel with the two sections in golden ratio, then subdivided those sections in golden ratio at the knees and throat; he used these golden ratio proportions in the  Modulor  system. Le Corbusiers 1927 Villa Stein in  Garches  exemplified the Modulor systems application. The villas rectangular ground plan, elevation, and inner structure closely approximate golden rectangles.[24] Another Swiss architect,  Mario Botta, bases many of his designs on geometric figures. Several private houses he designed in Switzerland are composed of squares and circles, cubes and cylinders. In a house he designed in  Origlio, the golden ratio is the proportion between the central section and the side sections of the house.[25] In a recent book, author Jason Elliot speculated that the golden ratio was used by the designers of the  Naqsh-e Jahan Square  and the adjacent Lotfollah mosque.[26] [edit]Painting Illustration from Luca Paciolis  De Divina Proportione  applies geometric proportions to the human face. Leonardo da Vincis illustrations of  polyhedra  in  De Divina Proportione  (On the Divine Proportion) and his views that some bodily proportions exhibit the golden ratio have led some scholars to speculate that he incorporated the golden ratio in his paintings.[27]  But the suggestion that hisMona Lisa, for example, employs golden ratio proportions, is not supported by anything in Leonardos own writings.[28] Salvador Dalà ­Ã‚  explicitly used the golden ratio in his masterpiece,  The Sacrament of the Last Supper. The dimensions of the canvas are a golden rectangle. A huge dodecahedron, with edges in golden ratio to one another, is suspended above and behind Jesus and dominates the composition.[2]HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#cite_note-28#cite_note-28[29] Mondrian  used the golden section extensively in his geometrical paintings.[30] A statistical study on 565 works of art of different great painters, performed in 1999, found that these artists had not used the golden ratio in the size of their canvases. The study concluded that the average ratio of the two sides of the paintings studied is 1.34, with averages for individual artists ranging from 1.04 (Goya) to 1.46 (Bellini).[31]  On the other hand, Pablo Tosto listed over 350 works by well-known artists, including more than 100 which have canvasses with golden rectangle and root-5 proportions, and others with proportions like root-2, 3, 4, and 6.[32] 3. Math in Arts: Carla Farsi  straddles two fields that many people believe are diametrically opposed: as well as being a professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she is a working, exhibiting artist. After years of pursuing both interests separately she declared 2005 her Special Year for Art and Maths, and in an impressive effort put on various exhibitions, classes, movies, lectures, concerts, plays and an international conference all to deepen the understanding of the relationship between maths and art. Plus interviewed her to find out just what this relationship is about, and what it feels like to have a foot in both worlds. Painting by numbers? When you look at some of Carlas artwork, you might be forgiven not to recognise any maths in it. Some of her installations in particular appear impulsive, even disordered, and made from recycled objects belong very much to the realm of reality. There are no meticulously worked out geometrical patterns, intricate fractals or perfectly recreated perspectives, as you might expect from an artist-mathematician. So what makes the connection between maths and art? Is there more to it than the fact that maths underlies patterns and perspective? Visualisation is one of the main points, Carla says, especially in geometry you can prove things visually, and the pictures can say as much as the actual theorem. But you can even go beyond geometry. Something that is logical, that makes a mathematical theorem, also makes some kind of a visual statement about structure and composition. Its almost like a piece of art, it has its own structure, logic, meaning. In a mathematicians head, the mathematica l ideas, even if theyre very abstract, can appear to be almost visual, intuitive. Carla thinks that with the advance of computers, the visual and artistic aspects of maths will become more and more prominent: Computers are developing so fast and we dont really know yet what they could do for us in the future. Maybe one day it will be sufficient to think about the images involved in a mathematical idea or proof, and a computer will compute the underlying equations for us. Right now, just drawing a picture is often not enough a proper proof has to be more rigorous than that. But computers are already being used to prove theorems [seePlus  article  Welcome to the maths lab], and maybe one day a mathematician could simply present the computer with a picture, and the computer will be able to read off the maths in it. In this way, mathematicians could spend more time on the creative aspects of maths having the ideas and computers could do the boring, automatic parts. At that point maths may be closer to art than it appears now. So, what does it  feel  like, being an artist and a mathematician at the same time? Does proving a theorem feel very different from creating a piece of art? No, the two dont feel very different. Of course, when youre doing maths, youre bound by rules much more than when youre doing art. In art you can change the rules what you initially planned to do half-way through, and I do that a lot. In fact, even if Ive made up some rules at the beginning, I often find that Im unable to stick to them, the practicalities involved force me to seek other routes. Do Carlas motivation for doing maths and her inspiration to do art come from the same place? Yes, I certainly think so, Im absolutely positive about that. There is the same kind of fascination for me in both maths and art. Its all about expressing ideas, and sometimes maths works better and other times its art. Maths and art are just two different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. In some periods of my life Im more attracted by the rigour and formality of maths, and at other times I prefer art. I think maths and art are just different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. What are these ideas? Thats a very difficult question! I think its how I relate to the world, how I see and understand the world. I feel a relationship with certain objects, or objects of the mind, and I want to express that. For example, I may be touched by the idea of an explosion [Carla indeed painted a series of pictures on the subject of Hiroshima], and to express it, I may prefer to use art, bright colours. If I want to express or understand something more formal, maths may be better-suited. Numbers by painting But Carla didnt put on her Special Year just in order to contemplate those deep connections. First and foremost, she wants to open up the world of maths to those who are scared of it, or feel that it has nothing to do with real life. Emphasising the visual and creative aspects of maths might make people like it more. I created a course at my university, aimed at non-maths students, which teaches maths using the visual arts. I think this could also be of great benefit to maths students, and here we could teach the more formal mathematical ideas. Carla uses paintings and sculptures both to give an overall feel for the subject and to illustrate concrete maths objects and problems. An area that benefits most from the visual approach is topology. This branch of maths studies the nature of geometric objects by allowing them to distort and change. Think of a knot in an elastic band: its defining feature, the way the band winds around itself, remains the same even when you stretch the band. In this spirit, topologists regard any two objects that can be deformed into each other without tearing to be one and the same thing have a look at  Plusarticle  In space, do all roads lead home?  to see how a coffee cup can be turned into a doughnut. Carla teaches topological ideas and methods using the sculptures of North American artistHelaman Ferguson, and also the works of Catalan architect  Antoni Gaudà ­. I usually ask students to bring playdough to the maths class. Fergusons work in particular is good for illustrating the solutions to concrete mathematical problems, such as how to unknot a knot: I usually present first the puzzle and then give them some hints to see if we can work out the solution together. Usually I also ask students to bring playdough to this class, so that we can work hands on. After we have worked out the maths I show them a piece by Ferguson that beautifully illustrate the result. With Gaudà ­ I am a bit more loose. I introduce him when I talk about topological transformations of surfaces and also when I talk about spirals. Some of his work illustrates well the concept of topological deformation and I use it for that, as a general example. This is also useful when students ask (as they often do) how mathematics relates to things they see in the real world. Of course, no class on maths and the visual arts would be complete without fractals. Their often astonishing beauty comes from their infinite intricacy: no matter how closely you zoom in on a fractal, what you see is still extremely complicated and crinkly. Whats more, it often looks similar to the whole fractal, a phenomenon called self-similarity (see the box on the  Von Koch Snowflakebelow). There are various mathematical techniques to measure the crinkliness of a fractal, and Carla teaches them in her classes with the aid of fractals that occur in nature and art: I teach my students how to compute the fractal dimension of a fractal. First I show them some examples from art and other fields, especially nature. Then we study the technique formally, and then apply it to images of fractal art. We also work out the fractal dimension of some of the original examples I presented them with. As Carla points out, there are paintings containing fractals that were never consciously intended by the artist: mathematicians have shown that the drip paintings by abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock can be identified by their own particular fractal structures (see  Plus  article  Fractal expressionism). Symmetry is another concept that is as visual as it is mathematical. We can perceive it almost subconsciously and it has been argued that it plays a vital role in our perception of beauty yet it opens the door to a wealth of mathematical structure. A square, for example, has 8 symmetries: you can reflect it in the vertical, horizontal or diagonal axes, you can rotate it through 90, 180 or 270 degrees, or you can simply do nothing and leave it as it is. Each of these transformations is called a symmetry, because after youve done it, the square appears to be exactly as it was before. If you put all these 8 symmetries together, you get a self-contained system: whenever you combine two of them, by first doing one and then the other, you get one of the other symmetries in your set try it! Such a self-contained system of symmetries is called a  group, and symmetry groups are the gateway to abstract algebra. A simple visual consideration lands you in the thick of some quite advanced ma thematics!

Abraham Lincoln as the Greatest President Essay -- Lincoln President U

Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasn't scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United States from splintering during the devastating times of the Civil War. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization, and he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that changed the war into a battle for freedom and declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. That November, Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address, which stated how a country must be dedicated to human fre edom in order to survive. He dedicated the battlefield to the soldiers who had perished, and called on the living to finish the task the dead soldiers had begun. (Donald, 1995) Lincoln believed that democracy could be a lasting form of government. He showed a nobility of character that had worldwide appeal, and he was a man of great integrity. However, Lincoln was not only the 16th president of the United States, he was an American hero. Lincoln was a well-rounded individual and he had numerous outstanding qualities. However, it is important to remember that Lincoln also led a private life, complete with close friends and family. Lincoln was born into a poor household on February 12, 1809... ... across the world. But to those who knew him, he was more then just a president. In addition to being a man who made revolutionary changes to our nation, he was also a devoted husband and father to his four sons. Despite his intimidating 6'4" figure, he was a kind, warm-hearted man, who actually cared about the common people. His family and friends had a substantial influence on him and they played an extremely important role in his life. They supported him in whatever he set his mind to and they kept him sane when he felt like he was about ready to breakdown during difficult times. There is more to Lincoln than most people could ever imagine, and his personal life could never be complete without his family. Lincoln had a very intimate relationship with his wife Mary Todd, and he showed endless love and affection to his children. Abraham Lincoln was a true family man.

Tiny Robots in Your Bloodstream: The Future of Medicine

The thought of microscopic robots traveling through your body may seem like a science fiction novel from the 1960’s but, in the next decade or so, it may become science fact. Imagine clogged arteries being swept clean, cancer cells detected and destroyed and kidney stones being dissolved, all done by minute robots, eliminating the need for costly and invasive surgery. These are just some of the possible applications of nanotechnology in medicine, also known as nanomedicine. Nanomedicine can dramatically improve medicine and healthcare beyond our imagination. Nanotechnology was first mentioned in 1959 in a talk given by physicist Richard Feynman. Although he did not use the term, he described a process by which a pair of normal sized robot arms would build a copy of itself that was one tenth its size. That pair of arms would continue the process and so on until the arms reached the size of a molecule. (Patel 63) This would be the level of nanotechnology. Nano comes from the Greek word meaning â€Å"dwarf†. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter and when we speak of nanotechnology we are speaking of devices in the 1 to 100 nanometer scale. To help visualize how small that is, a germ is about 1000 nm wide, a human hair is about 100,000 nm wide. (Marchant, G. E. 231) The scanning tunneling microscope, invented in 1981 by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer, allowed humans to see individual atoms. Binnig and Rohrer both worked as physicists for the computer company IBM. The atomic force microscope was invented a few years later which allowed the user to actually move atoms by using a feeler with an extremely small, sharp needle on the end which allows it to see and move the atoms by f... ... and we will be able to create our own virtual realities that will integrate all our senses, expanding our intelligence in ways we cannot imagine. Nanomedicine will give rise to AI by giving humans extremely detailed scans and diagrams of the human brain and how it functions. Eventually, AI will be able to think and have emotional responses thanks to the info gathered by Nanobots. The two technologies will feed off one another resulting in a world that may be more wild than any science fiction novel ever written. (Kurzweil 40-46) It is clear that nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize health care and even transport humanity into the next evolutionary leap, but great care must be taken in order make sure we get there safely. Once technology becomes smarter than humanity, we may not be able to control our destiny any longer.

Americas Zoos: Entertainment To Conservation Essay -- essays research

America's Zoos: Entertainment to Conservation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The children run ahead, squealing with delight. Their parents lag behind holding the children's brightly colored balloons and carrying the remnants of the half-eaten cotton candy. The family stops to let the children ride the minitrain and take pictures together under the tree. They walk hand- in-hand toward the exit, stopping first at the gift shop where they each splurge on a treat to remind them of the day's adventure. Although this may sound like a typical scene from the local amusement park, it's actually the city zoo. All that forgotten was walking from cage to cage watching the anxious animals pace back and forth in their closed-in prisons (Hope, 1994). Their cages feel cold and desolate. The concrete floor provides no warmth and the atmosphere is sterile. The animals do not appear very happy in this closed-in environment. Just who are these anxious animals? They are the common everyday animals any child could name: the bears, the tigers, the elephants and the monkeys. What about the rest of the world's unique creatures? Hundreds of species are endanger of becoming extinct, and conservation is in need. Extinction is a permanent issue. The treatment of all our animals and their rights is important as well. As concern for the world's animals becomes more prominent in the news, our zoos rise up to meet the challenge. Animal's rights and their treatment, regardless of species, have been brought to attention and positive movements made. While the number of endangered species grows, zoos attempt to do their part in conservation. Both in and out of the park, zoos and their scientist do their best to help these species. Efforts out in the field within the United States as well as other countries are currently in progress. The question lies in the worthiness of these efforts. Is the conservation successful? Are these efforts being done for the right reasons? Will zoos remain as a form of family entertainment or will the enjoyment of the patrons become unimportant? While it is obvious that things are changing, the eventual goals might not be so clear. As the concern shifts from entertainment to conservation, the zoo's efforts are examined, both in the park and beyond, and their motives judged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As cities became more and more urbanized, it was harder to st... ...zations on my own, imagine how much more knowledgeable the public will be as a whole on these matters. Both education and species conservation are gained. Honestly, many members of the human population may not realize what life is truly like out in the wild. Nature has been difficult for many animals and these scientists are trying to rebuild what Mother Nature, in combination with the human race, has almost destroyed. The role has shifted, but I believe that the motives have also changed considerably. The concern of the patrons will always be a factor, but with so many people worried about the animals, they are not forgotten. Perhaps if the general public, meaning those who do not have the privilege of visiting these zoos becomes more informed about the work, less questions will be raised about this transition. Personally, I cannot differentiate the one who suffers in this arrangement. The animals' rights are looked after, the public becomes more aware and the endangered numbers of many species are strengthened. If the children still squeal, the animals are safe and measures are being taken to help Earth's creatures, I would consider the venture successful and applaud it as well.

American Sign Language Essay

For years psychologists have debated and tried to find out how our individual behaviour is gained- are we born with it or do we gain it through experience? Many psychologists have tried to find ways in which they can measure if our behaviour is learnt or inherited but these psychologists have encountered problems while doing so.  One problem that psychologists have when investigating whether behaviour is learned or inherited is actually finding a task that can be given to all of the different participants. Psychologists carrying out an experiment to find out about behaviour usually have participants which are different in some way, for example different sexes, different cultures, different levels of intelligence. Deregowski conducted a cross cultural experiment to see if people from different cultures perceive pictures the same. He found that the African children spent a lot of time looking at the pen and paper as they had never before seen or used them in their life. The same task has to be given to all of the participants as the same dependant variable is being measured and this is a big problem as it decreases the reliability of the results. Another problem is that it is very difficult to separate genetics and our experience as we begin learning from the moment we are born. This makes it hard to find a task that can measure just the intelligence we are born with because as long as we are on this planet, we are constantly learning new things that make us more intelligent. Gould carried out an experiment to measure people’s native intellectual ability (the intelligence we are a born with which is unaffected by culture and educational opportunities). The experiment clearly didn’t measure native intellectual ability, as you needed to know about American culture to answer the questions. Even thought the experiment was biased and favoured Americans, it is still a good example of how difficult it is to measure our native intellectual ability because Gould’s aim for the experiment was to measure this but this obviously proved to be very difficult. Other psychologists have tried to measure the intellectual ability we are born with but many have began to question whether we can ever make a task that measures our native intellectual ability. The only way we come very close to separating our learned and inherited ability is if we separate two identical twins at birth and put them into different environments. We could put one into an environment where a very minimal amount of behaviour is learnt from experience. For example we could put the twin into an empty room with no contact with the outside world and hardly any human contact (somewhat like a prison). The other twin can lead a normal life by going to school, interacting with other people etc. We can then observe the two twins in later life and if their behaviour is very similar or the same, it proves that behaviour is inherited. If the twin who lived in the outside world is more developed that the twin who was shut away from the world, it would prove that our behaviour is gained through experience. This is the only ideal way to investigate whether behaviour is learned or inherited but is this method ethical? Gardner & Gardner wanted to see whether a chimpanzee could communicate in American Sign Language and the only way they could investigate their aim was to treat a chimpanzee like a human and take it out of its natural habitat. They proved that a chimpanzee could communicate in ASL but the experiment was criticised by many people who thought it was unethical.