Renaissance Essays (587 words) - Rhyme, Sonnet, The Faerie Queene

Renaissance When the Renaissance crept into the worlds social senses people were moved. However, when the Renaissance began to affect the literature of the sixteenth century, the world was changed forever. The Renaissance, meaning a re-birth, was a time of many changes. These changes wrought pandemonium among the civilized people of earth. There was a recovery and discovery of medieval texts in which scholars were deeply impressed by. Those in love with the arts and literature now had more choices to view and read. There was an outpour of those individuals attempting to create paintings that exemplified the feelings that saturated the minds of the brilliant scholars. Most importantly, however, was the huge change of the role of the church in everything. Martin Luther nailed up his 95 Thesis and thus began the Reformation of the Catholic Church. With this came a rushing tide of secularization in Europe. This, of course, blew over into literature and the arts. The Faerie Queen is one epic that included the ideals and morals that the excommunicated Christians found rather intriguing and good to follow after. One can easily compare the Red Cross Knight to a Christ figure. Other characters can be paralleled to Biblical men and women as well. It was the era of discovery. People chose to discover themselves. Identities were formed and the individual man began to take more notice of himself than any other. This was a more difficult task for the Protestants because of their commitments. However, they were surrounded by this culture, lived in it, and were comfortable in the right to think about ones self more often. In The Faerie Queen we see the hero attempt to fight off the evil thing that is plaguing a friend who has asked for his help. Here is the Christian once again the helper and sustainer of life. The Reformation had caused a sort of brave attitude to cover Europe. Another genre of writing that was popular during the Renaissance was the sonnet. Shakespeare loved his sonnets and wrote many that coincide with the ideals that were ever present in this time period. This is where the greater secularization became too obvious. The self is the main character in Shakespeares sonnets. How the self (the speaker) feels or reacts, what he dreams or wishes are shared with the audience. Time is a god. Nature is a god. During the medieval period his sonnets would have had to be changed to add some sort of religious purpose before any audience could read them. However, with remarkable split from the Church of England, new things took place. New and individual theologies were made up. Specifically, in the first two lines of one of Shakespeares sonnets, he writes When my love swears that she is made of truth,/I do believe her, though I know she lies. This sonnet continues to relish in the fact that these to liars are in love so they are perfect for each other an d they lie together. Many of his sonnets have such a secular theme in them like this one has. This author would obviously cause problems if he had been written and published three hundred years earlier. Seeing the changes when one compares this sonnet to a work like The Faerie Queen, one can tell that the Renaissance was a time where so many changes were occurring. It was a period of constant re-birth, from beginning to end. English Essays

psych in 12 angry men essays

psych in 12 angry men essays The film Twelve Angry Men follows the jury deliberation of a first degree murder case. The jury, totaling twelve men, dispute their decision of innocence or guilt throughout the movie. Many concepts of social psychology including conformity, anger displacement, and stereotypes are used in the struggle between these men to reach a verdict. Conformity is the tendency for people to go along with a groups opinion despite what they really feel, just to fit in or be liked. In many cases, conformity is increased when a member of a group feels inferior to fellow peers in the group. In the initial hand count, all men except for one vote guilty. During this voting process it becomes clear that the men who are unsure of what they really feel will go along with the majority without any apparent reason. In the movie the jury decides to take an initial vote to see where everyone stands on the verdict before they start discussing their decision. Some men are very out-spoken about their opinion on the case and make others feel like they will be stupid to think otherwise. As the controversy continues, the one man who voted innocent proceeds to disprove the evidence and make the defendant in the case appear innocent. Every piece of evidence he disproves seems to ensure him a new supporter for a verdict of innocent. This one man is so persuasive in his argument that he makes his opponents appear naive. As the momentum now switches to his side, conformity again becomes evident as people who appear to be undecided now vote innocent. Conformity is obvious when the people were not able to explain their reasons for voting the way they do. The most common reason given is "because I think so." They never use concrete evidence to advocate their choice, but rather allow themselves to be swayed by the majority. Anger Displacement is comes into play through the main antagonist in the movie. This man continually uses the boys ...

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to Essay

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to reproductive success, and how this has affected human mating preferences - Essay Example The reproductive value of males is not determined by physical appearance but reproductive investment (Ellison 14). Genetics and behavior reveal that males are aggressive and competitive though certain traits strengthen the capacity of other individuals. Behavioral traits such as boldness, assertiveness and activeness make the dominant male more attractive to the females. A high status male is quite preferable as a mating partner. The male guarding trait is significant in the reproductive success because a male who protects his offspring has the potential of achieving reproductive success. The age and maturity of a dominant male affects reproduction. Younger males are viewed as fit for copulation and breeding in comparison to older males. Fertility in males is also important in reproductive success because sperm competition is linked with length. The longer the sperm tail, the faster it can swim and the higher the chances of fertilization. Human males with longer sperms are more viable and vice versa. Human male height is quite preferable because it is associated with strength and protection by the female counter parts. The male body size is significant in selecting a mate. It is a fact that women prefer men with broad chests and muscles as compared to thin short men (Cartwright 87). Females choose their breeding mates after considering certain factors. An example is good genes because they look for males with certain phenotypes with the hope that these characteristics will pass on to their offspring. Hormone regulation and age is a major determinant of reproductive success in females. Estrogen is an important hormone in human females during breeding and pre breeding. Its concentration is associated with reproduction success. Older women who have attained menopause are incapable of conceiving while younger women are highly prolific (Ellison 124). Fertility limits females’ reproductive success in humans. In addition,

Application White Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Application White Paper - Assignment Example The paper will also give recommendation on how the hotel can improve its service delivery. Online reviews help to improve generally performance of an organization since it helps managers in decision making and resources allocation. It also helps the organization analyze its strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats to improve its goods and services. The benefits of organizational analysis is to help improve organizational performance in relation to is competitors through its mission, vision, resources allocation, product and services, governance, organizational culture and ethics, competitive advantages, employee and customer satisfaction (Bekefi, 2008). Hospitality industry plays an important economic role in United States of America (Zacks, 2012). Hotel industry across the globe is affected by fluctuations in demand of their goods and services depending with the prevailing season. A specific hotel needs to develop a products and services that will ensure constant income throughout the year despite the existing competitors. Their services should be unique and competitive compared to the products and services of their real competitors. Customer satisfaction is a key factor to the success of any hospitality organization. Hospitality industry offers home like services to unique customers away from home. Therefore the customer expectations for quality goods and services are higher in hospitality industry than in any other industry (Taylor, 2012). To improve services delivery and maintain customer royalty, an organization must seek to obtain the customers feed back in regard to their services. In the current information age most customers seek their products and services online. Customers also give negative and positive feedback online in Social Medias as well as the company’s website. Renivate software is an online platform specifically

Paediatric case study (Indigenous community) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paediatric (Indigenous community) - Case Study Example Bradley thus has multiple problems namely, failure to thrive, delayed psychomotor development, scabies, head louse infestation and worm infestation. He also has mild dehydration which needs to be corrected immediately. Failure to thrive in Bradley is most likely to be due to protein energy malnutrition. According to the World Health Organization or WHO (cited in Scheinfeld and Mokashi, 2008), malnutrition is the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the bodys demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions." When malnutrition arises predominantly due to protein deficiency, the term protein-energy malnutrition is used. Marasmus, kwashiorkar and intermediate states of marasmus-kwashiorkar fall into this category of malnutrition. Bradley is affected with kwashiorkar. This condition typically appears at the time of weaning and hence is known as "sickness of the weaning" (Scheinfeld and Mokashi, 2008). Children with kwashiorkar present with weight loss or poor weight gain, slow linear growth, behavioral changes like irritability and apathy and psychomotor changes. Other symptoms include diarrhoea, edema, easy fatigability, nonhealing wounds, multisystem ic impairment, distension of abdomen, cutaneous changes like dark and dry skin, depigmentation of hair and inflammatory bowel conditions. Clinical features in Bradley which point to Kwashiorkar are failure to thrive, distension of abdomen and psychomotor changes. Bradley will need proper evaluation and admission to hospital. One of the most important aspects of evaluation in Bradley is assessment of extent of dehydration. This is important for the purpose of calculation of rehydration fluids. Dehydration in children can be classified as mild, moderate and severe. Mild dehydration occurs when

The feature of inequality in modern society

The feature of inequality in modern society Inequality is an inescapable feature of modern society. Inequality affects modern society in a variety of ways. It is an inescapable feature of the world we live in. The most common inequality is gender. Men and Women are treated different in a number of ways such as in wages and in sports. This has been the same for centuries. Social class also plays a very big role in inequality. 89% of People are still judged by their class. (Glover 2007) Gender inequality is a huge problem in modern society today. One of the most common issues is wages. It is a known fact that men receive higher wages than women. According to a report by the government in 2006 there is a 13% pay gap between men and women. (The Financial Times 2006) The Office for National Statistics website (2008) says that this statistic has risen to 17.1% in 2008 for full time workers and 36.8% for part time workers. The Equal opportunities Commission published an article Facts about women and men in Great Britain 2006 It stated that 66% of mangers and senior officials are men, while women hold 81% of administrative and secretarial jobs. In the finance sector women are just over half the workforce, yet the average hourly pay for a woman working full time in finance is 41% lower than men. Jenny Watson, the chair of The Equal Opportunities Commission states that: Jobs traditionally seen as womens work such as early years care and education are undervalued and underpa id, and later in life many women are forced to take a pay cut for the flexibility they need to raise their own children Men and women usually have an equal start with their career, but when womens childcare responsibilities kick in, this is where the problems start. Most companies and organisations blame maternity leave and childcare responsibilities for the pay gap between men and women. Women are allowed up to six months maternity leave. Recently men have been able to take just as much as women. So why is there still a gap in wages? Women have always been seen as the nurse the teacher or the secretary. The International Labour Organisation website (2010) claims that women only hold 34% of mangers jobs in great Britain. They only receive two-thirds the pay of their male counterparts. According to the International Labour Office Women and men in lower-paid non-manual jobs such as clerks, shop assistants are closest to being equal. Growing up we all had the idea of mens work and womens work. Men were builders and doctors while women were teachers and nurses. This idea hasnt changed much as we grow older. We will all automatically look twice if we see a female bus driver, a male nurse or a female foreman. Its a natural reaction. From birth we see inequalities immediately in boys and girls. Blue is the colour for boys and pink for girls. Girls have their own toys that society deemed appropriate for girls and so do boys. It seems wrong or unnatural in some way to see a boy playing with a Barbie doll or pushing a toy pram. We have all grown up with these perceptions of what colours each sex should wear and what types of toys they should play with, that its no wonder men and women are treated differently when they grow up. It is what is natural to all of us. Gender inequality also exits in the education system. In same sex schools the subject choices concentrate on the gender of the school. For example in a girls only school it is rare that they would offer subjects such as construction studies or woodwork studies, the same for boys schools, they would rarely offer their male students the choice to take home economics. These subjects can only be taken for both boys and girls in mixed gender schools. Another area where gender inequality is present is Sports. Women are in a male dominated world when it comes to sport. The ancient Olympic games website (2009) claims that Women have been fighting to gain equality in sport since 776 B.C. at the Olympic Games, originally known as the Games of Hera. Women were not allowed to play nor watch the games. Although women play the same sports as men do, women receive little or no air time. It is very rare that you would see a womens soccer or rugby match being shown in a sports bar. The media has largely contributed to false stereotypes regarding men, women and sports. They see women as inferior to male athletes. Tennis especially has seen many centuries of gender inequality. Women only play the best of three sets whereas men play the best of five. Im sure any female tennis player would be more than capable to play five or more sets if given the opportunity. There was also a dramatic difference in prize money up until 2006. There was a big di fference in prize money between men and women in Wimbledon. Men were being paid a lot more money than women. A spokesperson for Wimbledon said that the difference in prize money was due to the fact that mens tennis was more exciting than womens. The Wimbledon website (2006) said this all changed in 2006 when both the ladies and mens winners were paid the same amount of prize money. This is a step in the right direction for gender equality in tennis. On the other hand soccer needs to follow in the same path. Women soccer players do not receive the same recognition or the same money that their male counterparts receive. Wayne Rooney earns  £90,000 a week being a professional soccer player for Manchester United and is world famous. I dont think many people would be able to name one professional female soccer player. Men get all the fame and all the recognition. Golf is another sport where females are treated unequally. In most golf courses, women can only play on ladies day and are not allowed to play alongside the male players. Professional Female golf players just like professional female soccer players, do not receive as much money or recognition. These are some of the many inequalities which women are trying to challenge and overcome today. It has stopped women from advancing as fast as their male counterparts. In my opinion women have been neglected in sports just as they have been in many other areas of life such as education and work. More often or not people are judged by their social class. They are discriminated against by where they come from. 90% of 18-24 year olds say people are judged by their class (Glover 2007). This has been happening for centuries and I do not think that it will change in the near future. As suggested by Macionis and Plummer (2008) Gordon Therborn has suggested that social class is one of the key features of modern Europe, as Europe was the first major arena of industrialisation. All the main political parties in Britain are trying to work against social class. Gordon Brown claimed recently that a class free society can become a reality in Britain. There are three shapes of class: The upper classes, the middle classes and the working classes. According to Glover (2007) the upper class is almost extinct with only 2% claiming to be part of it. The Middle class used to be the group between rich and poor. In 1998, 41% of people thought as themselves as middle class, exactly the same proportion as today. (Glover 2007) The Working Class is the lowest of the classes. A few centuries ago working class people were miners. They are known as the poorest of society. Glover (2007) said, Of people born to working class parents, 77% say they are working class too. One one fifth say they have become middle class. The fact that we still have a structure of class shows that people are discriminated because of their class and where they come from. They are discriminated against in the workplace and in schools. As Hutton (2007) described in his article, pupils from schools from middle class or working class areas are receiving little to no places in prestigious schools such as Oxford, even though they have received excellent marks. Their marks sometimes were better than pupils at Upper class schools. This just proves that there is inequality in social class. It obviously depends on where you come from and which school you attend that shapes your future education. No matter where we go in life we will be judged by our class and where we come from. Karl Marx and Max Weber have different views upon social class. Macionis and Plummer (2008) said that Marx defined class in terms of those who own the means of production and those who do not with a residual class in between He says that the owners or the means of production exploit those who produce goods and services, while the working class become alienated consumers. Marx focuses more on the economic side of social class, especially the labour force. Weber and Marx have similar ideas. In Webers view, a persons class status is a determinant of how they will turn out in later life. People will have a better life if they are higher up in class. He thought that a persons possessions and the way they lived was the cause of class conflict. Although Weber believed as Marx did that the economic side of social class was important and caused most of the conflict, he didnt believe that this was the only cause of the conflict between social classes. He saw society back then as having many st atus groups who held a vast amount of power. For example teachers do not own their schools they work for people, but they may be higher up in status than a mechanic who owns his owns and runs his own business. Weber thought that people in politics had more power in society. Weber said that conflict between the classes was a result of many different inequalities. Inequality is definitely an inescapable feature of our society. There are still gender inequalities present in modern society and some that have been around for centuries. I think there will always be inequalities between men and women. It has been around for centuries and nothing has changed, so I do not see it changing in the near future. There will also always be inequalities in social class. It was around in Karl Marxs era and is still here to the present day. People are being judged and criticized by where they come from. Even though the government is claiming that social class will not exist in years to come, they have not backed up their claims yet.

Uses and Abuses of Censorship :: social issues

Uses and Abuses of Censorship The uses and abuses of censorship in developed and developing countries have been under discussion for quite a long time. Although societies claim for freedom of thought and expression, which are indispensable to live peacefully, censorship is sometimes necessary, due to the fact tha its abuse may badly influence the behaviour of a society and may also result in anarchism. There are different kinds of censorship. The most common ones are: governmental, press and television censorship. The first one is connected with the respect and consideration people should live with. If the citizens of a country do not have the chance of giving voice to their discontent, they feel furstrated and inhibited. Freedom of expression is extremely important inthis case. People must have the opportunity of saying what the think in order to improve the conditions of living, without governmental censorship. Unfortunately, this freedom is sometimes exercised in a wrong way obliging the Government to use its power to censor demonstrators, because they behave violently and irrationally. It is clear, then, that it is highly positive that people have freedom of expression, but on the other hand, that freedom must be used in logical and civilized terms, to improve life in society, otherwise its bad use may lead to a social chaos. Press censorship is quite common nowadays. The press plays an important part in modern societies. Although there are some exceptions, some journalists and reporters are nowadays mor reliable than most of the politicians. Independent press has the freedom of publishing true facts about everyday governmental activities and decisions. In some cases, if the press did not investigate political and government affairs, people would never know some decisions, which most of the times, are in favour of leaders and against grass roots. It is said that the press is the fourth estate by the influence it has on the society, consequently, it should never be censored by the Governmet. Unfortunately, sometimes this freedom is used by journalists with political tendencies, so Government should have the power to investigate secret arrangements between the opposite political parties and some corrupt journalists. Another common case of censorship is the one shown by the Government, which in past times used to censor some television programmes. There are a lot of examples of programmes which were prohibited by governmental organizations. This was the clearest exemplification of censorship in past times.

Cell Theory Essay

In biology, cell theory is a scientific theory that describes the properties of cells, the basic unit of structure in every living thing. The initial development of the theory, during the mid-17th century, was made possible by advances in microscopy; the study of cells is called cell biology. Cell theory states that new cells are formed from pre-existing cells, and that the cell is a fundamental unit of structure, function and organization in all living organisms. It is one of the foundations of biology. History: The cell was discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665. He examined (under a coarse, compound microscope) very thin slices of cork and saw a multitude of tiny pores that he remarked looked like the walled compartments a monk would live in. Because of this association, Hooke called them cells, the name they still bear. However, Hooke did not know their real structure or function. Hooke’s description of these cells (which were actually non-living cell walls) was published in Micrographia. His cell observations gave no indication of the nucleus and other organelles found in most living cells. The first person to make a compound microscope was Zacharias Jansen, while the first to witness a live cell under a microscope was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, who in 1674 described the algae Spirogyra and named the moving organisms animalcules, meaning â€Å"little animals†. Leeuwenhoek probably also saw bacteria. Cell theory was in contrast to the vitalism theories proposed before the discovery of cells. The idea that cells were separable into individual units was proposed by Ludolph Christian Treviranus and Johann Jacob Paul Moldenhawer. All of this finally led to Henri Dutrochet formulating one of the fundamental tenets of modern cell theory by declaring that â€Å"The cell is the fundamental element of organization†. The observations of Hooke, Leeuwenhoek, Schleiden, Schwann, Virchow, and others led to the development of the cell theory. The cell theory is a widely accepted explanation of the relationship between cells and living things. The cell theory states: †¢All living things or organisms are made of cells and their products. †¢New cells are created by old cells dividing into two. †¢Cells are the basic building units of life. †¢ The cell theory holds true for all living things, no matter how big or small, or how simple or complex. Since according to research, cells are common to all living things, they can provide information about all life. And because all cells come from other cells, scientists can study cells to learn about growth, reproduction, and all other functions that living things perform. By learning about cells and how they function, you can learn about all types of living things. Credit for developing cell theory is usually given to three scientists: Theodor Schwann, Matthias Jakob Schleiden, and Rudolf Virchow. In 1839, Schwann and Schleiden suggested that cells were the basic unit of life. Their theory accepted the first two tenets of modern cell theory (see next section, below). However, the cell theory of Schleiden differed from modern cell theory in that it proposed a method of spontaneous crystallization that he called â€Å"free cell formation†. In 1855, Rudolf Virchow concluded that all cells come from pre-existing cells, thus completing the classical cell theory. (Note that the idea that all cells come from pre-existing cells had in fact already been proposed by Robert Remak; it has been suggested that Virchow plagiarised Remak.) Modern interpretation: The generally accepted parts of modern cell theory include: 1.All known living things are made up of one or more cells. 2.All living cells arise from pre-existing cells by division. 3.The cell is the fundamental unit of structure and function in all living organisms. 4.The activity of an organism depends on the total activity of independent cells. 5.Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) occurs within cells. 6.Cells contain hereditary information (DNA) which is passed from cell to cell during cell division. 7.All cells are basically the same in chemical composition in organisms of similar species. Cell Parts and Their Functions Nucleus – Large Oval body near the centre of the cell. – The control centre for all activity. – Surrounded by a nuclear membrane. Nucleoplasm – is the protoplasm in the nucleus. – contains genetic material —> CHROMOSOMES (DNA) Nucleolus – is found in the nucleus. – contains more genetic information (RNA) Cell Membrane – the outer boundary of the cell. – it separates the cell from other cells. – it is porous —> allows molecules to pass through. Lysosomes – † suicide sacs † – small structures that contain enzymes which are used in digestion. – if a lysosome were to burst it could destroy the cell. Cell Wall ( Plant Cells Only ) – non living structure that surrounds the plant cell. – protects + supports the cell. – made up of a tough fibre called cellulose. Cyto Plasm – cell material outside the nucleus but within the cell membrane. – clear thick fluid. – contains structures called organelles. Vacuoles – are clear fluid sacs that act as storage areas for food, minerals, and waste. – in plant cell the vacuoles are large and mostly filled with water. This gives the plant support. – in animal cells the vacuoles are much smaller. Mitochondria – power house of the cell. – centre of respiration of the cell. – they release energy for cell functions. Chloro Plasts ( Plant cells only ) – contains a green pigment known as chlorophyll which is important for photosynthesis. Ribosomes – tiny spherical bodies that help make proteins. – found in the cyto plasm or attached to the endo plasmic reticulum. Endo Plasmic Reticulum ( ER ) – systems of membranes throughout the cyto plasm. – it connects the nuclear membrane to the cell membrane. – passageway for material moving though the cell. Golgi Bodies – tube like structures that have tiny sacs at their ends. – they help package protein.

Double-Edged Sword Essays

Double-Edged Sword Essays Double-Edged Sword Paper Double-Edged Sword Paper The evolution of the world and its civilizations is galvanized by continual scientific and technological progress, which is brought about by the vast reservoir of knowledge that humankind has gained over the centuries in countless attempts to quench their insatiable thirst for the ultimate key that will unlock all the secrets of life. In the last few decades, men and women of science who are determined to fully unveil the mysteries of the universe were already able to take evolution to a whole new level- one that is closer to its culmination. They were able to discover the amazing ability of defying nature and manipulating those which holds the code to the individual characteristics of every living organism: genes. Genetic engineering, or gene manipulation, was once but a very popular element of science fictions and films; now, it has been lifted off the pages and television screens, and has become a reality that can actually help humanity overcome many of its imperfections. However, as this truth shows only a small part of the big picture, the capability of modifying the biological makeup of organisms has generated conflicting views from society. It is best to acknowledge the fact that while recent breakthroughs have presented us with unforeseen promises, they have, at the same time, given us complex predicaments. The educational film DNA: The Promise and the Price introduces the viewers to four immensely powerful molecular biology techniques that may just as well decide the world’s future. With genetic engineering still in its premature stage, only time can tell whether its potential to improve medical technologies- and, subsequently, human lives- outweighs all the socio-ethical, political, and health repercussions that come with it. Cloning, perhaps the most famous genetic engineering technology of this time, is the process of producing an organism that is genetically identical to its progenitor by vegetative reproduction or a laboratory technique. It holds several medical benefits that once existed only in dreams, books, and movies. For instance, human therapeutic cloning can provide genetically identical cells from embryonic tissues for regenerative medicine, as well as new, healthy tissues and organs that can be used for transplantation. As such, cloning technologies can actually contribute greatly in the research and development for genetic diseases, as well as serious diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. The capability of generating artificial human cells can also lead to further improvements in cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries and burn treatments. Human reproductive cloning, meanwhile, could allow infertile couples to have children with at least some of their DNA. People could even clone themselves to be able to create the â€Å"perfect descendant† for them, or even the loved ones that they have lost to ease the pain of bereavement. However, the main argument against cloning is the fact that it is unethical and morally repugnant to use a human clone to save a life. A clone, though artificially made, is still a life form just like any other human being. To produce and later kill it merely for the sake of our needs would therefore be tantamount to committing a sin. Also, early experiments are most likely to result in a number of clinical failures and lead to miscarriage, the necessity of dozens or even hundreds of abortions, or births of massively deformed offspring. But problems with regards to early experiments pale in comparison to the socio-ethical issues that would surely arise should cloning succeed in producing a healthy child, and become part of the repertoire of new reproductive technologies presently offered to those with sufficient funds. Worse, society would be at a lost as to how to treat human clones. Another product of years of extensive research in genetic engineering is gene therapy, which involves the treatment of a genetic disease through the insertion of normal or genetically altered genes into cells and tissues in order to repair damaged or replace missing genes. It is seen as a potential cure for genetic disorders such as hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, severe combined immunodeficiency, etc. Genes and artificial chromosomes can also be inserted into embryos in a process known as germ-line gene therapy. This could be used to cure genetic disorders, including behavioral disorders such as schizophrenia, or to insert genes which enhance intelligence or athletic performance. The benefits of these genetic changes would be passed on to later generations. Nevertheless, gene therapy is far from perfect; in fact, it has caused the death of many patients who wished to cure themselves of their genetic disorders. Viruses, while the carrier of choice in most gene therapy studies, unfortunately presents a variety of potential problems to the patient, such as toxicity and immune and inflammatory responses. This medical procedure also has several limitations, such as its short-lived nature, as well as the fact this treatment is most suitable only for diseases that resulted from mutations in a single gene. It would be extremely difficult for gene therapy to effectively treat some of the most commonly occurring multi-factorial disorders such as heart diseases and diabetes, which are caused by the combined effects of variations in may genes. The next technique discussed in the film, RNA interference, can be used as a means of silencing gene expression. This can be harnessed to allow specific inhibitions of the function of any chosen target genes, including those involved in causing diseases such as cervical cancer and hepatitis. However, like gene therapy, success is only more likely in those diseases with a simple genetic basis rather than in complex multi-gene disorders. Diseases involving sites where delivery of synthetic RNA is more straightforward will also be more likely to be effectively treated. Also, geneticists are still in the process of improving the RNA interference technique so that they can ensure the procedure’s ability to selectively target cancer cells without destroying any normal cells. The last, and perhaps the most amazing, genetic technology shown in the film is stem cell therapy. Since stem cells are capable of being differentiated into basically all types of cells, they offer so much promise in the development of medical treatments for a wide range of conditions, including heart and brain diseases. Much success and potential has been demonstrated from research using adult stem cells. For instance, many patients with heart diseases who have resorted to stem cell therapy have made great progress in that more of their heart tissues are contracting normally. However- and this is where the controversy lies- the differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells is broader than most adult stem cells. It divides more rapidly than adult stem cells, potentially making it easier to generate a larger number of cells for therapeutic means. As such, it is the most versatile stem cells which can be eventually used to create a new organ. As such, scientists are looking into the use of embryonic stem cells, which could possibly lead to the creation of artificial, healthy organs in a few decade’s time. But, there is a price to be paid: sacrificial lives, in the form of embryos. Harvesting of embryonic stem cells can result in the destruction of human embryos, and even if clone embryos are used, they still count as human lives. As such, it would be very difficult for society to be able to swallow and accept such an immoral way of saving lives, especially those who believe that the end does not justify the means. As can be see, the promise of genetically modifying humans to improve their well being and to treat debilitating illnesses are becoming a reality. By delving deeper into the world of genetics, newfound knowledge may also enable us to go so far as to engineer our own genetic blueprints- to enhance our physical attributes and mental capabilities; to choose the sex, hair and eye color, and even the personality of our children; and, maybe- just maybe- to create seemingly perfect human beings with superpowers. However, despite the enormous amount of development in the field, our moral understanding and awareness is still limited in scope. Our ethical values are still not capable of providing us with adequate tools needed to address the socio-ethical problems posed by advances in genetics. As science outpaces moral understanding, scientists and ethicists are pitted against one another in their struggle to stand by what they believe is for the greater good and to articulate their concerns. While as proponents argue that genetic engineering can prevent and cure more diseases, ethicists believe that the risks- particularly the sacrifice of human lives to save those of others, as well as the after effects of manipulating that which has been ordained by nature- far outweigh the benefits. Humans have the natural tendency to abuse, and as such, the consequential misuse of genetic technologies is but inevitable. For instance, designer babies may be the realization of parents’ dreams for their children to be the best of the best, but altering a baby’s genetic traits and manipulating our own nature may demean the uniqueness of each individual and can therefore undermine our humanity. Children may, in effect, become mere consumer goods for ambitious parents. Gene manipulation, which is seen as a manifestation of the human desire to play God, is capable of entailing horrible social consequences. Society might just be divided between genetically modified humans whose abilities are enhanced and normal humans who don’t possess the same superhuman qualities. Worse, those who are lacking the genetic advantage might just end up becoming the inferior beings, living in a dreadful society with a lot of unimaginable problems. A future driven by genetic revolution seemed bright and wonderful; however, if society fails to expand its moral awareness to cope with the ethical questions that comes with this scientific development, the forces of nature might just catch us off-guard and backlash with a vengeance that we couldn’t possibly escape from. From this, it is apparent that gene manipulation can be likened to a double-edged sword- a weapon lethal against enemies, but with a great risk: it can just as easily kill the one who wields it.

Free Essays on Euthanasia in America

Euthanasia in the United States The frail woman lay on her bed, chatting quietly with her grandchild. They had spent the day talking about unicorns, Cinderella, and â€Å"the olden days.† As they conversed, the woman’s daughter looked on. She nodded to the doctor, and by the end of the evening the joyful spirit of old woman was gone. Euthanasia is a practice that has become more common than realized in the United States. Various states in the Union have tried to legalize euthanasia within the past few years. Those states include Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New York, Washington, California and Oregon. North Carolina, Utah and Wyoming do not necessarily ban physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is criminalized in the remaining states (Johnson 25). Oregon is the only state that allows euthanasia under tightly controlled circumstances. (Johnson 26.) There are several bills that are circulating through U.S. courts and legislatures for and against euthanasia (Matas 14b). Even though euthanasia ha s a growing base of legal support in the United States, it is murder. Oregon has had an ongoing battle about euthanasia since 1994. Citizens in the state approved Ballot Measure 16 in the 1994 November elections that would have legalized euthanasia under limited conditions (Oregon 2). The National Right to Life Committee, sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, obtained a court injunction to delay the implementation of the measure. In the meantime, the measure was not enacted (Johnson 30). The Oregon Medical Association originally took no stand on the matter but later came out against it because of what was considered legal flaws (Oregon 4). Conservatives within the Oregon government were forced to approve the legislation due to the June 1997 second public referendum. The referendum was upheld by 61% of adults in Oregon (Oregon 5-6). A Right to Life lawyer named Annette Patterson said: â€Å"It’s... Free Essays on Euthanasia in America Free Essays on Euthanasia in America Euthanasia in the United States The frail woman lay on her bed, chatting quietly with her grandchild. They had spent the day talking about unicorns, Cinderella, and â€Å"the olden days.† As they conversed, the woman’s daughter looked on. She nodded to the doctor, and by the end of the evening the joyful spirit of old woman was gone. Euthanasia is a practice that has become more common than realized in the United States. Various states in the Union have tried to legalize euthanasia within the past few years. Those states include Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New York, Washington, California and Oregon. North Carolina, Utah and Wyoming do not necessarily ban physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is criminalized in the remaining states (Johnson 25). Oregon is the only state that allows euthanasia under tightly controlled circumstances. (Johnson 26.) There are several bills that are circulating through U.S. courts and legislatures for and against euthanasia (Matas 14b). Even though euthanasia ha s a growing base of legal support in the United States, it is murder. Oregon has had an ongoing battle about euthanasia since 1994. Citizens in the state approved Ballot Measure 16 in the 1994 November elections that would have legalized euthanasia under limited conditions (Oregon 2). The National Right to Life Committee, sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, obtained a court injunction to delay the implementation of the measure. In the meantime, the measure was not enacted (Johnson 30). The Oregon Medical Association originally took no stand on the matter but later came out against it because of what was considered legal flaws (Oregon 4). Conservatives within the Oregon government were forced to approve the legislation due to the June 1997 second public referendum. The referendum was upheld by 61% of adults in Oregon (Oregon 5-6). A Right to Life lawyer named Annette Patterson said: â€Å"It’s...

Group Characteristics and Development Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Characteristics and Development - Article Example Four of us had known each other before coming to the same university since we had all met at the various debating competitions which we had taken part in previously and won laurels for our respective institutions. Serisha was new to all the members because she had travelled all the way from India to study at our school. At one competition I had lost to Sera and Adam had lost to me, so Sera stood first, I stood second and Adam third. Consequently, we all shared a common passion for debating and respected each other’s debating style. Therefore, when we all met at school, we took no time in forming our group. It has been approximately 11 months now since we have all been a part of this group. Initially, it was evident that Serisha felt a little left out because the rest of us had some common experiences to share and talk about. The change which I feel exists now is that Serisha is as comfortable with us as we are with her. The basic tasks for which the group was formed was keepin g practice sessions, practicing for upcoming competitions, discussing a good public speaking video each week and coordinating with other sub-groups of the debating society and learning about their progress. All this work required a leader to take responsibility that the assigned work was done.

An Interpretation of Chris Ofili's Afrodizzia Essay

An Interpretation of Chris Ofili's Afrodizzia - Essay Example To comprehend Chris Ofili’s work and interpret it in a fair manner, we have to identify styles that are consistent with his work. Ofili’s work is recognizable by the layered surfaces of different materials. He borrows from the works of other artists and incorporates them into his work. An example is the way he uses the cut out of photographs from magazines. Another feature common among Ofili’s work is the size of his paintings. He does most of his work on six by eight feet canvases. Not that size means anything significant but I choose not to ignore it as a factor in the interpretation of his work. In my opinion, he desires to â€Å"magnify† the message in his works. I will give the example of his controversial painting the â€Å"Holy Virgin Mary† which has had its admirers and condemners. The work was a brazen play on religion and it could not be ignored largely because of its depiction of the Black Madonna. I argue that the size of that painting w as an intention to magnify that depiction as with all other Ofili’s paintings. Lastly, Ofili uses cow dung in most of his exertion. He said that the elephant dung was inspired by his visit to Zimbabwe during his masters at the Royal College of Art. He saw cave paintings which inspires his styles including his use of dung. He has often contended that the dung is meant to bring out the â€Å"ugliness† of the beauty of his paintings. It is important to note that Mr. Ofili derives his inspiration to make art from the social and political events affecting him or the community in general. Most of his paintings document the issues affecting black people between the 70s and 90s. An example is â€Å"No Woman No Cry† which was inspired by racism against black in Britain. In his paintings also, Ofili asserts his thoughts on religion, popular culture and music (hip hop). The â€Å"Holy Virgin Mary† is a good example of where Ofili makes a bold but humorous statement on the Roman Catholic faith (Kleiner, 2008, p. 55). â€Å"Afrodizzia† looks like a jewel. The medium used in the base composition of the painting is acrylic paint with oil resin, glitter, paper collage; map pins and elephant compost. The collage, the paint and the lines drawings in the piece make it quite a sight. Ofili has used red, yellow and orange colors in the painting to signify energy, excitement and radiance. These are the same words that could be used to describe the color scheme. The white background of the painting is a probable allusion to a clean sheet that will be â€Å"stained† by elephant dung. The introduction of green and blue colors creates a clash that can be directly interpreted to signify Ofili’s search for identity. Color in art speaks of the mood of the piece in study. Ofili’s decision to use many colors in an unspecified pattern shows a clash of emotions, identity and character. â€Å"Afrodizzia â€Å"was painted during a period fraught with the outcomes of racial tension in Great Britain. It was completed in 1996, three years after the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence by six white youths (Campbell 1993) and during the Macpherson enquiry into his death. This tension had/has been ongoing since the Brixton riots in 1981 with Macpherson finding that certain institutions in Britain were racist and incompetent. Perhaps, Chris Ofili represented