The Tragedy That Redefined My Purpose free essay sample

The journey to discovering oneself does not always come easy. From a young age, I had a strong sense of who I was to become, but a tragic incident forced me to redefine myself.Now, as a high school senior, having demonstrated my ability to conquer one of life’s greatest challenges, the boulder that stood before me is far behind. Growing up, I lived and breathed figure skating. There was nothing in this world that filled my heart with such joy. I sacrificed everything in the attempt to become the next Olympic medalist, spending twenty-four hours a week at the rink, all year long, practicing my skills. During the school year, my nights consisted of staying at the rink after hours to brush up on my technique, and cramming in homework until midnight. Having no social life or interests beyond skating, my devotion earned me first place medals in nearly every competition, and ultimately, my shot at making the Olympic trials. We will write a custom essay sample on The Tragedy That Redefined My Purpose or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Unfortunately, at my final show, my blade got caught in a rut, causing me to fall and fracture four vertebrae. After several x-ray and MRI scans, the spine specialist made clear the disheartening reality that returning to my sport, or any impact sport for that matter, was permanently out of the question. My aura of happiness turned into a state of melancholy. The pain in my spine was agonizing, and even the most basic daily tasks became difficult. My life was a huge puzzle and I was the missing piece. With my passion being taken away, I had little sense of who I was. After eight months of mental and emotional suffering, something had to change. After all, I had not even tried a single new activity, but rather wasted my days sitting around in misery. Summoning my limited strength, I pushed to rediscover myself, the same way I exerted myself to becoming an Olympian during tough practice sessions. I began the process by putting my energy into local community service projects. By volunteering as a swim instructor and summer reading assistant for children, I grasped an idea of who I wanted to become. After a few months, I devoted time to develop my talents in the arts. The ability to express my emotions through pieces of music and different characters gave me the freedom to let go of my past and start over. From countless hours of practicing an Italian opera song and performing solos at local events, I stepped out of my comfort zone and reestablished confidence. I was not merely surviving, but truly living. Sometimes, simply trying to push huge boulders out of one’s path does not work. When this happens, one must either stay stuck behind them forever, or try to climb over. My injury was an enormous boulder that failed to prevent me from reaching success. It not only demonstrated my ability to work hard in difficult situations, but led me to become the motivated and optimistic person I am today.

Ideology and History Lecture Essays - Politics, Philosophy

Ideology and History Lecture Essays - Politics, Philosophy Ideology and History Lecture Personal Freedom Classical Liberal, absent of . Believe that citizens should be in control, a negative liberty. Free from corrosion. Positive right for citizens to have freedom to become all that you are capable of. Limited Government Freedom is in risk from government, and as a result the government should be limited. Limit to 3 function; Governments should provide society from an army from invasion, provide police force (protect our property within). Provide with a system of court Equality of Right All citizens should be subjects by the same set of rules equally, procedural procedures. Liberal governments are about outcomes rather than the procedures, equity. Consent of the Governed Governments believe that stake should be able to vote, if you own property. If you do not have property then you are not entitled to the ownership of stake. 1642: After this year, Charles the first was executed Divine rights of kings. England becomes a constitution monarchy 1688: The bank of England is created Plays a role into the industrial revolution John Locke writes his masterpiece to government. Essay Topic Traditional Society Extended family, the family is the welfare state of traditional society. Family with a lot of security for a small obligations Strong control of its members, obligations to the family never ends. Divided into us and them Can not be trusted, no obligations to them, only to the extended family. Enhance your honour to the family. Must be married and have sons. Through marriage you should carry the generations, marry up Arranged marriages in Traditional society. Mentality is that young people cannot be trusted If you need any type of loan etc. it is to come from the family. There is a strict rule for labour . Especially when it comes to what men and women can and cannot do. Males always get higher status of labour . Men are viewed as physically strong, brave, proud, self confident , clever, bad tempered, stubborn Women are calm, non violent , moral code. Women cannot be trusted, big 3 priorities for women; Modesty, help secure a good family with marriage, and have sons. Ambitions in a traditional society is not allowed, as it represented in the wrong sense. Life is not about enjoyment. Modern Society Individual freedom is represented, creating no restrictions. Liked to believe that we are Belief that we can overcome anything, and overcome anything. There is deep seated fear of being different. Huge emphasis on self independence . Individual is key Freedom is valued Taught not to listen to elders, and make up our own minds. Believe that we should find our partner with love and not arranged.

History the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

History the world - Essay Example The early human communities were dependent on the nature for food as they were hunters and gatherers. The early settlements were sparse as compared to the new age due to numerous hunters present, and the game would not suffice. In addition, they would fish for their food along water bodies within their proximity. Their tools were of basic materials such as rocks and wood. They also acquired a language through which they would communicate, and developed the ability to use it in order to pass on what they had learnt. The early cultures were vulnerable to wild beasts and natural disasters, which may have developed enormous fear of the unknown forces of nature, these uncertainties of human life established religious beliefs and practices in an effort to preserve themselves from the unknown forces (The birth of civilisation 2). As the clock turned, the early man’s tools grew more complex and advance, and were more precise. These advancements lead to domestication of plants and animals, meaning that people could move to areas where these plants and animals did not naturally occur. The communities explored other areas such as valleys and riverbeds allowing their expansion and creating room for more advancement. The farmers also built dwellings that are more permanent in an effort to care for their crops from the planting season to harvesting. Along the riverbeds, pottery was acquired, illustrating the beginning of specialisation. Communities can be distinguished from each other owing to the level of social complexity and organisation, as well as their vast economic and cultural activities. For instance, the earliest of civilisations in Mesopotamia would use rivers for irrigation in the fields, which was not observed in other regions. This ensured sufficient food production for the community who would engage in other

Learning Goals in a Pluralistic Society Research Proposal

Learning Goals in a Pluralistic Society - Research Proposal Example All children are entitled to an experience that is variant because each child has a distinct need. The notion that all children can learn in no way embraces the theory that they learn in the same manner or at the same time or at the same level of achievement. Schools began as simple institutions often run by churches and teachers advanced through the leadership chain with out training. (Murphy 1998). Accordingly, as a principal, one must expect to see different outcomes within the same time frame. Against that backdrop, there is a dramatic change in the role of principals and their duties to their students. (Shipman 2007) Simply having knowledge of the educational system is not enough for a principal to be considered an effective leader. (Shipman 2007) This paper seeks to discuss the first standard of the ELCC standards, the knowledge of the principal. The principal has a deep understanding of diversity and its implications for education. Knowledge of the learning goals of a pluralistic requires that a principal assess the goals which are immediate and long term. Firstly, a principal must be able to have a working definition of what a pluralistic society actually is. Banks and Banks (2006) defined the obligations of a leader in a pluralistic society as those that envision: â€Å"Maintaining a democratic society and preserving and enlarging freedom require citizens who embrace democratic values and recognize their responsibilities to help narrow the gap between real and idealized American values† (Banks and Banks p.46). Naturally, a principal has the obligation to teach these values to his/her students. A leadership principal clearly values individuals who are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, exceptionality, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or gender. In teaching the staff, the principal must also keep an open and professional relationship with the teachers of his/her school which is revolved

What should be done about Child Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

What should be done about Child Obesity - Essay Example Use of BMI to evaluate obesity in children is more complicated as children are in the constant process of growing. Because children are changing rapidly, the link between adiposity, or â€Å"true fatness,† and the ratio of their weight to their height may be looser than that of adults. However, taking into account specific age and sex peculiarities BMI higher than 85 percent is likely to signify obesity in children (Anderson& Butcher, 2006). Other symptoms of obesity are difficulties with sleep, physical activity, unhealthy eating habits, and frequent fatigue. Caloric imbalance, when the quantity of the calories consumed is higher than the calories expended is primer cause of obesity, along with various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Anderson & Butcher (2006) consider that children normally are very good at understanding their body; nevertheless, it is difficult for them to control the amount and quality of the products consumed. Among the other causes of extra pounds can be psychological defensive mechanisms, as in stressful emotional situations children are prone to eat more than usual concentrating on food with easy fats. Family behavioral eating patterns play the major role in gaining overweight as it is parents who decide which products to buy and which food to prepare. And of course, children have higher risk of turning overweight due to lack of activities (â€Å"Health Effects of Childhood Obesity†, 2010). Being overweight or obese in childhood has consequences for health in both the short term and the longer term. When the child is diagnosed with obesity it turns out that this health problem is complicated in treatment that is why prevention and early notice are crucial. Among immediate effects of extra pounds it is possible to distinguish higher risk of prediabetics, problems with bones, and psychological problems. Children with extra pounds have higher risk factors for cardiovascular

Advantages and Disadvantages of Merges and Acquisitions

Advantages and Disadvantages of Merges and Acquisitions Acquisitions and Mergers sounds like it is a never ending story, the markets are global and the competition is already impossible. Lots of research have already found that nearly 50 percent of mergers and acquisitions are not effective economically ; so what is the main reason that MAs are still on progress. The possibility of being unsuccessful is increasing. The reason is that these companies are basically large and they are based on complex systems, after merger process, if the activity still shows low performance, the lost might be more than expected. Also this negative situation brings another research process which costs extra to the business while requirement to be successful is getting less for the firms. The process which should insist more details and have a better illustrative level of the business. The aim of my proposal is to examine advantages, disadvantages and motives of mergers and acquisitions. To find out if they show difference through the Merger process and there is any change along last decennium. To find solutions to these problems sometimes quantitive financial analyses will be used and sometimes management performance data. The data will be gained from different industrial organisations. My work is to evaluate the previous researches and theories to mention advantages and disadvantages of this process. INTRODUCTION This dissertation examines the firms mergers and take-over situations to make informative illustrations about company amalgamations. Some chances may be necessary for companies in order to improve their adaptability towards changing and developing markets all over the world. These changes take some forms such as mergers of the companies to increase their power or take – over of a firm by another one. Recent days, there is a tough competition between firms which produce exactly identical or similar products. The companies which keep doing business in the market by keeping their existing size stay behind some firms that merge their powers with others. In addition to these companies that have merger, the co-operations could be made with firms which provide production and logistic needs without any problems ; therefore, all work forces could be used effectively in appropriate profession. Furthermore, the companies which believe in adversity of the development by having a single product or service might try to reduce risk level by having a merger with a corporation which produces different product or service. Th is may cause the company mergers. The possibly important point in the merger of a company is the tax benefits . The company which makes a merger decisions should make some analyses for the purpose of inspecting the propriety of the decision. The reasons of the merger should be investigated very well and the results ‘ benefits should be presented beforehand. I will mention these points in my dissertation First of my dissertation will explain the meaning of the company mergers and the merger types and the reasons will be defined. In the process of the merger, the responsibilities of the companies will be presented and costing process will be explained. Secondly, historical development of the company mergers will be defined and the main company mergers in Turkey will be specified. Nevertheless, two examples of merger process will be explained with advantages and disadvantages respectively. LITERATURE REVIEW There are several motives that may be inside a MAs process. The common one is clear that the buyer company sees the MAs as a profit returnable business. Generally, researchers who have worked about MAs shows it as a different type of investment. Companies will work on acquisitions when they are the most profitable means of improving the business, gaining new techniques, producing different products or working on new countries, or creating new ideas and innovations. So, lots of the same reasons that influence an investment decisions would also influence merger activity ( Weston, Chung Hoag, Mergers, Restructuring Corporate Control 1990). According to Pitts (1977); internal growth and growth through acquisitions were equally attractive alternatives. Moreover Porter (1987) examined 33 larger firms and found that these firms had diversified their operations more through acquisitive growth than through alternative means. However, Porter (1987) discovered that acquisitions often resulted in unsatisfactory performance that in turn led to a large number of post-acquisition divestitures. Roll suggested that gains achieved through acquisitions or takeovers may have been overestimated if they exist at all (1986:198). Although there is some evidence to contrary, the most neutral and sometimes negative results achieved by the acquiring firm indicate that mergers and acquisitions involve trade-offs. For example, Fowler and Schmidt (1989) found that performance declined after a tender offer acquisition (using both accounting and stock market measures ) However, this general decline could be improved by previous acquisition experie nce and affected by percentage of ownership and firm age. Hopkins (1987) found that acquisitions often led to a decline market position. Mueller (1985) reported that companies acquired in conglomerate and horizontal acquisitions experienced substantial losses in market share. Another trade off is demonstrated by Pitts (1977) results showing that firms following an acquisitive strategy invested less in RD than did internal growth firms. Harding Rovit (2004) Mastering The Merger, briefly defined the four critical decisions that make merger successful or simple break the deal. This book is generally talks about the complicated, fast moving and sometimes high rewarded side of corporate deal making. By the help of this book I will have opportunity to learn how to deal in ways that will be useful for my dissertation. Basically, Mastering the Merger is insist of numerous ideas that a manager faces on the top of the dealing process. Moreover, by focusing on the four decisions that is important most, it will help me to clear and simplify complex ideas about merger process. However this book is not a technical book where I can find techniques or it will not give one by one control list. According to Harding and Rovit, most senior executives think that they are pretty good decision makers because of having a strong track record. But when it is time to make decisions sometimes standards changes. The point what I will use from this book is to learn practical ways to manage a deal. Grundy Slack (2005) gives information about mergers and acquisitions clearly. Generally the book talks about the adding value of mergers and acquisitions to companies. In contrast by arguing about adding and destroying value of mergers and acquisitions, it gives chance to me to inspect both sides of the problem. Moreover it includes about historical overview, case studies, examples from EU and ASIA and alternative perspectives of mergers and acquisition activity that I will mention in my dissertation. Also this book is more technical and consist of theories more than Mastering the Merger. By reading this book I am planning to define success of MAs and measure the impact of acquisitions on shareholders returns with examples from history. Watson Head (2007) suggested that the fundamental problem that faces financial managers is how to secure the greatest possible return in exchange for accepting the smallest amount of risk. Obviously this book will help me to write about merger activity more about accounting side. Also it mentions the trends about take over activities and gives real life examples from different companies. It also briefly mentioned about divestment point that the other books didnt. Furthermore it clearly shows the financing of acquisitions. Also there is one more point, which I couldnt find in any other reference books, about empirical research on acquisitions. Lumby Jones (2007) describes the merger process and technical terms such as synergy, revenue strategy, cost synergy, tax synergy, financial synergy, valuing synergy e.g. This book takes merger process and defines it simply by explaining technical terms to the reader. Furthermore it shows the potential complications that surround an acquisition decision. Previously, financing acquisition took place in Watson Head (2007) and also this book gives wide information about this process. Also take over defence is the other point what I will use information from this book. According to Lumby and Jones, takeover defence works if a company is subject to takeover bid that is unwelcome to the management team. Therefore they defined early warning system, city code and three stage defence strategy. Arnold (2005) examines the reasons for mergers ranging from the gaining of economies of scale to managerial empire building. It tries to find answer to this question if shareholders of acquiring firms gain from mergers or not. According to him less than one half of corporate mergers do the shareholders of acquiring firm benefit. Moreover it examines the merger decision process clearly and giving the definitions of merger, acquisition and takeover by mentioning the differences between them. He also mentions UK merger activity statics from 1970 to 2002. As the other books show, this books mentions what drives firm to merger widely. On the other hand he mentions the tactics that a company have take before and after the merger. In other words he gives clues to make merger process as successful as it can be. Copeland, Weston Shastri (2005) clearly defines the merger activity with theories and alternative growth strategies. Furthermore, it carries out a systematic research about mergers from past till today and study on the current merger models. Also it lists merger activity data from different countries together with MAs adjustment process. It also briefly mentions the ways to be more successful on MAs process. Brigham Ehrhardt (2007) mentions the merger process as the other book does. However, it point out the track record for acquiring firms in large deals has not always been good. In other word Brigham Ehrhardt mentions the negative ways of merger process with unsuccessful examples from different companies and merger mistakes. Moreover it explains the process with mini case studies . METHODOLOGY This dissertation will be semi qualitative and semi quantitative. There are varieties of data that I need to collect either qualitative and quantitative. The reason is that I will examine the managers behaviours and decisions at the same time I want to clear the MAs process as theory covers. Also I would like to show statics and use real business examples about management faults. Generally, I am planning to use case studies to explain the process widely with examples and simplify the theory. First of all I want to examine the automotive industry and I will use a case study to show the process from this industry. I will try to define the process with statics analyses and I will examine the results of this merger process. Also I will use online secondary data from websites of these companies and various related websites that will help me to make richer my dissertation. Moreover, I am planning to collect online secondary data from consultant companies about MAs and chosen company. I will also use the accounts of the companies which I will examine as case studies in my dissertation. They will be useful for me to make decisions about the previous and present economical performance. At the same time it will be useful and easier to explain the strategic decisions of the company. Also I will have chance to compare the success of MAs process by looking at the accounts of the companies. Moreover, I am planning to use the journals and economy news to add complementary ideas to my dissertation as secondary data. So by the help of authors and writers point of views, I will hold the control of my research easily. Basically, there are some limitations on MAs process to collect data about companies. it will be useful to use up to date information. So the data ,which I will be collected, will not be affected by the changes . Furthermore, I will request information from the companies which I will use in my dissertation as case studies. If it will be possible to gain information, I will have valuable information for my project and at the same time it will be primary data . I will try to use sources as many as I can to make my research richer to explain the MAs process effectively and answer the questions that I asked in the beginning of my proposal. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Mergers and acquisitions are becoming more popular year by year .But this process is very hard and the world is getting one economically. This situation brings more research prerequisite at the same time being successful is becoming harder for companies. Most of the researchers think that mergers and acquisitions coming to its end but in my point of view it is opposite. In contrast there is an issue about mergers as they cannot be successful anymore. Lots of researches have found that 50 percent half of mergers are not successful economically. Black and Carnes (2001) briefly defined that for 5 years period the profit were negative for MAs through 1985-95. Moreover Thomas Hogarty mentioned mergers as risk takers in 1970. So there must be a reason about why MA s are still being done. According to Jay B. Barney; if cost of MAs process is higher than the returns gained from by buying the company then it is not possible to expect a high economic performance. Assumption to this sentence, if there was a market to trade companies which guarantees to work rivalry then no one expects extraordinary profits. Basically, capital is the only driver behind MAs. But this process is not so simple although managers make decisions rationally, there are lots of facts that affects making decisions. There is an experiment which was made to a Turkish company that used outsource for its back office on integration. The results satisfied the management and showed that they reached an optimum growth rate by outsourcing .Cost saving is a way of increasing the financial performance after merger process. Managers of a company have to exploit situations such as overvaluation and opposite when firms over value or manager make syste matic faults then they have to turn back and correct these mistakes. Moreover, they are optimistic about outcomes which they fell like it is under their management. All these above shows the importance of corporate governance and managers must behave carefully not harm the company. If there will be a failure, it damages the company either the manager. I will use this theory to undertake merger process in my dissertation. The data of MAs performance process will be taken from dissimilar industrial companies. I will examine different companies from different parts of the world so we can say that this research will be general and global. Also different merger and acquisitions show differ from each other. Moreover, it affects the motives for MAs. To conclude my sentences above I will use the behavioural power of people and theories to find out peoples reactions and movements. Theoretically this research will fill the lack of misunderstanding of the merger process. Past acquisition and merger performance will analysed between companies with motives .

Entrepreneurship for Social Change Essay -- Social Issues, Business, O

Entrepreneurship for social change: Is the U.S. doing enough to encourage and support sustainable social innovation? Introduction: Throughout U.S. history the nonprofit and government sectors have addressed needs that are not being met by the marketplace through the provision of a variety of social goods and services ranging from health and human services to environmental conservation. In response to increased demand for these services, the number of nonprofits has grown by 59% over the past 20 years (Powell and Steinberg, 2006; NCCS, 2010). There are now over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. which account for 5 percent of GDP, 8.1 percent of the economy’s wages, and 9.7 percent of jobs (Wing, 2008). Over the same time period, government social programs also rapidly expanded in number and per capita cost (OCED, 2010) . While the social sector contributes significantly to societal well-being, traditional approaches have proven unable to fully address critical social problems or deal effectively with increased need. In the past, good intentions were enough; however, the recent push towards increased organizational transparency and accountability left stakeholders – politicians, government contract administrators, leaders in the social sector, and service recipients – demanding more. This created a paradigm shift, both internal to and external to the sector, in the expectations for social sector providers. Not only do organizations need more entrepreneurial approaches to provide innovative and more efficient ways of tackling difficult social problems, but also a commitment to increased outcomes-based program performance assessment. In light of the current fiscal situation, the sector is also experienci... ...nefits that SEs offer because the sector still lacks sufficient government and public awareness and support. The OSICP and SIF establish a framework for federal involvement in the social innovation process; however, they are merely a launching point for continued discussion. Countries like the UK provide an example of the positive impact that government support for SE can have in building the necessary bridges between business, nonprofits, and the government. As the government gains a better understanding of the capabilities and challenges associated with social innovation, it will be better positioned to establish the institutional structures and environmental conditions for SE to flourish. When supported appropriately, SEs can provide a self-sustaining, inclusive opportunity to strengthen the national economy while simultaneously serving a social need.

Weather anomalies very challenging

Nino weather anomalies very challenging. (10)Countries in the Monsoon climatic region of SE & S Asia depend on the rains that come with the precision of Calender dates (due to the precise dates of Sun's seasonal shift as per Calender dates). It is essential for their agriculture, where countries with huge populations have to feed them, made possible with assured crops. Any variation in timing ; rainfall quantum affects their crop production adversely. It also leads to unforeseen flooding caused by excessive rains (other environmental factors ike soil erosion aiding it) that washes out the crops.Monsoon is created by the Sea surface temperature variation (Pacific Ocean largely) as per Calender dates. El Nino refers to the unusual, unseasonal warming of the equatorial currents of the Pacific Ocean that upsets Monsoon. We all know how huge is this Ocean and how very broad (about 10000 miles) it is at its Equator; its sheer volume of water absorbs the solar heat energy and acts like an e ngine for the Monsoon. It is a challenge to these countries. Modellig it mathematically (an exercise in atmospheric Physics) is one of the most complicated problems with an innumerable set of parametrs ; that is a challenge.India bought the first ‘Cray' Super-Computer for its meteorological department that can give accuarte predictio(a) Suggest why many countries find El Nino weather anomalies very challenging. (10) El Nino is referring to the dramatic change that occurs in the walker circulation cell and in other areas but I am going to focus on this specific area, where the usually outh-easterly trade winds going from west of South America to Australia and Indonesia across the Pacific Ocean reverse or severely weaken.This occurs usually every 3-7 years and can last between 12-18 months. During an El Nino the warm sea in the western pacific migrate towards the South American coast because they are being dragged across by the winds. This stops the upwelling near South America and means that there are little nutrients in the sea. This lack of nutrients ruins the South American fishing industry and courses them to loose lots of income and money, for xample in 1982/83 El Nino the South American fishing industry lost $290 million.Also as you can sea from fgure 7 there is lots of rain fall on the west coast of South America due to the low pressure, this heavy rain fall cause severe flooding and mudslides that result in loss of life, an example of this was in central Ecuador and Peru in 1997 when it suffered rainfall 10 times the average rainfall, this caused extensive flooding and erosion as well as mudslides, there was loss of life and destruction of property as the country wasn't able to cope with the severe weather.On the other side of the pacific in Australia and Indonesia the cold weather reduces evaporation, which causes very little rain and therefore drought, for example in the 1982/83 El Nino eastern Australia suffered one of it's worst drought ever, resulting in a $2000 million loss in agriculture production. It causes crop failure and famine and many people died as a result.

Good Writers, Bad Books A NaNoWriMo Debrief

Good Writers, Bad Books A NaNoWriMo Debrief Good Writers, Bad Books: A NaNoWriMo Debrief NaNoWriMo is over! Whether you're out celebrating your achievement, or still mulling over your newborn novel, we thought we'd share  a personal, warm and fuzzy  NaNo experience with you, straight from our editor Rebecca Heyman, who did herself complete NaNoWriMo a few years ago. The first and only time I completed NaNoWriMo was back in 2004. I was a sophomore at NYU, and spent most of that November holed up in a coveted single dorm, smoking cigarettes out the room's lone window overlooking Third Avenue. As I recall, the manuscript was built around motifs of twinning, incest, stalking, obsession and - every college English major's favorite - death. We should all take a moment to give thanks to our respective gods that the entire thing was lost along with the hard drive on my first MacBook. It was the baddest of bad books, to put it very mildly.

Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium Evolution Theory

Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium Evolution Theory Evolution is the process by which generations of species undergo some changes in their biological traits over a given period. There are two theories that explain the process of evolution. They include phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Scientists maintain that evolution can only happen as described by the theories (National Academy of Sciences 78).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium Evolution Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Phyletic gradualism is a theory that explains a slow and consistent process of evolution that occurs in biological species. It further maintains that change in characteristics of these taxonomic groups involves splitting of the hereditary features of the species into different traits in the subsequent generations. On the other hand, punctuated equilibrium is an evolutionary theory, which holds the belief that the process of chan ge in biological characteristics is extremely fast. Punctuated equilibrium occurs immediately, and with respect to geology. People rarely notice the changed forms of the species because they exist and disappear very fast (Cook 53). Punctuated equilibrium makes the prediction of an impossibility in recording the characteristic changes whenever there is registration of an evolutionary process. For instance, there may be records of the ancestors of some species having resided at a certain place. At the same time, there could be a new taxonomic group undergoing evolution in a different area. The theory also predicts a reduction in the likelihood of ossification among the members (Ross 108).  Several processes can lead to rapid evolution. These include rivers that contain toxic substances and changes in climate. Rivers with toxicants can result in the evolution of the fish that lives in its water. These toxicants remain on the riverbeds and do not undergo any process of break down. Sci entists have made a discovery that fish, which lives in rivers contaminated with PCBs, normally evolve and develop some forms of characteristics that poisons from PCBs do not affect. The evolution happens very fast and in response to the effects of the toxicants present in the water of the rivers (Grant 133). Climate change also culminates in a faster evolutionary process that may lead to a rapid change in the DNA of the species. After analyzing the DNA of penguins that existed more than six thousand years ago and those that are still existing, scientists discovered that there was an alteration in the sequence of the genes before ending up with the current species.Advertising Looking for assessment on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This happened without any variation in the physical appearances of the penguins (Grant 134).  Environment is one of the factors that may lead to relative stasis. Semi-permanent stableness of the environment is one of the key factors that encourage evolutionary stasis. Any climatic change may result in the development of a new form of a disease. If there is no alteration in the climate, there will be no stress on the biological species. This ends up in lack of evolution because the species remain contented with everything around them. Unavailability of predatory animals may also lead to relative stasis. The species may only evolve in order to adapt to a dangerous environment if there is an existing danger. Absence of predators means no threat to the species hence no need for change (Ross 144).  There are several evidences put forward to show that there was life on earth in the early days. Scientists use stromatolites as proof for existence of organisms that had microscopic size, which lived a long time ago, and participated in the development of the sedimentary rocks. They claim that the microorganisms died, and their bodies formed the rocks. Carbon pres ence can also provide proof for living things having occupied the earth at the beginning. Living things do ingest carbon-12 (12C). Carbon-14 (14C) exists for a short time compared to 12C because it is a radioactive element. The existence of 12C bespeaks presence of life, or life that existed. Rocks with12C show that life existed in that area. There are numerous rocks, whose ages may be four billion years old and have 12C (Grant 186).  Upon looking at the differences in species’ characteristics and their changes, one discovers that the changes are minimal. This means that the evolutionary process was much slower. For example, one generation of fish species existed and did not have the surface for jawbones. One hundred years after the existence of the species with no jawbones, the subsequent generation that went through evolution developed jawbones. That is the only difference between the two generations. Another example is in the rocks with traces of microorganisms. There ar e remains of microorganisms with single cells in a rock that is five hundred and fifty million years old. A second rock that is five hundred years old has microorganisms with multiple cells. Changes in cells are the only evolutionary processes seen in the microorganisms (Hey 173).  Fossil records act as support for punctuated equilibrium. There are cases of tracing a species only within certain duration of time, and then it disappears completely.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium Evolution Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The species took long before undergoing any form of characteristic change and then evolved very fast, leaving no evidences for its initial form (Ross 57).  In conclusion, evolution is a process that can occur acutely fast or slow. It can lead to the complete disappearance or change in some characteristics of the species. Pollution of the environment and changes in climate may lead to evolution. People should ensure that toxicants do not find their way into the environment. They should also ensure that they do not engage in activities that may result in climatic alterations, which may culminate in evolution. There are evidences of life in the early years, but the species disappeared due to ecological changes. Cook, Fuller Orator. Methods and Causes of Evolution. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1908. Print. Grant, Peter R., Grant, Rosemary B. In Search of the Causes of Evolution: From Field Observations to Mechanisms. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. Print. Hey, Jody. Genes, Categories, and Species : The Evolutionary and Cognitive Cause of evolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. National Academy of Sciences. In the Light of Evolution III: Two Centuries of Darwin. Washington: National Academies Press, 2009. Print. Ross, Robert M. , Allmon Warren D. Causes of Evolution: A Pal eontological Perspective. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Print.Advertising Looking for assessment on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Cognitive Processes Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cognitive Processes Paper - Essay Example Some processes result from the conscious mind whereas others are because of the sub-conscious mind (Ohta, MacLeod, and Uttl, 2005). Many cognitive processes affect storage, retrieval, and application of knowledge and information. One of these processes is attention. Attention is the ability to create a total focus or center concentration on one specific thing in the surrounding while ignoring the rest. The ability to pay attention is essential in obtaining details, clear description, and understanding. Without focusing on one thing at time, the human mind wanders to other subjects and may miss important details. Attention allows the brain to see things more vividly and clearly. Studies show that the brain can filter and focus on just one source of data while putting other sources on hold. The sources of data are the five senses. Attention is a cognitive process that one can learn. Majority of individuals have to train their brains on creating a focus to a single source of information at a time. Lack of attention causes the mind to capture fewer details as it divides the focus among the different sources. People with a high degree of attention perceive maximum details from the data source. There are different types of attention exhibited at different times. An individual working on a task for a long time will require sustained attention. An individual exercising sustained attention does not take breaks from the assignment at hand but keeps concentrating on it. An individual can learn this type of attention over time. At other times, an individual exercises selective attention. He or she must choose to stay on the task even when there are sources of possible distractions. The individual chooses to put the distractions on hold to attend to the task. Different circumstances force an individual to consider distractions passive and concentrate on the task actively. Some individuals can exercise divided attention while handling multiple tasks. Whether the

The Position of Biofuels In Europe Currently Literature review

The Position of Biofuels In Europe Currently - Literature review Example The rising consciousness with regard to the environmental problems have augmented the degree of emphasis on the production of biofuels and promoting it to be a fresh energy source. It needs to be mentioned in this context that Europe has been identified to be amongst the leading producers of biodiesel. This particular form of fuel was found to symbolise a major portion of the biofuels market in Europe (The European Association for Bioindustries, 2007). Europe has been found to further encourage the usage as well as production related to the biofuels with the help of numerous strategies accompanied with many action plans. The Reason for Development of Biofuel in Europe The prices associated with oil which appeared to scale escalating heights of volatility along with the climatic alterations was turning out to be the grave problems which needed immediate attention and solution both nationally as well as internationally. The ‘Kyoto Protocol’ which was developed by Japan mad e it mandatory for the member countries included in the European Union (EU) to bring down the level of greenhouse gas releases by 8 percent. This made the EU focus on the aspect of biofuel production (Gross & et. al., 2003). The production in relation to the biofuel was found to experience a sharp increase in Europe in the last few years owing to the need of trimming down releases of greenhouse gases. It was stated by Hammond & et. al. (2008) that the transport segment of Europe involved the major emission rates. It was further mentioned in this regard that spreading and enhancing the protection related to fuel supply was proficient of being attained by bringing down the immense dependency of transport on the fossil fuels (Hammond & et. al., 2008). The increase in the production was attributed to the development and application of the different policies that were undertaken and implemented by the European Union (EU). The EU had indulged in developing an assortment of directives for the reason of encouraging the European market related to biofuel. The EU was found to be aggressively engaged in structuring guiding principles which would aid in supporting and prompting in the market of Europe the usage of biofuel (European Commission, 2006). Therefore, the need for the production of biofuel in Europe was identified from the ‘Kyoto Protocol’. This made Europe embark on certain policies which were considered to prove encouraging for the production of biofuel. Second Generation of Biofuels & its Benefits to Europe The EU Commission was found to recommend in the beginning of 2007 an overall strategic aim which focused on restricting the boost in the international average temperature. This proposed plan was mentioned to be accomplished with the help of certain strategies. The definite set of strategies entailed the practice with regard to renewable energy to 20 percent in the year 2020, bringing down the degree of greenhouse gas releases by 20 percent and reduction in the consumption of energy by 20 percent. The most important strategy on which the proposed plan was based was mentioned to be the increase of biofuels by 10 percent by the year 2020. It becomes necessary to mention in this regard that the 10 percent increase of biofuels even entailed a net boost by 120, 000 in the field of employment which further entails the increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of EU by 0.17 percent. These objectives were made based on the