Microevolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microevolution - Essay Example Competition in the wild is the ultimate solution to survival. Animals with unique features survive while those with unwanted features die. Iguanas that could not survive the evolution process had no option but to die. Iguanas had to attach themselves to their parents to protection until they were mature. They adapted to feeding cacti and flowers in the wild. Competition among organisms in the same environment eliminates the weaker generation from the society. Darwin noted that the tortoises in Galapagos Island were distinctive in their particular manner. They were very distinct, and individuals could quickly tell the island of origin. There is a close relationship between the land iguanas and the finches.That sets in another theory whose postulation supports why land iguanas are dominant in Laguna de Manialtepec, South Mexico (Darwin&Quammen, 12). The choice of food eaten by organisms and the time food takes to reach the gastrointestinal tract of the iguanas is vital in the evolution of the animal. Natural foods are broken down for energy, nitrogen, calcium among other crucial minerals. The system of the iguana's processes high-quality foods. According to Darwin, not all organisms have equal chances in the fight for survival (Darwin&Quammen, 23). The plants that have adapted to the environment are healthy and have a better chance of surviving. The fittest animals survive harsh conditions. Land iguanas reproduce to their full potential and adapt to the conditions of Laguna de Manialtepec.

Fall and Collapse of Communism between 1989 and 1991 Essay Example for Free

Fall and Collapse of Communism between 1989 and 1991 Essay The fall of Soviet Union and the subsequent collapse of communism has been a defining moment in the post World War II politico-social environment. Although the collapse of communism accelerated itself during the period 1989-1991, it is necessary to investigate the historical reasons which contributed to the collapse of communism. A strong tendency of totalitarianism has always been evident in the history of Russia. The same tendency has been carried over into the Soviet Union in the form of Marxism-Leninism. Stalin’s attempt on enforcing a common Soviet national identity on disparate ethnic groups has always been a source of unrest in the USSR. The Marxist-Leninist way of redefining communism from a state and nation building perspective has also made the internal socio-economic structure of the Soviet Union inherently unstable. Moreover the Soviet narrative on international communism once again emphasized the dominant hierarchy of Marxism-Leninism, as evidenced by the Hungarian uprising of 1956. An inclination towards collectivization as a State building principle has also rendered the Soviet economy distinctively vulnerable in comparison to Western nations. The Soviet Union was caught in a pincer movement of internal instability and external influences in terms of foreign policy. Gorbachev’s introduction of reforms in terms of Glasnost and Perestroika hinted at a possible opening up of the Soviet society. The departure of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 resulted in a decreased military influence on the Soviet society. This further encouraged the citizenry to question the legitimacy of Soviet identity culminating in the violent demonstrations across the Soviet Union, especially in the Baltic States. This exposed and brought the structural weakness of Communism to the surface. The fall of Berlin wall also contributed to the weakening of Soviet foreign influence.   Economic factors like dip in the oil price and lack of foreign reserves further divided and weakened the nation already disturbed by the civil unrest. Soviet Union was not only reeling under the pressure of internal conflicts, but also could not compete with United States in terms of military power and economic development. Finally Soviet Union was forced to withdraw its troops from Eastern Europe and the communist regimes there were overthrown. The erstwhile Baltic Republics also declared independence in 1990. As a result the Soviet brand of communism shrunk itself and was limited to Russia. As a culmination Boris Yeltsin banned the CPSU in 1991 and termed it unconstitutional. To summarize the fall and collapse of communism was not due to internal strife alone, but also hastened by the indirect economic influence by United States. The collapse was accelerated during 1989-91 due to a combination of these factors. The collapse itself has to be further understood within a broader framework of systemic weakness of the idealogy. At the same time short-term factors like lack of satisfactory economic growth and civil unrest did indeed play a crucial role in the sudden demise of Communism. Work Cited Friedman, L. Thomas. The World is Flat, England: Penguin Books Ltd., 2005. 48-172

Internet Of Things

Internet Of Things The Internet of Things is the idea that ordinary everyday objects can, with the addition of sensors and communications interfaces, be made Smart. In this context Smart means that they are able to communicate useful information regarding their current state, their location and the environment they exist in. The technology behind this idea has been applied to areas such as energy efficiency [6], a virtual lost property office [7], tachographs for individual road charging [8], RFID systems in logistics [5] and bar codes on supermarket products that can be read by mobile phone applications to give nutritional information, allergy warnings or ethical information [9]. However, in this paper we shall be investigating the Internet of Things from the perspective of its application in what have become known as Smart Homes and more specifically how issues relating to Human Computer Interaction (HCI) have been considered when developing products and appliances therein. First we shall provide a b ackground to the subject, highlighting its origins and noting key technical themes. Following this we shall look in more depth at studies relating to key HCI concerns we have identified. The first of these concerns is the design, usability and acceptance of interfaces on Smart appliances. The second concern is the impact of security and personal privacy considerations on the perception and acceptance of Smart Homes technology. Finally, in our conclusion we will show that [TBC when conclusion can be added] Background The term Internet of Things represents a vision in which the virtual world of the Internet is extended into the physical world of everyday objects. A concept first put forward by Mark Weiser in a 1991 article for Scientific American [1], it stems from the idea that the continuing trend for reductions in price, size and energy consumption of electronic components, microprocessors and communications modules will lead to a truly ubiquitous computing experience. The term itself is attributed to Kevin Ashton, co-founder of MITs Auto-ID Center [2], which was set up to design, develop and propagate open standards for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) infrastructure. Using sensors, it is envisioned that objects become context aware or Smart and that built-in networking capabilities enable these Smart objects to communicate their current state both to people and other systems via internet services. Such developments have been widely recognised both by governments and international bodies as important and potentially disruptive. The Internet of Things was included in the US National Intelligence Council list of 6 Disruptive Civil Technologies [17] in 2008, whilst an EU Commission action plan [4] saw the evolution of the Internet taking it from a network of interconnected computers to a network of interconnected objects. This vision mirrors that of the International Telecommunications Union which views the Internet of Things as a development that means ÂÂ  from anytime, anyplace connectivity for anyone, we will now have connectivity for anything [20]. Applications include energy efficiency and conservation [6], a virtual lost property office [7], tachographs for individual traffic costs [8], RFID tagging in logistics [5] and barcodes in supermarkets that can be read by mobile phones [9] [13] to supply information such as allergy warnings or nutritional details. However, ther e is the potential to impact on any field that would benefit from remote, automated observation and data collection, efficient control management or real-time interpretation of data from the physical world [5]. Much of the research into the Internet of Things has been from a strictly engineering perspective and as such follows a Design Science approach that is very much machine focused. Examples of this research can be found in [10] and [18] where it has been additionally described as following either a Things oriented perspective or an Internet oriented perspective. This is a reflection that the word Internet acts both as a metaphor for connectedness and also, in a stricter technical sense, to signify the use of IP (Internet Protocol) as a basis for communication. Things oriented initiatives are largely those originating from the Auto-ID Center, which promote the use of RFID tags and a global Electronic Product Code (EPC). RFID tags are the combination of a small microchip attached to a wireless antenna in a package usually similar to an adhesive sticker. RFID tagged objects are not Smart in and of themselves but rather they require a reader to aggregate and interpret information they gather and sit between themselves and the applications making use of their data. The development and adoption of an EPC network [11] and EPCIS standards aims to provide the infrastructure to uniquely identify RFID tagged objects and simplify the processing and exchange of the data they capture. This will be helped by the creation of Wireless Sensor Networks enabled through advances in energy efficient multi-hop Wireless Personal Area networks (WPAN) [21]. RFID systems have the advantage of being very small size and very low cost [18] and are considered good for c losed loop applications e.g. logistics within a single organisation such UPS or FedEx rather than open loop applications such as supply chain that have greater complexity problems [10]. ÂÂ  There are, however, major practical issues relating to scalability and confidentiality. Internet Protocol (IP) enables Smart objects to be fully connected as Internet nodes. However, the requirements for processing and power consumption are currently prescriptive with regards to implementing a TCP/IP stack and wireless communications into RFID tags. Research into technologies that overcome these issues forms the Internet oriented approach and promotes the idea of Unique, Universal or Ubiquitous ID (uID) architectures. It also includes artefacts that have alternatively been termed the Web of Things [16], as a refinement of Internet of Things. A Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach, allowing for the decomposition of complex and monolithic systems into applications consisting of an ecosystem of simpler and well defined components [18] has been adopted in the development of middleware to bridge this gap. Middleware describes the software layer(s) sitting between and acting as a communications link between applications and low level objects. One such example is the S OCRADES Integration Architecture [29] in which Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application developers can query networked devices to find the most suitable one to provide the required service based on its real-time environmental context. Alternative middleware approaches include Fosstrak [26] an open source RFID infrastructure implementing EPC Network specifications and e-SENSE [25] that uses wireless sensors to capture ambient intelligence. A more ad-hoc Web of Things approach [27] applies REST (Representational State Transfer) [30] use of the Web as application platform to devices. In this model Smart objects are embedded with a small HTTP server [15] [16] or use a middleware gateway to transmit XML or JSON data. One outcome of this is the potential for real-time Mashups (user generated composite applications) of physical objects with Web 2.0 services. Examples include tracking the flight paths of planes around Zurich [14] or measuring energy consumption of appliances [16]. In the future this could mean an RSS or Twitter feed from your fridge updating you on the status of its contents. Mattern and Fleorkemeier [10] have identified twelve major challenges they consider important to the ongoing development of an Internet of Things. Amongst these are two that form the basis of our investigations and provide the focus of the remainder of this paper. The reason we have settled on these two challenges is that we have identified them as relating most directly to the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) issues that are the focus of our studies. These two challenges are: Arrive Operate The idea that Smart objects should not be perceived as computers and that there should be no need for user configuration, rather they should just work. For the applications we shall study in more detail this is most clearly manifested in the choices made when designing the user interface. Security personal privacy The understanding that a wider Internet of Things will inherit all the privacy issues associated with the existing Internet and in addition will have to concerns regarding the authentication of other communication partners where each partner is either a Smart object or a service.

French Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

ON 9th JULY 1797 the statesman and the philosopher Edmund Burke died, after having contracted stomach cancer. He was buried in Beaconsfield Church near his Buckinghamshire home. Burke had been a distinguished Member of Parliament but never attained high office. His political career must be judged a failure. However, Edmund Burke's true legacy was contained in his extensive writings. In letters,pamphlets and books he expounded a coherent system of ideas about human nature;the organic state; the benefits of prejudice;the dangers of government by secret consensus and the role of political parties. Two hundred years on, most scholars would agree that Burke had a gift for deep analysis conveyed in stylish English prose.Yet the content of his work though remains controversial. Supporters included the poet William Wordsworth, who called Burke: "the most sagacious politician of his age". Karl Marx, on the other hand, complained in Das Kapital that Burke was a bourgeois stooge of the English ruling class. Marxists took particular offence at Burke's critique of egalitarianism, perhaps realising the radical threat which this presented to their own vision of a future society. Modern liberals and conservatives still acclaim some of Burke's ideas, but their interest is largely rhetorical. Burke's liberal tendencies would almost certainly not go far enough for today's liberals. His support for the abolition of slavery was only gradualist, his religious toleration did not extend to atheists (whom he saw as dangerous criminals) and, whilst in favour of curbing royal patronage, Burke supported monarchy and aristocracy. Meanwhile, his conservative defence of Parliament, the nation and the Anglican Church would presumably be a sheer embarrassment to today's Conservative Party, which has embraced European Union and a secular, free market ideology. This two-part article will outline some of Edmund Burke's key ideas and assess their relevance to nationalism. His contribution is an important one. Sadly, Burke's clarity and complete lack of political correctness must limit his appeal in the modern age. In 1997 and beyond Burke seems destined to become a forgotten prophet except to those who challenge the prevailing orthodoxy. 1.THE NATURE OF MAN All societies are based on a particular view of human nature. Today's view, springing from Enlightenment philosophy, is that peo... ...ng nature is unworkable, equality is "a monstrous fiction" (7). At worst, ambitious elites use equality as a pretext to reallocate resources to themselves. At best,well-intentioned people see equality as no more than a benign aspiration. They think it would be just in theory but of course not when applied to themselves in practice, lest this endanger their own privileges. This is perhaps the greater error. "Abstract principles,however appealing, cannot be applied directly to solve real political problems. Any attempt to do so will have futile or harmful results. There is no such thing as a political principle which is good in itself, but not practicable. If it is not practicable then it is not good. In Part II of `Edmund Burke's Legacy' the focus will be on other pertinent aspects of Burke's thought. These include his views on:prejudice as being a form of wisdom; "human rights" as being rooted in a specific culture rather than inherited by all people; the dangers of a dual system of government (open and secret) and Burke's belief that political parties should be ideological and that their ideologies should involved "pursuing the national interest'.

Fresh Food vs Canned Food Essay

As children we often have no say in what we choose to eat. We were always taught to eat the food that was given to us on our plates. It’s not until we reach adulthood that we make conscious decisions on what we choose to consume. As adults we seem to indulge in the foods that make us happy, as well as the foods that will take the least amount of time out of our day to day schedule. Eating is an activity that we as humans do at least two times a day. We live in a world where the variety of food is immense, and we are responsible for what we eat. We choose what we would like to eat and how it will affect our bodies. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the differences between eating fresh foods instead of canned foods. There are many different reasons to keep in mind when choosing canned or fresh foods, such as flavor, health benefits, accessibility and cost. The most notable difference between these two kinds of foods is their flavor. Fresh foods have great flavor and taste because they keep all their natural conditions. Nothing is added or taken away, just the simple taste that nature has provided. Canned foods however, lack a lot of its flavor characteristics due to the fact that there are chemical products added to the natural foods. It’s logical that fresh foods will have a greater taste and flavor when consumed, just because of the time in which they have been prepared. Comparing both types of foods we notice another difference, there is a health factor that affects both of them. Canned foods lose some of the original fresh food nutrients when stored, and also it has to be tinned with many conservatives and chemical factors that prolong the shelf life. In some instances, apparent freshness of the food could also become toxic if consumed too often. Yet another difference between these two types of foods is the cost and accessibility. Canned foods are much more expensive than fresh foods. One could easily say that buying a pound of fresh carrots would cost the average shopper twice the amount of money, than buying two cans of carrots for under a dollar. The benefit of buying tinned foods is there accessibility, for example, it is easier to go down to your local supermarket and pick up a few canned green beans, instead of finding a market that specializes in fresh foods. As time goes on, we as adults are always in a rush to get somewhere or to finish something. It’s no surprise that the most important factor to an everyday adult is that canned foods require less work to prepare than fresh foods, just open and serve. As we can see it comes down to a personal choice, based on the time each person has, the money and the importance he/she gives to his/her nutrition and health. Therefore it is important that you consider your possibilities and choose the best type of foods for your convenience and lifestyle.

inflation targeting essays

inflation targeting essays Between 1973 and 1987, the average inflation rate amongst industrialised countries was over 7.5 percent. This high level of inflation called for a new method of conducting monetary policy. With more and more countries shifting to a policy of inflation targeting (including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom just to name a few) the inflation rate had dramatically fallen to below 3 percent in 1998-99 (Nessen & Vestin, 2000). The primary reason for these countries altering their monetary policy was the change in general consensus to a belief that price stability and inflation targeting should be the overriding, long-term goals of monetary policy, as they produce more favourable economic outcomes (Mishkin, 1997). Some of the reasons that the general consensus shifted to support price stability are the long lag times involved in monetary activism, the fact that there is no long run trade-off between inflation and unemployment, and also the time-inconsistency problem . When the idea of inflation targeting first arose, there was a certain degree of scepticism amongst some economists who believed that if output was not targeted by monetary policy, it would not be able to correct itself (that is, a belief that the short run Phillips curve is not vertical). However, the majority of governments and economists alike now agree that that GDP is largely self-correcting, and by striving to achieve price stability, they believe better economic outcomes will be produced. The argument against inflation targeting is usually held by those who believe the Phillips curve is flat or not vertical for a substantial period of time (Dornbusch, Bodman, Crosby, Fischer & Startz, 2002). This is a belief that achieving output and unemployment goals far outweighs the benefits of achieving a stable inflation rate. Until around fifteen or twenty years ago, a stable price level was seen as unattainable, and the best that could be hoped for was ...