Biography of Empress Theodora, Byzantine Feminist

Biography of Empress Theodora, Byzantine Feminist Empress Theodora (c. 497–June 28, 548), wife of Emperor  Justinian I, is regarded as the most powerful woman in  Byzantine  history. Because of her intelligence and political savvy, she was Justinian’s most trusted adviser and used her influence to promote religious and social policies in line with her interests. She significantly expanded the rights of women. Fast Facts: Empress Theodora Known For: Most Influential Woman in the Byzantine EraBorn: c. 497 on Cyprus or in SyriaFather: AcaciusDied: June 28, 548 in Constantinople, modern-day TurkeySpouse: Justinian I Early Life Little is known of her early years. According to the historian Procopius- whose historical work, according to one source, which resembles a tabloid newspaper but is the best available- her father Acacius was a bear keeper at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, a large stadium where chariot races and other events were staged, including bear-baiting. He died when she was 5. Her mother remarried and started Theodoras acting career. Theodora had two sisters, Comitona and Anastasia, and as a child she worked on stage as a mime with older sister Comitona before becoming a full-fledged actress, though in that day much of what was termed acting would later be euphemistically called adult entertainment. Offstage she was known for having numerous lovers and wild parties and for prostitution. She became the mistress of a wealthy man named Hecebolus, who for reasons unknown threw her out in roughly 521. She found religion, renounced her former lifestyle, and made a living as a wool spinner, returning to Constantinople in 522. Marriage When Justinian somehow met her, he was attracted by her beauty and intelligence and made her his mistress before marrying her in 525. Because of her disreputable background, special legislation was required to legalize such a marriage. (The independent record of this law being changed supports Procopius account of Theodoras lowly origins.) Justinians uncle and adoptive father, Emperor Justin I, died on August 1, 527, the date that Justinians reign is usually said to have begun, though modern scholars believe that he actually took over the government as early as 518. When Justinian took the throne, Theodora became the empress. Theodora exercised considerable influence, though she was never made co-regent. Because of her intelligence and unerring political sensibility, many believe that she, rather than Justinian, ruled Byzantium. Her name appears in nearly all the laws passed during that period, and she received foreign envoys and corresponded with foreign rulers, roles usually taken by the ruler. Nika Revolt Her influence in political affairs is illustrated by the Nika Revolt of January 532, which involved the Blues and the Greens, two Constantinople political factions that sponsored chariot races, animal contests, and stage plays in the Hippodrome and had attained substantial political power. The Blues and Greens had set aside their traditional rivalry to unite and oppose the government and establish a rival emperor. The revolt started on January 13, as the chariot races were to begin. Before the day was over, many public buildings were in flames.  Justinian had failed to head off the situation, and most of his advisers urged him to flee. Preparations were made, and a ship sat ready in the harbor to carry the emperor and empress to safety. At a meeting of the Imperial Council on January 18, Theodora sat listening to the men debating whether they should flee the city. Then, according to Robert Brownings Justinian  and  Theodora, she stood and addressed them: Whether or not a woman should give an example of courage to men is neither here nor there....I think that flight, even if it brings us to safety, is not in our interest. Every man born to see the light of day must die. But that one who has been emperor should become an exile I cannot bear.   She suggested that Justinian, his generals, and the other officials stay and save the empire. After she sat down, the men looked at each other and the generals began to discuss military plans. Belisarius, one of her husbands generals,  eventually herded the rebels into the Hippodrome, where they were slaughtered. Religion Theodora was a monophysite Christian, believing that Jesus Christs nature was purely divine, while her husband reflected orthodox Christianity, which holds that Jesus nature was both human and divine. Some commentators, including Procopius, allege that their differences were more pretense than a reality, presumably to keep the church from having too much power. She was known as a protector of members of the Monophysite faction when they were accused of heresy.  She supported the moderate Monophysite Severus and, when he was excommunicated and exiled- with Justinians approval- Theodora helped him to settle in Egypt. Another excommunicated monophysite, Anthimus, was still hiding in the womens quarters when Theodora died, 12 years after the excommunication order. She sometimes explicitly worked against her husbands support of Chalcedonian Christianity in the ongoing struggle for the predominance of each faction, especially at the edges of the empire. At the end of his life, Justinian was said to have moved significantly toward monophysitism, though he took no official action to promote it. Death and Legacy Theodora died in 548, possibly from cancer or  gangrene. Her death illustrated how important she was in Byzantine political life: Little significant legislation dates from the period between her death and 565 when Justinian died. Theodora had given birth to a daughter, either before she met Justinian or early in their marriage, but the girl didnt live long. No other children were born to the imperial couple. Through her relationship with her husband, who treated her as his intellectual partner, Theodora had a major impact on the political decisions of the empire. Justinian wrote that he had consulted Theodora when he promulgated a constitution that included reforms meant to end corruption by public officials. She is credited with influencing many other reforms, including expanding the rights of women in divorce and property ownership, prohibiting forced prostitution, giving mothers some guardianship rights over their children, and forbidding the killing of a wife who committed adultery. She closed brothels and created convents, where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves. Sources Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora. Gorgias Pr Llc, January 1, 2003.Garland, Lynda. Byzantine Empresses: Women and Power in Byzantium AD 527-1204. 1st Edition, Routledge, January 8, 2011.Holmes, William Gordon. The Age of Justinian and Theodora, Vol. 1: A History of the Sixth Century. Paperback, Abridged edition, Forgotten Books, July 6, 2017.Procopius. The Secret History. Penguin Classics, Peter Sarris (Editor, Translator, Introduction), G. A. Williamson (Translator), Paperback, New Ed. / edition, December 18, 2007.Underhill, Clara. Theodora: The Courtesan of Constantinople. 1st Edition edition, Sears Publishing Company, Inc., 1932.Theodora: Byzantine Empress. Encyclopaedia Britannica.Theodora. Encyclopedia.com.

Glow in the Dark Crystal Geode

Glow in the Dark Crystal Geode Its very easy to make a glow in the dark crystal geode. The rock is a natural mineral (eggshell). You can use one of several common household chemicals to grow the crystals. The glow comes from paint, which you can get from a craft store. Glow in the Dark Geode Materials eggsglow in the dark paint (I used GlowAwayâ„ ¢ washable glowing paint)very hot water (I used my coffee maker) borax, alum, Epsom salts, sugar, salt, or use another crystal recipe food coloring (optional I used neon green coloring) Prepare the Glowing Geode There are two ways to crack your eggs. You can carefully crack the top of the egg by tapping it on a counter top. This will give you a deep geode with a smaller opening. Alternatively, you can crack the equator of the egg or carefully cut it with a knife. This will give you a geode you can open and put back together.Dump the egg or make scrambled eggs or whatever.Rinse out the inside of the eggshell with water. Peel away the interior membrane so you are left with only the shell.Allow the egg to air dry or carefully blot it dry with a paper towel or napkin.Use a paintbrush, swab, or your fingers to coat the inside of the eggshell with glowing paint.Set the painted egg aside while you mix the crystal-growing solution. Make the Crystal Solution Pour hot water into a cup.Stir borax or other crystal salt into the water until it stops dissolving and you see some solid at the bottom of the cup.Add food coloring, if desired. Food coloring does not get incorporated into all crystals (e.g., borax crystals will be clear), but it will stain the egg shell behind the crystals, giving the geode some color. Grow the Glowing Crystals Support the shell so that it wont tip over. I made a little nest for mine in a crumpled napkin that I set inside a cereal bowl.Pour the crystal solution into the shell so that it is as full as possible. Dont pour the undissolved solid into the eggshell, just the saturated liquid.Set the shell somewhere where it wont get knocked over. Allow crystals to grow for several hours (overnight is shown) or as long as you like.When you are satisfied with the crystal growth, pour out the solution and allow the geode to dry.Phosphorescent paint is activated by exposing it to bright light. Black light (ultraviolet) produces a very bright glow, also. The duration of the glow depends on the paint you use. My geode glows for about a minute before it needs to be recharged. Some paints will produce geodes that glow for a few seconds. Other paints may glow for many minutes.Store your geode in a dry location, protected from dust.

Quantitative decision theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quantitative decision theory - Essay Example rgency plan, he directs the emergency response program and has the final decision and responsibility for the major decision relating to all aspects of emergency response. In case the president is absent, the provost has the authority to direct the emergency response until the president is available. The other key person in emergency response is the vice president of administration. He is responsible for damage assessment claim relationships with trinity’s insurance company and immediate oversight of facilities for any emergencies involving building and grounds. The building collapse and cause accident, the assessment will be carried out effectively. The most important role during emergency response is directing the emergency program by the president (Britten-Jones, 1999). He is the overall authority to give order to be followed by all the emergency personnel. Emergency response needs central command that can be best performed by the president. The other issues concern is assessment of damage. It determines the magnitude of the disaster and the kind of response it will need. If the disaster is severe it will need comprehensive and

What form of audience do social tags of this kind enable Discuss the Essay

What form of audience do social tags of this kind enable Discuss the social and communicative properties of this kind of audience, using these tweets as evidence to support your claims - Essay Example Social tagging also plays a major role in connecting the users who have similar interests. The users can be able to share among themselves relevant piece of information regarding their area of interest (OReilly, & Milstein, 2009). Different tweets are usually posted to address different types of audiences. The different types of audiences have a common characteristic in that they are all imaginary in the mind of the writer. The three main types of audiences to which tweets can be addressed include (Clark 2012); the writer’s audience, the networked audience, and the broadcast audience. The writer’s audience: In this type of audience, the user tries to imagine the potential audience that have a high likelihood of gaining interest in the intended tweet and composes the tweet that is tailored for the perceived audience. The user tries to form a picture of the audience in his/her mind in order to compose a tweet that will meet the needs of that specified group of audience. The user usually expects responses from the audience. The broadcast audience: In type of audience, the user does not have a specific group of audiences in mind. The user just composes a tweet that is intended for any audience. For this situation, the user does not expect to get any response regarding the tweet. They compose a tweet that is meant for the consumption of the general public, and response for them is not a priority. The networked audience: This type of audience combines the characteristics of both the writer and the broadcast audience. Unlike in the broadcast audience, the user here composes a tweet that is intended of a large group of audience, but he/she has an idea of the type of audience to which the tweet is intended for. Just like in the writer’s audience, the user here also expects to get responses from the audience regarding the tweet. According to the sample tweets that have been provided, the form of audience that is most likely to be enable is the

“Everybody knows what religion is, and so, we do not need to define it.” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Everybody knows what religion is, and so, we do not need to define it.† Essay The study of religion may be as old as humankind itself according to one author. Defining religion is difficult as there are many definitions as there are many authors. The word religion is the most difficult to define because of the lack of a universally accepted definition. Specifically the root meaning of the word religion can be traced to Latin. Relegare or religion means to bind oneself, emanating from the Latin religio, which is translated to re-read emphasising tradition passing from generation to generation. Douglas Davies says â€Å"some have simply described religion as a belief in spiritual beings.† (10). In the book The World Religion there is a suggestion of approaches for tackling the question of religion such as viewing it anthropologically, sociologically, through history, in a scholarly way, theologically and by reductionism. In this paper I will try and assess the definition of religion from aforementioned views and identify the problems of defining religion. James Cox states that in their introductory textbook on religion the American scholars Hall, Pilgrim and Cavanagh identify four characteristic problems with traditional definitions of religion; these are: vagueness, narrowness, compartmentasation and prejudice (9). The authors argue that vagueness means there are so many definitions that they do not distinguish the matter of religion from other fields of study. Tilich’s defines religion as ultimate concern or a simple idea of religion meaning living a good life (9). Living a good life is subjective to an individual since the concerns and values we have are influenced by culture and the community that we live in. The definition of religion may also be viewed as narrow by means of compensating for the vagueness. In most cases the study of religion is fixated on a certain field or line of thought. Hall, Pilgrim and Cavanagh use Thomas Aquinas’ claim that religion denotes a relationship with a God, thereby excluding non-atheistic or polytheistic forms of religion (Cox 9). Most definitions are narrowed down to religious beliefs such as Christianity among other world religions. In narrowing down the definition of religion it excludes other religions such as African Traditional Religions. Due to the fact that African religions lack most characteristics needed of World religions they are excluded from being religion. Atheism is a growing phenomena in the world that does not believe in a God, which I feel have its own belief system. Many definitions focus too narrowly on only a few aspects of religion; they tend to exclude those religions that do not fit well. It is apparent that religion can be seen as a theological, philosophical, anthropological, sociological, and psychological phenomenon of human kind. To limit religion to only one of these categories is to miss its multifaceted nature and lose out on the complete definition. The same authors by way of compartmentalisation explain religion in terms of just one single, special aspect of human life. This compartmentalisation reduces religion to one part of human life and ignores its relevance to the totality of human existence. They also argue against Schleiermachers’ definition of religion as a feeling of absolute dependence which might reduce religion to a mere psychological condition, (Cox 9). By compartmentalisation you are taking the part of the whole to be the whole, thereby reducing religion to one aspect of human existence ignoring the totality of existence. Religion is not just a feeling but encompasses the totality of existence in a human being his beliefs, culture and language. Religious or religion is not static but dynamic from one generation to another and they are ever developing in accordance with time and nature. Religion is not only a compartment in life of a human being but a totality, a large elephant it is huge and complex. Most definitions of religion may be viewed as prejudice because they are evaluative in process which cannot present an objective picture of what religion actually is. The same scholars argue giving the example of Karl Max that religion is the opium of the people which is clearly biased (Cox 9). A scholar by the name of Barnhart criticizes traditional definitions of religion identifying in them five issues in prejudice: belief in supernatural, evaluative definitions, diluted definitions, expanded definitions and true religion. In his argument, Barnhart denies that religions must not hold a belief in God or supernatural beings to qualify as religions. He believes that such definitions restrict the subject matter of religion and thus are too exclusive, (Cox 9). In the same argument he concurs with Hall and company call on narrowness of definition of religion.  In the same view disagrees with E.B Tylor ‘religion consists of beliefs in spiritual’ beings as too narrow. In asserting that religion definitions are evaluative in nature, Barnhart concurs with Hall that these definitions are prejudiced. He argues against Marx and Freud saying the ultimate concern is itself an evaluative concept imposed on religion from the perspective of Western philosophy. Citing Clarke’s statement that ‘religion is the life of God in the soul of man’ tells us nothing about either God or the soul thereby diluting the definition and affirming other scholars view that religion’s definition is vagueness. Compartmentalisation of the definition of religion can also be likened to what Barnhart calls expanded definitions. He argues against Russell who tries to expand the definition of religion so far as to make it seem an effort to seek comfort in a terrifying world. The argument follows that by trying to define religion as a way of expanding a list of what comprises religion to accommodate one compartment of human existence it has an opposite effect of diluting the definition rather than searching for consolation, (Cox 10). Lastly Barnhart finds a problem in defining all religions in terms of one religion which by definition claims itself to be true. He gives the example of ‘Religion is belief in Jesus’ or ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet’. This clearly categorises the definition of religion are subjective (Cox 10). The example also clearly shows how exclusive some definitions of religion are and proves the earlier mentioned problem of prejudice against one belief system or being traditionally fixated on belief systems of faith. The problem of plurality according to Roger Schmidt religion is difficult to define because it is a collective term applied to a wide range of phenomena. The phenomena include beliefs and practices that all religions have in common. Closely related to plurality is the problem of culture as religion and culture are closely linked. Religion is a child of culture, which is a result of religion being found in a certain contextual culture, therefore, difficult to define religion in all cultures. Religion itself is dynamic the Buddhism of a hundred years ago is not the same today. This shows that religion is not static but dynamic.

Reproductive Fantasy is Burning :: Fire Novels Literature Fantasy Essays

Reproductive Fantasy is Burning Of fire, what can be written that would not be better off singed, immolated, baked, or outright burnt? Flame of the match lights a watch. Dancing embers of destruction hide records, burn bodies and papers. Glistening radiance of torches light the way through the night of Victorian horror and fantasy. Fire is lively (it breathers, it takes in, it puts out, it moves, it grows, and it makes more) yet takes away life (defined by the same characteristics.) Everywhere it is fire. Suddenly, away on our left I saw a faint flickering blue flame. The driver saw it at the same moment. He at once checked the horses, and, jumping to the ground, disappeared into the darkness. I did not know what to do, the less as the howling of the wolves grew closer. But while I wondered, the driver suddenly appeared again, and without a word took his seat, and we resumed our journey. I think I must have fallen asleep and kept dreaming of the incident, for it seemed to be repeated endlessly, and now looking back, it is like a sort of awful nightmare. Once the flame appeared so near the road, that even in the darkness around us I could watch the driver's motions. He went rapidly to where the blue flame arose, it must have been very faint, for it did not seem to illumine the place around it at all, and gathering a few stones, formed them into some device. Once there appeared a strange optical effect. When he stood between me and the flame he did not obstruct it, for I could see its ghostly flicker all the same. This startled me, but as the effect was only momentary, I took it that my eyes deceived me straining through the darkness. Then for a time there were no blue flames, and we sped onwards through the gloom, with the howling of the wolves around us, as though they were following in a moving circle. Deception from the eyes, hoarding of the light by the intensity of a blue flame, repetition of unqualified flickering fire. The undead Dracula is fiercely alive, in his metabolism, reproduction and movement. Making his rules and carving his possibilities for life, inasmuch as he has agency to begin with, it is one which forms and informs its own possibility.

Craig Ventors First Cell

Cr Craig Ventor first first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell ROCKVILLE, MD and San Diego, CA (May 20, 2010)— Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published results today describing the successful construction of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell. The team synthesized the 1. 08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome. The synthetic cell is called Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1. and is the proof of principle that genomes can be designed in the computer, chemically made in the laboratory and transplanted into a recipient cell to produce a new self-replicating cell controlled only by the synthetic genome. This research will be published by Daniel Gibson et al in the May 20th edition of Science Express and will appear in an upcoming print issue of Science. â€Å"For nearly 15 years Ham Smith, Clyde Hutchison and the rest of our team have been working toward thi s publication today–the successful completion of our work to construct a bacterial cell that is fully controlled by a synthetic genome,† said J.Craig Venter, Ph. D. , founder and president, JCVI and senior author on the paper. â€Å"We have been consumed by this research, but we have also been equally focused on addressing the societal implications of what we believe will be one of the most powerful technologies and industrial drivers for societal good. We look forward to continued review and dialogue about the important applications of this work to ensure that it is used for the benefit of all. † According to Dr.Smith, â€Å"With this first synthetic bacterial cell and the new tools and technologies we developed to successfully complete this project, we now have the means to dissect the genetic instruction set of a bacterial cell to see and understand how it really works. † To complete this final stage in the nearly 15 year process to construct and boot u p a synthetic cell, JCVI scientists began with the accurate, digitized genome of the bacterium, M. mycoides. The team designed 1,078 specific cassettes of DNA that were 1,080 base pairs long. These cassettes were designed so that the ends of each DNA cassette overlapped each of its neighbors by 80bp.The cassettes were made according to JCVI’s specifications by the DNA synthesis company, Blue Heron Biotechnology. The JCVI team employed a three stage process using their previously described yeast assembly system to build the genome using the 1,078 cassettes. The first stage involved taking 10 cassettes of DNA at a time to build 110, 10,000 bp segments. In the second stage, these 10,000 bp segments are taken 10 at a time to produce eleven, 100,000 bp segments. In the final step, all 11, 100 kb segments were assembled into the complete synthetic genome in yeast cells and grown as a yeast artificial chromosome.The complete synthetic M. mycoides genome was isolated from the yeast c ell and transplanted into Mycoplasma capricolum recipient cells that have had the genes for its restriction enzyme removed. The synthetic genome DNA was transcribed into messenger RNA, which in turn was translated into new proteins. The M. capricolum genome was either destroyed by M. mycoides restriction enzymes or was lost during cell replication. After two days viable M. mycoides cells, which contained only synthetic DNA, were clearly visible on petri dishes containing bacterial growth medium.The initial synthesis of the synthetic genome did not result in any viable cells so the JCVI team developed an error correction method to test that each cassette they constructed was biologically functional. They did this by using a combination of 100 kb natural and synthetic segments of DNA to produce semi-synthetic genomes. This approach allowed for the testing of each synthetic segment in combination with 10 natural segments for their capacity to be transplanted and form new cells. Ten out of 11 synthetic fragments resulted in viable cells; therefore the team narrowed the issue down to a single 100 kb cassette.DNA sequencing revealed that a single base pair deletion in an essential gene was responsible for the unsuccessful transplants. Once this one base pair error was corrected, the first viable synthetic cell was produced. Dr. Gibson stated, â€Å"To produce a synthetic cell, our group had to learn how to sequence, synthesize, and transplant genomes. Many hurdles had to be overcome, but we are now able to combine all of these steps to produce synthetic cells in the laboratory. † He added, â€Å"We can now begin working on our ultimate objective of synthesizing a minimal cell containing only the genes necessary to sustain life in its simplest form.This will help us better understand how cells work. † This publication represents the construction of the largest synthetic molecule of a defined structure; the genome is almost double the size of the previou s Mycoplasma genitalium synthesis. With this successful proof of principle, the group will now work on creating a minimal genome, which has been a goal since 1995. They will do this by whittling away at the synthetic genome and repeating transplantation experiments until no more genes can be disrupted and the genome is as small as possible. This minimal cell will be a platform for analyzing the function of every essential gene in a cell.According to Dr. Hutchison, â€Å"To me the most remarkable thing about our synthetic cell is that its genome was designed in the computer and brought to life through chemical synthesis, without using any pieces of natural DNA. This involved developing many new and useful methods along the way. We have assembled an amazing group of scientists that have made this possible. † As in the team’s 2008 publication in which they described the successful synthesis of the M. genitalium genome, they designed and inserted into the genome what they called watermarks.These are specifically designed segments of DNA that use the â€Å"alphabet† of genes and proteins that enable the researcher to spell out words and phrases. The watermarks are an essential means to prove that the genome is synthetic and not native, and to identify the laboratory of origin. Encoded in the watermarks is a new DNA code for writing words, sentences and numbers. In addition to the new code there is a web address to send emails to if you can successfully decode the new code, the names of 46 authors and other key contributors and three quotations: â€Å"TO LIVE, TO ERR, TO FALL, TO TRIUMPH, TO RECREATE LIFE OUT OFLIFE. † – JAMES JOYCE; â€Å"SEE THINGS NOT AS THEY ARE, BUT AS THEY MIGHT BE. †-A quote from the book, â€Å"American Prometheus†; â€Å"WHAT I CANNOT BUILD, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND. † – RICHARD FEYNMAN. The JCVI scientists envision that the knowledge gained by constructing this first self-replicatin g synthetic cell, coupled with decreasing costs for DNA synthesis, will give rise to wider use of this powerful technology. This will undoubtedly lead to the development of many important applications and products including biofuels, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, clean water and food products.The group continues to drive and support ethical discussion and review to ensure a positive outcome for society. Funding for this research came from Synthetic Genomics Inc. , a company co-founded by Drs. Venter and Smith. Background The research published today was made possible by previous breakthroughs at JCVI. In 2007 the team published results from the transplantation of the native M. mycoides genome into the M. capricolum cell which resulted in the M. capricolum cell being transformed into M. mycoides. This work established the notion that DNA is the software of life and that DNA dictates the cell phenotype.In 2008 the same team reported on the construction of the first synthetic bacterial ge nome by assembling DNA fragments made from the four chemicals of life—ACGT. The final assembly of DNA fragments into the whole genome was performed in yeast by making use of the yeast genetic systems. However, when the team attempted to transplant the synthetic bacterial genome out of yeast and into a recipient bacterial cell, viable transplants could not be recovered. Ethical Considerations: Since the beginning of the quest to understand and build a synthetic genome, Dr.Venter and his team have been concerned with the societal issues surrounding the work. In 1995 while the team was doing the research on the minimal genome, the work underwent significant ethical review by a panel of experts at the University of Pennsylvania (Cho et al, Science December 1999:Vol. 286. no. 5447, pp. 2087 – 2090). The bioethical group's independent deliberations, published at the same time as the scientific minimal genome research, resulted in a unanimous decision that there were no stron g ethical reasons why the work should not continue as long as the scientists involved continued to engage public discussion. Dr.Venter and the team at JCVI continue to work with bioethicists, outside policy groups, legislative members and staff, and the public to encourage discussion and understanding about the societal implications of their work and the field of synthetic genomics generally. As such, the JCVI’s policy team, along with the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), were funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a 20-month study that explored the risks and benefits of this emerging technology, as well as possible safeguards to prevent abuse, including bioterrorism.After several workshops and public sessions the group published a report in October 2007 outlining options for the field and its researchers. Most recently in December of 2008, JCVI received funding from the Alfred P. Sloa n Foundation to examine ethical and societal concerns that are associated with the developing science of synthetic genomics. The ongoing research is intended to inform the scientific community as well as educate our policymakers and journalists so that they may engage in informed discussions on the topic.About the J. Craig Venter Institute The JCVI is a not-for-profit research institute in Rockville, MD and La Jolla, CA dedicated to the advancement of the science of genomics; the understanding of its implications for society; and communication of those results to the scientific community, the public, and policymakers. Founded by J. Craig Venter, Ph. D. , the JCVI is home to approximately 400 scientists and staff with expertise in human and evolutionary biology, genetics, ioinformatics/informatics, information technology, high-throughput DNA sequencing, genomic and environmental policy research, and public education in science and science policy. The legacy organizations of the JCVI are: The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), The Center for the Advancement of Genomics (TCAG), the Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA), the Joint Technology Center (JTC), and the J. Craig Venter Science Foundation. The JCVI is a 501 (c) (3) organization. For additional information, please visit http://www. JCVI. org. Media Contact: Heather Kowalski, 301-943-8879, hkowalski(AT)jcvi. org

Emily Dickinson Essay

Emily Dickinson’s poem â€Å"I like the look of Agony† focuses people’s attention on great suffering and death. I personally find it to be cold and extremely cruel yet naturally truthful. Contrary to what it may seem, liking the look of agony is not a sadistic manner. It artistically implies how people respond to emotional sufferings and heartache. The poem itself shows the dramatic device of literature, which could be one way of showing her uniqueness and weirdness entertaining herself to go beyond the social norm. The author puts the sentence â€Å"I like the look of agony† at the beginning not because she likes looking to people who is in agony but rather, she is just having the intense interest of the way we absorb emotional sufferings, pain and the agony especially when death of a love one occurs. And it is so surprising to the reader to read the first line being so direct with extreme cruelty. Different emotions occurs and may be expressed inappropriately when we come to realize that death is unavoidable. Some people tend to control their emotions and try to have a full power on them. They feel comfortable out of it. It is called defense mechanism. Refer to the second line, which I personally believe that it is the heart of the poem, â€Å"Because I know it’s true. † She must have gotten a lot of untrue looks and hated them because she was a painfully shy and homely woman. We can speculate that the untrue looks are looks of interest or even attraction to her: looks of friendship, admiration and love. She doesn’t trust all those things, only the agony of dying, â€Å"Homely Anguish† -the personification of love. We know that most people often fear death, whereas we should be aware of the fact that everyone of us will come to an end and death is close to us. Suffering does not have to be associated with fear. We have to perceive that death is an event and it’s happening to everyone of us. We just have to stand and be prepared to face it. Agony is somewhat like having a cancer. How an excruciating pain of someone who is suffering from severe cancer feels like. This is the moment were we can be genuinely honest on how we truly feels. We don’t assume or pretend, but just live the moment and don’t even know how to gain control of it. None of us can deceive the physical appearance to go along an agony. In my view, death is something that we have to be prepared. It is unstoppable and beyond anyone’s control. We just have to accept that each one of us is uncertain when coming to an end. Lastly, I agree with what the author has trying to tell us, to be ready to face the last pace of life death. Analyzing this poem of Dickinson is one way of seeing the positive look of agony and death, which is to express the deepest emotions on a highly emotional incident involving the lost of someone.

Illiteracy in United States

Illiteracy in United States Free Online Research Papers Illiteracy in America can have negative and devastating effects on society as a whole. The effects that illiteracy has range from embarrassment, to low self-esteem, as well as high crime rates. Illiteracy seems to have an even more devastating effect in the lower income communities. Driving down a street and not knowing how to read the street signs can be scary to an illiterate person. Even worse, sitting in a classroom and being called on by an instructor to read aloud and not being able to read, can be even more frightening. There are many Americans faced with these types of challenges and nowhere to turn, because they are afraid and embarrassed. As in Edward P. Jones’s, The First Day, the embarrassment the mother had to face while enrolling her child into school is disheartening. While trying to fill out the paper work for her child, she says, â€Å"This form. Would you mind helpin me fill it out? The woman still seems not to understand. â€Å"I can’t read it. I don’t know how to read or write, and I’m askin you to help me† (109). The mother in â€Å"The First Day† had to say this in front of her child. It must have taken a lot of courage for her to speak up that day. As you see this is the perfect example of embarra ssment and humiliation that an illiterate person has to deal with on a day to day basis. Negative effects of illiteracy in America are also heavy in politics. One has to wonder how someone who can’t read or write manages to vote. In order for a person to vote or make a wise decision about who they should vote for, one must know how to read. As Jonathan Kozol writes in â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society†: The number of illiterate adults exceeds by 16 million the entire vote cast for the winner in the 1980 presidential contest. If even on third of all illiterates could vote, and read enough and do sufficient math to vote in their self-interest, Ronald Regan would not likely have been chosen president. There is, of course, no way to know for sure† (165). Kegan makes a great point. Most illiterate people that do vote, vote based on what the person looks like and not what they know about the person and what they can do to help. In doing this our society is threatened by the fact that the right officials may not be elected because the percentage of illiterate voters may not choose the person best suited for the position. That is a scary thought, but one to think about. Communication is key when trying to earn an education. Younger students may be dealing with things at home that make them afraid to ask questions in the classroom, so they are left wondering the answers to those questions. Other students may have more confidence in themselves and their parents may have taught them that the only dumb question is the one not asked. Therefore, self-esteem and communication play a major role in illiteracy. Robert Bickel and Sande Milton write; in â€Å"The Social Circumstances of Illiteracy: Interpretation and Exchange in a Class- Based Society: As communication breaks down, the thoroughly social process of learning to read may Become a threatening activity, a source of humiliation, in which some students feel that Rewards, recognition, punishment, and subordination are distributed unfairly. Moreover, not learning to read may become not only a continuing act of self-defense and passive-aggressive defiance, but a political statement of loyalty to the ethnically homogeneous peer group- the emergent alternative to conventional classroom organization. (207) In reading this, it proves that an illiterate person may use a defense mechanism, like showing anger to hide the fact that they can’t read. This particular defense mechanism can lead to a high crime rate. Crime leads to overcrowded jails, which lead to higher taxes, and the list goes on and on. Illiteracy in America seems to be an issue that does not receive enough public attention. There are so many illiterate people in society who may overdose because they can’t read the directions on a prescription. There are even more illiterate people incarcerated and would rather stay incarcerated to hide the fact that they can’t read or write. Programs for these types of people should begin during elementary school, so that children know exactly what they may be faced with when they become an adult. Teachers should embrace the student who seems to sit in the back of the class and shy away from the other students. More one on one time spent with the student who seems to act out in a bad way the most, while in class. The student, who is not paying attention and seeking attention in negative ways, is acting out for a reason, but it is up to the teachers to pay attention in order to try to intervene and possibly stop the problem before it starts. Illiteracy seems to be a growing problem in America that can’t be fixed overnight. More programs need to be created and more parents need to be involved in the education of their children. Offering programs for illiterate people and advertising these programs should be priority over alcohol and condom commercials. There should be programs offered for illiterate people during election time, more than another time of the year. To do this would help so many Americans feel liberated and apart of something. It may even encourage some to go back to school and further their education. Slowly the world could change and what a wonderful world it could be. This task would be too much for one person to handle alone, therefore, the world needs to get involved if there is going to be change. Bickel, Robert, and Sande Milton. â€Å"The Social Circumstances of Illiteracy: Interpretation and Exchange in a Class-Based Society.† The Urban Review. Vol. 15, No. 4, 1983: 203-214 Jones, P. Edward. â€Å"The First Day.† The Blair Reader. Seventh Edition: 107-110 Kozal, Jonathan. â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society.† The Blair Reader. Seventh Edition: 164-172 Research Papers on Illiteracy in United StatesHip-Hop is ArtStandardized Testing19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceQuebec and CanadaBringing Democracy to AfricaHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Fifth Horseman

5 Nerdy Essay Writing Skills You Cant Get Away from

5 Nerdy Essay Writing Skills You Cant Get Away from 5 Nerdy Essay Writing Skills You Cant Get Away from Writing essay in college requires many essay writing skills, including those listed below. Using these tips and integrating these skills will help you achieve great things. Planning Ahead Although planning is a practical approach to time management, it is also important to take into account different ideas for making and keeping a sensible time schedule. In preparing your schedule, it is crucial to be detailed and explicit in how you intend to spend your time. If, for example, you intend to work on history questions, indicate ‘Page 14, review questions 1-10’ as opposed to simply stating ‘history questions’. Working in the Same Spot To train your body to settle and concentrate faster during your study time, study in a regular location. Use this place only to study so that your body naturally relates this location to the activity. Consider places that are serene and have the items that you would need to study e.g. computers. Avoid places that make you too comfortable to do any constructive work a bed or comfortable couch is probably not a good idea. It is better to find a location where you can sit straight at a desk. Reading Some reading assignments demand that you know the details of a specific segment of chapter. In these cases, you can get by with reading only these sections; read with a definite intention and take notes of key words, descriptions and any other relevant material that will help you to limit the amount of reading that you will do. Great English The subject of your sentence is the person, the place, or the thing that is acting. The object is the person, place or thing that is being acted upon. An adverb is designed to modify a verb, and it is easy to remember this because â€Å"verb† is in the name. An adjective is meant to modify a noun. So if someone asks you â€Å"how are you doing?† you should answer â€Å"I am doing poorly† or â€Å"I am doing well†, NOT â€Å"I am doing good†. The reason for this is that â€Å"to do† is a verb, so whatever you put after â€Å"doing† needs to be an adverb so that it can modify your verb. â€Å"Good† in this case is an adjective which does not belong here. If someone asks you â€Å"how are you?† you can say â€Å"I am good† because you are modifying yourself, or a noun. Concentrating on One Thing at a Time Be sure to concentrate on one activity at a time, giving your mind a more conducive working environment and guaranteeing that you work effectively. Allocate the most droning tasks first to work on them while your mind is still fresh. If you push these forward to a time when you are tired, you will likely be overwhelmed and give up, choosing instead to sleep or watch TV. Identify whether your peak study time is during the day or at night and organize your time accordingly. Overall, essay writing in college requires many skills, including those listed above. You can improve upon your writing style by following the tips or by hiring our custom essay writers online.

Evolution and current status of the method Assignment

Evolution and current status of the method - Assignment Example This is mainly because there is no universal method that is appropriate and suitable for all teaching contexts. Rather, different methods will work better, or even worse, in different contexts and equally important, they are all partially valid (Prabhu 161). For instance, the choice of communicative language teaching can be viewed as an ignorant perception that what is suitable for Europe will also be appropriate for Africa simply because it is a documented method. Essentially, that only serves to develop resistance from learners. The approach of method limits the relationship between teachers and theorizers to one in which teachers are not empowered with knowledge, skill and autonomy implying that they may not devise relevant, coherent and systematic methods based on principled practicality (Kumaravadivelu 1994, p. 537). It is further observed by Brown (74) that the concept of method places all responsibility in the classroom environment upon the teacher and effectively barring stud ents from developing their own initiatives and strategies towards learning. Further, the concept also stifles the notion of self-regulation among learners, which means they cannot develop goal-oriented attempts to direct their learning. Rather, what is preferred is pedagogy of practicality that attempts to go beyond the deficiencies that characterize the dichotomies of the theories of theorists versus the theory of teachers by empowering teachers to form their own theories (Kumaravadivelu 2001, p. 541).

The Essential Husserl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Essential Husserl - Essay Example Husserl in his work refers to the theory of species as being weak in one way or the other. The raised objections over the theory is concerned more about the context of the system that is very sensitive. Therefore, an indexical experience that relies on the content has to serve minor role of a secondary propositional duty. Thus, it may end up determining the object, which may be referred to earlier. According to Husserl, for two experiences that are indexical, they have to have one object in mind because the moments of issue for such a case can lead to the same matter that is ideal. Husserl differentiates between the words and their general meanings while on the other hand the respective meaning of that word (Welton 163). This theory does not actually help to differentiate between the two types of meanings. That is, if perfect matters are intentional contents and remains constant, then, propositional content will differ. He further feels that indexical experiences are at times singula r because they are involved in representing one object at a time or it may be a group of objects. For instance, a subject experienced at any given moment as in the real world as being special in all represented worlds that are possible. Thus, the potential or actual experiences can be attributed or subjected to the experiencing subjects. This is what Husserl refers to as intentional horizon that has an anticipated content. According to Husserl, all experiences that are encompassed in horizon have a common bond of identity in time course. He refers to this as label X and it applies to objects with similar subjects. The determinable X is an indexical experience that seeks to find out the earlier reference for the mentioned experience. This should not be the species ideal meaning alone. In order to come up with the dynamic theory, then we have to find out the intentional acts that are components of cognitive structures. In this state, the same object is represented through changing tim e. In his research, he refers to mental files as individual notions, which are open. We can therefore refer to Husserl as an early theorist and non-naive on intentional content (Welton 166). He further discusses the ‘epoche’ phenomenon. His theory on the content seems to coincide with the phenomenon of epoche. The theory of epoche was developed to radicalize constrains that are present in logical investigation. This has to carry out from the first person’s point of view. This is to have the experiences that the subject is exposed to and the intended results. The advantage of doing the experiment in the first person context is that no difference arises between non-veridical and veridical cases. Therefore, one cannot be a victim and at the same time become be in a position to detect any error that is perceived in his or her actions. Thus, it is from this point that Husserl derived phenomenological ideas that explains detailed existence of objects in the universe. I n summary, epoche demands that we focus on the represented objects. Husserl comes up with two different types of epoch; the universal and local (Welton 167). Husserl focused on local epoche using perceptual experiences as the foundation of one’s experience. In order to describe an experience in details, one has to be a participant in the experiment. That is performing an experiment from the first person point of view. In perceptual experi