History of Aerogol

History of Aerogol Free Online Research Papers Aerogel is one of the most fascinating solids ever known to man. It was first discovered in the late 1930s be Steven Kistler, and later improved on by many different scientist. As the worlds lightest solid it has many different properties engineers try to take advantage of by mixing it with various elements, and seeing if they get the results they need. One of the key aspects of Aerogel is its thermal properties which is good for insulation usage. The history of Aerogel is that Steven Kistler a student at the College of the Pacific set out to prove that a gel without the liquid inside contained the same size and shape as a gel with the liquid. The only way for him to prove this was to prove his hypothesis, was to test his theory, and that’s what he did. The approach he took was to try and remove the liquid from the wet gel without damaging the solid structure of the object. Of course he tried a number of different procedures and none of them worked. If a wet gel is allowed to dry on its own the gel would shrink to a fraction of its original size, and shrinking usually was followed by the structure cracking. As Kistler gained more knowledge of the structure of gel he made a key discovery that would lead him to his answer. Kistler predicted that the solid component was microporous which mean that it had really small pores, and that the liquid vapor exerted strong surface tension forces that collapsed the pore structure wh en removed. So to counteract that he figured that if he were to replace the liquid with air by some means in which the surface of the liquid is never permitted to recede within the gel it could work. If a liquid is held under pressure always greater than the vapor pressure, and the temperature is raised, it will be transformed at the critical temperature into a gas without two phases having been present at any time. The first gels that Kistler studied were silica gels prepared in a acidic aqueous sodium silicate solution, but his attempts of trying to convert water into supercritical fluids from gels by this method didn’t work. As an alternative of leaving silica Aerogel behind, the supercritical water redissolved the silica, which then precipitated as the water was vented. With knowledge that water in aqueous gels could be exchanged with other organic liquids, Kistler then tried again by first thoroughly washing the silica gels with water to remove salts from the gel, and th en exchanging the water for alcohol by converting the alcohol to a supercritical fluid and allowing it to escape and the first true Aerogel were formed. Kistler was the father of aeorgel but between the late 1930’s and the 1970’s there was not a lot of development with the use of Aerogel. In the late 1970’s the French government approached Stanislaus Teichner at University Claud Bernard, Lyon seeking a method for storing oxygen and rocket fuels in porous materials. They were honored and determine to use Areogel because of its properties, however using Kistlers method which included two time-consuming and laborious solvent exchange steps their first Aerogel took weeks to prepare. Teichner then informed his student that a large number of Aerogel samples would be needed for him to complete his dissertation. Realizing that this would take many years to accomplish, the student left Teichners lab with a nervous breakdown. After a brief rest he was strongly determined to find a better synthetic process. This directly led to one of the major advances in Aerogel science which is the application of sol-gel chemistry to silica Aerogel preparation. This process replaced the sodium silicate used by Kistler with an alkoxysilane, (tetramethyorthosilicate, TMOS). Hydrolyzing TMOS in a solution of methanol produced a gel in one step called an alcogel. This eliminated two of the drawbacks in Kistlers procedure, namely, the water-to-alcohol exchange step and the presence of inorganic salts in the gel. Drying these alcogels under supercritical alcohol conditions produced high-quality silica Aerogel. In following years, Teichners group, and others, extended this approach to prepare a wide variety of metal oxide Aerogel. In 1983 Arlon Hunt and the Microstructured Materials Group at Berkeley Lab found that the very toxic compound tetramethyorthosilicate (TMOS) could be replaced with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) a much safer reagent. This did not lower the qual ity of the Aerogel produced. At the same time the Microstructured Materials Group also found that the alcohol within a gel could be replaced by liquid carbon dioxide before supercritical drying without harming the Aerogel. This represented a major advance in safety as the critical point of CO2 (31 degrees C and 1050 psi) occurs at much less severe conditions than the critical point of methanol (240 degrees C and 1600 psi). Also carbon dioxide does not pose an explosion hazard as alcohol does this process was put to use in making transparent silica Aerogel tiles from TEOS. The manufacturing process in forming silica Aerogel is a two-step process. The formation of a wet gel, and the drying of the wet gel. With a procedure called sol-gel chemistry, silica Aerogel are prepared using a silicon alkoxide precursor. The kinetics of the reaction is slow at room temperature, often this process requires several days to reach completion. For this reason, acid or base catalysts are added to the formulation. With acid catalysis the particles may appear less solid than the ones catalyzed in a base that is the first step is for an Aerogel to reach its gel point. From there hydrolysis and condensation must follow. Time must be given for the strengthening of the silica network, the gels are best left undisturbed for up to 48 hours. The time required for each processing step increases dramatically as the thickness of the gel increases. It is referred to as diffusion controlled because diffusion is affected by thickness. Immediately after an aging process takes place by removing all the water still contained within its pores. This is simply accomplished by soaking the gel in pure alcohol several times. The final, and most important process in making silica Aerogel is supercritical drying. Here the liquid within the gel is removed, leaving only the linked silica network. The process can be performed by venting the ethanol above its critical point or by prior solvent exchange with CO2 followed by supercritical venting. Aerogel is the world lowest density solid with a lot of different properties that amazing the scientific community. Next to air which has a density of 1.2 mg/cm3, Aerogel has a density of 1.9 2 mg/cm3. Which means it is the lowest density solid know to man, .It is nicknamed frozen smoke, solid smoke or blue smoke due to its semi-transparent nature and the way light scatters in the material. Aerogel is made from the sol-gel polymerization of selected silica orresorcinol-formaldehyde monomers in solution. The sol-gel solution is cast into the desired shape and after the formation of a highly cross-linked gel, the solvent is removed from the pores of the gel. A common feature of Aerogel is that they have ultra small inter connected pores with a size of less than 100nm. This open cell structure provides access to the entire surface area for reaction of materials as either gas or ions in solution. Aerogel is the lightest of all solid substance, and give new meaning to the word solid. The unique design which is composed of a cell wall a few atoms thick, and air or whichever gas the design decides to choose they can actually be made to be lighter than air. The physical properties of Aerogel are controlled by the density and microstructure of the gel. They are studied with the hope of understanding the process of structure formation well enough to control it, so that particular properties can be optimized for specific applications. Aerogel it has good thermo insulative properties which can greatly the methods of heat transfer (convection, conduction, and radiation). There are three main types of Aerogels which are Silica, Carbon, and Alumina. Silica is the most commonly used, and the most studied. Carbon Aerogels are considered as very interesting materials for high-temperature thermal insulations in non-oxidizing atmospheres or vacuum. Aerogels are open porous solids consisting of a three-dimensional network of spherical interconnected primary particles. This means th at the pore and particle size can be specifically adjusted to be in the range from several nanometers only to some microns by varying the synthesis conditions. Pore sites up to about 99% can be achieved. These properties make carbon Aerogel suitable for thermal insulation applications , in particular at high temperatures, but also for electrodes in super capacitors , and gas diffusion layers in fuel cells. Over the past couple of years aeorgel has been in the eyes of a lot of different companies because of its unique properties, and researchers’ ability to make it evolve more and more. NASA is currently using Aerogel to capture high-velocity interplanetary and interstellar dust particles which normally range anywhere from 100 nm to 10 Â µm and traveling between 0.5 and 10 km/s. since Aerogel pore structure ranges in the nanometer range, and they are less dense then regular solids they have the ability to slow down the particles, and capture them. There is a company called Centerpoint which utilizes the thermal properties of Aerogel. They fill glass, or a polycarbonate with Aerogel, and this allow them to keep this light transmission qualities while providing good thermal insulation. Also it utilizes some of the strength aspects its give the glass or polycarbonate the ability to withstand wind gust up to 140 mph. Results Discussion Some of the advantages are that it is environmentally safe. It is capable of reducing industrial waste by capturing waste and polluting gases before they reach the atmosphere. It is capable of supporting 100 times its own weight, and they provide exceptional mechanical integrity and optical clarity. The only restriction is its versatility, that depends is how clever you are, the more knowledge you have of materials, the more possibilities you have of discovering new uses for it with the right combination. Aerogels can produce more efficient fuel cells for pollution free energy among other things. It provides insulation five times better than fiberglass. It is a non-CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) using insulation. It retains its insulating qualities indefinitely. It doesn’t use any CFC gases or any type of vacuum that can lose pressure. An indirect advantage of Aerogel is its potential to play a role in keeping the atmospheric line clear. By reducing home heating costs, Aerogel coul d reduce global energy needs and minimize the pollutants that come with energy production. A long-term advantage of Aerogel is in reducing industrial waste, not only is Aerogel of scientific interest to reduce the energy load, but also to capture waste and polluting gasses before they reach the atmosphere. In principle, wherever alcohol and fossil fuels are used, Aerogel absorbents could capture waste gasses before they are emitted into the atmosphere. Time for its disadvantages Aerogels are difficult and time consuming to manufacture, even after appearing in a few commercial products during the 70 plus years that it has been developed. The process of manufacturing it involves soaking it in hazardous solvents, such as super critical water or alcohol, and using it to high temperatures and pressure. This technique is not only dangerous, but also very expensive. Being that their weight is so close to that of air preparing Aerogel is a tedious task they can easily deflate when not careful. The wonderful properties have been expensive to provide, costing too much for architects chemist, and engineers to play with. Although in principle, making an Aerogel is simple; unfortunately, it is not as simple as it sounds. When the liquid evaporates, it tends to pull the gel and distort it leaving it in a state of uselessness. Conclusion Its versatility and flexibility make it a good contender for many applications that have a positive long-term effect, not only in the technological realm, but also in the environmental realm. The list of applications and benefits of this material is long and still growing. The positives outweigh the negatives. The biggest obstacle that researchers are going to have to overcome is the production, and cost once there is a more efficient way to produce Aerogel then it will become of great use to us in the future. But that what Aerogel is a material of the future, and like many thing that have been made and improved upon it just takes time, money, and knowledge. Research Papers on History of AerogolMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Word Choice Program vs. Programme - Get Proofed!

Word Choice Program vs. Programme - Get Proofed! Word Choice: Program vs. Programme The Atlantic Ocean is quite big. And with such a large amount of water between the US and the UK, we shouldn’t be surprised that there are differences between us. One of those differences, it seems, is that British people like to make spelling more complicated than it should be. There are lots of examples of this, but the one we’re looking at here is â€Å"program† and â€Å"programme.† Despite the extra â€Å"-me† at the end of the British version, these words essentially mean the same thing. But, at the same time, the British use â€Å"program† and â€Å"programme† in different ways. Defining â€Å"Program† In American English, we use â€Å"program† for all senses of the word. As a noun, this includes: A series or group of activities (e.g., a training program) A broadcast (e.g., a television program) Software (e.g., a computer program) A pamphlet outlining an event or series of events (e.g., a theater program) It can also be used as a verb, where it usually refers to programming a computer. We sometimes talk about â€Å"programming† a series of events, but this is less common. The British Way The extra letters in â€Å"programme† come from French. Weirdly, this is a newer spelling than â€Å"program† (unlike other words where the American English is a simplified version of the British spelling). It seems the British just decided the French spelling looked better during the nineteenth century. Even weirder is that British English uses â€Å"program,† but only in relation to computing. As such, in England, you can install a â€Å"computer program† on your laptop, but you watch a â€Å"TV programme.† So if streaming a TV show on your computer, you can watch a programme via a program in Britain. There are signs â€Å"program† is catching on in other contexts lately, but â€Å"programme† is still the standard version. In summary: British people are weird, especially when it comes to spelling. Program or Programme? Unless you’re writing for a British audience, you should use â€Å"program.† Even places like Australia and Canada, which do use British spellings in some cases, favor â€Å"program† for this word. The only other exception seems to be New Zealand, where â€Å"programme† is still common. But unless Britain and New Zealand conquer the world soon, we don’t see this spelling catching on elsewhere! It must be something about living on tiny islands.

Greek Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Greek Mythology - Essay Example In the Iliad, war is portrayed as useless, violent, and dreadful. War negatively affects all those involved: the warrior, families, and communities. It only brings destructions. There are no definite victors in the Iliad. Vast portions of populations die for nothing due to some of the warriors’ conceit and sentimental choices. For instance, Achilles brings about the demise of his comrade by initially declining to participate in the war, placing the Greek army at a weak position, and afterwards wrongly encouraging his comrade Patroclus to get involved in the war. Even the preliminary root of the war, the abduction of Helen by Paris, a lady from Greece, is an impulsive, unthinking, and self-centered action. Even though the impact of war on is a main issue in Homeric epics, he did not venerate the idea of war and cruelty in his epics. Rather, he embodied the idea of warfare as a natural element of human existence, and that men are encouraged to participate in and that should not perhaps be taken for granted. Though revered war might appear throughout the three abovementioned epics, a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the epics unearths the inconsequential effect of war on warriors, families, and communities. Readers may think that war was a celebrated and adored element of society. Remarkable and brave warriors are treated like gods, and they are considered a supernatural generation of human beings. Nevertheless, in truth, all wars are staged because of personal motives, especially those related to self-indulgence and covetousness. The moral premise given to the concept of war differs greatly from one scholar to another. For instance, the Iliad views war as a requirement of human life and hence the war is a representation of human existence itself, an existence where in the greatest values are demonstrated in tragic bravery. In the other Homeric poem, the Odyssey, there is a firm and

Visual analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Visual analysis - Essay Example The first artwork that will be analyzed is the artwork presented by Emily Dunlap. Emily Dunlap created this impressive piece of artwork using several materials. This piece of artwork dated 2012 bears the title â€Å"Until you come back†. Some of the materials used to create this piece include an oil bar, cotton thread and canvas. The end product of the artwork was a portrayal of sunflowers, a terra cotta pot, a watering can and Miracle Gro. This artwork measures 6 inches by 9 inches. The texture of these artworks seems rather rough from the use of canvas and cotton thread. The bright illustration and amusing presentation of this artwork creates an appealing visual depiction of art (Leeuwen and Jewitt 129). This drawing also incorporates an interest in exploring the human perceptions of the environment through portraying real art. In fact, this piece of artwork by Dunlap can be depicted like a mirror that viewers can use to identify a creative expression of the landscape. The brief detail in the artwork easily captures the view of individuals. â€Å"Until you come back† is composed of a portrayal of sunflowers that unify the composition of the artwork. This artwork can be compared to the collections by Solomon "Sol" LeWitt who was a renowned American artist. LeWitt had significantly specialized in painting, photography, drawing and print making (Leeuwen and Jewitt 200). The simplicity in the drawings from these artists is quite evident. Their artworks can be defined as playful, random and curvilinear. This is because LeWitt used graphite and crayon in several scribble artworks. In the same case, Dunlap experimented on a contemporary technique in fine art that involved the use of cotton thread in the artwork â€Å"Until you come back†. This asserts that both artists have something in common in the field of art. In this part, I picked the Cairn Copy artwork presented by Daina

I.S.U journal Kite runner Essay Example for Free

I.S.U journal Kite runner Essay Plot (important action only): The kite runner is about the life of a young boy named Amir. Amir lives in a lavish house in the richest district of Kabul, in Afghanistan. Amir has everything he could ever want except the loving attention and acceptance of his father, Baba. In their house, they have two Hazara servants. Ali and his son Hassan who are part of the minority ethnicity at the time. Hassan grew up with Amir in the same house and he was much more than just a best friend. Baba treated Hassan equally to Amir, as if they were brothers. Each year it was a tradition for the Afghan community to have a festival of kites where there would be a single victor to arise amongst hundreds. Amir was a great kite flyer and Hassan was the best kite runner there was. This year, Amir won the tournament and his dad was really proud of him. Amir was really happy to finally have some loving attention from his father. Hassan promised to run the last kite defeated for Amir. He did not return immediately so Amir went looking for him. Amir saw Hassan cornered by Assef, a bully, and two of his friends. Amir then watched Hassan take a brutal beating just to keep the blue kite for him. Amir watched him get beaten and did nothing. The relationship between Amir and Hassan has never been the same after that day. Amir felt that either he or Hassan must leave and so he puts his birthday gift under Hassan’s pillow. Later, Hassan admits that he stole them and Ali says they must leave. Baba pleads with him to stay, but Ali refuses. Years after Hassan and Ali left, the Roussi army attacked, forcing Baba and 18 year old Amir to flee the country to California. The states provided a whole new life for Baba and especially Amir. Amir attends high school and college to pursue his dream; to become a famous writer. Amir is haunted every day by the thought of Hassan getting beaten and him not reacting, pretending as if he were never there. In California, Baba finds an Afghan community in which he is quite popular already. He spends a lot of time at a flea market where there are many other Afghans too. Amir spots a young afghan lady, Soraya, at the flea market which he cannot keep his eyes off. When Amir’s father becomes ill with cancer, Amir asks Soraya to marry him. Very shortly after they get married, Baba dies. Soraya and Amir then try to have kids but fail to and it is then when Amir receives a call from a man he has not heard of in a very long time. Rahim Khan tells Amir of the death of Hassan and his wife. Amir is devastated by the news. Rahim also tells Amir that their son is now in an orphanage. Rahim tells Amir that finding Hassan’s son is his chance to redeem his sin. Amir then goes to Afghanistan to find Hassan’s son. With many obstacles, including a one on one fight to the death with Assef, the bully who bullied him and Hassan at a young age, Amir comes out of Afghanistan with Hassan’s son. He comes back to California with many injuries. Sohrab, Hassan’s son, goes to school and lives a new life in America. Hassan and his wife officially adopt him and provide him a life full of potential. The novel ends with Amir teaching Sohrab how to fly a kite, as he battles a kite and defeats it. Characters: Amir: Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. He is a Pashtun boy, who evolves throughout the book to become an adult. He is also a great writer and storyteller. As readers we feel much compassion for him. His father is a wealthy man by Afghan standards, and so Amir grows up always having what he wants. He has everything he could wish for except the loving attention of his father. He does not feel a deep emotional connection with Baba and this causes Amir to feel a strong jealousy towards anyone receiving his father’s affection. Amir thinks Baba wishes he was more like him. Amir is often jealous of the way Baba treats Hassan. He notices that Hassan is much more like his father than he is. Amir is a conflicted character who struggles between the logical and emotional sides of his being. Throughout the novel, he struggles to make connections with his father. His obsession and guilty conscience, along with his adult perspective looking back at childhood events make him a good storyteller. Amir seems to be a mix of Hassan’s personality and Assef’s personality making him in the middle of good and bad. He then gets the chance to fight Assef one on one to the death which was like facing the bad side of himself. Baba: Baba is Amir’s father. Later in the novel we find out that he is also Hassan’s father. He is considered a hero and a leader in Kabul and he is always doing things for others. He always seems to expect more from Amir. Baba has excellent morals and philosophies on life that he tries to teach Amir over time. He was even willing to sacrifice himself to keep the Russian guard from raping the women travelling with them. By doing so, Amir later understands that doing what is right is better than saving yourself. Baba felt guilty through his whole life for not being able to acknowledge Hassan as his son. For this reason, he tries to redeem his guilt by providing good actions to everyone around him. He even built an orphanage. His emotions are very well hidden by his outer appearance. In the end, he is very proud of Amir. He dies happily because he was able to build the relationship he had always wanted with at least one of his sons. We also find out that Amir and Baba both shared a never-ending feeling of guilt inside of them for different reasons. Hassan: Hassan is Amir’s playmate and servant. He is a Hazara and we find out late in the novel that he is Amir’s half-brother. Hassan epitomizes the perfect servant who is not only loyal to his master, but also forgiving and good-natured. Even after he’s been betrayed, Hassan lies for Amir and he still considers him as a friend. Hassan grows up in the same place as Amir but has a different purpose. He is a servant and so he prepares Amir for school every morning by preparing his breakfast and books. He also does all the chores during the day while Amir is at school getting an education. Hassan later gets married and has a son. He dies late in the novel. Hassan represents all that is good and kind. Assef: Assef is the antagonist of the novel. Assef does not see Hazaras as equal to Pashtuns. Near the beginning of the novel, he beats Hassan violently. At the end of the novel, he fights Amir one on one to the death until Sohrab shot him in the eye. He is a villain who ends up joining the Taliban. Assef represents all that is evil and cruel. Personal reaction to the novel: The kite runner was an amazing novel. I personally loved it. I finished the book in less than a week because I simply could not stop reading it after I first opened the book. I felt a lot of strong emotions when reading this book. When Hassan was beaten violently and Amir just stood there and watched, I was really scared for Hassan. The picture was very vivid in my mind and I felt terrible for Hassan. I also felt sad for Amir because he only finds out in the end that he and his dad were much more alike than they both thought. When Baba is already dead, Amir finds out the truth about him and how they both share an endless guilt. I also really liked this novel because I got to learn a bit about Afghanistan since it was the main setting of the novel. Out of all the books that students have to read in English class throughout the years, this is one of the few that are really good. I actually really enjoyed reading this book, unlike many books read in the past years. I would strongly suggest to keep teaching this book to future students. Author’s style and voice: The kite runner written by Khaled Hosseini uses the narrative writing style. The author places himself as Amir and narrates you the story. The author also uses a lot of accurate descriptions to give the readers a vivid image of a setting, character or object. Since it is Amir narrating the story, he tells it from the viewpoint of an adult looking back across his life. It is a personal narration in an informal, conversational style, similar to dialogue rather than a self-consciously literary style of writing. Amir’s voice is pretty consistent throughout most of the novel. However, the vocabulary and diction develop as he moves from talking about his childhood years to talking about his adult years. At the beginning of the book, when he narrates his childhood life, he tends to use childlike language such as he never told on me1. When he gets older, the vocabulary and diction used to narrate are more advanced since Amir has evolved not only physically, but intellectually as well. The author’s voice or Amir’s voice also changes at times of stress or anxiety. After his fight with Assef, the sentence structure becomes very hesitant and broken to reflect the severe temporary damage of Amir’s mind. Themes: Redemption: Redemption is searched by two important characters through the novel. Baba and Amir are both seeking redemption for two different reasons. Baba had sex with his servant and this resulted in having a Hazara boy. Because Hassan was a Hazara, he could not publically announce that he was his son and so he kept it a secret during his whole life. The fact that he could not acknowledge Hassan as his son made him feel very guilty and he never stopped striving to redeem himself. Baba even built an orphanage to help redeem himself according to Rahim Khan. Amir is also searching for redemption ever since he saw Hassan take a beating without reacting at all. Redemption is what brings Amir to Afghanistan which is a big event in this story. Forgiveness: Hassan’s actions demonstrate that he did forgive Amir’s betrayal. Amir pretty much spends the entire novel to learn about the nature of forgiveness. Baba’s actions of redemption are an attempt to gain public forgiveness for what he has not even publically admitted to have done. When Amir finally discovers Baba’s big secret from Rahim’s letter, he ends up forgiving his father. Forgiveness plays an important role in the story. Immigrant experience: In this book, we get to know how hard it can be for immigrants to leave their homeland and to successfully arrive to their destination. Baba and Amir are among many Afghans who struggle to leave. There are plenty of calculated risks and uncertainties in the next passages for immigrants. Many immigrants die before they even reach their new homes. In addition to the difficulties of their lives in a new country, the immigrants also have to accept what or who they have left behind. When arriving to a new country, immigrants also try to maintain their traditions and some semblance of their own culture, which can be hard. Baba loses his status once they arrive in America and still has his old prejudices. Soraya and her mother also demonstrate the difficult role women have balancing the expectations of an old world culture with the new world in which they are living. Sohrab quickly adapts to his new country and has a life full of potential waiting for him. Symbols: The pomegranate tree: While Amir and Hassan are both young and carefree, they carve their names in the tree and it bears fruit. Therefore, the tree symbolizes their relationship. Much later when Hassan is dead and Amir is filled with guilt, the tree just like Amir’s memories still exists but no longer bears fruit. The tree not only symbolizes a unifying force between Amir and Hassan but also serves as a source of division. When Amir wanted Hassan to hit him with the pomegranate fruit in order to inflict physical pain as a punishment to lessen his guilt instead, Hassan breaks the fruit over his own head to prove his loyalty. The tree brings back vivid memories when Amir returns to Afghanistan. Kites and the blue kite: Kites and everything associated with them are undoubtedly the most important symbols in this novel. This blue kite is even more important because it symbolizes a chance for Amir to obtain Baba’s attention. Amir thought that the only way he’d earn his father’s attention would be to win the kite flying tournament. This blue kite is the last kite competing against Amir’s during the tournament. As he cuts the last kite’s string, Hassan runs off to fetch the kite for Amir. The blue kite also symbolizes Hassan’s loyalty. Amir wanted to show all the kids at school that he won the tournament and got to keep the last remaining kite that he faced one on one. He mostly wanted to show this kite to his father. As the novel continues, the kite becomes a symbol of betrayal which leads Amir to the will of finding redemption. Hassan sacrificed him just to bring kite back to Amir as he said he would. Hassan took a beating to keep the kite and Amir watched it happen without reacting. Amir feels guilt ever since this moment until the very end of the novel, where Amir is running a kite for Hassan’s son. At the end, the kites symbolizes happiness, freedom and peace at last. Scars: Hassan has a split lip since he was a child, and it is one of the features Amir refers to the most when describing him. The split in his lip symbolizes Hassan’s status in the society. It signifies poverty and minority as an ethnicity which is one major thing that differentiates him from Amir, because it indicates that his family do not have the money to fix his lip. Baba eventually pays a surgeon to repair Hassan’s lip as a birthday gift, signifying his secret fatherly love for Hassan. Later in the novel, Assef splits Amir’s lip in his one on one duel with Amir. Amir is left with a permanent scar very similar to Hassan’s. This scar on Amir symbolizes the fact that Amir has become like Hassan not only physically, but mentally too in the sense that he has learnt to stand up for what is right. Bibliographical information: Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, (2003) I got a 4+ on this journal , so it should do you some good 🙂

Problems about Scientific Explanation Essay -- Van Fraassen Scientific

Problems about Scientific Explanation Have you ever thought about the way your car works? The inner works of the engine, how does the fuel make it work, how does combustion lead to movement and is then passed to the wheels? If you have, what are you going to answer an 8-year-old kid when he asks: 'Why does the car move?'; Are you going to start explaining high school physics, mechanics, chemistry of combustion and the concept of friction? Or are you just going to say: 'Well, the car eats up gas, and that makes the engine move the wheels.'; Granted, the latter doesn't explain much about what a car is. But it answers the question by the kid's understanding, doesn't it? The question is answered, the kid is happy, and you did not have to spend a few weeks introducing what you just said. Some may argue that this is misleading, but despite the fact that when viewed generally, the simple answer might seem false or incomplete, in the context of the situation, it is quite adequate. That is what van Fraassen is trying to say with regard to scientific explanation. According to him, there are two problems about scientific explanation. Both are very easily seen in our example. The first is, when is something explained? Some argue that we should not explain a phenomenon unless we have the full, unifying, true-to-the-last-miniscule-detail explanation, which will also cover all the cases which correspond to our case, cases similar to our case, or distant variants of our case. In short, what they want is a theory of everything, which in itself is a noble goal, but is hardy achievable. Let's face it, everything in our universe is connected in one way or another, or through one another, to everything else in it. A man bears definite connection to, for instance, 'gas giant'; type of planets. A reason for that could be, for example, that both share some mutual chemical elements. Does that mean that same theory should apply to prediction of man's movement as to a gas giant movement? As ridiculous as it sounds, this type of proposition often arises in sci ence, though not as grotesque, but nevertheless as distant, for example, Theory of Relativity and the Quantum Theory. If a child would have been told to expect the same behavior from and ant and from and elephant, he would be quite confused. How do we then expect gigantic objects to obey the same rules as microscopic ones? W... ...yone would go into the chemical components causing the green color of the apple's skin, unless asked about it. Demonstrations, however, are proofs, and while also answering 'why'; questions, relate the causes to the essence of the phenomena, otherwise the proof is incomplete. A good example of this distinction would be the application of a simple logic rule (also known as De Morgan law), that (~A and ~B) is ~(A or B) and vice versa. We can say that ~(P and ~Q) is (~P or Q) because of De Morgan law, and that is sufficient for an explanation. Yet, if we were to rigorously demonstrate this without any initial assumptions, we would have to prove De Morgan law while at it, or our proof would be incomplete. To conclude, Van Fraassen's idea of explanation is that which has no place in purely theoretical science, as he rejects the truth of theories as well ass their appeal to essence. An explanation's domain, according to him, is to be adequate in the context chosen by pragmatic factors, which are derived from the 'why'; question the explanation is called to answer. Surely, van Fraassen would not doubt for a second what to answer the kid who asked what is the reason his car moves.

Home Depot’s Organizational Culture Essay

In my opinion, Nardelli’s programs were failed in changing operation of Home Depot to a more effective one. There are two reasons that Nardelli was not more successful. First, most employees did not want to an outsider to â€Å"GE-ize their company and culture. † Employees in Home Depot did not trust their new manager, which led absent support when Nardelli carried out the new process. The second reason was also the more important reason. Nardelli used the concept learned from industrial businesses to conduct the customer businesses. Since Nardelli wanted to conduct Home Depot in his own approach, he failed to recognize the importance of front-line staff, which leaded his fail in conducting the retailing business. The thing he should have done was improve the circulation of information between the different stores or within different level. Only in this way, he could solve the problem that Home Depot faced at that time—too large to be profitable. The worst thing he should not have done was to get rid of many old employees and replaced the full timers with part-time staff. This decline in the quality of customer service and customer satisfaction strongly hurt the customer orientated business. 2. Nardelli provided a three-part strategy including improving Home Depot’s profit, and expanding the business and market. Crow focused on the other three priorities which would revive employees’ sense of ownership, foster their product knowledge, and boost their morale. The greatest difference was that Nardelli’s initiatives programs were concentrated on increasing profit and expansion, while Tim Crow’s programs were concentrated on increasing employees. Nardelli’s action decreased employees’ satisfaction and loyalty, which ruined Home Depot’s strong customer service culture. Tim Crow’s programs increased employees’ loyalty and revived Home Depot’s organizational culture. 3. Strong culture reflects the values of the organization’s founders. Home Depot’s founders: Bernard Marcus and Arthur Black, as entrepreneurs, emphasized on commitment to customers, colleagues, and company. These conducted the original culture of Home Depot. Sometimes, the organizational culture could cause conflict when top management changed. When Nardelli toke over Home Depot, clash of two distinct cultural approaches occurred. Organizational culture that is consisted of shared beliefs, values, and assumptions existed in the organization would lead the behavior of employees and the direction of organization. Home Depot’s original culture let employees to establish strong relationship with customers, but after Nardelli’s conduction, this relationship as well as employees’ and loyalty were harmed. Since the culture would affect employees’ performance and organization’s achievement, it should be built to fit the characteristics of the business and altered with great care. Coordination, conflict resolution, and financial success were the assets of maintaining culture. However Nardelli failed to achieve these goals. Tim Crow, on the other hand, focused on restoring the initial culture by implementing more employee award programs that would positively impact employee loyalty and performance.

Gender and Leadership Essay

The seemingly never-ending battle between the descendants of Mars and Venus has permeated the corporate setting. The workplace has transformed into a fierce arena that directly witnesses the competition between men and women. Who performs better? Who is a better leader? These questions are often encountered within corporate environments. However, based from a critical examination, one cannot help but wonder whether gender readily define and determine the individual’s competence and efficiency. This is most especially true as for the case of relegating leadership and managerial roles. Despite of strong efforts to eliminate, if not totally, eliminate gender bias, women continues to suffer from discrimination and unequal distribution of power. On a deeper context, this dilemma is triggered not by the apparent lack of talent and skills of women. Moreso, the unequal treatment is attributed to one’s gender or sexual orientation. Discussion Former President Bill Clinton’s statement which places heavy emphasis on having a â€Å"new gender of leadership† can be interpreted in several ways. First, the said statement may pertain to the act of reconstructing the gender-based leadership roles in the corporate environment. As previously mentioned, the work place is highly patriarchal orientation. Having said this, such scenario therefore demands not only gender sensitivity, but more of recognizing and acknowledging the contributions of women employees. Oftentimes, women, despite of their hard work, are frequently neglected and taken for granted. Thus, having a new gender then, equates to providing new perspectives and approaches on how to address gender-related issues such as leadership, for example. Secondly, the statement may also refer to the actual replacement of male leaders. Clinton’s argument could be also understood as a rallying cry to eventually topple patriarchal hegemony in the corporate setting. But then again, regardless of the various interpretations given to such statement, one thing is clear—gender equality and opportunity should be readily exemplified in the workplace (Davidson & Burke, 2000). Men and women should be given equal chance to pursue career growth and at the same time, showcase their skills and abilities. However, the bitter truth is that women employees continue to struggle and feasible solutions have not been made. There are different factors that seem to exclude women from the core functions of the workplace. First of all, women are constantly subjected into positions in which they cannot fully participate in decision-making activities. Sound and healthy decision-making skills are strict prerogatives of a competent leader. However, it seems impossible for women to develop such skills since they are denied of the chance and opportunity to put their talents into the test. In addition to that, the patriarchal ethos that prevails in corporate arenas leaves no choice for women but to continuously exert more effort in order to prove their value and worth. Relatively, the normative leadership traits attributed to women are also one of the reasons behind the lack of opportunity to acquire leadership roles. In many cases, women as leaders, are often questioned and to a certain extent—criticized when it comes to formulating concrete decisions (Hartmann-Tews & Pfister, 2003). Women are perceived to constantly change their minds, which is a proven weakness, most especially in highly critical situations. In addition to that, women as overtly emotional beings are also being challenged since leadership roles heavily demand an authoritative figure. Also the idea that male leaders, are more likely to take risks, thus, manifesting a strong sense of competence, further subjects women into derogatory positions. But nonetheless, a careful analysis shows that the above-mentioned leadership characteristics of women are highly stereotyped. The truth of the matter is, gender can hardly affect the individual’s management and leadership traits. These two core functions are not innate—rather it is developed and improved via constant exposure to situations that require a pragmatic approach. Yet, as explained, exposure and career opportunities are often denied from women. Conclusion The call for a new gender in leadership, more than anything else, serves as a challenge to the whole corporate set-up. Everyday, a new breed or generation of efficient leaders and managers shall come into life. However, it is important to note that these commendable leaders are not determined by their gender. Regardless of whether an individual is a man or a woman, the ability to rule and govern are not exclusive to a specific gender. Being a leader is a right, not a mandated privilege. Therefore, in such a case in which discrimination and inequality may still persist, indeed, former President Clinton is correct; a new gender of leadership must be readily formed and established. However, this gender should be characterized by neutrality and not by socially-constructed terms such as being â€Å"male or female. † References Davidson, M. and Burke, R. (2000). Women in Management. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Hartmann-Tews, I. and Pfister, G. (2003). Sport and Women. London: Routledge

Free Essays on My Rumble With Rocky

After four years of college all the hard work has paid off. I have an associate’s degree in Fire Science Technology and my dream of becoming a fire inspector will finally come true. Before I begin to practice my dream career I am going on a vacation. I will use the next three weeks for mental relaxation. The first week will be spent skiing and hiking in the Rocky Mountains, and then I will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii where I will spend the final two weeks taking pictures of volcanoes. Instead of taking a commercial airline, I have decided to charter a small Lear jet. I find myself departing from Tampa International Airport at 6:20 a.m., Eastern Standard Time. As the plane reaches takeoff speed, the rumbling of the engines puts me to sleep. For approximately the next three hours and thirty minutes, I rest comfortably with my head pressed up against the window, dreaming of the vacation that I have planned. I begin to hear very loud and unusual noises. I convince myself that it is only a dream and fall back asleep. About five minutes pass before I finally awake to the sound of coughing. When my eyes open, I cannot see. The cabin is filled with smoke. Oxygen masks have been deployed from the overhead compartments. I realize that one of the loud noises that I hear is the pilot screaming. The last thing I can remember is looking out the window and seeing trees so close that I could almost touch them. The plane crashes. I regain consciousness only to find that the plane has nearly been destroyed. Quickly realizing that this roller-coaster ride is not over yet, and the plane is about to explode, I grab three things that could save my life: a knife, a lighter, and a satellite phone. The first thing I need to do is make contact with the world. I use the satellite phone to get ... Free Essays on My Rumble With Rocky Free Essays on My Rumble With Rocky After four years of college all the hard work has paid off. I have an associate’s degree in Fire Science Technology and my dream of becoming a fire inspector will finally come true. Before I begin to practice my dream career I am going on a vacation. I will use the next three weeks for mental relaxation. The first week will be spent skiing and hiking in the Rocky Mountains, and then I will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii where I will spend the final two weeks taking pictures of volcanoes. Instead of taking a commercial airline, I have decided to charter a small Lear jet. I find myself departing from Tampa International Airport at 6:20 a.m., Eastern Standard Time. As the plane reaches takeoff speed, the rumbling of the engines puts me to sleep. For approximately the next three hours and thirty minutes, I rest comfortably with my head pressed up against the window, dreaming of the vacation that I have planned. I begin to hear very loud and unusual noises. I convince myself that it is only a dream and fall back asleep. About five minutes pass before I finally awake to the sound of coughing. When my eyes open, I cannot see. The cabin is filled with smoke. Oxygen masks have been deployed from the overhead compartments. I realize that one of the loud noises that I hear is the pilot screaming. The last thing I can remember is looking out the window and seeing trees so close that I could almost touch them. The plane crashes. I regain consciousness only to find that the plane has nearly been destroyed. Quickly realizing that this roller-coaster ride is not over yet, and the plane is about to explode, I grab three things that could save my life: a knife, a lighter, and a satellite phone. The first thing I need to do is make contact with the world. I use the satellite phone to get ...

Common Spelling Mistakes Should You Use Lose or Loose

Common Spelling Mistakes Should You Use Lose or Loose Do you know the difference between the words â€Å"lose† and â€Å"loose†? Do you wonder each time you write one of these words whether you’re spelling it right? Today I will not only give you examples of how to know whether to use lose or loose, but I will also give you a trick to remember forever which spelling is correct. Lose is Always a Verb Some of the most common meanings for the word â€Å"lose† are to come to be without something, to fail to keep track of something, to have someone die, or to fail to win. Here is a list of some things you can lose: keys; money; a job; 25 pounds; loved ones; a game of pool, your virginity, or your mind. Before you get lost in thought about all the things you might lose, let’s move on to our next word. Loose is Usually an Adjective â€Å"Loose† can mean free, unfettered, unbound, or lacking in restraint; a few of its antonyms (opposites) are firm, bound and tight. It can also be used as a VERB meaning to let go of, let shoot or fly, or set free. Examples of Things that Can Be Loose Some things that can be or get loose are: Hair, knots, zoo animals, a sexually promiscuous person, a structure, an interpretation, vegetables in the grocery store, and teeth. There are many idioms that use the word â€Å"loose† such as â€Å"let loose,† â€Å"break loose,† â€Å"cut loose,† â€Å"hang loose,† â€Å"turn loose,† and â€Å"on the loose.† And are any of you â€Å"footloose and fancy free†? I hope the difference between â€Å"lose† and â€Å"loose† is clear. Now, how will you remember which is which? Knowing When to Use Lose or Loose It’s easy. Whenever you find yourself loosely throwing a double letter â€Å"o† into the word loose, ask yourself, â€Å"Should I *lose* the â€Å"o†?† Here are a few tricks to help you remember which word to use. Lose If you want a verb that means â€Å"to be without something,† then be without the extra â€Å"o†! If you want to say you â€Å"didnt win,† imagine the loser paying the winner the extra â€Å"o.† If you misplace something, misplace the second â€Å"o.† Loose If on the other hand, if you want your word to mean free, unbound, or anything loosely in that category, be free with your â€Å"o†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s! Dare I say, â€Å"Use them or lose them?† If you have questions about this or any other spelling/grammatical issue, ask The Essay Expert. You can also sign up for Brendas Grammar Writing Tips List for tips on how to communicate more professionally.

Writing a Good Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing a Good - Research Paper Example Before carrying out the actual research it is of utmost importance for one to acquire permission from the relevant authorities for them to carry out the research. I the above example, one should get permission from the officer in charge of the specific police department. Describing the purpose of the research paper follows by illustrating and the problem and showing its significance. This is best done by using an interesting example. The problem should be presented in form of a question which is to be answered by the final outcome of the research paper. After describing the purpose of the research paper, it is important to define complex terms, vocabulary, and concepts that will be used throughout the paper since the research may be used by people who are not familiar with such terms. For instance, one can use clearly defined foot notes when giving definitions. This helps to maintain the structure and the flow of the research paper. Before continuing with the research paper, it is ad vised for students to review the scene, topic and problem with their supervisor or teacher by showing them their introduction in order to very if they are on the right course. 2) Literature Review Literature review involves analyzing of secondary sources that touch on the issue being raised by the research paper. When approaching literature review one should use credible academic journals, scholarly article, reports, books, and other research papers that touch on the field of study that one is about to write a research paper on (Online Writing Lab 2004). There is no one definite way of carrying out literature review when writing a research paper. It depend on the referencing style n which on is using that is American Psychology Association... Writing a Good Research Paper In the field of psychology, trends, theories and approaches have changed and new ones emerged from time to time. In fact, new approaches to various issues in psychology have emerged in almost every decade. This being so, there has been the need for scholars and professionals in the field to undertake research on the ground in order for them to identify problems or test whether these new approaches really work. As a result this has created the crucial need for research papers in the field of psychology. This paper will identify and discuss the key elements of a good research paper which are introduction, literature review, hypothesis, methodologies, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. It will also discuss further on the process of writing a god research paper. 1) Introduction When writing a research paper, one should start of by generally describing and introducing the topic. This should be done by establishing how the topics in question fit and relates to the field of st udy. For instance, if one is intending to write a research paper on the effects of substance and drug abuse among law enforcement personnel, then one should explain what is drug and substance abuse and how it is related with law enforcement. It is important to understand that a research paper is not an essay. Hence, the given format must be followed in order for one to illustrate the research undertaken for others to understand and comprehend.