Contemporary Future Trends Executive Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Future Trends Executive Memo - Essay Example A common tendency however is to think that current crime trends and violence in prisons and such issues are contemporary because of some social criteria that causes these problems. Security over the years has evolved to a commercial business. Most people have realized the need for commercial security. (Bayley and Shearing, 2001), illustrated on their report that majority of investors who invested in the security industry have got their investment in double. It is important to note that the knowledge, regulation and the impact private security has over the community is evolving daily. While some people have shown interest in the current and future industry trends, the majorities are still fond and prefer the traditional blue-colored police force services (Manning, 2005). The privatization of the security industry is a very delicate matter and if not handled wisely could lead to polarization of security agencies, segregation of some communities especially the marginalized groups. In order to stay informed on the recent developments and trends, it is important to observe its effects on the contemporary world. In keeping up with the current trends, law enforcement agencies and courts have as well been highly influenced to shape up according to the contemporary social expectations. Much influence has been from Hollywood films and television shows. Television shows such as Boston Legal, Law & Order and the like are a major influence on the emerging trends in the courts and Law enforcement. Countries like Russia have eventually adopted the jury system and a lot of credit goes to the television films on the importance of the jury system. It is important for policymakers to decide on the best and most effective way to implement laws and policies and ensure that the social trends expected by the society. There also should be an evaluation of the best approach to take so that a community

Alternative Energy Sources Essay Example for Free

Alternative Energy Sources Essay What does a car, heater, and stove have in common? They are all powered by fuel sources. The most popular being fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are dead plant and animal matter that has been compressed and heated over millions of years. They are burned to create heat, which in turn creates energy. However, with heavy industrialization (agricultural and manufacturing), transportation, and personal energy use, our world’s fossil fuel supplies are rapidly depleting. Even more, fossil fuels pollute our environment. Scientists are on the search for alternative energy sources so the world can be weaned of its fossil fuel supply. Out of the many alternative fuel sources, I will be focusing on solar and wind power. Solar power is simply the conversion of energy from the sun into usable energy. Solar energy can be harvested in two ways: indirectly by using the heat of the sun and directly by utilizing its energy to turn it into electricity. What makes solar power so popular is the fact that it can be used anywhere that has sunlight. Solar power can be collected in 3 different ways: solar heat collectors, solar thermal concentrating systems, and photovoltaics. Solar heat collectors are collectors that are designed to absorb the heat from the sun. The most common ones are flat plate collectors that have a dark absorber plate that is covered with a transparent plate (usually glass). In between the two plates are pipes that are filled with heat-transferring liquid like antifreeze. When sunlight strikes the absorber plate in the collector, the heat is absorbed into the liquid, which is then passed through pipes to the water heater. When the liquid is finished being used, it flows back up to the plate where it is heated again and repeats the process. Solar thermal concentrating systems use mirrors and lenses to concentrate the energy of the sun into a small area to produce energy. The energy heats up molten salt in pipes that run along the concentrating system which is the power source of a generation system. The concentration system can make the liquid in the pipes heat up to 3000 degrees Celsius in some cases, which makes this method preferable for industrial use or electricity. Finally, the use of photovoltaics directly converts light from the sun into electricity at the atomic power. The system consists of a solar cell, which is made of semi-conductive materials like silicon. The solar cells are made to create an electric field. When the light from the sun hits the cell, the lectrons are separated from the atoms and form an electric current, which produces electricity. There are many benefits for using solar power as an alternative fuel source. 1) Solar power is constantly renewable. The energy from the sun will virtually never run out. 2) The sun is also available world wide so it is a power that everyone can use. 3) Solar energy is also very low maintenance; after installation of the systems there is barely any other work involved with it. In addition, 4) it is a silent producer of energy, even with the photovoltaic cells. However there are a few cons that go along with solar energy. ) Even though the sun is a free source of energy, the cost of solar cells can be quite costly with most cells starting a $1000 for one. 6) Solar energy can only be produced when the sun is out so that means about half of the day solar panels aren’t generating electricity. Lastly, 7) weather can affect the efficiency of the solar panels. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useable form of energy. Wind power is used widely around the world since there is wind everywhere, however you are most likely to find wind power being used in higher elevations (such as hills) since that is where the wind is the strongest. Wind power is harvested with wind turbines. The process is pretty simple: the wind spins the turbines, which activates a generator, which converts the energy into electricity. Like solar power energy, 1) wind power is sustainable and renewable since wind will always be around to move the turbine. 2) Wind power is also free. 3) The land that the wind turbines are on can be shared for other uses such as farming. 4) Since wind power is available worldwide, the US can use the turbines as its own fuel source and free its dependence from foreign oil. On the negative side, 5) wind turbines can take up a lot of space. ) Even though it is a clean source, the turbines can be very noisy which may be bothersome to nearby communities. Lastly, 7) the cost of wind turbines and the generators are far more expensive than fossil fuels, which makes it a poor competitor cost-wise. With the depletion of fossil fuels, alternative fuel sources are the obvious choice for the present and future. Two of these sources, solar and wind power, are both revolutionizing the way we produce electricity, while benefiting the environment. Even though they both have a few cons, the fact that we have energy sources that are both sustainable and renewable is far superior to the latter.

Adolescent Computer Use :: Technology Internet Papers

Adolescent Computer Use The rising numbers of computers and the internet in American households over the past two decades have had many profound impacts for individuals and families. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that half of Americans used computers, and about a third used the internet. By 2001, two thirds of Americans were using computers, and 54% were using the internet. For 9-17 year olds, internet use has doubled from 1997 to 2001 (from one third of Americans to two thirds) (NCES, 2004). These trends have significantly impacted interpersonal communication, as computer based forms of communication have become either dominant or complimentary for most adults and teens. While these computer advancements have had a positive impact for many American teens and adults, there are some growing concerns about increased computer activity becoming an integral part of individual’s lives. The Pew Research Center reported in 2004 that roughly 55% of parents think that the internet is a good thing for their kids to become acquainted with, and that it is essential for their kids’ world skills. However, 67% of those parents also expressed concern that the internet is keeping their children from important things, like schoolwork and reading, family time, etc. The statistics represent the growing paradox concerning child and adolescent increased computer use. So while the internet and skills associated with it are becoming increasingly important for young adults academically, many are speculating that the cost concerns the displacement of other valuable experiences characteristic of youth (Jeffery et. al, 2003). These concerns rest largely with possible associated decreases in physical activity/exercise and effects (still being investigated) involving social development (Levin, 2004). There is already a sizable literature concerning adolescents and younger children watching significantly more TV and health related effects of these trends. Children in the US, on average, watch 3-4 hours a day – where increased TV watching a playing video games is also associated with a lower quality diet (Levin, 2004). Subrahmanyam et al (2000) surmise that the overall increase in â€Å"screen time† (including TV, computer use, and video games) may be linked to obesity and loneliness – but they also suggest that further research is necessary to examine these relationships.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 12-15

CHAPTER 12 Capitol police chief Trent Anderson had overseen security in the U.S. Capitol Complex for over a decade. A burly, square-chested man with a chiseled face and red hair, he kept his hair cropped in a buzz cut, giving him an air of military authority. He wore a visible sidearm as a warning to anyone foolish enough to question the extent of his authority. Anderson spent the majority of his time coordinating his small army of police officers from a high-tech surveillance center in the basement of the Capitol. Here he oversaw a staff of technicians who watched visual monitors, computer readouts, and a telephone switchboard that kept him in contact with the many security personnel he commanded. This evening had been unusually quiet, and Anderson was pleased. He had been hoping to catch a bit of the Redskins game on the flat-panel television in his office. The game had just kicked off when his intercom buzzed. â€Å"Chief?† Anderson groaned and kept his eyes on the television as he pressed the button. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"We've got some kind of disturbance in the Rotunda. I've got officers arriving now, but I think you'll want to have a look.† â€Å"Right.† Anderson walked into the security nerve center–a compact, neomodern facility packed with computer monitors. â€Å"What have you got?† The technician was cueing a digital video clip on his monitor. â€Å"Rotunda east balcony camera. Twenty seconds ago.† He played the clip. Anderson watched over the technician's shoulder. The Rotunda was almost deserted today, dotted with just a few tourists. Anderson's trained eye went immediately to the one person who was alone and moving faster than all the others. Shaved head. Green army-surplus jacket. Injured arm in a sling. Slight limp. Slouched posture. Talking on a cell phone. The bald man's footfalls echoed crisply on the audio feed until, suddenly, arriving at the exact center of the Rotunda, he stopped short, ended his phone call, and then knelt down as if to tie his shoe. But instead of tying a shoe, he pulled something out of his sling and set it on the floor. Then he stood up and limped briskly toward the east exit. Anderson eyed the oddly shaped object the man had left behind. What in the world? It was about eight inches tall and standing vertically. Anderson crouched closer to the screen and squinted. That can't be what it looks like! As the bald man hurried off, disappearing through the east portico, a little boy nearby could be heard saying, â€Å"Mommy, that man dropped something.† The boy drifted toward the object but suddenly stopped short. After a long, motionless beat, he pointed and let out a deafening scream. Instantly, the police chief spun and ran for the door, barking orders as he went. â€Å"Radio all points! Find the bald guy with the sling and detain him! NOW!† Dashing out of the security center, he bounded up the treads of the well-worn staircase three at a time. The security feed had shown the bald man with the sling leave the Rotunda via the east portico. The shortest route out of the building would therefore take him through the east-west corridor, which was just ahead. I can head him off. As he reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, Anderson surveyed the quiet hallway before him. An elderly couple strolled at the far end, hand in hand. Nearby, a blond tourist wearing a blue blazer was reading a guidebook and studying the mosaic ceiling outside the House chamber. â€Å"Excuse me, sir!† Anderson barked, running toward him. â€Å"Have you seen a bald man with a sling on his arm?† The man looked up from his book with a confused expression. â€Å"A bald man with a sling!† Anderson repeated more firmly. â€Å"Have you seen him?† The tourist hesitated and glanced nervously toward the far eastern end of the hallway. â€Å"Uh . . . yes,† he said. â€Å"I think he just ran past me . . . to that staircase over there.† He pointed down the hall. Anderson pulled out his radio and yelled into it. â€Å"All points! The suspect is headed for the southeast exit. Converge!† He stowed the radio and yanked his sidearm from its holster, running toward the exit. Thirty seconds later, at a quiet exit on the east side of the Capitol, the powerfully built blond man in the blue blazer stepped into the damp night air. He smiled, savoring the coolness of the evening. Transformation. It had been so easy. Only a minute ago he had limped quickly out of the Rotunda in an army-surplus coat. Stepping into a darkened alcove, he shed his coat, revealing the blue blazer he wore underneath. Before abandoning his surplus jacket, he pulled a blond wig from the pocket and fit it snugly on his head. Then he stood up straight, pulled a slim Washington guidebook from his blazer, and stepped calmly from the niche with an elegant gait. Transformation. This is my gift. As Mal'akh's mortal legs carried him toward his waiting limousine, he arched his back, standing to his full six-foot-three height and throwing back his shoulders. He inhaled deeply, letting the air fill his lungs. He could feel the wings of the tattooed phoenix on his chest opening wide. If they only knew my power, he thought, gazing out at the city. Tonight my transformation will be complete. Mal'akh had played his cards artfully within the Capitol Building, showing obeisance to all the ancient etiquettes. The ancient invitation has been delivered. If Langdon had not yet grasped his role here tonight, soon he would. CHAPTER 13 For Robert Langdon, the Capitol Rotunda–like St. Peter's Basilica–always had a way of taking him by surprise. Intellectually, he knew the room was so large that the Statue of Liberty could stand comfortably inside it, but somehow the Rotunda always felt larger and more hallowed than he anticipated, as if there were spirits in the air. Tonight, however, there was only chaos. Capitol police officers were sealing the Rotunda while attempting to herd distraught tourists away from the hand. The little boy was still crying. A bright light flashed–a tourist taking a photo of the hand–and several guards immediately detained the man, taking his camera and escorting him off. In the confusion, Langdon felt himself moving forward in a trance, slipping through the crowd, inching closer to the hand. Peter Solomon's severed right hand was standing upright, the flat plane of the detached wrist skewered down onto the spike of a small wooden stand. Three of the fingers were closed in a fist, while the thumb and index finger were fully extended, pointing up toward the soaring dome. â€Å"Everyone back!† an officer called. Langdon was close enough now that he could see dried blood, which had run down from the wrist and coagulated on the wooden base. Postmortem wounds don't bleed . . . which means Peter is alive. Langdon didn't know whether to be relieved or nauseated. Peter's hand was removed while he was alive? Bile rose in his throat. He thought of all the times his dear friend had extended this same hand to shake Langdon's or offer a warm embrace. For several seconds, Langdon felt his mind go blank, like an untuned television set broadcasting only static. The first clear image that broke through was utterly unexpected. A crown . . . and a star. Langdon crouched down, eyeing the tips of Peter's thumb and index finger. Tattoos? Incredibly, the monster who had done this appeared to have tattooed tiny symbols on Peter's fingertips. On the thumb–a crown. On the index finger–a star. This can't be. The two symbols registered instantly in Langdon's mind, amplifying this already horrific scene into something almost otherworldly. These symbols had appeared together many times in history, and always in the same place–on the fingertips of a hand. It was one of the ancient world's most coveted and secretive icons. The Hand of the Mysteries. The icon was rarely seen anymore, but throughout history it had symbolized a powerful call to action. Langdon strained to comprehend the grotesque artifact now before him. Someone crafted the Hand of the Mysteries out of Peter's hand? It was unthinkable. Traditionally, the icon was sculpted in stone or wood or rendered as a drawing. Langdon had never heard of the Hand of the Mysteries being fashioned from actual flesh. The concept was abhorrent. â€Å"Sir?† a guard said behind Langdon. â€Å"Please step back.† Langdon barely heard him. There are other tattoos. Although he could not see the fingertips of the three clenched fingers, Langdon knew these fingertips would bear their own unique markings. That was the tradition. Five symbols in total. Through the millennia, the symbols on the fingertips of the Hand of the Mysteries had never changed . . . nor had the hand's iconic purpose. The hand represents . . . an invitation. Langdon felt a sudden chill as he recalled the words of the man who had brought him here. Professor, tonight you are receiving the invitation of your lifetime. In ancient times, the Hand of the Mysteries actually served as the most coveted invitation on earth. To receive this icon was a sacred summons to join an elite group–those who were said to guard the secret wisdom of all the ages. The invitation not only was a great honor, but it signified that a master believed you were worthy to receive this hidden wisdom. The hand of the master extended to the initiate. â€Å"Sir,† the guard said, putting a firm hand on Langdon's shoulder. â€Å"I need you to back up right now.† â€Å"I know what this means,† Langdon managed. â€Å"I can help you.† â€Å"Now!† the guard said. â€Å"My friend is in trouble. We have to–â€Å" Langdon felt powerful arms pulling him up and leading him away from the hand. He simply let it happen . . . feeling too off balance to protest. A formal invitation had just been delivered. Someone was summoning Langdon to unlock a mystical portal that would unveil a world of ancient mysteries and hidden knowledge. But it was all madness. Delusions of a lunatic. CHAPTER 14 Mal'akh's stretch limousine eased away from the U.S. Capitol, moving eastward down Independence Avenue. A young couple on the sidewalk strained to see through the tinted rear windows, hoping to glimpse a VIP. I'm in front, Mal'akh thought, smiling to himself. Mal'akh loved the feeling of power he got from driving this massive car all alone. None of his other five cars offered him what he needed tonight–the guarantee of privacy. Total privacy. Limousines in this city enjoyed a kind of unspoken immunity. Embassies on wheels. Police officers who worked near Capitol Hill were never certain what power broker they might mistakenly pull over in a limousine, and so most simply chose not to take the chance. As Mal'akh crossed the Anacostia River into Maryland, he could feel himself moving closer to Katherine, pulled onward by destiny's gravity. I am being called to a second task tonight . . . one I had not imagined. Last night, when Peter Solomon told the last of his secrets, Mal'akh had learned of the existence of a secret lab in which Katherine Solomon had performed miracles– staggering breakthroughs that Mal'akh realized would change the world if they were ever made known. Her work will unveil the true nature of all things. For centuries the â€Å"brightest minds† on earth had ignored the ancient sciences, mocking them as ignorant superstitions, arming themselves instead with smug skepticism and dazzling new technologies–tools that led them only further from the truth. Every generation's breakthroughs are proven false by the next generation's technology. And so it had gone through the ages. The more man learned, the more he realized he did not know. For millennia, mankind had wandered in the darkness . . . but now, as had been prophesied, there was a change coming. After hurtling blindly through history, mankind had reached a crossroads. This moment had been predicted long ago, prophesied by the ancient texts, by the primeval calendars, and even by the stars themselves. The date was specific, its arrival imminent. It would be preceded by a brilliant explosion of knowledge . . . a flash of clarity to illuminate the darkness and give mankind a final chance to veer away from the abyss and take the path of wisdom. I have come to obscure the light, Mal'akh thought. This is my role. Fate had linked him to Peter and Katherine Solomon. The breakthroughs Katherine Solomon had made within the SMSC would risk opening floodgates of new thinking, starting a new Renaissance. Katherine's revelations, if made public, would become a catalyst that would inspire mankind to rediscover the knowledge he had lost, empowering him beyond all imagination. Katherine's destiny is to light this torch. Mine is to extinguish it. CHAPTER 15 In total darkness, Katherine Solomon groped for the outer door of her lab. Finding it, she heaved open the lead-lined door and hurried into the small entry room. The journey across the void had taken only ninety seconds, and yet her heart was pounding wildly. After three years, you'd think I'd be used to that. Katherine always felt relieved to escape the blackness of Pod 5 and step into this clean, well-lit space. The â€Å"Cube† was a massive windowless box. Every inch of the interior walls and ceiling was covered with a stiff mesh of titanium-coated lead fiber, giving the impression of a giant cage built inside a cement enclosure. Dividers of frosted Plexiglas separated the space into different compartments–a laboratory, a control room, a mechanical room, a bathroom, and a small research library. Katherine strode briskly into the main lab. The bright and sterile work space glistened with advanced quantitative equipment: paired electro encephalographs, a femtosecond comb, a magneto-optical trap, and quantum-indeterminate electronic noise REGs, more simply known as Random Event Generators. Despite Noetic Science's use of cutting-edge technologies, the discoveries themselves were far more mystical than the cold, high-tech machines that were producing them. The stuff of magic and myth was fast becoming reality as the shocking new data poured in, all of it supporting the basic ideology of Noetic Science–the untapped potential of the human mind. The overall thesis was simple: We have barely scratched the surface of our mental and spiritual capabilities. Experiments at facilities like the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in California and the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab (PEAR) had categorically proven that human thought, if properly focused, had the ability to affect and change physical mass. Their experiments were no â€Å"spoon-bending† parlor tricks, but rather highly controlled inquiries that all produced the same extraordinary result: our thoughts actually interacted with the physical world, whether or not we knew it, effecting change all the way down to the subatomic realm. Mind over matter. In 2001, in the hours following the horrifying events of September 11, the field of Noetic Science made a quantum leap forward. Four scientists discovered that as the frightened world came together and focused in shared grief on this single tragedy, the outputs of thirty-seven different Random Event Generators around the world suddenly became significantly less random. Somehow, the oneness of this shared experience, the coalescing of millions of minds, had affected the randomizing function of these machines, organizing their outputs and bringing order from chaos. The shocking discovery, it seemed, paralleled the ancient spiritual belief in a â€Å"cosmic consciousness†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa vast coalescing of human intention that was actually capable of interacting with physical matter. Recently, studies in mass meditation and prayer had produced similar results in Random Event Generators, fueling the claim that human consciousness, as Noetic author Lynne McTaggart described it, was a substance outside the confines of the body . . . a highly ordered energy capable of changing the physical world. Katherine had been fascinated by McTaggart's book The Intention Experiment, and her global, Web-based study– theintentionexperiment.com–aimed at discovering how human intention could affect the world. A handful of other progressive texts had also piqued Katherine's interest. From this foundation, Katherine Solomon's research had vaulted forward, proving that â€Å"focused thought† could affect literally anything–the growth rate of plants, the direction that fish swam in a bowl, the manner in which cells divided in a petri dish, the synchronization of separately automated systems, and the chemical reactions in one's own body. Even the crystalline structure of a newly forming solid was rendered mutable by one's mind; Katherine had created beautifully symmetrical ice crystals by sending loving thoughts to a glass of water as it froze. Incredibly, the converse was also true: when she sent negative, polluting thoughts to the water, the ice crystals froze in chaotic, fractured forms. Human thought can literally transform the physical world. As Katherine's experiments grew bolder, her results became more astounding. Her work in this lab had proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that â€Å"mind over matter† was not just some New Age self-help mantra. The mind had the ability to alter the state of matter itself, and, more important, the mind had the power to encourage the physical world to move in a specific direction. We are the masters of our own universe. At the subatomic level, Katherine had shown that particles themselves came in and out of existence based solely on her intention to observe them. In a sense, her desire to see a particle . . . manifested that particle. Heisenberg had hinted at this reality decades ago, and now it had be come a fundamental principle of Noetic Science. In the words of Lynne McTaggart: â€Å"Living consciousness somehow is the influence that turns the possibility of something into something real. The most essential ingredient in creating our universe is the consciousness that observes it.† The most astonishing aspect of Katherine's work, however, had been the realization that the mind's ability to affect the physical world could be augmented through practice. Intention was a learned skill. Like meditation, harnessing the true power of â€Å"thought† required practice. More important . . . some people were born more skilled at it than others. And throughout history, there had been those few who had become true masters. This is the missing link between modern science and ancient mysticism. Katherine had learned this from her brother, Peter, and now, as her thoughts turned back to him, she felt a deepening concern. She walked to the lab's research library and peered in. Empty. The library was a small reading room–two Morris chairs, a wooden table, two floor lamps, and a wall of mahogany bookshelves that held some five hundred books. Katherine and Peter had pooled their favorite texts here, writings on everything from particle physics to ancient mysticism. Their collection had grown into an eclectic fusion of new and old . . . of cutting-edge and historical. Most of Katherine's books bore titles like Quantum Consciousness, The New Physics, and Principles of Neural Science. Her brother's bore older, more esoteric titles like the Kybalion, the Zohar, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, and a translation of the Sumerian tablets from the British Museum. â€Å"The key to our scientific future,† her brother often said, â€Å"is hidden in our past.† A lifelong scholar of history, science, and mysticism, Peter had been the first to encourage Katherine to boost her university science education with an understanding of early Hermetic philosophy. She had been only nineteen years old when Peter sparked her interest in the link between modern science and ancient mysticism. â€Å"So tell me, Kate,† her brother had asked while she was home on vacation during her sophomore year at Yale. â€Å"What are Elis reading these days in theoretical physics?† Katherine had stood in her family's book-filled library and recited her demanding reading list. â€Å"Impressive,† her brother replied. â€Å"Einstein, Bohr, and Hawking are modern geniuses. But are you reading anything older?† Katherine scratched her head. â€Å"You mean like . . . Newton?† He smiled. â€Å"Keep going.† At twenty-seven, Peter had already made a name for himself in the academic world, and he and Katherine had grown to savor this kind of playful intellectual sparring. Older than Newton? Katherine's head now filled with distant names like Ptolemy, Pythagoras, and Hermes Trismegistus. Nobody reads that stuff anymore. Her brother ran a finger down the long shelf of cracked leather bindings and old dusty tomes. â€Å"The scientific wisdom of the ancients was staggering . . . modern physics is only now beginning to comprehend it all.† â€Å"Peter,† she said, â€Å"you already told me that the Egyptians understood levers and pulleys long before Newton, and that the early alchemists did work on a par with modern chemistry, but so what? Today's physics deals with concepts that would have been unimaginable to the ancients.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Well . . . like entanglement theory, for one!† Subatomic research had now proven categorically that all matter was interconnected . . . entangled in a single unified mesh . . . a kind of universal oneness. â€Å"You're telling me the ancients sat around discussing entanglement theory?† â€Å"Absolutely!† Peter said, pushing his long, dark bangs out of his eyes. â€Å"Entanglement was at the core of primeval beliefs. Its names are as old as history itself . . . Dharmakaya, Tao, Brahman. In fact, man's oldest spiritual quest was to perceive his own entanglement, to sense his own interconnection with all things. He has always wanted to become `one' with the universe . . . to achieve the state of `at-one-ment.' † Her brother raised his eyebrows. â€Å"To this day, Jews and Christians still strive for `atonement' . . . although most of us have forgotten it is actually `at- one-ment' we're seeking.† Katherine sighed, having forgotten how hard it was to argue with a man so well versed in history. â€Å"Okay, but you're talking in generalities. I'm talking specific physics.† â€Å"Then be specific.† His keen eyes challenged her now. â€Å"Okay, how about something as simple as polarity–the positive/negative balance of the subatomic realm. Obviously, the ancients didn't underst–â€Å" â€Å"Hold on!† Her brother pulled down a large dusty text, which he dropped loudly on the library table. â€Å"Modern polarity is nothing but the `dual world' described by Krishna here in the Bhagavad Gita over two thousand years ago. A dozen other books in here, including the Kybalion, talk about binary systems and the opposing forces in nature.† Katherine was skeptical. â€Å"Okay, but if we talk about modern discoveries in subatomics–the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, for example–â€Å" â€Å"Then we must look here,† Peter said, striding down his long bookshelf and pulling out another text. â€Å"The sacred Hindu Vendantic scriptures known as the Upanishads.† He dropped the tome heavily on the first. â€Å"Heisenberg and Schrodinger studied this text and credited it with helping them formulate some of their theories.† The showdown continued for several minutes, and the stack of dusty books on the desk grew taller and taller. Finally Katherine threw up her hands in frustration. â€Å"Okay! You made your point, but I want to study cutting-edge theoretical physics. The future of science! I really doubt Krishna or Vyasa had much to say about superstring theory and multidimensional cosmological models.† â€Å"You're right. They didn't.† Her brother paused, a smile crossing his lips. â€Å"If you're talking superstring theory . . .† He wandered over to the bookshelf yet again. â€Å"Then you're talking this book here.† He heaved out a colossal leather-bound book and dropped it with a crash onto the desk. â€Å"Thirteenth-century translation of the original medieval Aramaic.† â€Å"Superstring theory in the thirteenth century?!† Katherine wasn't buying it. â€Å"Come on!† Superstring theory was a brand-new cosmological model. Based on the most recent scientific observations, it suggested the multidimensional universe was made up not of three . . . but rather of ten dimensions, which all interacted like vibrating strings, similar to resonating violin strings. Katherine waited as her brother heaved open the book, ran through the ornately printed table of contents, and then flipped to a spot near the beginning of the book. â€Å"Read this.† He pointed to a faded page of text and diagrams. Dutifully, Katherine studied the page. The translation was old-fashioned and very hard to read, but to her utter amazement, the text and drawings clearly outlined the exact same universe heralded by modern superstring theory–a ten-dimensional universe of resonating strings. As she continued reading, she suddenly gasped and recoiled. â€Å"My God, it even describes how six of the dimensions are entangled and act as one?!† She took a frightened step backward. â€Å"What is this book?!† Her brother grinned. â€Å"Something I'm hoping you'll read one day.† He flipped back to the title page, where an ornately printed plate bore three words. The Complete Zohar. Although Katherine had never read the Zohar, she knew it was the fundamental text of early Jewish mysticism, once believed so potent that it was reserved only for the most erudite rabbis. Katherine eyed the book. â€Å"You're saying the early mystics knew their universe had ten dimensions?† â€Å"Absolutely.† He motioned to the page's illustration of ten intertwined circles called Sephiroth. â€Å"Obviously, the nomenclature is esoteric, but the physics is very advanced.† Katherine didn't know how to respond. â€Å"But . . . then why don't more people study this?† Her brother smiled. â€Å"They will.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Katherine, we have been born into wonderful times. A change is coming. Human beings are poised on the threshold of a new age when they will begin turning their eyes back to nature and to the old ways . . . back to the ideas in books like the Zohar and other ancient texts from around the world. Powerful truth has its own gravity and eventually pulls people back to it. There will come a day when modern science begins in earnest to study the wisdom of the ancients . . . that will be the day that mankind begins to find answers to the big questions that still elude him.† That night, Katherine eagerly began reading her brother's ancient texts and quickly came to understand that he was right. The ancients possessed profound scientific wisdom. Today's science was not so much making â€Å"discoveries† as it was making â€Å"rediscoveries.† Mankind, it seemed, had once grasped the true nature of the universe . . . but had let go . . . and forgotten. Modern physics can help us remember! This quest had become Katherine's mission in life–to use advanced science to rediscover the lost wisdom of the ancients. It was more than academic thrill that kept her motivated. Beneath it all was her conviction that the world needed this understanding . . . now more than ever. At the rear of the lab, Katherine saw her brother's white lab coat hanging on its hook along with her own. Reflexively, she pulled out her phone to check for messages. Nothing. A voice echoed again in her memory. That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . it can be found. Sometimes a legend that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason. â€Å"No,† Katherine said aloud. â€Å"It can't possibly be real.† Sometimes a legend was just that–a legend.

How To Improve Student Learning Education Essay

Recently, the subject of how to better pupil acquisition has been of considerable involvement in the administrative and academic community. There is besides considerable treatment about the importance of assignments, prep, quizzes, and trials as it relates to student acquisition ( Smith, Zsidisin, & A ; Adams 2005 ) . This concern for assignments, quizzes, trials, and how to guarantee pupils are maximising their authorship, is the foundation for this survey. For many parents, pedagogues, and teachers, frequent quizzes are an seemingly infallible prescription for bettering pupil public presentation ( Finn & A ; Achilles 2003 ) . As Hughes ( 2003 ) states that the consequence of proving on instruction and acquisition is known as a wash back consequence ; and it can be harmful or good. If a trial is regarded as of import and the bets are high, readying for it can rule all instruction and acquisition activities. Furthermore, he noted that wash back can be viewed as portion of something more general- the impact of appraisal. The impact in educational measuring is non limited to the consequence of appraisal on acquisition and instruction but extends to the manner in which assessment affects society as a whole. Celce-Murcia ( 2001 ) asserted that the ability to show thoughts in composing in a 2nd or foreign linguistic communication and to make with sensible coherency and truth is a major accomplishment. So this paper addresses the impact of constructed- response and selected- response quizzes as scheme for advancing pupil composing accomplishments. University teachers confine themselves largely to multiple- pick or selected- response trial as a concluding scrutiny for the interest of objectiveness ( Brown 2001 ) . That is, the function of frequent disposal of constructed- response quizzes in which the pupil must supply the correct reply, whether in a word, sentence, or try signifier and selected- response quizzes is someway neglected in universities. It might be that fixing selected- response and constructed- response quizzes is more demanding on teachers, need strict marking, and evaluation and administrating of these trials might every bit will be more hard, clip consuming, and debatable. But constructed- response quizzes in which pupils ‘ responses consist of the production of linguistic communication sample may be helpful to EFL productive public presentation. As research workers such as Mirhassani & A ; Rahimipour ( 2003 ) claim that about all Persian teachers confine themselves to mid-term and concluding scrutinies and all classroom- based trials in our state ( Iran ) are based largely on distinct point points. Besides the consequences of surveies such as Gary ( 1972 ) and Arrasmith, Sheehan & A ; Applebaum ( 1984 ) reenforce the demand for farther research in the function of proving in measuring and advancing pupils larning and believing. So the chief consideration in this research will be whether the perennial disposal of quizzes affects the abilities of Persian EFL scholars ‘ public presentation and particularly their formal organisation in general authorship accomplishments.Reappraisal of LiteratureInterest in how to better pupil acquisition is non new. It is a cosmopolitan concern among parents, pedagogues, teachers, and decision makers of educational establishments. It is by and large assumed that quizzes and trials are a req uirement for a successful completion of class plants. In pattern, co-worker and university teachers list regulations and guidelines related to quizzes and trials outlooks for pupils ( Felix 2005 ) . He considers quizzes and trials to be the pupil ‘s duty and he/she is expected to take all quizzes, trials, and complete all assignments. Geist & A ; Soehren ( 1997 ) besides investigated the effects of frequent quizzes on dental pupil public presentation in a class on introductory radiology. Consequences indicated that the group with frequent quizzes performs significantly better on mid-term and concluding scrutinies than the control group. In relation to the surveies of frequent quizzing and public presentation, they conclude that frequent quizzes had a good and important influence on pupil public presentation and claim that the positive effects on public presentation increased as quizzes increased. Therefore, they further found that the positive affair for academic public presentation, and learning had an influential independent consequence on acquisition. Freilich ( 1989 ) examined the impacts of frequent testing on pupil public presentation in a general chemical science class. He found that quizzes were a determiner of pupil public presentation. These surveies clearly suggest there is added value to pupils who take quizzes. If pupils who take quizzes outperform those who experienced no quizzes, it seems sensible to reason that something is happening as a consequence of pupils who were exposed to test. Therefore, the research workers hypothesized that pupils with hebdomadal quizzes, non merely execute better on trials but besides learn more. Gary ( 1972 ) in relation to the consequence of frequent quizzes disposal on illative thought made a research with indiscriminately selected groups. The first group took eight hebdomadal quizzes necessitating pupils to remember declared facts while the 2nd group took hebdomadally quizzes necessitating pupils to pull illations about political involvements of several spiritual, economic, and geographic groups. Four trials were administered at the terminal of this intervention period. Consequence showed that frequent quizzes disposal affect significantly the scholars ‘ public presentation. Study of Tuckman ( 2008 ) shows that frequent proving provides incentive motives. Frequently tried pupils outperform other pupils on scrutinies. He mentions that what it might be drove a pupil to acquire information into long- term memory are trials. Trials motivate pupils because they create the chance or necessity to accomplish success or avoid failure. In that manner, trials provide an inducement to larn and they are a beginning of incentive motive. The overall consequences clearly showed that the frequent trials enhanced motive for pupils who have typically performed ill to acquire content into long- term memory instead than simply aiming for them what to analyze. Weekly, in-class quizzes are based on some proving specializer such as Ruscio ( 2001 ) and Wilder, Flood & A ; Stomsnes ( 2001 ) have been associated with positive larning outcomes including increased pupil accomplishment attending, and assurance. Their survey shows that frequent quizzes reportedly maintain pupil survey attempt and advance class battle. The research literature, nevertheless, does non nem con back up the achievement benefits of quizzes. For illustration, Haberyan ( 2003 ) provided two subdivisions of general biological science pupils with hebdomadal in- category quizzes ; two tantamount subdivisions did non entree quizzes. Although pupils rated the quizzes favourably and believed that they were helpful in fixing for in- category scrutiny, there were no important accomplishment differences across subdivisions. Kluger & A ; Denisi ( 1997 ) conducted a meta- analysis on feedback intercessions, including quizzes, and concluded that such feedback does non ever heighten lea rner public presentation and may, in some instances, have damaging effects. Bryan ( 1998 ) conducted a research on factors lending to a decrease in race based subgroup differences on a constructed- response paper and pencil trial of accomplishment. Consequences showed that the constructed- response trial format may be a feasible option to the traditional multiple- pick format in predicators of occupation public presentation and at the same time cut down subgroup differences and subsequent inauspicious impact on trials of cognition, accomplishment, ability, and accomplishment. However, extra research is needed to further show the rightness of the constructed- response format as an option to traditional testing methods. Chowdhury, Al-share & A ; Miller ( 2005 ) express that in an epoch characterized by speed uping technological alteration, increasing economic uncertainness, low pupil accomplishment, and turning demand for answerability, educational establishments are challenged to fix pupils to work successfully in their chosen callings in the universe. They believe hebdomadal quizzes and their reappraisals, it is easier for an teacher to cognize earlier on how good the pupils understand each talk or construct and that is best larning when the teacher actively engages or involves pupils to larn by making the quizzes. In mensurating composing abilities Harris ( 1996 ) discussed that, examiner may be sensitive to grammatical forms appropriate to the written accomplishment and we know that many pupils may neglect to utilize such forms. Therefore, if our trial is to hold relevancy and cogency it should incorporate the sorts of formal grammatical points by which the pupils will later be judged in real- life state of affairs. Such sort of formal organisational forms that might include in our trials of composing accomplishments are subject- verb understanding, structural correspondence, comparing of adjectives, formation of adverbs, formation of irregular verbs, and so forth. Therefore, with respect to larning benefits of quizzes, research findings have been contradictory and therefore inconclusive. Brothen & A ; Wambach ( 2001 ) , describe a developmental psychological science class in which pupils had entree to computerise quizzes as tools to fix for proctored scrutinies. Their consequences indicated that passing more clip taking quizzes and taking them more times was related to hapless exam public presentation. They province that a possible account for this consequence is that pupils used the text edition to reply quiz points and mistakenly interpreted high quiz tonss as declarative mood of content command. Grabe & A ; Sigler ( 2001 ) , on the other manus, provided pupils with four online survey tools ; multiple- pick pattern trial points, short reply pattern trial points, talk notes, and text edition notes. Students often accessed multiple- pick pattern trial points ; no information was provided on the usage of short reply inquiries because really few pupils made usage of this resource. Students who made usage of the tools academically outperformed those who did non. Mirhassani and Rahimipour ( 2003 ) studied the relationship between quiz, frequence of disposal, and Persian EFL scholars ‘ public presentation on summational accomplishment trials. Their survey showed that completion quizzes with 10 times frequence of disposal work better with the betterment of Persian EFL scholars ‘ public presentation on summational accomplishment trials. They stated that the more pupils receive quizzes on the content of the book taught, the more they learn the stuffs taught in deepness.Methodology1. ParticipantsThe survey is conducted at Islamic Azad university of Dehloran. Sixty male and female pupils within the age scope of 18 to 20 took portion in this research. They were chosen among sophomore pupils based on non- random convenient trying method. They all major in package computing machine technology and were all native talkers of Persian. To guarantee whether the participants were homogenous, a linguistic communication proficiency trial ( Fowler & A ; Coe 1976 ) was administered as a pre- trial. Then, the pupils were indiscriminately divided into two groups, and each group included 30 pupils.2. InstrumentalityThree instruments were used in this survey. Their dependability coefficients were estimated based on KR- 21 expression. The first instrument was a general linguistic communication proficiency trial ( Fowler & A ; Coe 1976 ) in order to happen out lingual abilities of participants. Its ‘ dependability coefficient was calculated by KR-21 expression as ( r= .79 ) . The 2nd 1 was 10 quizzes of constructed- response points as intervention in the survey. Last 1s, was a parallel validated summational accomplishment trial administered as a post- trial in order to look into out the effects of the research variable.3. ProcedureAt the beginning, a general linguistic communication proficiency trial ( Appendix A ) was given to 115 package computing machine technology pupils ( i.e. , 48 males and 67 females in Islamic Azad uni versity of Dehloran ) who were invited to take this trial as a pre- trial in this survey. This trial included 50 multiple-choice points which was adapted by the research worker in conformity with an reliable testing book written by Fowler and Coe ( 1976 ) . After roll uping informations, the responses of participants were analyzed. Then 60 pupils whose public presentation ranged from one standard divergence above and one below the mean were chosen for this survey. Over a 12 hebdomad period, a autumn semester in 2008, the first group received constructed- response quizzes, and the control group served as the control group to formalize this survey. Over all, experimental group received ten quizzes which lasted about 10-15 proceedingss, during 10 hebdomads. The first hebdomad was spent on the account of process and besides participants were asked to go to and take a linguistic communication proficiency trial ( Fowler & A ; Coe 1976 ) . From the 2nd hebdomad till the terminal of the term the participants took hebdomadal quizzes. Following each subdivision, pupils ‘ quizzes were collected and graded by the research worker, and they were informed that the norm of their classs on these quizzes of general English book would number toward their concluding class every bit much as one of the major class scrutinies. At the terminal of the term, participants were given a parallel summational achievement trial in order to mensurate the grade of the li nguistic communication scholars ‘ success in the formal organisation in general authorship accomplishments.Datas AnalysisAt the beginning, the pupils ‘ tonss on pre- trial were obtained so descriptive statistics, mean and standard divergence of each group, were calculated. Consequences indicated that the agencies for these groups were similar. Table 1 is a study of pre- trial which was administered as the homogeneousness trial. The mean scores showed that the groups did non much differ in relation to their background cognition. The low criterion divergence signifies that the pupils ‘ public presentations were really near to each other. In other words, their average tonss showed no important differences. Table 1. Descriptive statistics of pre- trialGroupsNitrogenMinimumMaximumMeanSouth dakotaControl 30 2 7 4.8333 1.5264 Constructed 30 2 7 4.5000 1.6552 Entire 60 2 7 4.6666 1.5908 At the terminal of the term, a parallel summational achievement trial was administered to the pupils. Table 2 shows the post- trial consequences descriptively. Table 2. Descriptive statistics of post- trialGroupsNitrogenMinimumMaximumMeanSouth dakotaControl 30 2 9 5.7333 2.1642 Constructed 30 10 17 13.1666 1.8000 Entire 60 6 13 9.4499 1.9821 Consequences showed that the pupils ‘ public presentation in the concluding scrutinies were drastically different. Therefore, their average tonss were significantly different comparing to each other. Table 3 compares the public presentation of the groups by T-test. Table 3. T-test for the control and constructed groupsGroupsNitrogenMeandft-obs2-tails sog.Control 30 5.7333 58 14.4580 .05 Constructed 30 13.1666 This tabular array indicates that the difference is important at.05 alpha degrees. It can be claimed that frequent quizzes disposal, as Ballard and Johnson ( 2004 ) claim, better pupils ‘ public presentation. On all steps of composing achievement pupils who received 10 times constructed- response quizzes outperformed pupils who did n't have this survey tool.DiscussionThe consequences of the survey made it clear that taking constructed- response quiz leads to better scholars ‘ composing public presentation. This survey provides grounds that module will probably draw a bead on their pupils to take hebdomadal constructed- response quizzes. Therefore, the research worker can claim that frequent constructed- response quizzes better the formal organisation in general authorship accomplishments. The consequence of this survey confirmed our anticipation that pupils who took hebdomadally constructed- response quizzes would demo better keeping of grammatical forms than would pupils who were non engaged in the hebdomadal graded constructed- response quizzes. The consequences of this survey revealed that hebdomadal quizzes can hold a greater impact than antecedently found by Derouza & A ; Fleming ( 2003 ) and Haberyan ( 2003 ) . They studied scientific discipline pupils while the sample in this survey was drawn from package computing machine technology pupils. They found that pupils ‘ public presentation was non strongly impacted while the research worker found significantly better public presentation. More surveies with different population majoring in other Fieldss of survey are needed to better our apprehension of how pupil ‘s public presentation is impacted by hebdomadal quizzes, for case, classs in physical scientific disciplines. These findings clearly suggest that hebdomadal quizzing ( constructed- response ) is of import in larning English authorship accomplishments. In pre- intermediate degree, as Harris ( 1996 ) claims, composing exercisings should by and large be used merely to reenforce the acquisition of specific grammatical points or lexical points. Teachers ‘ experiences showed that EFL scholars by and large have deficient cognition of English composing accomplishments in pre- intermediate degree. This has prompted us and other research workers like Baker ( 1989 ) and Werner ( 1993 ) to stress the importance of constructed- response quizzes alternatively of other survey tools and to place constructed- response quiz as the most effectual instrument to utilize because tapped on composing accomplishments of pupils. The betterment among the composing abilities of participants were striking where they took constructed- response quizzes.DecisionBased on the statistics done, it can be concluded that r epeated constructed- response quizzes receives the first precedence. Therefore, there was a important difference between the Hagiographas ‘ public presentation of the group who received 10 times constructed- response quizzes and the group who did n't have any quizzes. The findings indicated that constructed- response quizzes can be used for advancing different accomplishments and constituent of linguistic communication acquisition ; hence, trial interior decorators should take constructed- response quizzes. The findings of the present survey gave empirical support to this position. This, as a rule of linguistic communication usage, is didactically cardinal in the instruction and testing of linguistic communication acquisition and needs to be taken in to account in the design of suited instructional stuffs and in the methodological analysis of schoolroom instruction.Pedagogical DeductionsBased on the research findings, this survey gives the undermentioned deductions and suggestions to EFL scholars and teachers that may be helpful in developing EFL linguistic communication acquisition, instruction, and proving. Teachers have got to supply pupils with appropriate feedback. Repeated disposal of quizzes may pave the manner for better acquisition, actua te the pupils to larn, supply adequate feedback for the pupils, and find the weak and strong points of pupils. All these can stop in long- term keeping of the stuffs taught and prevent the pupils from inquiring for their scrutiny. Though many of the surveies should be regarded as plants in advancement instead than concluding surveies, this survey does efficaciously foreground some of the complexnesss involved in current quiz research. By so we should be seeing new coevals of wash dorsum surveies which are progressively sophisticated and refined.