Enzyme used to break cell wall Essay Example for Free

Enzyme used to break cell wall Essay Aim To investigate the affect of Pectinase on the amount of juice produced from a stewed apple. I will investigate and explore the factors, which affect the rate at which juice is coming out of the stewed apple. There are many factors, which determine the rate at which reactions take place. The factors include temperature, concentration, surface area or pressure (if the substance is a gas) and a catalyst. However in this particular experiment I have chosen to investigate the rate of reaction when the concentration is the variable involved. Scientific Theories The theory of collisions Substances are made up particles. The particles in a particular substance can be atoms, ions or molecules. If two or more reactants collide with sufficient energy then a chemical reaction takes place producing a product. The particles must collide together hard enough to break the chemical bonds, kinetic energy is needed for this to occur. The initial energy or minimum energy that particles of reactants must have for them to react must have for them to react when they collide. The rate of reaction depends on how many reacting particles have this minimum energy. Heat is sometimes needed to start a reaction, which is referred to the activation energy. In many reactions often the products have less energy than the reactants. The more collisions and the harder the collisions between particles in a given time will result in the reaction speeding up. Temperature Faster collisions are only obtained by increasing the temperature. When the temperature is increased all the particles move quicker and collide more often. This will therefore speed up the rate of reaction. Surface Area (size of particles) If reactants are solid which is Magnesium in this particular experiment then if they are broken into smaller pieces this will increase the solids surface area. This will mean that the solution surrounding it in this case Hydrochloric acid will have more region to react on therefore creating more collisions between particles. This also will speed up the reaction. Concentration (or pressure if a gas) When a solution is made more concentrated which in this reaction will be to add more hydrochloric acid, which will mean there are more reactants to react with the magnesium therefore collisions are more likely. In gases though, increasing the pressure will mean the particles are more squashed up together consequently colliding more. This will speed up the rate of reaction. Catalyst This will speed up the reaction as it gives the reactants a surface to stick to where they can collide. Reactions only happen when particles collide with sufficient energy. From this theory as I am investigating the concentration of Pectinase we can say that if we increase the volume of Pectinase the rate at which the reaction takes place will increase, as the number of collision are more likely. Lock and Key Hypothesis Enzymes are substances that act as catalysts, in other words they increase the rate of reactions. Most enzymes are large protein molecules, with three-dimensional shapes. The substance with which the enzyme combines is known as the substrate. The reaction takes place on the surface of the enzyme called the active site. Enzyme molecules are usually very much larger than their substrates. The precise shape of the active site is important because it is complimentary to the shape of the substrate molecule, which fits into the active site, which is known as the lock and key mechanism. In this particular experiment the active site of the enzyme has a specific shape for the Pectin, which only it can fit into. The substrate is the pectin and the enzyme is the pectinase. In this specific experiment, we can say that if we increase the volume of Pectinase (the enzyme) the rate at which the pectin interacts with the active site of the enzyme will increase, therefore the rate at which the juice comes out of the stewed apple will also increase. Enzyme Activity 0i C 45i C Enzymes are usually damaged by temperatures above about 45i c, and as the graph shows, their activity drops off sharply when the temperature gets too high. Preliminary Work. In class we have performed a similar experiment involving the rate at which juice comes out of a stewed apple. However this time there were only two stewed apples, one solution contained the enzyme pectinase and the other without it. From doing this experiment, I found that the solution with Pectinase clearly produced more juice at a faster rate, than the solution without Pectinase. This proves that enzymes will greatly increase the rate of formation of the product. From doing that experiment I learnt a lot of things, which I would have to change in my final experiment, for example a more accurate measuring cylinder. Prediction. I predict that if I double the concentration of Pectinase, the rate at which the juice comes out of the stewed apple will also double. And the reaction time will be cut in half. This is because as the volumes of Pectinase will increases therefore there will be more Pectin interacting with the active site of Pectinase, therefore more cell walls will be breaking and more juice will be produced. Also, because of the simple concept that before particles can react they must collide, therefore there will be more particles in a smaller volume therefore collision between particles will be more likely and consequently the reaction will speed up. I can also predict that if I half the concentration of Pectinase, this will also half the rate at which the reaction takes place and the time taken for the reaction to take place will double. This is because the decreased number of particles also means that the chance of collision will also reduce. Therefore the time taken for the cell wall in the apple to break will decrease and result in less juice being produced over a certain period of time. I also predict that the amount 0of juice produced will be proportional to the time. Apparatus Pectinase (enzyme used to break cell wall) 4 100cmi beakers 10cmi measuring cylinder Stewed Apples (chopped up) Filer paper Water Stop- clock (to record the amount of juice being produced) Scale (used to measure the mass of the steed apples) Funnel Syringe Variables The variable, which will be changed in this experiment to alter the rate of reaction, is concentration. At least five readings are needed in order to draw a graph and to have significant amount of results, to prove he prediction. The concentration of Pectinase will change, as water will be added to dilute it. The total volume of Pectinase and water in each experiment will always be 5cmi making it a fair test. The table below shows the different concentrations used in the experiment Concentration of Pectinase Concentration of Water 5cmi 0cmi 4cmi 1cmi 3cmi 2cmi 2cmi 3cmi 1cmi 4cmi 0cmi 5cmi Plan The apparatus will firstly be collected and set up. The stewed apple will be weighed in a 100cmi beaker. The volume of Pectinase and water will be taken out of the container using a syringe. The Pectinase and water will be measured using a measuring cylinder (10cmi)

Community services over imprisonment for minor non violent crimes

Community services over imprisonment for minor non violent crimes As the Prison system is overburdened, judges are giving Community Service Sentences instead of imprisonment for Minor Non-Violent Crimes. Will this be good for the society in the long run? Offences that are defined as Minor Non-Violent Offences are those that are against the law but are not usually viewed as serious enough to be taken to the court if done once or twice (Notton, 2010). An example of non violent offence is burglary or motor vehicle theft. Community Service is an alternative of imprisonment imposed by the Court for minor non violent crimes. Community service is an unpaid work for the criminal so that he can repay the debt to the society for committing the offense (An tSeirbhis Phromhaidh The Probation Service, n.d.). Community service can also be a job for which any particular individual can volunteer for. An example of a community service is cleaning up the environment. Giving community service sentences instead of imprisonment for minor non-violent crimes would be good for the society in the long run because the criminal will get a second chance in life, it will reduce the burden on the prison system and society will benefit from community service. Howe ver individuals may take advantage of the system by taking too long to complete their community service work, although people might try to take advantage, if the work is done slowly then the criminals will be severely punished. Everybody makes mistakes, while others dont bother to make it right, some people want a second chance at life which means that people who have done wrong, will get another chance to right themselves and to be an active member to the society. Giving them something to do will also help them see the positives of life and become better citizens to the society as a whole. It will also give them a chance to right their wrongs. This can give them an improved life and can help them carry on with it. People that commit petty crimes such as stealing or drug dealing should not be locked up for good because they deserve a second chance at life again. Thats why community service is offered. Various programs are available such as SLAP, for Sheriffs Labor Assistance Program which help out local sheriffs in small towns all over (Worth, 1998). In Savannah, GA, Randall Moutrie was caught dealing drugs and was convicted to jail. He was given the option of doing community service which he did, and he sa id It made me get better and stronger in my life (Ruberti, 2010). This shows that community service does help someone figuring out what there is to life and how they can relive it. Another example is Berlynn Cottom who was a drug and alcohol addict. Being convicted, she was given the chance to right her wrongs and attend mental and physical rehab. In the process, she would have to complete hours of community service. After the intensive program she said that it had given her a new perspective on life and that she got more respect in the community. It also helped her realize that there is more to life than just doing drugs (Ruberti, 2010). Community service can be offered to non violent crime offenders because some dont have the money to pay for the fines. Rather than being imprisoned for small crimes, they can become active members of society by helping out the community. This can motivate them to becoming better citizens and also to have a brighter future. Other offenders could als o be motivated to show an interest to daily life. With having community service, they can find something that they want to do or keep up for the rest of their lives. It can keep them busy and also to become better role models to other offenders. With having completed the community service program, offenders can look forward to a better lifestyle by reducing the number of repeat offenders who return to jail after being unable to adapt to life outside of jail, said Moses Wright (n.d.). Jail time not only affects the criminals individually but also affects their families. As strange as it may sound, many of these criminals, when imprisoned have their children following their footsteps. This would help turn their lives around and look forward to an improved life with dignity and respect. The prison system is overburdened with the number of inmates they take in, most of which are charged and sentenced to jail for non- violent crimes. Keeping these inmates leads to an increase in the cost of the governments, as they have to provide them with place, food and sometimes required medical attention. As mentioned in the BBC news magazine With the prison population rising, along with the cost of keeping people locked up, ministers have indicated they want to see fewer people serving short jail terms (McFarlane, 2010). Sentencing to community service not only provides an individual with work to do but also gives them an opportunity to pay back the community. According to an article in the Harvard Crimson, the government costs for maintaining a prisoner is about $20,000 each year, the money tax payers give to the government provides these inmates with all the facilities and shelter. Prisons are congested; cells that are designed to hold one prisoner now hold more than one (Jose ph, 1986). Californias prison crises in August 2009 broke out a 11 hour riot, but causes where unknown, Barry Krisberg president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in California mentioned that overcrowding is the primary issue with hundreds of men moved into triple bunks which were used for gyms and cafeteria (Stateman, 2009). As stated by Florida Department of Corrections the daily cost of locking up an inmate is spent on protecting them and ensuring medical services, the residual is spent on garments, educating and feeding them (2009). Prison spaces are limited, they should be kept for criminals that are violent and a danger to society, with the population skyrocketing in these prisons the government cannot afford to build more cells particularly, due to the economic situation. Furthermore individuals convicted to non-violent offenses such as forgery, DUI, and robbery need not be sentenced to long jail times , there are alternatives; community service, house arrests and fines. The conditions in these cells are appalling, because of which most inmates suffer from ill health. Moreover there is a chance that individuals (inmates) will be affected psychologically and emotionally in an adverse manner. Professor Craig Haney of the University of California, Santa Cruz explains that When prison environments become unduly painful, they also become harmful, and prisoners carry the effects or consequences of that harm back into the free world once they have been released. Thus, bad prisons are not only unpleasant or uncomfortable; they can be destructive as well (n.d). In order to reduce the crammed situation, judges should decrease the number of non-violent prison inmates and parolees they sentence to jail. Prisons dont always reform prisoners. If anything, inmates become better criminals in prison, learning the tricks of the trade from the pros (Joseph, 1986). Society which is deteriorating with years and years passing by can benefit tremendously by the community services from these criminals. Community service will not only make them realise there mistake, but will also give them a chance to make it right by giving it back to society. This way government does not have to look for paid labour to do these community services when they can get it for free. Many non-profit organisations are always in the need of volunteers for their campaigns and community work. Government could use their services in renovating building, keeping society clean and construction work. For example During 2008, criminals performed 48,484 hours of free labour at various nonprofit organizations and on county road litter pick-up details, according to statistics compiled by the district attorneys office. The figure represents a 16.6 percent increase over the hours compiled in 2007(Hessler, 2009). During 2008, prisoners, dressed in orange jumpsuits, spent a total of 4,354 hours picking up litter along state, county and township roads. On Route 422, inmates worked 558 hours, while they worked 240 hours along Route 100. Inmates put in 87 hours on Route 363, about 60 hours on Route 29, 487 hours on Route 476 and 135 hours on Route 113, according to county records (Hessler, 2009). Governments waste millions of dollars and precious lifetime of these criminals by sending them to prison when they could be helping the society in many ways. Due to current recession it will also benefit the countrys economical status by decreasing the sentence of such criminals. Furthermore natural disasters like flood and earthquake leave devastating trails, help from these criminals could be taken in cleaning up and rebuilding the affected areas. Earthquake in Canterbury and flood in Cumbria are examples of such community services (TVNZ, 2010). These non-violent criminals when are exposed to the prison life become even more violent. In the long run it will benefit the society by reducing the number of violent crimes. Moreover community service for prisoner is no doubt a positive approach as it would help improve the living standard of society. As many of these crimes are minor so imprisonment would alienate them from society. However many individuals who have been given community service order might take too long to complete the number of hours of work, showing up late or not show up at all to their session. This means that they are trying to take advantage of the system. For example, in Scotland criminals have taken over 2 years to complete 250 hours of community service work (STV Group plc, 2010). If the criminals are caught violating the rules of the system they could be charged with high fines and severe consequences such as house arrest or they will be imprisoned. Giving community service sentences instead of imprisonment for minor non-violent crimes would be good for the society in the long run because the criminal will get a chance to undo their wrong and let them do something productive, it will reduce overcrowded prisons and will help the society improve without extra expenses. However the individual might violate the rules by taking too long to finish his quota of hours for community service work, if the criminal is found to be guilty of violating the rules he will be sent to the prison again or will be fined. Furthermore individuals convicted to minor non-violent offenses should not be imprisoned, there are alternatives such as community service or fines which are better than imprisonment and benefit the society more, this is why the governments should take the initiative to start giving out community service for minor non violent crimes rather than imprisoning the criminals.

Role of Financial Systems in a Modern Economy

Role of Financial Systems in a Modern Economy According to Ray Dalio the economy is like a machine. A machine is made up of several different components that when all working together run smoothly, the several different components that keep an economy running smoothly is known as the financial system. The financial system is made up of the central bank, markets, and financial institutions, and when all working in harmony in turn creates a smooth economy. The central bank prints money and controls interest rates, the financial institutions are a place where savers take their money to earn more and borrowers go to borrow money to purchase a home or invest in a business, and the markets are in place so that businesses can get investors to grow their business and investors can earn more on their investments. When all the parts of a financial system works harmoniously the citizens of a country benefit tremendously. Since a good financial system means a good economy it means that interest rates will be lower and with lower interest rates it means that borrowers will borrow more and invest more in business ventures which in turn creates more jobs. The more jobs there are for the citizens of a country the more they spend which means more money gets pushed back into the economy, and creates a booming economy. In a perfect world the financial system would always work perfectly and the economy would always boom, but unfortunately we know from p ast events in the United States that is not the case. The great depression and the recession in 2008 are both examples of how a faulty financial system can cause the economy to crash. The main cause of the great depression and the recession in 2008 was said to be the government. In the case of the great depression the Federal Reserve contributed to the crisis because the economy was booming when interest rates were low and people were applying for loans, the government decided to suddenly the raise of interest rates which caused a sudden halt in the boom. Whereas, with the recession in 2008 banks were allowing uncreditworthy individuals to apply for mortgages loans that they were unable to pay back. Similarly, both presidents at the time respond to the financial crisis the same way with a federal budget and instead of cutting spending both presidents went on to spend more money. After the increase in federal spending unemployment remained high during both crisis. During Roosevelts presidency unemployment was at twenty one percent and during Obamas term unemployment was eight percent and increased over two percent over time. During the great depression and the rece ssion both presidents were spending a lot of money and it did not help unemployment rates instead unemployment still remained high. When an economy is falling, the government turns to the wealthy for more money and taxes this is what happened during the great depression. This put many Americans in the fiftieth percentile tax bracket meaning the wealthy had to pay more than half of their income. President Obama is trying to tax differently, instead of taxing the wealthy President Obama is raising taxes on items like cigarettes, liquor, plane tickets, and soft drinks. The recession is said to be the next worse period since the great depression. During both crisis the housing market was booming with low interest rates and the banks were lending money to people who were unable to pay back loans, the unemployment rate was high, and taxes were being raised. It was almost as if the past was repeating itself, the 2008 recession was going in the direction of the great depression. In order to prevent financial crisis such as the great depression and the recession of 2008 the financial system is highly regulated. As history in the United States shows when the financial system is left largely alone, the financial system has experienced periods of instability that have led to economic recessions. (Jafri, 2015) There are now several different measures put in place in order to monitor and regulate the financial system such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Reserve System. The Security and Exchange Commission regulates the financial markets to help build the trust of investors in the markets again and â€Å"was created to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation†. (http://www.sec.gov) The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, was created to help restore the trust of the depositors in the banks, it insures deposits made at financial institutions and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency helps to regulate federally chartered banks. Finally, the Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States and is also known as the â€Å"Fed†. It is ran by the Board of Governors, which consist of seven member who are appointed by the president of the United States. The Federal Reserve acts as a lender of last resort and makes short- term loans that provide banks with funds. â€Å"During the economic crisis that began in 2007, the financial system was disrupted, and large sec tions of the U.S. economy were cut off from the flow of funds they need to thrive.† (Hubbard, O’Brien, 2012, pg. 1) The financial crisis resulted in a decline in productions of goods and services throughout the economy. What does the financial system do? Economist believe there are three Key elements provided by banks to a financial system; risk sharing, liquidity, and information. Risk sharing is a service the financial system provides that allows savers to spread and transfer risk. Whereas, with liquidity it allows savers and borrowers to exchange assets for money. Lastly, information is important because in it is a collection and communication of the information and expectations borrowers need to know about return on assets. All these measures are taken by the government so that the citizen of the United States have more faith in the financial system. The key to a great economy is a great financial system. History has shown, with events like the Great Depression and the Recession in 2008, that there are hiccups that happen from time to time but federal regulation helps to restore faith back in the financial system so that citizens of the United States will continue to save, borrow, invest, and spend which are all key components to a booming economy functioning smoothly. References The Investors Advocate: How the SEC Protects Investors, Maintains Market Integrity, and Facilitates Capital Formation. (2013, June 10). Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtml Dalio, R. (2013, September 22). How The Economic Machine Works by Ray Dalio. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0 Richard, R. (2013, November 22). The Great Recession of 2007à ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â‚¬Å"09 A detailed essay on an important event in the history of the Federal Reserve. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.federalreservehistory.org/Events/DetailView/58 Folsom, B. (2010, May 20). Comparing the Great Depression to the Great Recession. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://fee.org/freeman/detail/comparing-the-great-depression-to-the-great-recession Hubbard, R., Brien, A. (2012). Money, banking, and the financial system (Second ed.). Boston: Prentice Hall. Dr. Jafri Chapter notes

The Right to Die Essay example -- essays research papers fc

The Right to Die The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means "good" and thanatos means "death". Euthanasia (Greek, "good death") is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. However, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life (Humphy 12). Like so many moral/ethical/religious terms, "euthanasia" has many meanings. Euthanasia, in the strict sense, involves actively causing death. This is, in some cases, legal like in the Netherlands, but in few other countries. Euthanasia, in a wider sense, includes assisting someone to commit suicide, in particular physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Allowing death -- e.g. by not providing life support or vital medication-- is not considered euthanasia if it is the patient's wish (Robinson). It is sometimes called passive euthanasia in cases where the patient is unabl e to make decisions about treatment. â€Å"Living Wills† and â€Å"Do Not Resuscitate† orders are legal instruments that make a patient's treatment decisions known ahead of time; allowing a patient to die based on such decisions is never considered euthanasia. Terminal sedation is a combination of medically inducing a deep sleep and stopping other treatment, with the exception of medication for symptom control (such as analgesia). It is considered to be euthanasia by some, but under current law and medical practice it is considered a form of palliative care (Humphry 14). Advocates of euthanasia generally insist that euthanasia should be voluntary, requiring informed consent, and that it should only be used in cases of terminal illness that cause unbearable suffering, or an eventual, complete loss of awareness. Its opponents challenge it on several ethical grounds, including a slippery slope argument that it is the first step towards compulsory euthanasia (Leon 22). Voluntary euthanasia is the truest and fullest form of euthanasia wherein the individual requests euthanasia - either during illness or before, if complete incapacitation is expected (a coma would be an example). Euthanasia in these cases differs from suicide by existing only within the context of the amelioration of suffering in the process of death. Volition must be informed and free (i.e. not under duress fr... ...ssional leaders announced that they were drafting a bill that would order the reinsertion of Schiavo's feeding tube and allow a federal court to review the case. If passed, President Bush plans to sign it (Stacy). Works Cited Capek, Stella M., Elaine Fox, and Jeffrey J. Kamakahi. Come Lovely and Soothing Death: The Right to Die Movement in the United States. New York: Twayne, n.d. End of Life Choices: Compassion, Dignity, and Control. 2004. End-of-Life Choices/Compassion In Dying: Compassion & Choices . . Euthanasia. Ed. Lisa Yount. San Diego: Greenhaven P, Inc., 2002. Humphry, Derek. Eugene: Hemlock Society, 1991. Lipper, Tamara. Between Life and Death: Behind the unprecedented showdown over one woman's fate.. 2005. Newsweek. . Robinson, B.A.. Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide. 02 Sept. 2004. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. . Stacy, Mitch. Schiavo Kin Wants Feeding Tube Reinserted. 20 Mar. 2005. MSNBC Wire Services, The Associated Press. . The Ethics of Euthanasia. Ed. Daniel A. Leone. San Diego: Greenhaven P, Inc., 1999. Wickett, Ann, and Derek Humphry . The Right To Die: Understanding Euthanasia. New York: Harper and Row, 1986.

Fight Club: A Narrative Analysis Essay -- Cinema

Barsam and Monahan define a narrative as, â€Å"A cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged in a cause-and-effect sequence of events occurring over time† (553). David Fincher’s Fight Club uses a very unique narrative mode in that the whole film is self-narrated by the unnamed main character and has one of the best surprise endings in this writer’s opinion. This makes the film a prime specimen to be broken apart for further narrative analysis. The film starts out with the nameless narrator played by Edward Norton in a nameless city. The narrator, stuck in a dead-end white collar job, suffers from insomnia and is told he can’t receive medication. This paints Norton’s character as someone who is stuck, without any visible options to alleviate his pains. He then proceeds to visit support groups to see people worse off than himself. Eventually he finds relief from his insomnia in the emotional release he gets from these different support groups he pretends to be a part of. Then he meets the femme fatale of the film, Marla Singer. She too is feeding off the emotional release from the support groups which leads to the first conflict of the film. On a flight back from a business trip the narrator befriends Tyler Durden, a physically fit soap salesman played by Brad Pitt. This is the point where you realize that for the first thirty minutes of the film random flashes of a tall blonde man appear on the screen for le ss than a second. Foreshadowing his importance, if someone is quick enough to catch a good enough glance of these flashes they will recognize that it is Tyler Durden, and so the plot thickens. Tyler Durden is what some people would consider a muscle head, but he has much too many ideas for those stereotypes t... ...sumed he has gone through the required change most protagonists go through in narratives. With characters, plots and tones that throw the viewer through more loops than a roller coaster, Fight Club explores several of the narrative elements with many twists, turns, and plot devices that leave the mind pondering for days after viewing the film. Wrought with symbolism and the powerful themes of anti-consumerism and breaking down the walls we put around ourselves, there are several lessons to be taken from watching this film. Works Cited Barsam, Richard., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010. Print. Fight Club. Dir. David Fincher. Perf. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. 1999. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2000. DVD. "Fight Club." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 05 May 2012. . Fight Club: A Narrative Analysis Essay -- Cinema Barsam and Monahan define a narrative as, â€Å"A cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged in a cause-and-effect sequence of events occurring over time† (553). David Fincher’s Fight Club uses a very unique narrative mode in that the whole film is self-narrated by the unnamed main character and has one of the best surprise endings in this writer’s opinion. This makes the film a prime specimen to be broken apart for further narrative analysis. The film starts out with the nameless narrator played by Edward Norton in a nameless city. The narrator, stuck in a dead-end white collar job, suffers from insomnia and is told he can’t receive medication. This paints Norton’s character as someone who is stuck, without any visible options to alleviate his pains. He then proceeds to visit support groups to see people worse off than himself. Eventually he finds relief from his insomnia in the emotional release he gets from these different support groups he pretends to be a part of. Then he meets the femme fatale of the film, Marla Singer. She too is feeding off the emotional release from the support groups which leads to the first conflict of the film. On a flight back from a business trip the narrator befriends Tyler Durden, a physically fit soap salesman played by Brad Pitt. This is the point where you realize that for the first thirty minutes of the film random flashes of a tall blonde man appear on the screen for le ss than a second. Foreshadowing his importance, if someone is quick enough to catch a good enough glance of these flashes they will recognize that it is Tyler Durden, and so the plot thickens. Tyler Durden is what some people would consider a muscle head, but he has much too many ideas for those stereotypes t... ...sumed he has gone through the required change most protagonists go through in narratives. With characters, plots and tones that throw the viewer through more loops than a roller coaster, Fight Club explores several of the narrative elements with many twists, turns, and plot devices that leave the mind pondering for days after viewing the film. Wrought with symbolism and the powerful themes of anti-consumerism and breaking down the walls we put around ourselves, there are several lessons to be taken from watching this film. Works Cited Barsam, Richard., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010. Print. Fight Club. Dir. David Fincher. Perf. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. 1999. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2000. DVD. "Fight Club." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 05 May 2012. .

Macbook Air About Essay

MacBook Air is unbelievably thin and light. But it’s designed to be powerful, capable, durable, and enjoyable to use, with enough battery life to get you through the day. That’s the difference between a notebook that’s simply thin and light and one that’s so much more. Even at less than an inch thin, MacBook Air sets a pretty high standard — by making flash storage standard. Flash chips are very compact, allowing MacBook Air to be incredibly thin and light. Flash is also solid state, meaning there are no moving parts. Which makes it reliable, durable, and quiet. And it takes up much less space — about 90 percent less, in fact. That creates room for other important things, like a bigger battery. So you have a notebook that weighs almost nothing and runs for hours on a single charge. That’s mobility mastered. Multi-Touch technology is part of practically every Apple product. It’s the best and most personal way to interact with your devices. And the optimal way to experience Multi-Touch on a notebook is through a trackpad. That’s precisely the case with MacBook Air. The trackpad’s spacious, all-glass surface doesn’t have a button because the whole thing is the button. And with Multi-Touch gestures in OS X Mountain Lion, you can interact with MacBook Air in ways that feel more intuitive and responsive than ever before. Anyone can try to make a notebook that’s thin and light. Success comes in doing it without cutting corners. That’s why MacBook Air features a full-size keyboard, not a condensed version of what you’re used to. When you type on the MacBook Air, it’s just as comfortable as typing on a desktop keyboard. And the keyboard is backlit, so you can type comfortably even in low-light conditions. A built-in sensor detects changes in the ambient lighting and adjusts the keyboard and display brightness automatically, giving you the perfect illumination in any environment. If you looked inside MacBook Air, you’d see something remarkable: how much space we devoted to the battery. That’s thanks to smaller components such as flash storage. And when the goal is to design the perfect notebook for everyday use, giving priority to the battery just makes sense. With MacBook Air, you can get up to 5 hours of battery life on the 11-inch model and up to 7 hours on the 13-inch model. Put MacBook Air to sleep for more than an hour, and it enters what’s called standby mode. That means you can come back to MacBook Air a day, a week — even up to an entire month — later, and it wakes in an instant. Time is on your side, courtesy of MacBook Air. MacBook Air features a unibody design for both the main enclosure and the display. Unibody construction means a higher-precision, less complex design with fewer parts. And that translates to a notebook that’s exceptionally thin and light, yet durable enough to handle the rigors of everyday use.

Overpopulation: The Underlying Cause of Most Environmental Issues Katie Caputo Essay

There are so many environmental issues that are affecting the entire globe today. People often speak of environmental issues as if they have no control over making them better or worse, however, environmentalists feel that many if not all of the environmental problems that we are facing â€Å"are either caused or exacerbated by population growth† (West, 2009). That means that people themselves are the very ones causing harm to the environment. What we do or don’t do about the issue of overpopulation will determine the very fate of the environment in the future. This presents the need for ethical decision making. Global environmental problems are ethical problems† (Brown, 2009). Each and every person has a moral and ethical responsibility toward the environment, the problem is that people often ignore that responsibility, especially when it presents other ethical dilemmas. Defining Ethics To begin, I would like to define ethics. A definition taken from the National Academy of Engineering states â€Å"ethics is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible, obligatory or permissible, praiseworthy or blameworthy† (2006). So what does ethics have to do with overpopulation and other environmental issues? If we know that overpopulation is the direct cause of many of the environmental issues that are affecting the entire globe, ethically, it is our responsibility as humans to come up with a solution to the problem. Population Growth â€Å"Over-population is the term that refers to a condition by which the population density enlarges to a limit that provokes the environmental deterioration, a remarkable decline in the quality of life or a population collapse† (Biology Cabinet Organization, 2003). In around 1963, the global rate of human population growth peaked, but the number of people living on Earth has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over 6. 6 billion today (West, 2009). Every year, more than 81 million people add to the world-wide population. Every 10 years almost one billion inhabitants are added to the world’s population (BCO, 2006). By the year 2050, the human population is expected to exceed nine billion (West, 2009). What affect does this have on the environment? Effects of Over-population Global Warming Global warming is considered to be one of the top environmental issues today. Scientists have determined that it is mostly human activities that are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that would normally exit into outer space. Many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the â€Å"greenhouse effect† that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, but it is human use of fossil fuels that cause the excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere (West, 2009). Deforestation Deforestation is another environmental issue and is a significant source of greenhouse gases because fewer trees mean less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen. â€Å"The most important direct causes of deforestation include logging, the conversion of forested lands for agriculture and cattle-raising, urbanization, mining and oil exploitation, acid rain and fire† (World Rain Forest Movement, 1998). Deforestation and forest degradation occurs both in Northern and Southern countries and its underlying causes also originate in both, although with varying degrees of responsibility. Industrialized countries have not only cut down or degraded their own forests in the past; many are still doing so today. This occurs either through large-scale clear-cutting (as in many areas of Canada, the US or Australia) or through the thinning and therefore degradation of forests, reducing them to a few commercially valuable species at the expense of biodiversity (such as in Sweden, France or Finland) (World Rainforest Movement, 1998). The root of the problem is trying to keep up with the demand of the ever-growing population. Biodiversity Biodiversity is defined by the Washington Biodiversity Council as â€Å"the full range of life in all its forms† (2003). Biodiversity loss is largely a result of deforestation. The worldwide rate of extinction of plant and animal species is estimated to be 10,000 times as rapid as it was in prehistoric times, with more than 27,000 species becoming extinct every year. An example of the loss of biodiversity due to overpopulation is seen in the state of Washington. â€Å"Washington is one of the most biologically diverse states in the union. This is due to the state’s diverse topography, its exposure to Pacific Ocean currents and weather patterns, and its location on the migratory path of many wildlife species. † â€Å"Washington, in fact, contains most of the major ecosystem types found in the western United States, including two found nowhere else in the world: the Olympic rainforest and channeled scablands. However, â€Å"since statehood in 1889, Washington has lost an estimated 70 percent of its estuarine wetlands, 50 percent of its riparian habitat, 90 percent of its old-growth forest, and 70 percent of its native shrub-steppe and arid grasslands† (Washington Biodiversity Council, 2003). As the smallest and second most densely populated of the rapidly growing Western states, Washington’s population in 2008 was 6. 5 million according to the U. S. Census Bureau, and is expected to add over 21 percent by the year 2020 (2009). This puts Washington in great danger of losing much of its diversity of plant and animal life within the next few decades. Although scientists are not fully aware of all the consequences of the continual loss of biodiversity, they do know that a diversity of healthy, functioning ecosystems is essential to the environment. Water Shortages As we in water-rich countries take our daily showers, water the lawn or laze about in the pool, it’s easy to forget that fresh water is a life-or-death issue in many parts of the world. Of a population of roughly 6. 1 billion, more than 1 billion lack access to potable water. The World Health Organization says that at any time, up to half of humanity has one of the six main diseases such as: diarrhea, schistosomiasis, or trachoma, or infestation with ascaris, guinea worm, or hookworm which are associated with poor drinking water and inadequate sanitation. About 5 million people die each year from poor drinking water, poor sanitation, or a dirty home environment, often resulting from water shortage (University of Wisconsin, 2001). The water shortages are becoming more and more evident all over the world. For example: â€Å"Mexico City (home to 20 million people) is sinking because the city sucks out underground water faster than the aquifer can be refilled; Florida wants to refill it’s over pumped aquifer with untreated surface water, despite federal regulations to the contrary; Texas is moving toward private, for-profit water sales. The water will be ‘mined’ from aquifers that are disappearing fast. No word on what the private suppliers, including corporate raider T. Boone Pickens, will do once the aquifers run dry. Aquifers around the world are being over tapped for irrigated agriculture, which fills about 40 percent of the global larder; The Bush Administration has withdrawn a proposed tightening of the arsenic standard for drinking water. Critics say the old rule, dating to 1942, could allow thousands of cases of cancer and other diseases. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, what’s been called the ‘largest poisoning of a population in history’ has 35 to 77 million people drinking arsenic-laced water;† and last but not least, â€Å"a showdown is looming over the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which originate in Turkey, then water both Syria and Iraq. If Turkey goes ahead with a series of dams, the downriver nations could starve. There are projections that three billion people, half of today’s population, will be short of water in 2025† (University of Wisconsin, 2001). Some Recommended Solutions for Overpopulation Being that this issue is one of such great importance, we need to be proactive at finding some kind of solution. There have been many different ideas that have been presented to try to get the population under control; however, thus far, most of the ideas have been just that- ideas, with no definite plan of action. Some of the proposed solutions, to name a few, have been: â€Å"making sure people around the world have access to family planning services; empowering women in developing countries economically, socially, and legally in a manner that results in them having an equal say (with their husbands) in reproductive decisions; modifying school curricula to include information on population levels and implications for the future; reforming tax laws in a way that encourages couples to have no more than two children. They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax code would no longer subsidize more than two)† (Jeantheau, 2005). The Need for Ethical Decision-Making People tend to be very opposed to the thought of their freedom being imposed upon, especially when it deals with the amount of children that they can or cannot have. Many people will argue from a religious standpoint that God specifically says in the Bible to multiply and subdue the earth. Some feel that the use of birth control is unethical and against Bible principles. The problem is that people do not want to do anything else about the issues at hand either. For example: If we were still living the way our ancestors did the amount of people living on the earth would not be a problem. Unfortunately, we are polluting the earth with our technology and over consuming our resources. So the argument can also be presented to those against birth control for religious purposes, that the Bible also says that we should not be gluttonous. But again humans tend to want what they want when they want it. Most only keep the Bible principles that suit them. In any case, as in many ethical problems we are faced with a moral dilemma. A moral dilemma is best described as when two or more obligations are in conflict. â€Å"The crucial features of a moral dilemma are these: the agent is required to do each of two (or more) actions; the agent can do each of the actions; but the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions. The agent thus seems condemned to moral failure; no matter what she does, she will do something wrong (or fail to do something that she ought to do)† (McConnell, 2006). When presented with a moral dilemma, we need to decide which obligation is most important and give preference to the more important one. Unfortunately, when contemplating any solution for an issue such as overpopulation, we are going to be faced with moral dilemmas. Now we have to choose the lesser of two evils. Should we practice birth control even though it violates our moral principles or continue to allow the population to grow to numbers that the earth cannot sustain? Should we object to abortion when a woman does not want to have a child? Abortion may violate our own personal beliefs; however, if it is what the woman wants for herself and it will surely decrease the number of people being added to our population, shouldn’t we support that decision? Utilitarians view the best moral decision to be the one that brings about the maximum amount of pleasures and the least amount of suffering. They do not make decisions based on their own self-centeredness, they â€Å"insist that the joys and sorrows of others must be part of the calculation (when making any ethical decision)† (Waller, 2008). So, from the utilitarian standpoint, trying to find an answer to slowing the population growth would not be an intrusion or a violation of one’s rights, it would be welcomed to lessen the amount of suffering that is caused by the issue of overpopulation. In the very near future, we will have no choice but to make some very important decisions as to what we will do about the issues that plague the environment. Again, environmental problems are indeed ethical problems. The only way that things will get better in our environment is if we get the rate of growth of the human population under control. We can no longer ignore the moral and ethical responsibility that we as humans have toward the environment, regardless of the ethical dilemmas that we are presented with.