Johannes Kepler Essay Example for Free

Johannes Kepler Essay Johannes Kepler was born in the midst of an exciting and confusing time for Europe. The continent was entering the Renaissance, a reawakening of thought across the continent. By the time of Keplers birth, the Renaissance had reinvigorated European culture, politics, philosophy, religion, literature, and science. The authority of the Catholic Church was challenged for the first time in centuries by the reformer Martin Luther, who pointed out the wrongs that he felt the Church had committed. Luthers rebellion spurred the Protestant Reformation, in which Luther and his followers freed themselves from the authority of the Church, creating a new sect of Christianity. Kepler, a Protestant, often found himself caught in the midst of the resulting tension between Catholicism and Protestantism. Catholics frequently persecuted him. A similar challenge of scientific authority was also in progress, a radical shift in thought that later became known as the Scientific Revolution. Scientists in all fields were beginning to question the wisdom of the ancient philosophers who had molded their disciplines. They gradually began rely on objective facts and observation and to turn away from the mysticism, religion, and unfounded theorizing that had previously dominated the field. This drastic change in scientific practices and beliefs was most apparent in the field of astronomy. Physics and astronomy had been dominated by the work of Aristotle, a philosopher from the time of ancient Greece, and Ptolemy, an astronomer from the second century A.D. Astronomy was rooted in both philosophy and theology, and it was difficult for scientists to separate their work from that of the mystics or the clergy. Through the work of the four fathers of the astronomical revolution, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton, both the practice of astronomy and mans view of the universe were transformed. Astronomers rejected the Ptolemaic view of the universe that had held court for centuries. They supplanted Ptolemys earth-centered universe with a new sun-centered system. These modern thinkers, far ahead of their time, persevered against the mockery, apathy, and anger of their peers. And eventually, through Newtons synthesis of math, physics, and astronomy, they triumphed. The work of these astronomers shook the world. They denied everything that humans had held certain for centuries. The excitement and confusion that these astronomers left in their wake in is reflected in John Donnes seventeenth century poem An Anatomy of the World – The First Anniversarie. As he wrote, And new Philosophy calls all in doubt. Tis all in pieces, all coherence gone. General Summary Johannes Kepler was born in Germany in 1571, in the middle of the Scientific Revolution. The weak and sickly child was abandoned by his father Heinrich in early childhood. Because his family moved around so much, it took Kepler twice as long as usual to get through elementary school. He eventually graduated, moving on to a theological seminary and then to the University of Tuebingen. At the university, Kepler decided to pursue a graduate degree in theology, but he was soon distracted from that goal. A Protestant school in the Austrian town of Gratz offered him a job as a professor of math and astronomy. Although Kepler believed he had no special skills in those subjects, he took the job. Once there, he turned his attention toward deciphering the mysteries of the universe. Kepler was convinced that God had created a universe with some discernable pattern or structure, and he devoted himself to figuring out what it might be. In 1595 Kepler decided that the planets were spaced as they were because the planetary orbits were arranged around geometric figures: the perfect solids. Perfect solids are three-dimensional figures whose sides are all identical, and Kepler was convinced that God had used these forms to build the universe. He elaborated on this view in his first book, the Mysterium Cosmographicum, or the Cosmic Mystery. Keplers theory was incorrect, but the book was the first major work in support of the Copernican system since Copernicuss death fifty years before. The book was also significant because Kepler was the first major astronomer in centuries to address physical reality, rather than being content with a mere mathematical description of the universe. Kepler could not quite get his data to fit his theory; he needed a source of more accurate data. He found this in Tycho de Brahe, a wealthy Danish astronomer. Tycho was the best observational astronomer of his age, and Kepler decided that only Tychos observations would do. So Kepler traveled to Prague to work in Tychos lab. Tycho, an arrogant, demanding, and unpleasant employer, died after only a year. But Kepler worked for seven more years on the problem he had started on while there: constructing the orbit of Mars. Keplers work on Mars led him to discover his first two planetary laws: that the planets travel in elliptical orbits and that they sweep out equal areas of their orbits in equal times. He published his results in 1609 in the Astronomia Nova, or the New Astronomy, revolutionizing astronomy and greatly simplifying the Copernican system. Kepler was considered one of the top astronomers in Europe–although not because of his published work. Few of his peers recognized the importance of his planetary laws, and few even accepted that they were true. It was difficult for his colleagues to recognize him as a scientist of the modern age, when his work remained mired in the mysticism of the past. The years just before and after the Astronomia Nova were a professional triumph for Kepler – he was well known and well respected. He spent these years researching lenses, as well as astronomy, adding several major contributions to the field of optics. At the same time, his personal life was taking a turn for the worse. In quick succession, Keplers wife and favorite son died, and his patron went insane and abdicated the throne. His new home, Prague, was torn apart by civil war, and his mother was accused of being a witch. Through it all, Kepler continued to work toward his greatest goal: finding a way to explain the structure of the universe. He had been forced to abandon most of his theory of the perfect solids, and needed so mething new to replace it. After years of thought, he came up with a new idea: the theory of universal harmonies. Kepler decided that the planets were spaced around the harmonic ration of another set of geometrical figures. Once again, he believed he had looked directly into the mind of God. Once again, his theory was completely wrong. Butthe pursuit of an incorrect theory led him to a stroke of scientific genius. In 1618, Kepler published the Harmonice Mundi, or the Harmony of the World, in which he explained his new harmonic theory. Keplers third law offered a specific mathematical relationship between the distance of a planets orbit from the sun and the time it took a planet to circle the sun. Kepler thought little of this law, as did his peers, because it made little sense to him at the time. It was only later, when Sir Isaac Newton created the theory of universal gravitation, that the fundamental importance of this law became clear. Kepler continued to publish important works. In 1619, he published Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae, a summary of the Copernican system, adjusted to accommodate Keplers laws. The Copernican system as we now know it is basically the one offered in the Epitome. Then, in 1627, Kepler published the Tabulae Rudolphine, or the Rudolphine Tables, a comprehensive list of astronomical observations, predictions, and explanations, all based on Tychos data and Keplers discoveries. Keplers final publication came a few years after his death. Though filled with scientific explanations, it is not actually a scientific work – instead, it is a science fiction story. Somnium, or Dream, tells the story of a young boys trip to the moon. Much of the story seems to be a thinly veiled autobiography. However, the Somnium was also packed with notes on the scientific ramifications of Keplers discoveries. The accuracy of his prediction of what a lunar journey would be like reveals what remarkable physical intuition he had. Kepler is perhaps the least known of the major figures of the Scientific Revolution. His lack of fame may be due to the fact that he is difficult to classify – he seems less modern than the other scientists of the time, and he relies on mysticism and religion. His scientific contributions are themselves harder to simplify than those of Copernicus or Newton. But while he may be less known than his peers, Kepler is no less important. Physics and astronomy had been separated for two thousand years before Keplers birth. It was an incredible leap for him to put the two together – and in doing so, he paved the way for the Newtonian revolution that was to come. Important People, Terms, and Events People Copernicus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer and clergyman who, in 1543, introduced a new heliocentric system of the universe. In Copernicuss system, the planets revolved on a complex system of epicycles, but they all revolve around the sun. This was a revolutionary idea in the sixteenth century. Everyone was firmly convinced that the earth was motionless at the center of the universe. To imagine that it moved around the sun seemed ridiculous. It took several decades for the Copernican system to become fully accepted by astronomers and the public. Kepler was the first major astronomer to publicly acknowledge his support of it. Tycho de Brahe Tycho de Brahe was a Danish nobleman who made a name for himself in the late sixteenth century as Europes best observational astronomer. He kept a closely guarded collection of astronomical observations, the most accurate astronomical data available at the time. Eager to use Tychos figures to develop his own system, Kepler traveled to Prague to work in Tychos lab. In addition to being a brilliant astronomer, Tycho was also an arrogant and temperamental man. Tycho and Kepler had a love-hate relationship; they respected one another, but each was also jealous of the others achievements and potential. Several times, Kepler fled the lab, only to return full of apologies. When Tycho died, he expressed a hope that Kepler would use his data to develop the Tychonic system of the universe, in which the planets orbited the sun, which orbited the earth. Instead, Kepler applied Tychos observations to the Copernican system, which led him to discover his first two laws. Galileo Galilei Galileo was an Italian astronomer who discovered the moons of Jupiter. Galileo was the first major astronomer to use a telescope to observe the heavens. When these observations yielded findings that the scientific community was reluctant to believe, Kepler lent him public support Galileo later became a symbol of sciences break from religion during the scientific revolution. He was put on trial by the Catholic Church and convicted of heresy for his support of the Copernican system Heinrich Kepler Keplers father, Heinrich, was an itinerant criminal who repeatedly abandoned his family. At one point he owned a tavern, at another, he was nearly hanged for an alleged crime. One of Keplers younger brothers was forced to run away from home when Heinrich threatened to sell him. Heinrich left for good in 1588 – he was not missed. Katherine Kepler Katherine Kepler, Keplers mother, was born Katherine Guldenmann. She was the daughter of an innkeeper and the niece of a woman who had been burned at the stake as a witch. Kepler later described her as a petty, angry, quarrelsome woman. She came back into Keplers life in 1615, when her fellow villagers accused her of being a witch. Kepler was quick to come to her defense. After five years of argument and negotiation, Katherine was interrogated under threat of torture. When she continued to deny being a witch, she was finally released. She was driven from her town and died six months later. Michael Maestlin Michael Maestlin was Keplers most influential teacher at the University of Tuebingen. Maestlin was the first to teach Kepler about the Copernican system. In the classroom, Maestlin was a strong supporter of the Copernican system, but on paper, he continued to propound the Ptolemaic system. Kepler turned to Maestlin for help and advice throughout his life, but Maestlin seems to have grown tired of his troublesome student. He often ignored Keplers letters for years at a time. Barbara Muehleck Kepler married Barbara Muehleck in 1597. It was a marriage of convenience, not love. Keplers friends had decided it was time for him to marry and had chosen Barbara as a good mate; Kepler acquiesced. They were married for fourteen years and had four children. Barbara died in 1611 of the Hungarian fever. Susanna Pettinger Two years after his first wife died, Kepler married the 24-year-old Susanna Pettinger. They had eleven children together and Kepler had nothing negative to say about her in later life – a ringing endorsement considering the way he described most of his family members. Ptolemy Ptolemy, an astronomer from the second century A.D., formulated a system of the universe that lasted for over one thousand years after his death. His system placed the earth at the center of the universe, with the planets and the stars revolving around it. Ptolemy insisted that the planets in his system moved with uniform circular motion. Because this is not actually how the planets move, he was forced to introduce the following mathematical devices. The deferent is the main circle around which each planet orbits the earth. An epicycle is a smaller circle around which the planet orbits the deferent. Finally, the equant is an imaginary point in the exact center of the planetary orbits. Ptolemys system was so complex that, by the time of Copernicus, it contained somewhere between forty and eighty epicycles. Terms Astronomia Nova  · The Astronomia Nova, or the New Astronomy was Keplers masterpiece. Published in 1609, it was the result of over eight years of work. Kepler spent those years trying to work out the shape of the orbit of Mars. Using Tychos data about the motion of the planets, Kepler was finally able to determine the shape of the orbit more accurately than anyone who had come before him. This resulted in the formation of his first two laws, which were published in the Astronomia Nova. Geocentric  · A geocentric system is one in which the earth is at the center of the universe. For thousands of years, scientists, philosophers, and theologians believed that the universe was geocentric. They were unwilling to believe Copernicus when he challenged that assumption. Harmonice Mundi  · The Harmonice Mundi, or Harmony of the World was the culmination of Keplers life-long study of the structure of the universe. Published in 1618, it described a system in which the spacing between th e planets was determined by universal harmonies. The theory was wrong, but the book is nonetheless important, as it marks the first appearance of Keplers third law. Heliocentric  · A heliocentric system is one in which the sun is at the center of the universe. The system that Copernicus introduced was a heliocentric system. This was not a completely original idea – some of the philosophers of ancient Greece had imagined that the universe might be constructed in this way. However, the dominant view had always been that the universe was geocentric, so Copernicuss claims were a shock to the European system. Keplers Three Laws  · Kepler is best known today for his contribution of the three planetary laws, which were instrumental in Newtons later development of his theory of universal gravitation. They are as follows: 1. The planets travel around the sun in elliptical orbits with the sun located at one focus. 2. As the planets travel around their orbits, they sweep out the same amount of area per unit of time, no matter where they are on the orbit. 3. The distance a planets orbit is from the sun, cubed, is directly proportional to the time it takes the planet to travel around the orbit, squared. Mathematically, this can be stated as a 3/p 2 = K where a is the distance a planets orbit is from the sun, p is the period, the time it takes for a planet to revolve around the sun once, and K is a constant. Mysterium Cosmographicum  · Published in 1597, the Mysterium Cosmographicum, or Mysteries of the Cosmos, was Keplers first major work. It described his theory of the perfect solids, which, although he never fully admitted it, was completely wrong. More importantly, the Mysterium was Keplers first step to rejoining physics and astronomy, as he grasped for physical explanation for the structure of the universe. He was the first astronomer in centuries to do so. It is in the Mysterium that Kepler first proposes that the sun be moved to the exact, physical center of the universe, and that a force from the sun is responsible for moving the planets around their orbits. The Mysterium was also the major work in fifty years to support the Copernican system. Perfect solid  · A perfect solid a three dimensional figure, such as a cube, whose sides are all identical. There are only five perfect solids: the tetrahedron (which has four triangular sides), cube (six square sides), octahedron (eight triangular sides), dodecahedron (twelve pentagonal sides), and icosahedron (twenty triangular sides). Each perfect solid can be inscribed in and circumscribed around a sphere. In the beginning of his career, Kepler believed that the planetary orbits could all be inscribed in one of the perfect solids. Growing Up Johannes Kepler was born on December 27, 1571, in the small German town of Weil- der-Stadt. He was born at the tail end of the European Renaissance, an age of intellectual, religious, cultural, and scientific transformation. But Keplers own early childhood showed no such signs of enlightenment. The young Kepler was trapped in his own period of personal depression and darkness. The Kepler family tree had distinguished roots – his arrogant grandfather Sebaldus Kepler had even served as town mayor. But by the time Kepler came on the scene, the family had fallen into a state of disrepair, filled with tormented personalities, hot tempers, invalids, and criminals. Sebaldus and his wife, Katherine Mueller, had twelve children. Heinrich, Keplers father, was the oldest surviving child; three others had died in infancy. When he was twenty-four years old, Heinrich married Katherine Guldenmann – Johannes was their first child. Katherine had a slightly less auspicious pedigree than Heinrich. She was an innkeepers daughter whose aunt had been accused of being a witch and had been burned at the stake. Heinrich was a restless husband who abandoned his family often. When Kepler was only three, Heinrich left to fight the Protestant armies in the Netherlands. This was a public embarrassment for the Keplers – one of many that Heinrich would cause – since the Kepler family itself was solidly Protestant. Heinrich came and left frequently through Keplers youth. At one point, he was accused of a crime and almost hanged. After briefly running a tavern, the itinerant Heinrich abandoned the family for good in 1588. Johannes Kepler had six brothers and sisters, three of whom died in childhood. Of the remaining three, two grew up to be normal, law-abiding citizens. The last one, Heinrich, was an epileptic who was always either sick or in trouble. He eventually ran away from home after Heinrich Sr. threatened to sell him. Historians have an incredibly detailed sketch of Keplers childhood, thanks, in large part, to the scientist himself. At the age of twenty-six, Kepler drafted a horoscope of his entire family. He also spent a fair amount of time analyzing his own personality. Kepler recorded everything, including the time of his conception (May 16, 1571), the length of his mothers pregnancy (224 days, nine hours, and fifty-three minutes), and his own opinions of each member of his family. The image we are left with is not a pretty one. Grandfather Sebaldus was remarkably arrogantshort tempered and obstinate and Grandmother Katherine was restless, clever, and lyingan inveterate troublemaker, extreme in her hatred, a bearer of grudges Mother Katherine is described as small, thin, swarthy, gossiping, and quarrelsome. But it is Keplers father who bears the brunt of Keplers familial criticisms. In Keplers autobiographical study, Heinrich appears as a man vicious, inflexible, quarrelsome, and doomed to a bad end. Kepler spares no one in his autobiography, least of all himself. He portrays himself as a sickly child, weak in health and personality, always picked on by other children. He describes a miserable childhood filled with illness, injury, and skin disorders. His chronological listing of events from his early days reveals that Kepler was not one to look on the bright side – the list is a recital of moments of suffering and weakness. In 1575, Kepler almost died of smallpox; in 1585, he suffered from a series of sores, wounds, and skin problems. The litany of complaints breaks for only a few events, including the sighting of a comet in 1577 and, a few years later, a sighting of a lunar eclipse. As these astronomical events marked a few bright moments in a childhood of darkness, astronomy itself would soon illuminate Keplers troubled adult life.

The Physical Discipline Of Children

The Physical Discipline Of Children To raise a child of any age comes with many difficulties for caregivers. Most parents strive towards raising children that are responsible, independent and respectable. There are a few schools of thought to disciplining children. One may be to apply discipline by teaching and the other to physically discipline a child as a means to correcting inappropriate behaviors. The Encarta Concise English dictionary defines discipline as To teach somebody to obey rules or to behave in an ordered or controlled way (Discipline, 2001, p. 409). Physical discipline is based on the use of fear as the motivator to changing a childs behavior. Behaviors that do not result in significant physical injury (i.e. spank, slap) are considered corporal punishment, whereas behaviors that risk injury (i.e. punching, kicking, burning) are considered physical abuse (Gershoff, 2002) Parents who use either form of physical discipline with children need to understand the damaging effects it can have on a childs emotio nal, moral and social development. Emotional Development A childs self esteem is developed through caregivers offering encouragement, acknowledgement and nurturing their range of emotions. Recognition of emotion is particularly important because it represents the early utilization of social cues on which childrens subsequent interpretation and behavioral responses will depend. (Cicchetti, Hormung, Pollak, Reed, 2000, p. 680) Using physical discipline as the motivator for altering a childs behavior affects their emotional stability. Being slapped or spanked is a frightening and threatening event that arouses strong negative emotions such as humiliation, sadness, and anger.(Straus, 2005, p.145) The use of punitive measures is in direct opposition to what disciplining is meant to achieve and may affect a childs development. They may be slow to reach milestones in social and physical development. (Crosson-Tower, 2004, p.191) Physical discipline affects the childs feelings of acceptance and they tend to respond with destructive impulses, rathe r than positive responses. Children and adults reared in abuse have had their senses trained in such a way that to use them for receiving or transmitting positive messages is not part of their communications system. (Helfer, 1980, p.38) Parents and caregivers need to help the child develop self confidence, self reliance and self discipline. Children who recognize self efficacy by being offered simple choices begin to develop moral insight. Moral Development Discipline, whether positive or negative, develops a childs perception of themselves and defines their moral understanding of how they should behave. A child who learns hitting is acceptable may be confused, because in many other areas of their life; school, daycare and recreational activities, hitting is unacceptable. It is in direct contradiction to what they learn at home which in turn becomes a value. In addition, children exposed to physical discipline are more susceptible to becoming abusers themselves (Newman, 1993). Parents who are not armed with the proper parenting tools become frustrated and angry about controlling their childrens behavior. Straus (2005) says, spanking has roots in two cultural myths; one, spanking is okay if done by a loving parent and two, spanking will work if all other methods of discipline fail (p. 140-141). Parents who understand their childrens ability to internalize all discipline measures, also realize they are developing their childrens values. C hildrens internalization of morals is thought to be enhanced by parental discipline strategies that use, minimal parental power, promote choice and autonomy and provide explanations for desirable behaviors (Gershoff, 2002, p. 1) The short term consequences of physical discipline will undermine the childs developing moral understanding and further debilitates their social development. Social Development The expression of abuse with a physically disciplined child becomes apparent when their interaction reveals itself by their behavior with other children. A child who is physically disciplined at home is traumatized. A study conducted by Marin Beezly (1977) suggests that children were more alert to their environment and cautious of peripheral danger around them (p. 375). Therefore, the resulting animosity that has built up is misdirected to whomever the child comes into contact with outside of the home which is usually learning centers such as schools. In a research study conducted by Eckenroder, Doris Laird (1993) reportings on pre-school children demonstrated that children who have been physically disciplined showed aggressiveness and were more likely to be disciplined from teachers than children who have not been mistreated (p.54). Children who are unable to cope with their pent-up aggression react in a negative way in the school environment. For the abused child, the lack of soc ial responsiveness becomes more striking. (Tower, 2002, p. 49) The physically disciplined child who matures and enters high school with multiple disturbed behaviors reveals other social and psychological impairments. Insecure attachments to their mothers, lower intelligence scores, impaired language development, lower levels of cognitive maturity and effectance motivation, more negative affect and less positive effect, less pro-social behavior, and more aggressive and non-compliant behavior. (Eckenroder, Doris and Laird. 1993. p.57). Therefore, the initial bond between child and parent is vital in the development of the child. A strong child-to-parent bond is important because children are more likely to accept parental restrictions and follow parental standards if there is a bond of affection with the parent. (Straus, 2005, p. 146). If the trust is diminished from their primary source, namely the communication between parent and child, the bond and relationship is strained. Thus, a childs friendship with other children, siblings and even family members are greatly affected which causes anxiety with the child. Conclusion In summation, the raising of children presents many challenges for caregivers. The goal of raising children to be responsible, independent and respectable individuals is an arduous task. In the teaching method of disciplining, a goal is to strengthen self discipline and personal control so that caregivers relieve themselves of parenting by the time the offspring leaves home. To reach these goals, parents must make sure their children learn the skills involved in problem solving and making decisions. Conversely, correcting inappropriate behaviors by physically disciplining children have long term consequences which will greatly hinder the childs development as they mature. The short term results of physical discipline on a childs development manifests long term effects, characterized by low self esteem coupled with morals which contradict the values of society. Annotated Bibliography Beezly, P., Harold Martin, P. (1997, June). Behavioural observations of abused children. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 19, 373-387. Retrieved from http://ibs.colorado.edu/cspv/infohouse/violit/violitDetails.php?recordnumber=3191vio_nam=violit A behavioural observation of abused children is an article derived from Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, written by Patricia Beezly and Harold Martin. The article focus on how childrens development is directly affected by being physically disciplined by their parents or caregivers. The authors appear to support the claim that children should not be physically discipline by using case studies and statistics. Cicchetti, D., Hormung, K., Pollak, S. D., Reed, A. (2000). Recognizing emotion in faces: Developmental effects of child abuse and neglect. Developmental Psychology, 36(5), 677-688. Retrieved from http://psych.wisc.edu/pollak/pdfs/recognizing_emotion_faces_devpsych.pdf. This article is a study by Cicchetti, Hormung, Pollak and Reed with the hypothesis being the lack of recognizing certain emotions as a direct correlation to physical discipline. Utilizing social cues and how the child interprets and responds to them is important for their development and further predicates the childs familiarity of negative environments. The writer understands the premise however the stats seemed weak in respects to differentiating between normal treated children and physically disciplined children, yet clearly neglected children showed the least responsiveness to the tests. Nevertheless, the outcome supports the paper in regards to physical discipline affecting the physicality of children to their reaction of emotions. Crosson-Tower, C., (2004). Exploring child welfare: A Practice Perspective. Pearson Education, Inc. Cynthia Crosson-Tower, examines the protection of children in chapter 7 titled Protecting Children When Families Cannot-Child Abuse and Neglect. Her premise, non accidental injury inflicted on a child defines the quintessential meaning of physical abuse to children. In reference to the paper, the writer needed to support the argument of physical discipline being detrimental to the development of childhood milestones. Discipline. (2001). Encarta concise english dictionary. London. The definition of the word Discipline was found in the Encarta Concise English Dictionary. The relevance of the term being added to the research paper is so the reader has an accurate meaning of the conveyed idea. Eckenroder, J., Doris, J., Laird, M. (1993). School performances and disciplinary problems Among abused and neglected children. Development Psychology, 29(1), 53-62. Retrieved from http:// http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00121649. Eckenroder, Laird and Doris ascertained data from a school and examined stats from kindergarten to grade 12 in their study. The study, for instance revealed the personalities of pre-schoolers as aggressive and requiring more attention from the teachers. The writer found the study helpful to the paper in supporting that physical discipline is exposed upon contact with learning centers such as daycares and schools. Gershoff, E. T. ( 2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associated behaviors and Experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 128 (4), 539-579. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.128.4.539 This review paper by Gershoff anticipates the use of physical discipline or corporal punishment as detrimental to child behaviors and experiences as relative to pain. The review was helpful in defining how the study differentiated between corporal punishment and physical abuse, yet the bias was supported by Gershoffs findings. Kemp, C.H. Helfer, R.E. (Eds.) (1980). The Battered Child (3rd. Ed.). Chicago:University of Chicago Press. In chapter 3 titled Developmental Deficits Which Limit Interpersonal Skills, of the text The Battered Child, Ray Helfer explores how senses vital to our development can be affected by abuse. Senses are developed by the childs environment and when these external forces are not positive and safe the child suppresses and mutes their own development. Helfers focal points on interpersonal skills such as delayed gratification, responsibility, decision making, problem solving, trusting others, feelings and action are affected by childhood deficits. Newman, F. (1993). Children in Crisis. Scholastic Canada. Children in Crisis, is a book written by Fran Newman. It covers topics on different types of child abuse, precipitating factors to the events leading to abuse and the impact on family dynamics. This book was somewhat helpful, although the focus appeared to be more on family structure and values, rather than how child abuse directly affects a childs self esteem and other developmental stages. Straus, M.A. (2005). Children should never, ever, be spanked no matter what the circumstances. In D. R. Loseke, R. J. Gelles M. M Cavanaugh (Eds.), Current Controversies about Family Violence (2nd ed., 137-157). Thousand Oak, CA: Sage. Retrieved from http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/CP67%20Children%20Should%20Never%20be%20Spanked.pdf This article written by Murray Straus was located through Google Scholars search engine. The author presented relevant and accurate information on the topic of child development and the ineffectiveness of physical discipline on children. Although the article was interesting, the use of language and vocabulary may present an entry level university student with great difficulty when attempting to read and retain the information. Tower, C. (2002). Understanding child abuse and neglect. ( 5th ed.). Boston, MA: USA Cynthia Crosson-Towers in chapter 3 Maltreatment and the Developing Child, studies early childhood development. Infants that have not had the stimuli of care do not reach the required milestones outlined for that age. Milestones, as a standard measurement for development has shown that it is vital that children reach each phase and move onto the next phase for proper development. The material covered in the text was succinct and clear for the understanding of childhood development.

Measuring Photosynthetic Activity In Plants

Measuring Photosynthetic Activity In Plants Photosynthesis is a process in which plants obtain food by converting light energy into glucose. Photosynthesis occurs in all plants and is essential to humans because it creates an Oxygen rich atmosphere. As Frank James states, in his book Photosynthesis in Plants that even the modern developments are still heavily dependant on plants that undergo photosynthesis. Things such as medicine, clothes, Furniture etc all come from plants so thats why I believe, plants are key players in transforming us from the stone age to the modern 20th century and the reason why they still are used for Modern development( Frank 1) Photosynthesis doesnt only occur in day light but, it also happens at night. As Anne Helmenstine states that in Photosynthesis there are two types of reaction: the reactions that require light are called light dependant reactions. In this reaction light is captured from the suns rays to make a molecules called ATP. On the other hand there are those reactions which dont require light to function these reactions are called the dark reactions(Calvin cycle). They occur at night- time and their role is to use the used ATP which was made during the light reaction and convert into glucose. (Helmenstine 4) One way to measure Photosynthetic activity in plants is that you can measure the starch production. Darrell Vodopich states in his book Biology Lab Manuel that the Sugars(Glucose) which is the end product created by the photosynthesis reaction are often stored as starch. Therefore we can clearly see that the starch production found in the leaves indirectly measures photosynthetic activity in plants.(Vodopich 143) My hypothesis based on my lab experiment on Photosynthesis : Out of the geranium leaf, variegated or purple coleus leaf; the plants kept in dark will exhibit a lesser amount of starch production then the plants which were exposed to light as a result of photosynthesis. I used the Lugols test for my hypothesis and test its validity the iodine test basically uses iodine to indicate the presence of starches by producing a bluish black color (Vodopich 58). Materials and Methods Procedure 13.6 In this Procedure the main objective was to qualitatively observe the starch production of the Geranium leaf. We first took the Geranium leaf and dipped it in the boiling water for a minute. Then we took the same leaf and again boiled it but this time it was with methanol and we let the leaf sit for about 3-5 minutes. After that we placed the leaf onto the Petri dish and stained the leaf with iodine to reveal the indication of the starch production (Vodopich 144). The Color of the leaf was green when it was boiled with the water alone, then after the leaf changed to a pale white color stripped of its green pigment. After we stained the leaf with Iodine we saw a yellowish/white color along with purple where the veins were located. Procedure 13.7 In this Procedure the main objective was to find the condition of light for the photosynthesis process. In this procedure  ½ of the geranium leaf was covered completely with a foil or paper for 3-4 days before being operated upon in the lab. Then we placed the leaf into the boiling water and let it sit there for a minute before putting it into another boiler containing methanol for about 3-5 minutes. After that we placed the leaf onto the Petri dish and stained the leaf to show the starch production (Vodopich 146). Just like 13.6 the color of the leaf was green when it came out of the boiling water and after wards when the leaf from removed from the boiling methanol its green pigmentation was stripped leaving a pale white color behind. Then after we stained the leaf with the iodine we saw more purple spots on the side which was exposed to light then the other darker  ½ of the leaf which contained little to no spots of purple which indicated the starches production. Procedure 13.8 In this procedure the main objective was the find the requirements necessary for chlorophyll for the photosynthesis process. First we had to obtain a variegated coleus leaf and a purple coleus leaf; both were kept in areas exposed to light prior to the start of the experiment, unlike procedure 13.7. Then we extract the pigments in the leaves by first putting both the leaf in the boiling water for a minute. Then we placed the two leaves in another boiler containing methanol for about 3-5 minutes. After that we place both the leaves onto a Petri dish and we stain them with iodine.(Vodopich 146). We saw both the leaves exhibited different properties after undergoing the methanol boiling phase. The variegated leaf had a green color with white spots and the purple leaf had green color and areas of brown. After that when the 2 leaves were stained with iodine we saw that the variegated leaf had white edges and a purple sections in the middle of the leaf whereas in the purple leaf there were several dark purple big spots on the leaf instead of a distinctive isolated area where the starch production takes place. One of the trends found in this table is that during the beginning phase when the leaves are boiled in water alone they retain their color pigmentation but during the second phase when the same leaves are boiled in methanol their green pigment is almost entirely stripped leaving behind a fine pale white/ greenish color. Another trend which is also found from the table is that the geranium leaf kept in conditions with light has more Staining Intensity( Starch Production) in contrast to the Geranium leaf kept in the dark. Discussions The trend that the Starches production is higher in leaves that were already had pre existing condition of being exposed to light where as compared to leaf being half exposed to light environment and the other half covered or in dark environment. Plants who are exposed to light are more likely to produce starch as a result of photosynthesis rather than plants which are kept in the dark. As Vodopich mentions in his Biology Manuel that the end product (glucose) of the photosynthesis process is stored as substances called starches. So there fore the starch production is an indirect measure of photosynthesis and vice versa. Also in photosynthesis we need some kind of a light source so therefore we can predict that if an environment has no light it will halt the photosynthesis production and if that happens then we wont be able to makes sugars in the form of starch and get a lack of starch production (Vodopich 143). Some of the things I expected was for the leaf to keep its green color throughout the experiment and I expected the  ½ exposed/ unexposed leaf to show a distinct pattern in starch production but instead the results showed no such clear distinction in the leaf and also the green color also didnt last after the leaves went under the process of being boiled in methanol. For future investigation I would suggest doing an experiment with more types of leaves for a better accuracy in results. I would also suggest finding the wave length spectrum of t he leaves and how much their absorbances are to see if whether the absorbance spectrums of the leaves correlate with the amount of photo synthesis thus indirectly measuring starch production. Also I would try going outside in the morning and at night and do the procedure mentioned in 13.6 13.8 to see is there is any difference in starch production. Also I would try experimenting the leaves under different light rather than the standard sun light and compare the amount of starch production between the two different wavelengths of light. Source Citations Brooker, Robert, Eric Widmaier, Linda Graham, and Peter Stiling. Biology. Eighth Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hills Companies Inc, 2008. 0-1299. Print Franck, James and Loomis,W. Earl. (1949). Photosynthesis in plants. Ames: Iowa State College Press. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, and Ph.D.. Photosynthesis Study Guide. Chemistry Periodic Table, Chemistry Projects, and Chemistry Homework Help. The New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. Vodopich, Darrell, Randy Moore, and. Biology Laboratory Manuel. Eighth Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hills Companies Inc, 2008. 0-567. Print.

Html and How it Works :: Essays Papers

Html and How it Works There are almost 300,000 Aborigines in Australia. About 34,500 live in Sydney. There is debate about when Aborigines migrated to Australia from Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian archipelago. There is evidence of occupation about 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. The earliest archaeological evidence of Aboriginal occupation of the Sydney area is 15,000 years ago at Emu Plains in Sydney's west. Captain Cook guessed that the population of Aborigines for all of Australia would have been about 150,000. Recent estimates are that the Aboriginal population was about 750,000 in 1788. Governor Phillip guessed that there were no more that 1500 Aborigines living in the Sydney area. The first official census of Aborigines did not take place until 1971. Aboriginal people throughout the Sydney area identified themselves more strongly as members of smaller clans or bands. There were an estimated 29 different bands liming in the Sydney area, and between seven and eleven based near the shares of Sydney Harbour and the nearby coast. Each band had approximately fifty members. The general collection of beliefs is known as the Dreaming. The Dreaming not only explains the past and how the present came to be, but also prescribes codes of conduct for important events. When Arthur Phillip was given his instructions from the British government before the First Fleet sailed, he was not instructed to negotiate or enter into treaties with the Aborigines for the use of purchase of land. To Europeans, possession or title to land depended on working or cultivating it. Cook had observed on his journey on the Endeavour that Aborigines did not work or improve the land, so that it was terra nullius, and therefore able to be claimed by the British government. The official instructions from the King, however, ordered Phillip to treat the Aborigines in a conciliatory fashion and that any wrongdoing towards them was to be punished. The critical difference between European and Aboriginal notions of land possession and ownership was that, for the Aborigines, there was no conception of the right of an individual to hold property to the exclusion of everyone else. For the colonists, there was no conception of anything else. Aborigines were closely connected to the land, but in a wider and more collective sense, not in the personal legalistic manner land was possessed in European society. From the outset, the stage was set for a fundamental and irreconcilable clash between cultures, which would soon impoverish the lives of Australia's indigenous people.

Eastern Airlines Facing Bankruptcy :: essays research papers

Eastern Airlines Facing Bankruptcy In 1986, Eastern Airlines was in desparate trouble. The fourth quarter of 1985 had shown a $67.4 million loss, and financially experts had told Frank Borman, president and chief executive officer, that the airline had three choices: 1) a 20 percent pay cut for all union and noncontract employees. 2) Filing for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy) or 3) Selling the airline. On February 23, 1986, Eastern's board of directors met to decide the fate of the company. Frank Borman, quickly left his home in Coral Gables to Building 16 at Miami International Airport that Sunday evening, to discuss plans on saving the airlines. The board of directors had recessed for dinner following afternoon session and was scheduled to convene at 7:30 p.m. At the earlier meeting, Wayne Yeoman, senior vice president for finance, had spent most of the time outlining the details of Texas Air's offer to buy Eastern. Frank Lorenzo and Frank Borman had been talking since December originally about consolidating the computerized reservation systems, then , as Eastern's problems deepen, about a possible sale. As Frank entered his office, he found his his loyal excutive assistant; Wayne Yeoman; and Dick Magurno, Eastern's senior vice president for legal affairs. For about 20 minutes the three discussed the fourthcoming meeting and the prospects for saving the airline. Negotiations were going to come around for ALPA and TWU but no break from the IAM. The IAM would not budge since Charlie Byran, head of the machinist's union, stood firm against a 20 percent wage cut. At 7:30 the board meeting began with the discussion of the Texas Air offer, concentrating on some of the conditions attached to the buying of the company. More talk and hours dragged on. Finally word got out that ALPA was nearing an agreement. The meeting recessed for an hour. During the recess Frank needed to get Charlie's surport on the 20 percent pay cut, otherwise the company was going to sold. He told Charlie to come up to his office. Frank told Charlie, " we've been at this since 83' and you have to recognize it can't go on. I have every reason to believe that the pilots and flight attendants are going to give us what we need. I know it's more difficult for you because your contract is not open. But I know you have a sense of history. We have a very good opportunity to cure this airline, and if you just understand this, in the long run you'll come out a stronger, more admirable person. Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and

“Yi-Yi, a One and a Two” Film Assignment

â€Å"Yi Yi, A One and A Two† is a ?lm that has been talking about three families and their family members’ lives. Interestingly enough, it seems like that family members have been focusing on their own life most of the time through out the movie. Instead of showing closely connected families, the characters in the movie are living their own lives while living under the same roof. One of the examples is that when Min Min decided to move out, she didn’t even talk to NJ about this, and when NJ saw her getting on the bus to the mountains, he didn’t have the attempt to stop her or ask her why.Which is quite unusual to closely connected families. Below are the characters' relationship ?gure and theories applied to explain the events and the relationships I observed in the movie. 1. Bowen’s Family Systems a. Marital Con?ict Xiao-Yian and Adi’s marital con?ict was caused by the presence of Yun-Yun at Xiao-Yian’s party. Yun-Yun’s Adiâ⠂¬â„¢s ex-girlfriend. But it seemed like Xiao-Yian was not playing fair when the three of them were in a love triangle relationship, which worsened the relationship between the girls. Xiao-Yian got pregnant ?rst and kicked Yun-Yun out of the relationship.Since then, both of them had been hostile towards each other. Thus, Yun-Yun’s presence at XiaoYian’s party was de?nitely not something Xiao-Yian would want to see. Which caused Xiao-Yian and Adi’s marital con?ict. Min Min and NJ’s marital con?ict, on the other hand, was caused by grandma’s sudden illness. Min Min felt that all the burdens were on her, and she could not ?nd a way out of the routine work, which made her felt lost and hopeless in her life, eventually she could not take it anymore. But NJ was not doing anything before Min Min shouted all these out.However, it was all too late, Min Min decided to leave instead of staying and face all the complicated troubles. NTU B00610017 Joanne Lin-Ju ng Chiu b. Triangles /Emotional Distance / Emotional Cutoff There exists an emotional distance between Lily and her mother. Lily’s mother had been busy doing her job and spending lots and lots of time with her new boyfriend. And apparently, Lily’s not happy with her mother’s new boyfriend. Upon feeling neglected and feeling like an outsider, Lily acted like an outsider. Thus caused an emotional distance between Lily and her mother.As the distance kept growing and growing, Lily started to form an emotional cutoff between she and her mother. Instead of repairing the relationship with her mother, she started to rely on her new-formed relationships with Fatty and the other new boyfriend. 2. Brofenbrenner’s Family in Human Development a. Mesosystem Models To both Yang Yang and Ting Ting, they have their school and peer groups as the mesosystems. Take Yang Yang for example, his experience at school (bullied by the girls and humiliated by the teacher) did actual ly affect his behavior at home (i. . sad expression).However, Ting Ting’s mesosystem didn’t seem as much affecting to her life and behavior as Yang Yang’s in the movie. b. Exosystem Models Min Min and NJ both have their world of work and the neighbors as their exosystems. Min Min’s colleagues told her to go to the mountains so that she can escape from the dull life she had. Her colleagues was some sort of emotional support at the time. Also, the neighbors discussed with Min Min about the new neighbor’s private life.The neighbors were another emotional support and practical support when grandma fell ill. NJ met Ota at work, who led him to think deeply into life and human’s fear. This also gave him some support when NJ was facing his ex-lover and his current family. c. Chronosystem Models There are several transitions that can be found in the ?lm: Normative: Xiao-Yian and Adi’s marriage was obviously a normative transition. They got mar ried, shared their lives together. Ting Ting’s got a new boyfriend (though it only last for a very short time) indeed was a normative transition.But it seemed more like a normative transition to her own instead of to the whole family in the movie, the others weren’t aware of Ting Ting’s romantic relationship. NTU B00610017 Joanne Lin-Jung Chiu Non-normative: Grandma’s coma was a non-normative transition, which made Ting Ting felt worried and guilty, made Min Min stressed and helpless and made the family fell out of balance and soon fell apart. Min Min’s moving into the mountains was another non-normative transition. Min Min has always been the one whose been making a lot of effort to keep the family functioning.However, when grandma fell ill, the stress, fear and anxiety that fell upon her was far beyond the amount that she could handle. And thus she listened to her colleague’s advice and moved into the mountains. After she moved into the mo untains, the family looked unaffected because most of them were focusing on their own life. But, that was just how it seemed, the family was actually falling apart (not physically, emotionally instead). 3. Mating Preferences Women exhibit a stronger preference to the men with more ambition, social status, ?nancial wealth and desire for children and a commitment to family.That’s why Adi kept boasting how much money he has or earned, broadcasting what his ambition in work was and saying what he’s been doing at work made him a socially dominant man through out the entire ?lm, he wanted to be popular among women. On the other hand, men exhibit a stronger preference to the women with more features of youthfulness, health, physical attractiveness and attributes that indicates reproductive potential. This explains why Lily and Ting Ting both wore shorter skirts and shorts when dating with a guy —– that showed more youthfulness and are probably physically more at tractive to men.And this also explains why Adi chose Xiao-Yian over Yun Yun, Xiao-Yian was apparently more youthful and physically attractive than Yun Yun. 4. 9 Constraining Beliefs about Mate Selection (Larson, 1992) a. Try Harder Ting Ting fell into this constraining belief when she was trying to convince Fatty to have sex with her in order to show his love to her. Love isn’t something that can be improved only through hard work. b. FInding a New Love Should Be Easy Lily kept dating new boys and dumping the old ones.I think it could be that she did not think ?nding a love is something difficult or serious. However, love isn’t something that can be turned on and off like a switch of the light bulb. NTU B00610017 Joanne Lin-Jung Chiu 5. Marital Processes in Context a. Microcontext: Life stressors & Transitions Adi tried to commit a suicide at home but failed, this traumatic event strengthened marital ties for Xiao-Yian and him. Xiao-Yian and Adi were ?ghting all the ti me for many reasons such as Yun Yun’s presence, Adi’s living habits and money. But after Adi’s attempt to suicide, Xiao-Yian tarted to realize how much she needed him, and thus strengthened their marital ties. Grandma’s death also strengthened Min Min and NJ’s marital ties eventually. Soon after grandma’s gone, Min Min went back home from the mountains and realized how much she needed her family and that life was not as difficult as it seemed like. NJ went back from Japan and learned a lot from Ota. They started to face the events coming to them together. Their marriage ties strengthened, the family was united again emotionally. b. Microcontext: Children Adi and NJ’s children both stabilized their marriage.NJ was struggling between Min Min and his ?rst love Sherry after he met her again at Adi’s wedding banquet after 30 years. Sherry was trying so hard to convince NJ to start a new life with her. But after a second thought, he decided to stay with his family instead of going off with Sherry. I think apart from what he said in the movie (â€Å"I would make the same decision if I have the chance to live twice†), Yang Yang and Ting Ting should be one of the main reasons why NJ chose to stay. Adi was not over with Yun Yun like what he had said to NJ and Xiao-Yian at all.They still have sexual relationship and ?nancial partnership after they broke up. The main reason why Adi married Xiao-Yian instead of Yun Yun should be XiaoYian’s pregnancy, which is quite obvious. And the newborn baby became a strong bond that ties Adi to Xiao-Yian somehow. Adi took video tapes for the baby and they took the baby with them when they visited NJ, all these showed that because of the baby, Adi began to make more effort in the family and the baby became something that Adi and Xiao-Yian shared. The baby surely stabilized their marriage in some ways. . Parenting Styles The parenting style in Lily’s family coul d be Uninvolved Style. Thus Lily showed moody, impulsive and alienated characteristics. In the movie, Lily’s mother spend most of her time with her boyfriend. Lily’s mother chose to give Lily money and ask her to watch a movie with Ting Ting and spend time with her boyfriend at home instead of going to the movie with her daughter. The parenting style in Ting Ting’s family, however, is more like Authoritative Style. We could see that Yang Yang is a friendly and explorative child, while TingNTU B00610017 Joanne Lin-Jung Chiu Ting is independent and optimistic. NJ always shows an positive attitude towards Yang Yang’s questions and problems. For example, when Yang Yang was asking NJ questions like â€Å"what people see and what people cannot see? †, NJ didn’t show any negative expressions, instead, he answered each questions Yang Yang asked patiently. NJ also taught Yang Yang rules. When Yang Yang was being impolite by staring at the neighbor in sunglasses, NJ told him not to do so and explained why it’s wrong to do that after they got to the parking lot.

Organizational Development: Discussion Questions

Week Five Discussion Questions Deep-level abilities are closely related to job performance. As a manager, how could you use the knowledge that people differ to increase the likelihood an employee will perform his or her job well? What challenges does this pose when managing a diverse workforce? * As a supervisor it is my job to make a peaceful and productive atmosphere. I have many different types of employees that differ from age, knowledge, race and gender.Not all of my employees get along with each other but they each hold their own abilities and skills. I fit the abilities together where they are needed and match the best I can as if their personalities are like Legos. It is a constant tug of war as it never fits exactly. * Employees often see change as threatening. What are some of the sources of resistance to change, and what can you as a manager do to overcome that resistance? * There are numerous reasons why employees resist change. 1.Loss of Job is thought of, Bad communicat ion occurs normally (You may not get the entire story / Rumors occur); fear of the unknown; Lack of Competence; and poor timing. What role does diversity play in managing change? What are some possible strategies for managing diversity? What influence does diversity training have on organizations? * Diversity is a range of different things or a variety. I would believe that diversity and change would walk hand & hand. You can manage diversity through the hiring process and repeated education. Socratic Seminar QuestionsThe influence in education is a positive and will convey the message if only the education is enforced during normal business. Does the type of change being planned affect the strategy for managing the change? Explain and provide an example. * Change should always have a well-planned strategy before implementing. You should also monitor the situation so you can help employees adapt. If you walk into the office and just throw out changes without having proper answers Organizational Development: Discussion Questions Week Five Discussion Questions Deep-level abilities are closely related to job performance. As a manager, how could you use the knowledge that people differ to increase the likelihood an employee will perform his or her job well? What challenges does this pose when managing a diverse workforce? * As a supervisor it is my job to make a peaceful and productive atmosphere. I have many different types of employees that differ from age, knowledge, race and gender.Not all of my employees get along with each other but they each hold their own abilities and skills. I fit the abilities together where they are needed and match the best I can as if their personalities are like Legos. It is a constant tug of war as it never fits exactly. * Employees often see change as threatening. What are some of the sources of resistance to change, and what can you as a manager do to overcome that resistance? * There are numerous reasons why employees resist change. 1.Loss of Job is thought of, Bad communicat ion occurs normally (You may not get the entire story / Rumors occur); fear of the unknown; Lack of Competence; and poor timing. What role does diversity play in managing change? What are some possible strategies for managing diversity? What influence does diversity training have on organizations? * Diversity is a range of different things or a variety. I would believe that diversity and change would walk hand & hand. You can manage diversity through the hiring process and repeated education. Socratic Seminar QuestionsThe influence in education is a positive and will convey the message if only the education is enforced during normal business. Does the type of change being planned affect the strategy for managing the change? Explain and provide an example. * Change should always have a well-planned strategy before implementing. You should also monitor the situation so you can help employees adapt. If you walk into the office and just throw out changes without having proper answers