Misuse knowledge Essay

One of the notable books I have read is Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a memorable and meaningful book that has a great impact on my personality. I was able to discover many things not only about life, society and history but also about mankind itself. One of the concepts satirized in the book is scientists and the scientific approach as a whole. The book shows science as a cold and inconsiderate entity, one that comes from man’s obsession for what Vonnegut argues is fruitless knowledge, as man will only misuse knowledge. It depicts many things and I was able to realize that the book is of great help in learning about science and its relation to people on earth. Aside from the fact that I read the book out of requirement of my English Grade Twelve class, I became personally touched by the story because it highlights how science can be misused against man and cause undesirable consequences. I became more aware of my actions and promised myself to put more importance to science once I become a professional. The book discusses pessimisms in an increase in man’s moral figure but still I view it very differently. For me, it is a precaution of sorts for men and women of science to not seek science for the sake of science itself, but rather for the betterment of man and society as a whole, and how engineers in particular must be responsible with their creations lest it be used against their common man.

Social Observation Paper

I decided for my social observation the mall would be a good place to start. I came there on a Friday evening when there should be plenty of people to watch. I also sat in the Barnes and Noble cafe after that to observe. I expected to see a lot of people shopping and conversing. A few things did stand out to me within the few hours I was there. Some things I didn’t expect to see. We are expected to behave a certain way in public determined by our culture as to what is acceptable. Some people stay well within the lines while some might stray outside the norms but never too far typically.Usually the ones to travel to the extremes are adolescents and teenagers. This is what I observed. As I sat in the chair near the entrance to Bergner’s I noticed a couple groups1 of kids, they looked like they were probably in 8th grade or near there. One group totaled six kids and you could tell who the leaders with high status2 were in the group. They displayed achieved status3 and walk ed in the middle typically with couple others following behind trying to keep up and stay in the conversation.I call it achieved status because they had more confidence and walked taller than the others, of course they could be from a rich family but from visual evidence achieved status seems to be the case here. The group seemed playful and was very pushy towards one another. While the leaders looked like they came out on top and were more dominant keeping the others in line, and sometimes ignoring the other members of the group, showing they weren’t impressed by them. Another Group was smaller with only three kids in it.These kids seemed like they had less energy and were more of wandering at a leisurely pace compared to the other group which was moving swiftly. Both groups walked by about three times, apparently they had nothing better to do with their time and weren’t shopping. I’m assuming they were probably dropped off by their parents to hang out at the m all with their friends and maybe get some food at the food court. Another idea is that their parents could be busy shopping and they are just wandering while their parents are busy, I think this is less probable.The larger group was Dominated by all males, which is another thing I didn’t expect. You would think that the group would have at least one or two females in it, statistically speaking. The smaller group was female dominated with two females and a single male in it. I observed the male and he didn’t seem to follow his gender role4. This made me think because I have a gay friend and homosexual men seem to familiarize with females more easily than heterosexual males.Also I noticed a trend that most gay men spent most of their time being raised by their mother with a more distant or even non-existent father figure. It is probably not fair to make assumptions about the lone male in the group, but I’m assuming he fits in this stereotype5. The other thing I no ticed about this group is that they all seemed to be equal; there wasn’t one that put themselves before the others. I also sat in the cafe at Barnes and Noble for a while and observed socialization and interactions. The first people I noticed when I was sitting were a couple walking through the store.The Female had her man by the hand, I noticed her hand was palm down, signifying authority, and was leading him off somewhere, maybe she was in a hurry to get somewhere or had just caught him eying another female. Either way she seemed to be the more dominant one in the relationship, which does not correspond with gender roles or the typical culture6 of ours. The next thing I noticed were the people sitting in the cafe. There were pairs of people everywhere, there were people sitting by themselves reading but there were a lot of groups of two, but never a group more than two.This to me was interesting and I asked why this might be. I came to the conclusion that the coffee shop is a more intimate setting to socialize one on one, also the space was smaller so that could have contributed to the fact too. I noticed an elderly couple, they seemed to comfortable and familiar with each other that they didn’t need to even communicate verbally they could sort of sense what the other wanted and then asked a question. For example I noticed the man shifted his body and glanced toward snack sign, luckily I was within earshot to hear the conversations of the people around me.She knew right away the old man was hungry and asked him if he wanted a cheesecake, Apparently this was one of his favorites cause he said â€Å"heck yeah! †. The couple did not display value7 over one another, but rather value for each other. This was my day out evaluating the interactions and socialization of our local people here in Rockford. I am curious to see what kind of interactions I would see at a market in indo-china and how different that would be to our culture here. It mig ht be so different that I couldn’t understand it.I learned a lot by watching the people and found a few interesting things. Like how groups of teenagers with time can be so full of confidence and have what seems like all the time in the world on their hands. Also on the other side of the spectrum are the seniors I observed that seemed to be content and also have all the time in the world. While it seems for me there are not enough hours in a day to get everything I need done. 1. Groups: a number of people or things that are classed together 2.Status: The economic or social level of an individual 3. Achieved Status: The level of status gained through effort or work 4. Gender Role: The social expectations of a male or female individual 5. Stereotype: an unreliable generalization about all members of a group 6. Culture: the totality of learned socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior. 7. Value: a collective conception of what is considered good, de sirable, and proper-or bad, undesirable, and improper in a culture.

Memoir Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Memoir Assignment - Essay Example untry to another- they don’t suffer from anxiety or added worry trying to conform to new surroundings or adjusting to a culturally oriented society, totally different from their own, but definitely, they are missing out on an exciting part of their lives. When speaking of myself though, I’ve had the good chance of this happening to me and that too, at such an opportune moment. I had to adapt myself to mass differences socially, culturally, economically, and even in a somewhat spiritual manner as well. These changes hadn’t been easy for me and needless to say, I don’t see how they’d be easy for anyone. It was a day like any other; a sunny April morning, the heat of which had been whetted the night before, due to the chill April showers. I had taken a shower and had spruced myself up with an expensive after – shave. I wore my brightest shirt with jeans and moved with an air of conquering the world. My life changed dramatically when I was just in my teens, the picture of which is clearly etched forever in my minds eye. I was drawing back the floral blinds, allowing the cool fresh air to engulf me and savoring every minute of it, when my dad’s rumbling tone was heard just within my bedroom door. Dad continued, â€Å"Never mind†¦don’t say anything, because parents know what’s best for their kid and I have better plans for you to make a success of your future, and yes, by the way, we are throwing a small send off party for you, so invite all your friends and we’ll have a great time before we see you off. My brother, your uncle Jim, in Alabama has generously consented to put you up for the next year since you are going to High School. I was confusion confounded as I heard the door slam shut! Oh, My God! I was almost terrified out of my wits. Confusion blocked my thinking and a lurking fear hit me in the pit of my stomach like a sledge hammer. Taiwan, my hometown was the be all and end all of my life. Everything in my environment seemed perfect

Mayfly by Kevin Canty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mayfly by Kevin Canty - Essay Example James’ character appears to be a hard driven man in his mid thirties who is not quite sure about the direction which his life is taking and seems to be unsure whether he is satisfied or not. Molly is James’ girlfriend and takes the role of a delicate soul with a penchant for al things living seen by the way she is affected by the butterflies on the highway (Canty). She is a writer who is enthusiastic about taking care of herself seen by her sobriety and vegan diet but she also loves to express herself seen by the type of work that she does (writing) as well as her liking of tattoos. Sam is James’ old friend from college and comes out as a semi-irresponsible father and husband who nonetheless, appears to be doing fine financialy depicted by the description of his house and lifestyle (Canty). He also comes off as having an adulterous aspect about him although this is not confirmed and is taken from a number of clues that come out in the story. Jenny is a mother of three and Sam’s wife. She comes out as a tired figure in need of support from her husband that does not appear to be forthcoming. There is a sense of resentment around her in terms of her marriage to Sam, and it seems that she has resigned herself to the hand that fate has dealt her though she is not pleased with it. The story is told from James’ point of view, and this has an influence on the shaping of the story’s focus. By seeing things from James’ point of view, the reader is able to experience the various moods and emotions that he goes through via the thoughts that run through his head and this help’s focus the view of the rest of the group from an external perspective. The doubts that James has over his relationship with Molly and the activities between his girlfriend and Sam when they go on their trip is derived from the perspective that James has on the status of his relationship. The appearance of Jenny is told from James’ eyes as well including the experiences she has been through. This helps the story to focus on the main character who is James even when the topic is about somebody else. Reading the story from James’ point of view also allows the reader to get inside the main character’s head and depicts the way he thinks and looks at issues from his objective. For example, James lack of guilt after his midnight rendezvous with Jenny may not have been depicted had the story been told from another perspective. (Canty) The significance of the Monarchs in the opening scenes can be said to be used in the provision of the setting for the reader, a means with which to describe the scene as it were. The sheer number of insects and their death on the windscreen of James car provides a somewhat gloomy setting which can also be said to have been used to project the mood of the two characters (James and Molly) in the opening scenes (Canty). The butterflies can also be said to have been used to demonstrat e Molly’s care for living creatures as she insists on stopping when she realizes what is happening to them. The fact that she cares about something as small as a butterfly that she could be moved to tears goes a long way in portraying her character (Canty). The monarchs and butterflies in their travels towards the north can also be used to depict both James (the monarch) and Molly (the butterfly) in their journey together in life with the car’s windshield portraying the potential hazards they might come across while trying to keep their relationship alive. The mayflies can be seen to represent the cycle of life and the inevitable eventuality of our actions that are bound to be repeated when one is placed

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 26

Research Paper Example Their first entry is recorded to be around 793 CE during which they ambushed the Christian monastic community who were residing in the Lindisfarne Island. There well designed long ship helped them move around the coast invading and attacking inhabitants of the Europeans coasts, in harbors and other river settlements. However, the aim of the paper is to describe in details the ‘Vikings art’ during the period between 800 CE and 1100 CE. The Vikings artist focused majorly on the durability of the material they used hence most of their artwork are made of stone, wood, metal ,bone, ivory and textiles. In some cases, they use human skin to present their art inform of Tattoo’s. Wood: This is the material that dominates the Vikings art due to the well-known advantages of wood to the art industry like easy to carve, durability, cheap cost and availability. Evidence of the extensive use of wood is in the Oseberg ship burial carvings in the 9th century, and the Urnes stave church (Grancsay, 21). Stone: use of stone began late in Scandinavia and a few memories of its use are like in the Gotlandic stone pictures and the royal monuments at jelling in Denmark though most of its use came late in the middle of 10th century. The spread of use of stone in the Viking art is related to the spread of Christianity (Grancsay, 59). Metal: Various archaeological evidences showed the presence of various decorations especially of metallic ornaments. The use of metallic art was also reflected on the jewelry that was worn by both men and women. The respectable women were identifiable from the matching brooches that were used just below their shoulder. Therefore, the evidence of the metalwork decorations were in the regained artwork in various designated graves. This is because they believed in accompanying the dead with material possessions. Therefore, it was common to extract jewelry, tools, household goods and weapons from the Vikings graves. Other

Tourism in California and the Environmental Concerns Essay

Tourism in California and the Environmental Concerns - Essay Example Initially, people were inspired by the California dream and left their assets behind and started their journey in search of California they dreamt off. When they reached there, they had to face despair and disappointment as things were not as they perceived it to be. These people then had to go back without any memories or anything to show; at times people did not even reach back safely. The image of California being extravagant and adored is fairly a very recent picture and if one goes in depth of it then there's a very deep history attached to it. The present state of California is because of the hard work and efforts of the miners who were in search of the California dream. Through their struggle, California has been founded And has been transforming its state resulting in the steady ongoing of the heritage of this dream. California dream is not just about this place but it contains an amalgamation of the people and the dream which they are living. This dream is not just about the positives aspects of California but it also contains many different puzzles that need to be fit together in order to see this dream turn to reality. California is a hub of activities with various opportunities that bring numerous opportunities and hence guarantees a successful way to lead a life for all those who reside in California. It is also known as a place where the sun is endless. California is about hard work, efforts, beauty, beautiful tanned women, bright sunny days, and breezy nights. California is one of the most densely polluted countries of the world. Pollution has literally damaged the entire state in such a way that its impact is very obvious. Tourism is an essential part of the California economy. California is one of those countries that are a major tourist attraction; California has the honour of housing the home of all legendary actors that is Hollywood. From amazing shopping malls to Hollywood and an amazing blend of various restaurants, California offers every thing that a tourist wants during vacations. Tourism in California is very expensive.

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Essay - 1

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Management) - Essay Example The technology life cycle of a medical component initiates in the design and acquisition phase, by means of the acceptance process. The technology life cycle of the medical component extends through its application in the clinical environment . Subsequently, it reaches the obsolescence phase where it is replaced and discarded after reaching its maximum life utility. The acquisition, approval and obsolescence of a medical technology occurs only once in its useful life (Chan, 2003, p. 13). The optimal application of technology incorporates a number of occupations and can occur over a variety of instances. This optimal application of medical technology can be deconstructed into two sub cycles. These sub cycles are the acquisition and application sub cycle. The acquisition sub cycle consists of the following events: Technology evaluation- Technology evaluation is a classification of policy study which reviews the short term and long term outcomes which are societal, ethical, legal and economic. These aspects constitute the comprehensive evaluation of the technology (Banta, 2009, p. 8). The gold criteria for clinical research assessment of novel medical technology is historically recognized as the Randomized Control Trial (RCT) (NHTSA, n.d.). A primary tenet of technology evaluation is â€Å"buying smart, not cheap†(University of Boston Massachusetts, 2010, p 9). In the technology evaluation, the following details are delineated: Guiding adaptation and application in medical equipment technology goes hand in hand. The important factor in being successful is carrying out a comprehensive and thorough planning procedure (NSBA, n.d.). Efficient technology designs are directed towards applications, instead of technology. The technology should be based on inputs and not results (See, n.d.). A new medical technology equipment system