What Makes You Who You Are

The perennial debate about nature and nurture–which is the more potent shaper of the human essence? –is perennially rekindled. It flared up again in the London Observer of Feb. 11, 2001. REVEALED: THE SECRET OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR, read the banner headline. ENVIRONMENT, NOT GENES, KEY TO OUR ACTS. The source of the story was Craig Venter, the self-made man of genes who had built a private company to read the full sequence of the human genome in competition with an international consortium funded by taxes and charities.That sequence–a string of 3 billion letters, composed in a four-letter alphabet, containing the complete recipe for building and running a human body–was to be published the very next day (the competition ended in an arranged tie). The first analysis of it had revealed that there were just 30,000 genes in it, not the 100,000 that many had been estimating until a few months before. Details had already been circulated to journalists under embargo. B ut Venter, by speaking to a reporter at a biotechnology conference in France on Feb. , had effectively broken the embargo. Not for the first time in the increasingly bitter rivalry over the genome project, Venter's version of the story would hit the headlines before his rivals'. â€Å"We simply do not have enough genes for this idea of biological determinism to be right,† Venter told the Observer. â€Å"The wonderful diversity of the human species is not hard-wired in our genetic code. Our environments are critical. † In truth, the number of human genes changed nothing.Venter's remarks concealed two whopping nonsequiturs: that fewer genes implied more environmental influences and that 30,000 genes were too few to explain human nature, whereas 100,000 would have been enough. As one scientist put it to me a few weeks later, just 33 genes, each coming in two varieties (on or off), would be enough to make every human being in the world unique. There are more than 10 billio n combinations that could come from flipping a coin 33 times, so 30,000 does not seem such a small number after all.Besides, if fewer genes meant more free will, fruit flies would be freer than we are, bacteria freer still and viruses the John Stuart Mill of biology. Fortunately, there was no need to reassure the population with such sophisticated calculations. People did not weep at the humiliating news that our genome has only about twice as many genes as a worm's. Nothing had been hung on the number 100,000, which was just a bad guess. But the human genome project–and the decades of research that preceded it–did force a much more nuanced understanding of how genes work.In the early days, scientists detailed how genes encode the various proteins that make up the cells in our bodies. Their more sophisticated and ultimately more satisfying discovery–that gene expression can be modified by experience–has been gradually emerging since the 1980s. Only now is it dawning on scientists what a big and general idea it implies: that learning itself consists of nothing more than switching genes on and off. The more we lift the lid on the genome, the more vulnerable to experience genes appear to be.

Information and Communication Technology

Spending on information and communications technology in 2005 Information and communications technology or information and communication technology,[1] usually called ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT) but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), intelligent building management systems and audio-visual systems in modern information technology. ICT consists of all technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including computer and network hardware, communication middleware as well as necessary software. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telephony, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing and transmission and network based control and monitoring functions. The expression was first used in 1997[3] in a report by Dennis Stevenson to the UK government[4] and promoted by the new National Curriculum documents for the UK in 2000. ICT is often used in the context of â€Å"ICT roadmap† to indicate the path that an organization will take with their ICT needs. [5][6] The term ICT is now also used to refer to the merging (convergence) of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the audio-visual, building management and telephone network with the computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and management. See VOIP and Intelligent Infrastructure Management (IIM). This in turn has spurred the growth of organizations with the term ICT in their names to indicate their specialization in the process of merging the different network systems. Information and Communication Technology Spending on information and communications technology in 2005 Information and communications technology or information and communication technology,[1] usually called ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT) but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), intelligent building management systems and audio-visual systems in modern information technology. ICT consists of all technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including computer and network hardware, communication middleware as well as necessary software. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telephony, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing and transmission and network based control and monitoring functions. The expression was first used in 1997[3] in a report by Dennis Stevenson to the UK government[4] and promoted by the new National Curriculum documents for the UK in 2000. ICT is often used in the context of â€Å"ICT roadmap† to indicate the path that an organization will take with their ICT needs. [5][6] The term ICT is now also used to refer to the merging (convergence) of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the audio-visual, building management and telephone network with the computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and management. See VOIP and Intelligent Infrastructure Management (IIM). This in turn has spurred the growth of organizations with the term ICT in their names to indicate their specialization in the process of merging the different network systems.

The Aesthetics of Parent-Child Shared Reading Wordless Storybooks Research Paper

The Aesthetics of Parent-Child Shared Reading Wordless Storybooks - Research Paper Example Scholars have attached more value to quality reading rather than quantity of reading at the elementary level of learning, and more parent-engaging strategies to cultivate a child’s aesthetic abilities. The purpose of this research is to investigate the extent to which parent-child shared reading influences the aesthetic ability of a child.In this case, the research will focus on the application of parent-child shared reading of a wordless book, or rather a book that has no words but only contains images and a non-verbal gestures (Tompkins, 2007: Wasik, 2010). By measuring the participation of a parent in this a child’s learning experience and observing the child’s engagement in play, role play, drama, relationship with peers, it is possible to assess the influence of a child-parent shared reading in a child’s learning abilities. ... oo (2013), children find it a complex matter to decode the message in a wordless book and while the book may amuse them, they may end up without grasping the intended meaning in the pictography. In addition, parents disregard the picture story books and pay more attention to the worded books; a matter that often suppresses the child’s learning abilities as they get to elementary schools (Wolfeand Flewitt, 2010). Consequently, the child’s performance is limited and their optimal productivity cannot be tapped, an issue that concerns every society that has value for civilization in the society (Schickedanz, & McGee, 2010: Teale, Hoffman & Paciga, 2010).). By investigating the efficiency of parent-child shared reading of wordless books would help in boosting this habit within families and consequently contribute to the development of instructional methods at the elementary level. According to Koshy (2009), research is one of the most powerful tools in curriculum development strategy. Purpose of the Research General Objectives To investigate the effectiveness of parent-child shared reading in developing aesthetic abilities in a child’s learning. To investigate the key virtues of Parent-Child shared learning that are critical in development of child’s aesthetic abilities. Specific Objectives To conduct an interview for a mother and her child and their experience in shared reading. To observe the child free play, role play, drawings and interaction with its peers. To analyze the progress of the child’s learning abilities change within a period of one year of shared reading. To draw conclusions and design recommendable shared-reading strategies that can improve a child’s aesthetic abilities. Research Hypothesis This research seeks to test the hypothesis that states

Dams, hydroelectricity, and the effect apon the ecosystems Term Paper

Dams, hydroelectricity, and the effect apon the ecosystems - Term Paper Example However, the idea of constructing more dams in various places has been welcomed with great opposition. Many economic and social arguments have been raised against the construction of dam, but the most profound fact that has overshadowed all other arguments is the major ecological effects that large dams have on the ecosystem. Considering hydroelectricity, hydropower is actually a renewable energy since it depends on the water cycle on earth for the generation of electricity. The cycle of water begins when the water evaporates to form clouds which in turn condenses and precipitates back to the earth and gets back to the water reservoirs. Despite the fact that hydropower pose no effects on the quality of air, the process of constructing and operating large hydropower dams can have significant impact on natural ecosystem such as river systems wildlife and aquatic life population. The assessment of how hydropower affects the environment can be effectively done by reviewing different case s. This paper aims at discussing the effects that hydroelectricity and dams have upon the ecosystem. Effects of Dams upon the Ecosystem Dams have significant effects on both the downstream and upstream ecosystems. Dams comprise hindrances on rivers longitudinal exchange and they alter numerous processes in the natural environment. Flooding of dams in the upstream brings about total damage to the terrestrial ecosystems via a process known as inundation. Flooding eliminates all terrestrial animals and plants inhabiting the affected areas. Water reservoirs inhibit some aquatic species from migrating by obstructing their pathways1. On the downstream, there are obvious changes in sediment transport, water quality and temperature, and flow regime. These particular changes occur gradually and they are not easy to predict. The very common effect of large dams downstream is the reduction of annual water discharge; this lead to an increase in low flows and a decrease in high flows. Flood peak s reduction decreases the period, degree and frequency of floodplain outpouring. A decrease in the channel-formation shrinks the chances of channel migration. Transportation of sediment in the reservoir brings about complex alterations in aggregation and deprivation on the dams surface. Regulation alters the chronological flooding prototype, an effect that desynchronizes temperature systems and yearly water flow. These particular alterations have a direct influence on some dynamic factors affecting the heterogeneity of habitats and the integrity of the river ecosystem ecology. Changes in water quality, water to land interface, and thermal regime have direct impact in primary production, which translates to long term effects on aquatic life and other members in the upper food chain. Dams may also bring about alterations in the ecosystem even at a distance far from the dam2. For instance, any alteration on the transportation of sediments may result in changes in floodplains, coastal d elta and river morphology numerous of miles from the dam site. The river ecosystem responds to dams in several, complex, and diverse ways. Subsequently, while endeavouring to establish the impacts of dams on the ecosystem there is need for large bank of information relating to: riparian vegetation and related fauna; quality of water; rivers hydraulic features; geomorphologic features; aquatic animals and their environment; importance of river’

Impearialism, colonialism. and globalization on how they affect the Essay

Impearialism, colonialism. and globalization on how they affect the middle east - Essay Example On the other hand, the democratization system has become a problem due to the influence of globalization. This is due to the clash of interest between the western industrialized nations and the state aboriginal affair (Alkadry 739). In the recent occurrences, most of the developed and decolonized have been caught up in the matrix of struggle for liberation and self-determination. Likewise, the countries of Middle East are furthering democracy and at the same time struggling to get self-determination in a postcolonial globalization context (Alkadry 739). Most of the countries in Middle East achieved their independence half a century ago. However, no single country in the region has a full-fledged democratic government. This is also evident in the wave of revolutions currently taking place in the region. Only few countries in the region that have made stride towards installing democratic institutions. These countries include Lebanon, Turkey, and Kuwait (Alkadry 740). The issue of self- determination is guided by two principles. They include national independence and freedom. In the Middle East, this has not been possible due to the threat of imperialism. This makes it difficult for the nations to move from a moment of national sovereignty and anti-social resistance to a moment of freedom and democratic governance (Alkadry 740). ... Algeria is one of the countries where imperialism was evident during the colonial period. It congest began in 1830. This occurred after French deployed powerful army in the region. The heavy military presence led to death of many Algerians. This helped France to acquire land in Algeria. This was followed by massive migration on settlers into Algeria to farm in the Algeria coastal plains (Women in World History 1). Most of the Algerians were employed in these farms as laborers. Moreover, France exercised control of public finances such as public works, education, and armed forces and security (Women in World History 1). However, there was armed resistance to the French rule based on tribes. The French armies in harsh means effectively subdued the rebellion. On the other hand, the colonial power was given voting power to elect representatives to the French legislature. Consequently, the colonial power possessed immense power and this helped in gaining enormous wealth. Additionally, mos t of the properties owned by the locals were confiscated both communal and private. In the year that followed, France exercised political, economic, and social dominance over Algeria and its inhabitants (Women in World History 1). This shows that imperialism helped France to develop their own ambitions and influenced wider developments. Imperialism affected countries in different ways. Imperialism helped in reviving the transport sector. This occurred as the colonizing country built roads and railways. This was meant to enhance easy movement for acquisition of raw materials. Moreover, there is an introduction of new technology, education, and improved health care (Hodgepodge 1). On the other hand, imperialism leads to negative effects. First, there was a lack of

Chick-Fil-A Marketing Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chick-Fil-A Marketing Report - Essay Example For instance, the restaurant’s hours of operation plan exclude Sundays. Aside from simply â€Å"doing business†, the company also does a lot of charity work through nonprofit organizations. Simply put, the Cathy family behind the business â€Å"puts [their] money where [their] faith is† and this certainly has a colossal effect on how business plans are made and their Some of Chick Fil-A’s most recent marketing plans include expansion to other regions – mainly the northeastern part – of the U.S. in order to furtheritsdevelopment in the market and to guarantee that the company stays a strong competitor among other chicken restaurants. Quite possibly the most interesting marketing plan that Chick Fil-A has introduced is Cow Appreciation Day, during which customers can arrive dressed like cows to receive free meals. Management: One of the greatest strengths of Chick-Fil-A’s management is that it carefully screens its new hires to ensure that these individuals are loyal to the brand and that they share the same beliefs as the Chick-Fil-A concept. Employees and managers alike have a reputation for being upbeat and extremely sensitive to the needs of guests, as evidenced by the 2nd mile initiative, which places extreme emphasis on â€Å"going the extra mile† for the guests. Weaknesses: Corporate office and policies can intrude into employees’ personal lives. Due to the strict nature of Chick-Fil-A’s hiring process, high quality potential candidates are often scared away from applying at Chick-Fil-A.Chick-Fil-A also steers clear of discounting and limited-time offers, which could be forgoing a significant amount of additional revenues. Marketing: Chick-Fil-A brands itself as a wholesome entity with Christian and family values, and has been very successful in that respect. Fewer than 5% of owner/operators leave the

Military Defense Spending Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Military Defense Spending - Research Paper Example It is imperative to reduce the defence expenditure since it has minimal contribution to the economy. The decline in defence allocations will result in lower incomes for firms that operate in this industry. The reduction in defence budgets will lead to reduction of operations in the defence-contracting firms. Consequently, such entities will retrench employees to an extent that suit their income levels since they are profit oriented. The reduction in budgetary allocations will result in merging of firms as they attempt to consolidate their operations to reduce their overheads. The reduction in defence spending will result in contraction of the defence industry. Additionally, the reduction in defence spending will result in reduced foreign earning form this industry. The defence industry has few players. As such, the industry has few buyers and contractors. The main contractors include Lockheed, General Dynamic and Boeing. This implies that the industry is monopolistic and inelastic. T his state is due to the nature of their merchandise. Additionally, the above contracts are shrouded in secrecy due their sensitive nature. Thus, customers in this industry prefer certain contractors. (Burns). Evidently, the market forces that characterize other industries are absent. Thus, the cost of products in this industry is dependent on other factors rather than market forces (Dwivedi 54). Such factors include duration of executing the contract, the sensitivity of the technology and global alliances. The factors that drive prices in this industry are different since arms trade is a sensitive industry monitored globally. As such, governments do not licence many firms in this industry. The state of the current industry has benefits and disadvantages. First, the industry deals in sensitive merchandise hence, most governments prefer to keep the deals confidential. Additionally, proliferation of some of the weapons would lead to destabilization of global peace. Therefore, having fe w firms in this industry helps deal with black-market dealers. Having few firms in this industry implies that the present corporations will always get contracts. This means that there is minimal competition among the firms involved. The American government has made efforts to maintain competition among players in this industry by barring any merger of large defence firms since this would turn the industry into a monopoly. As such, the American government barred proposed unification between Boeing and Lockheed (Krieg). This would have resulted in the unification of the two principal aerospace contractors. The intervention of the American government was timely since these are the two leading firms in the industry. Therefore, allowing such a merger would have eliminated competition in totality (Krieg). Evidently, this sector ought to have additional players to make it more competitive. This applies to the large contracts that require massive capital outlay. However, this does not apply to smaller contracts since numerous firms have the capability to bid for such contracts making it competitive. However, competition does not vary cost of contracts. This is a key feature of this industry that will not change since defence-contracting firms use specialized