Conductivity and Conductive Elements

Conductivity and Conductive Elements Conductivity refers to the ability of a material to transmit energy. There are different types of conductivity, including electrical, thermal, and acoustical conductivity.  The most electrically conductive  element is silver, followed by copper and gold. Silver also has the highest thermal conductivity of any element and the highest light reflectance. Although it is the best conductor, copper and gold are used more often in electrical applications because copper is less expensive and gold has a much higher corrosion resistance. Because silver tarnishes, it is less desirable for high frequencies because the exterior surface becomes less conductive. As to why silver is the best conductor, the answer is that its electrons are freer to move than those of the other elements. This has to do with its valence and crystal structure. Most metals conduct electricity. Other elements with high electrical conductivity, are aluminum, zinc, nickel, iron, and platinum. Brass and bronze are electrically conductive alloys, rather than elements. Table of the Conductive Order of Metals This list of electric conductivity includes alloys as well as pure elements. Because the size and shape of a substance affect its conductivity, the list assumes all samples are the same size. In order of most conductive to least conductive: SilverCopperGoldAluminumZincNickelBrassBronzeIronPlatinumCarbon SteelLeadStainless Steel Factors That Affect Electrical Conductivity Certain factors can affect how well a material conducts electricity. Temperature: Changing temperature of silver or any other conductor alters its conductivity. In general, increasing the temperature causes thermal excitation of the atoms and decreases conductivity while increasing resistivity. The relationship is linear, but it breaks down at low temperatures.Impurities: Adding an impurity to a conductor decreases its conductivity. For example, sterling silver is not as good of a conductor as pure silver. Oxidized silver is not as good a conductor as untarnished silver. Impurities hinder electron flow.Crystal structure and phases: If there are different phases of a material, conductivity will slow slightly at the interface and may be different from one structure than another. The way a material has been processed can affect how well it conducts electricity.Electromagnetic fields: Conductors generate their own electromagnetic fields when electricity runs through them, with the magnetic field perpendicular to the electric field. External electromagneti c fields can produce magnetoresistance, which can slow the flow of current. Frequency: The number of oscillation cycles an alternating electrical current completes per second is its frequency in Hertz. Above a certain level, a high frequency can cause current to flow around a conductor rather than through it (skin effect). Since there is no oscillation and hence no frequency, the skin effect does not occur with direct current.

Exploring Prague 15 Top Things to Do and See

Exploring Prague 15 Top Things to Do and See SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips I didn’t have a specific reason to study abroad in Prague. I wasn’t studying Czech literature or language, and I didn’t have any ancestralconnection to the city. One thingmade mepack my bags and move to the Czech Republic: pictures of Prague, which revealed the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. Prague is inarguably one of the most picturesque and best-preserved cities in Europe. Founded in the late 9th century, it still has medieval lanes and architecture, along with a mixof art and architecturethat span the centuries. As I suspected, Prague turned out to be a place of pure aesthetic bliss. Duringmy four months there,my understanding deepened as I encountered darker parts of Prague'shistory, from the old Jewish ghetto toscars of the Holocaust and the Communist occupation from 1948 to 1989. Prague is a complex place, and there’s a ton to see, do, and learn withinits maze of cobblestoned streets. This guide will tell you the top 15things to do and see when you visit Prague to get a full sense of the Czech capital in its past and present. Top 15 Things to Do In Prague: Table of Contents Here's the full list of the top 15 places to see and things to do in Prague, Czech Republic. Click on each to go toit directly, or just scroll down for the full list! See the Astronomical Clock Climb the Bell Tower of Old Town Hall Explore Old Town Square Stroll Around the Novà ½ SvÄ›t District Walk Across the Charles Bridge Visit the Prague Castle TourJosefov, the Historic Jewish Ghetto Visit World-Class Museums See Bizarre Public Sculptures Experience the Nightlife Eat Czech Food Drink Czech Beer See Opera at the National Theater Climb Petrin Hill Take a Day Trip to Cesky Krumlov 1. See the Astronomical Clock One of the first things to see in Prague is its famous astronomical clock, the oldest one of its kind in the world. It was installed over 600 years ago, in 1410. The clock is mounted on Old Town Hall in Old Town Square, the central square of the historic district. The clock has several dials and arms, including one dial that shows the positions of the sun and the moon and another that points to the months of the year. There are several figures that move around the clock each hour. Twelve represent the apostles, and four symbolize Vanity, Greed, Lust, and Death. Death, a figure of a skeleton, rings the bell each hour, and the other figures shake their heads at him. The performance ends when the figure of a rooster crows. Around the turn of the hour, a crowd usually gathers around to see the figures move. Since the clock and square are favorite places to visit in Prague, this crowd canget big during tourist high season. The figures move every hour, so you can pretty much catch the show whenever. Even if you don't catch themoving figures, you'll enjoy seeing the beautiful astronomical clock. Where Is Prague’s Astronomical Clock? The astronomical clock is located on the side of Old Town Hall in Old Town Square. If you’re taking public transport, either the underground metro or the above-ground tram, then you should get off at the Staromestska stop. Metro: Line A to Staromestska Tram: Lines 17 or 18 to Staromestska. The figures move on the hour every hour from 9 AM to 9 PM. 2. Climb the Bell Tower of Old Town Hall After the rooster crows the end of the astronomical clock show, head to the 14th century bell tower of Old Town Hall. You can climb this 228-foot tower for gorgeous, 360 degree views of Prague. Climbing the bell tower was something I didn’t do until the end of my study abroad semester, and I wished I’d done it sooner. It’s a beautiful view over red roofs, spires, church domes, and the Vltava River that runs through the city. How to Visit You can climb the stairs up the bell tower or take the elevator, which is wheelchair accessible. The fee is about $5 for adults and $3 for children. By the way, the Czech Republic uses the Czech koruna (CZK). As I write right now, one US dollar equals 24 CZK. The tower is open from AM to 10 PM on Mondays and 9 AM to 10 PM Tuesday through Sunday. 3. Explore Old Town Square Prague largely escaped destruction during World War II, so a large part of its historic district dates all the way back to the 10th century! The historic core is now under protection as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The central nucleus - and where I was lucky enough to take classes on Czech theater and the literature of Franz Kafka - is the Old Town Square. It’s a big cobblestoned square lined by buildings that span the centuries, from Gothic to Baroque to Rococo architectural styles. The square was a market place place until the end of the 19th century, but now it’s filled with cafes, shops, galleries, restaurants, vendors, and street performers. It also hosts a magical Christmas fair in the winter that makes the entire square smell like cinnamon and sugar. Below are a few of the most notable buildings and statues in Prague’s Old Town Square. What to See in Prague’s Old Town Square After you’ve admired the 15th century astronomical clock, check out these buildings around the square, along with the large memorial in its center. Tyn Cathedral: On the opposite side of the square from the astronomical clock sits the imposing Tyn Cathedral. This Gothic cathedral has been Prague’s main church since the 14th century, and you can easily spot its 262-foot towers topped with black spires. The church contains the oldest pipe organ in the city, and it hosts Roman Catholic services and classical concerts. St Nicholas Church: This 1735 church with a white facade was built and decorated in the Baroque style. It actually didn’t touch Old Town Square until a house in front of it was knocked down in 1901. To find Tyn Cathedral, just look up. Kinsky Palace: This former palace, built in the mid-1700s, is now an art museum. Look for its Rococo-style pink and white exterior. House of the Stone Bell: This medieval house dates all the way back to the 1200s. The stone bell you’ll find inside is a replica of the one used in 1310 to signal the future king, John of Luxembourg, that he could come with his army and occupy the square. Jan Hus Memorial: This large monument was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of martyrdom of Jan Hus, a religious reformer and predecessor of Protestant movement. Hus suffered the medieval consequences of criticizing the Catholic Church when he was burned at the stake in 1415. This monument eventually became a symbol of dissidence duringthe Communist occupation. Sitting by the monument became a quiet way for Czech people to show resistance to Soviet rule. 4. Stroll Around the Novà ½ SvÄ›t District Old Town Square, while definitely worth the visit, can get crowded with tourists, especially in the summer months. If you’re looking to get off the beaten track, you should check out the quieter Novy Svet district of Prague. This â€Å"New World† neighborhood consists of just a few small streets that date back to the 14th century. Walking past the log cottages with thatched roofs feels like you’ve discovered a small village in the middle of a city. This area’s a great place to stroll or stop by the Novy Svet Cafe for delicious coffee without a wait. Where to Find the Novy Svet District The Novy Svet district is on the other side of the Vltava River from Old Town Square. It’s just down the hill from Prague Castle, so you could walk through here to get to or from the castle as an alternative to the primary, more crowded route. The best metro stop to get to Novy Svetis Malostransk. 5. Walk Across the Charles Bridge When I studied abroad in Prague, I took an art history and architecture class. Most days, we wandered around the city, admiring and learning about the structures that straddled the line between art and architecture. Charles Bridge is one such structure, a bridge from 1357 lined by 30 Baroque statues. All of the statues along this cobblestoned bridge over the Vltava are religious figures heavy with symbolism. Most of the statues you’ll see today are careful replicas. The originals are on display in the National Museum. As a top pick in most guide books for what to see in Prague, the bridge can get crowded with visitors, as well as vendors competing to sell food, portraits, and jewelry. If you want to beat the crowds and get away from the commercial aspect of Charles Bridge, you could wake up early and catch the sunrise over the river. If you don’t mind the early wake up call, strolling across the empty Charles Bridge through the mist of sunrise is an unforgettable experience of natural and urban beauty. Where Is Prague's Charles Bridge? You can approach the bridge from either side of the river. The closest metro and tram stop is Starometska, on the Old Town Square side of the Vltava. 6. Visit the Prague Castle Prague is pretty much in a category by itselfwhen it comes to medieval art and architecture, and its castle is just one more reason why. The Prague Castle is the largest medieval castle in Europe. It was founded all the way back in 880 AD. Building and renovations continued over the centuries, with one big project implemented by Emperor Charles IV in the 1300s. The palace complex covers over 18 acres and includes royal residences, gardens, and churches. Today, the complex includes the official residence and office of the president of the Czech Republic. There’s even a daily ceremony of the changing of the guards. What to See in Prague Castle Royal Palace: This Gothic palace dates back to the 14th century. One highlight is the huge Vladislav Hall, which was used for coronations, banquets, market, and even jousting tournaments (it’s that big). Leading up to the hall is the Riders’ Staircase, where knights could ride through on horseback. You should also check out the Observation Gallery, which has a great view over the gardens. St Vitus Cathedral: This huge cathedral contains the remains of the much celebrated 14th century emperor, Charles IV. It has an extremely detailed facade, tall spires, lots of religious statues, and gorgeous art nouveau stained glass windows. Inside, you can also see the silver tomb of St. John of Nepomuk. St George’s Basilica: This 10th century structure contains the tombs of several princes. Golden Lane: The Golden Lane is lined by small 16th century dwellings, originally built for servants and tradesmen. At one end sits the Daliborka Tower, which was once used as a prison. The famous Czech writer, Franz Kafka, lived at #22 Golden Lane for a few years. Royal Garden: These sprawling manicured gardens encircle the castle. They’re a beautiful place to spend an afternoon wandering past flowers, hedges, moats, grapevines, pavilions, and fountains. The primary Royal Garden was built in 1534. Castle Picture Gallery: This gallery contains over 4,000 works, including 100 paintings. It has an especially large collection of 17th century European Baroque art. Admission is free every Monday from 4 to 6 PM. Otherwise, tickets to the gallery are just $4.00. Visiting Hours and Fees You can buy tickets for most individual parts of the castle complex, but if you want to visit several parts of it, you should get a combined ticket. Because the Prague Castle is so big, the tickets are good for two days. The most comprehensive ticket is the Circuit A for about $14.50. It includes St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, an exhibition called the "The Story of Prague Castle," St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane with the Daliborka Tower, and Powder Tower. You can take $3 or $4 off if you skip the Powder Tower. From April to October, Prague Castle is open everyday from 6 AM to 10 PM, and the historical buildings are open from 9 AM to 5 PM. From November to March, the historical buildings close at 4 PM. How to Get There The Prague Castle is just about a 22-minute walk from Old Town Square. Keep in mind that most of this walk is uphill. If you do choose to walk, you’ll want to turn around to see the beautiful views over the river and Old Town. By public transportation, take the tram to one of these stops: Krlovskà ½ letohrdek, PraÃ… ¾skà ½ hrad, or PohoÃ…â„¢elec. You can also take the metro and get off at Malostransk or HradÄ ansk. 7. See Josefov, the Historic Jewish Ghetto Josefov is the Jewish quarter located between Old Town Square and the Vltava River. The area was once a walled ghetto where Jews were forced to live beginning in the 13th century. Much of the district was destroyed when Prague remodeled parts of the city between 1893 and 1913. Today, you can see six synagogues, as well as Europe’s oldest Jewish cemetery. Visiting the cemetery especially can be an intense and difficult experience. Most of the Jewish population in Prague was forcibly relocated to concentration camps and murdered in 1941 by German occupiers and Czech Nazi collaborators. As of 2014, only about 3,900 Jewish people lived in the Czech Republic. There were over 356,000 in 1930. Historical Places in Josefov Pinkas Synagogue: This is the second oldest synagogue in Prague. Today, it’s a museum commemorating the thousands of Czech Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Spanish Synagogue: This synagogue was built in the Moorish revival style. Inside, you can find an exhibition about Jewish history in the Czech Republic Old New Synagogue: This is Europe’s oldest active synagogue. It was built in 1270. High Synagogue: This synagogue is actually excluded from tours, as it’s meant for local and foreign visitors who want to attend services and pray. It was built in the Renaissance style in 1568 and features impressive Gothic ribbed vaulting in the tall ceiling. The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague dates back to the 1400s. Old Jewish Cemetery: This is the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. It dates to the early 15th century and is now administered by the Jewish Museum in Prague. Since Jews were not able to get more space for the cemetery, the ground is uneven and higher than the surrounding streets. The Holocaust memorial in Berlin emulates the uneven ground of the Prague Cemetery. Franz Kafka’s Birthplace: Famous Czech writer Franz Kafka was born in the Jewish quarter on July 3, 1883 on the corner of Kaprova Street and Maiselova Street. His family lived here for a few years before moving to Wenceslas Square. Where to Find Josefov Josefov sits between Old Town and the Vltava River. You can click on the pins to find the specific addresses of the synagogues, museums, and Jewish cemetery. 8. Visit Museums Among the many Prague attractions are over 25 renowned museums with all sorts of collections. Some house great works of art, while others contain memorials to the victims of the Holocaust and Communist occupation. You can learn about technology, music, or the life and writings and Franz Kafka. For a lighter experience, you can go to museums of chocolate, toys, or traditional Bohemian puppet art. You can also find some oddones, like the Sex Machines Museum or the Museum of Historical Chamber Pots and Toilets. Below are some of my top picks for museums in Prague(plus one graffitied wall). Top Museums in Prague National Gallery in Prague: This gallery contains the largest collection of art in the Czech Republic. It’s actually housed in various buildings throughout the city. You’ll find major works by renowned European artists, as well as one of the largest collections by Czech artists, like Kupka, Benes, and Mucha. National Museum: If you’re looking to step away from art and check out natural history and other fields, then you should go to the National Museum. Like the National Gallery, the collections, which comprise over 14 million items, are housed in various buildings. Some of the main departments are prehistory, protohistory, botany, zoology, Czech history, ethnography, theater, anthropology, and paleontology. Jewish Museum in Prague: The Jewish Museum administers the exhibitions in the various synagogues and other buildings. Its collection of Jewish heritage contains over 40,000 objects and 100,000 books. Museum Kampa: This museum is located on an island in the Vltava and houses a large collection of European modern art. As you walk in, you’ll see Magdalena Jetelova’s famous sculpture of a chair. Check out the Museum of Communism to learn the REAL TRUTH about Russian nesting dolls. Museum of Communism: The Communists occupied the Czech Republic from the end of World War II until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. They arrested over 200,000 Czechs and killed hundreds that tried to flee. This museum shows the history of Communist rule through photos, films, sculptures, and propaganda from the era. Lennon Wall: Not a museum, but rather a wall where protesters of the Communist regime would paint pictures and words of peace, most of them Beatles, particularly John Lennon, inspired. In 2014, a group of art students painted white over the wall, leaving just the words, "Wall is over," which werelaterchanged to "War is over." New artwork and graffiti have since reappeared. Sex Machines Museum: This three-story museum has a collection of sex devices, some dating back to as early as the 16th century. According to its website, it has â€Å"an exposition of mechanical erotic appliances, the purpose of which is to bring pleasure and allow extraordinary and unusual positions during intercourse.† Where to Find Them Click on a pin for the specific address of each museum on the list above! 9. See Bizarre Public Sculptures Perhaps one thing that helped people get through dark times in their history was the so-called Czech sense of humor. Czech people have a reputation for beingsarcastic and controversial, and they like to make fun of their politicians. Nowhere does this stereotype appear to be more true than in the strange public statues around the city, most of them by the famous Czech sculptor, David Cerny. The rebellious Cerny first gained notoriety when he painted a Soviet tank pink and was briefly arrested. Below are six notable statues by Cerny around Prague, along with a seventh by Czech sculptor, Jaroslav Rona. Public Statues Around Prague Babies: This Cerny exhibition has 10 huge babies crawling up the side of the Zizkov TV Tower and around Kampa Park. Brown-nosers: Here, Cerny invites viewers to climb ladders and you through the backsides of two giant statues. When you look through, you’ll see video of an actor who looks like Vaclav Klaus, the Czech president from 2003 to 2013, eating baby food. Piss: This fountain features two male statues urinating toward each other. The streams spell out quotes from Czech literature. UnUtero: People can walk underneath and inside this statue of a huge silver pregnant woman. Hanging Man: This statue has moved around the world, and many people have mistaken it for someone jumping. It shows Sigmund Freud hanging by one hand from a beam coming off a roof. Franz Kafka Statue: This famous Kafka statue is not by Cerny, but by Jaroslav Rona. Unveiled in 2003, it shows a smaller man riding atop the shoulders of a larger headless man and is inspired by Kafka’s short story, â€Å"Description of a Struggle.† 10. Experience the Prague Nightlife While walking around the cobblestoned streets of Prague may transport you into the past, experiencing its bar and club scene will take you right past the now and into the future. Prague has such a big nightlife scene that it’s gathered a reputation as a party city. You can choose among pubs, bars, dance clubs, jazz bars, sports bars, breweries, beer gardens, rooftop terraces, and underground cave bars. Here are a few suggestions, but they’re really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Prague’s nightlife scene. Where to Go SaSaZu: This huge club hosts renowned DJs from all over the world and plays mainly house music. It opened in 2009 and can hold over 2,500 people. Duplex: Dance inside a glass cube at this rooftop nightclub while enjoying views over the city. Chapeau Rouge: This underground club has three levels, one with a bar and tables and two with DJs and dance floors. It’s located close to Old Town Square. Karlovy LznÄ›: This is the largest nightclub in Central Europe and has over five stories, each with its own dance floor and type of music, including hip hop, 80s, and trance. The interior has mosaics dating back to the 15th century. Karlovy Lazne is more popular with foreign visitors than locals. Retro: Go to Retro for electro-house music and a great light show. It can hold over 1,200 people. The crowd is generally a mix of Czech people and foreigners. Radost FX: Radost is on the smaller side and typically plays American hip hop. If you don’t feel like dancing, there’s a loungewith fuzzy couches to hang out in. To get a sense of what it looks like, check out Rihanna’s "Please Don’t Stop the Music" video. She shot it in Radost in 2007. Bunkr Parukarka: This underground club is located in a 1950s nuclear bunker. You’ll get electro-pop and industrial tracks from some of Prague’s top DJs. Zizkov: This last recommendation is not a club, but actually an entire neighborhood. Zizkov is a former industrial suburb with over 300 bars in just 2 square miles. It’s a super casual, somewhat gritty spot. You’ll see lots of dive bars and beer in plastic cups. Where to Find These Bars and Clubs Check out the Prague map for the locations and addresses of the bars and clubs listed above. . Eat Czech Cuisine While I was enamored with the city of Prague, I was less in love with itsfood. Traditional Czech food involves a lot of meat and starch, and I found it to be pretty heavy. There are plenty of more modern restaurants with great cuisine. I did love the desserts, especially the cinnamon-sugar pastries that were sold by street vendors in the winter. You should definitely try some traditional Czech foods to find your favorites. Below are some of the main ones. Traditional Czech Foods Knedlà ­ky, or dumplings: These dumplings are typically wheat or potato-based, steamed and sliced, and served on the side of meat. Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut (or cabbage): This is the most typical Czech dish. Pork is the most common meat eaten in the Czech Republic. Koleno: pork knee marinated in beer and usually served with pickled vegetables and dark bread. Loupk: a sweet crescent-shaped roll covered in poppy seeds, usually eaten for breakfast. GulÃ… ¡, or goulash: another staple Czech dish (though originally from Hungary). Goulash is usually stewed beef in gravy served with dumplings. Trdelnà ­k is a rolled dough with cinnamon and sugar. Yum! Schnitzel: thinly sliced veal, pork, or chicken, covered in breadcrumbs and fried. Schnitzel is usually served with potato-based side dishes. PalaÄ inky: These are similar to French crepes, though they’re cooked with a different batter. They can be sweet or savory and are commonly sold at food markets. Trdelnà ­k: a rolled pastry wrapped around a stick and coated with cinnamon and sugar. These are popular at Christmas markets, where they’re heated up over an open flame. SmaÃ… ¾enà ½ Sà ½r: This is a deep-fried cheese, often sold by vendors at food markets. Below are a few recommendations for food markets. A couple are year-round, while othersjust pop up around the holidays. Farmer’s and Holiday Markets in Prague Havel’s Market (Havelske trziste): This permanent market is open everyday, year-round from 9 AM to 6 PM. Come here for fresh fruits and vegetables, food, flowers, crafts, toys, puppets, leather goods, and souvenirs. Address: Havelska Street, Prague 1 off Melantrichova, a pedestrian-only street between Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Naplavka Farmer’s Market: popular riverside Saturday market with fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese and meat stands, cooked food, beer and wine, and coffee. It’s open from 8 to 2 on Saturdays by the river bank close to the metro stop Palackà ©ho nmÄ›stà ­. Prague's Christmas markets are magical! Jirak Farmer’s Market: This market’s located around the Jiriho z Podebrad stop on the metro from Wednesday through Saturday. In addition to the usual fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses, you can find delicious breads and pastries. It’s open from 8 AM to 6 PM Wednesday through Friday and 8 AM to 2 PM on Saturday. Christmas Markets: the largest ones are located in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square and are pretty magical. You’ll find cinnamon-sugar pastries, roasted nuts, mulled wine, thick hot chocolate, and crackling meat turning over an open fire. Craft tents sell traditional handicrafts, wooden toys, tree ornaments, puppets, jewelry, and other great gifts. The Christmas markets are open everyday from early December to early January. Easter Markets: The best Easter markets, like the Christmas markets, are located in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. You can find lots of food and gifts among the brightly painted tents, along with activities for kids and people in traditional costume. The Easter markets are typically open for the first three weeks in April. 12. Drink Czech Beer While the Czech Republic may not have a reputation for the world’s best cuisine, it does have some of the best beer! Happily, it’s also some of the least expensive. You can find Czech-made beer (pivo) at all of the bars, pubs, and breweries. My favorite bars were the atmospheric underground cave bars with stone walls, candlelight, and wells that tunneleddeep into the ground. Czech Beer Brands The majority of Czech beers are light in color and served chilled. They’re brewed from hand-picked hops and have a transparent golden color and light taste. The most widely distributed brands are Pilsner Urquell (you can visit the brewery in the town of Plzen) and Budweiser Budvar. Other Czech brands are Bernard, Gambrinus, KruÃ… ¡ovice, Radegast, Starobrno, Staropramen, Svijany, and Velkopopovickà ½ Kozel. There are also microbreweries throughout the city. Below are a few recommendations for breweries and a beer museum. Where to Go for Beer: A Few Recommendations Zly Casy: This bar has 48 delicious beers on draft from small Czech breweries. Address: ÄÅ'estmà ­rova 390/5, 140 00 Prague. U Medvidku Beer Hall and Restaurant: This 550-year old beer hall is famous for its dark lager, X-Beer 33. X-Beer 33 is the strongest Czech beer at .8% alcohol content. Address: Na PerÃ… ¡tà ½nÄ› 7, Starà © MÄ›sto, 0 00, Prague. Prague Beer Museum: the Beer Museum has exhibits on the history of beer-brewing, plus over 31 beers on tap. Address: Na Perstyne 7, Pr 1, Prague. 13. See Opera at the National Theater Are you looking for a more glamorous experience out on the town? Prague is renowned as a center for opera, as well as ballet, music, and theater. Not only will you see great productions, but you’ll do so in the gorgeous National Theater, a 19th century neo-Renaissance building on the Vltava River and important cultural institution in the city of Prague. Ticket prices range from $15 to $50, and you can reserve them online on the National Theater’s website, as well as find the full schedule of productions. When I saw an opera here, there was a screen with English subtitles so I could follow the story. Where to Findthe National Theater The National Theater is located at Narodni 2 in Prague’s New Town. You can take the metro to Narodni trida on Line B or the tram to Narodni Divadlo, lines 6, 9, 17, 18, or 22. 14. Climb Petrin Hill If you’re craving greener spaces, head out of the main part of the city toward the 1000-foot tall Petrin Hill. A popular spot among locals, the park around Petrin Hill has landscaped gardens, a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower, a rose garden, and a Hall of Mirrors. You can climb the 299 steps of Prague’s mini Eiffel Tower for sweeping views over Prague. How to Getto Petrin Hill You can walk or take a funicular railway to Petrin Hill. The walk is just about 30 minutes, but it’s pretty steep. The railway leaves from Ujezd Street and goes up to Petrin Hill. This park is open from 10 AM to 8 PM, March to October and 10 AM to 6 PM, November to February. 15. Take a Day Trip to Cesky Krumlov While Prague has endless things to do and places to see, it’s also surrounded by incredible towns and sights. One awesome and popular day trip takes you south to Cesky Krumlov. Cesky Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s a picture perfect medieval Bohemian town. It has the same fairytale quality of Prague with even fewer signs of modern life. You’ll see a big castle, lots of puppet museums and shops, outdoor markets, and Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Does it sound like a small town version of Prague? That’s a pretty apt description, right down to the fact that it’s also situated around the Vltava River (just 100 miles south). How to Get to Cesky Krumlov If you’re renting a car, you can drive to Cesky Krumlov along route E55. The drive is about two hours and take you through forests, fields, and villages. The most popular way to get there is the bus. This direct, 3-hour bus ride drops you off at the bus station in Cesky Krumlov. From there, it’s just about a 10-minute walk to the center of town. Since the buses can fill up, you should make reservations in advance. The train is probably the least convenient option, since there aren’t any trains that go direct. You could travel between 2.5 and 3.5 hours to ÄÅ'eskà © BudÄ›jovice and then go another 45 minutes on a new train to Cesky Krumlov. The train station is about a 30-minute walk from the city center. So there you have it, the top 15 things to do in Prague. (I could add a 16th for any college undergrads - study abroad there!) In closing, let’s go over some final thoughts about what to do in Prague, the beautiful city in the heart of Bohemia. Historic Prague: Final Thoughts Prague is a paradise for anyone who likes to wander amid art and architecture from centuries past. As a well-preserved medieval city, Prague transports you back in time with its Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo buildings and sculptures. While it’s easy to fall under Prague’s magic spell, you’ll also find reminders of tragedies in its past. It’s important to acknowledge these realities while appreciating the resilience of the Czech people, who have a history of resistance through politics, theater, literature, music, and art. Prague is not all museums, cathedrals, and heavy history, though. It’s also a seriously fun city with world-renowned nightclubs and buzzing bar districts. When it comes to good party spots, I definitely trust Rihanna to know what’s up. Even if you’re not into dancing, you may appreciate the fact that cheap world-class beeris only ever a few steps away. I may not have known about all of Prague's attractions when I decided to study abroad here. Like I said, I was mostlymotivated by aesthetics. As I soon found out, though, Prague isindeed as beautiful as thepictures promised. Plus, the city hasso much more.

Formal justification report to an organization making a recommendation Research Proposal

Formal justification report to an organization making a recommendation for eco paper - Research Proposal Example The report proposes a greener approach to the building and construction sector to ensure that that as domestic and commercial built environment increases, there should be measures that have to be followed in ensuring that buildings are energy efficient, with a view of reducing the carbon load caused by both domestic and commercial usage in heating, air conditioning and cooling. Other resources such as water should also be utilized in the best way possible to ensure sustainability. Some buildings such as L60 building in Melbourne and Comcast Center in Philadelphia have elaborated the leadership in built environment impact of reducing global warming through being energy efficient. Such buildings serve as the best examples that the program should be tailored to emulate and policies put in place, to enforce new and old buildings to accord to these policies. This is due to the wide ranging benefits that is achieved though energy efficient designs on the long term. There is to put into per spectives some of the technologies successfully implement in other places to use to achieve the same benefits. Sustainable Architecture & Building 1.0 Introduction: Overview The current globalised world in industrialization has led to massive increase in environmental pollution. The environmental pollution and the release of green house gases to the atmosphere are two issues that have become a menace to the current order in life. There are many organizations and government initiatives that have been set up to find measures that would be used to reduce the environmental impact of greenhouse gases, and saving of other resources such as water that are becoming scarce after each day. These organization and government policies have come up with measures that are targeted to the general manufacturing sectors and service sectors. This leaves an important cause of pollution unaddressed; the domestic and commercial houses. The Department of Built Environment and Urbanization has a responsibi lity to put up measures that if implemented in the building sector would have environmental degradation through release of green house gases reduced significantly. This call for implementing measures and policies that would require all the modern houses and those under construction to ensure efficiency in energy utility in a bid to ensure sustainable development that is friendly to the environment. There is a need for architects, clients and engineers to cooperate in designing and constructing domestic and commercial buildings to ensure the reduction of carbon load that is mainly caused by overreliance on conventional energy sources in both commercial and domestic buildings. As the country relies heavily on coal and hydropower sources of energy, the carbon burden produced by these energy sources has been increasing daily as the domestic and commercial power demands soars to record levels. The Australian households use about 92% of conventional energy, with only 8% being tapped form renewable sources. This has led the domestic usage or households to contribute to about

ETMA05 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ETMA05 - Essay Example Under each respective heading a review of the advantages and disadvantages of litigation and ADR will be provided. The section titled â€Å"The ADR Process† will focus on exploring the issues which should be considered before making a decision whether or not ADR is suited to a particular case. This section mainly focuses on the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, particularly the overriding objective, which provides assistance in determining whether or not a case is suited to the ADR process. The section titled â€Å"Civil Trial† considers the advantages and disadvantages of litigation as a form of dispute resolution. Conclusion In the Conclusion, the findings will be summarised then an opinion shall be formed. This is in respect of what issues a solicitor should consider with a client before deciding if the case is suited to the ADR process. The conclusion refers to the main points in the Introduction and draws a close to the detailed points made in the main body of the essay. Question 2 Introduction Alternative dispute resolution (‘ADR’) is the term given to a variety of methods of resolving disputes other than by initiating court proceedings. Some examples of ADR are negotiation, mediation, arbitration, conciliation and adjudication. The various different forms of ADR vary considerably in terms of the procedure they adopt and the outcomes they are able to produce. For instance, arbitration is more akin to the court process, as it can produce a decision which is binding on the parties. Mediation, on the other hand, is more flexible in the approach which is adopted and the outcome can only be determined by mutual agreement between the parties. Irrespective of which form of ADR is used however, ADR now plays an important role in the English legal system. The important role ADR now enjoys largely results from a major review of the civil court rules and procedures in March 1994, which was carried out by Lord Woolf. The principal objective of th e review was to improve access to justice, whilst reducing the costs associated with litigation, thereby making the system more lay person friendly by reducing complexities, and removing unnecessary differences between practice and procedure. The review resulted in the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (‘CPR’), which came into effect on 26th April 1999. Albeit, even prior to the introduction of the 1998 Rules, it became apparent that ADR was going to play an important part in the new civil justice landscape. ADR is now an entrenched and integral part of the new civil justice system. The new civil justice system therefore operates on the premise that, inter alia, litigation ought to be avoided wherever possible. Where litigation is deemed necessary, however, Lord Woolf’s opinion was that the procedure ought to be less adversarial and more cooperative. ADR is a process that neatly fits into this new civil procedure framework. In fact, under the new CPR a party/person who fails to seriously consider ADR at the pre-trial stage could expose that party to a penalty at the costs stage of the litigation process. It follows therefore that legal representatives are under a professional duty to consider ADR, as an alternative to litigation, as a means of reaching an amicable settlement. Collectively all methods of resolving disputes

Impacts on Social Media Essay Example for Free

Impacts on Social Media Essay As we begin to discuss social media and is impact on mass communications as a whole, we must first define what it is and how it came to be. The Dynamics of Mass Communications defines social media as a set of Internet tools that encourages content sharing and community relationships. Users are able to create online communities by exchanging, distributing and receiving content information. Social media has rapidly integrated itself into our personal and professional lives over the past decade or so. Information is more available to the public today because of social media. The history of social media started with the BBS (Bulletin Board System) in the late 70’s. Most BBSs were involved in illegal or other shady practices like adult content, virus codes, and instructions on hacking and phone hacking, but BBSs were the first type of sites that allowed users to log on to it and interact with one another. This interaction was a lot slower than what individuals are used to in today’s society. Genie was created by a General Electric subsidiary (GEIS) in 1985 and was an early online service. It was a text-based service, and was considered the first viable commercial competition to CompuServe. This specific service was created to make use of time-sharing mainframes after normal US. business hours. Not too long after, America Online (AOL) started as an online service and made great strides with making the Internet more universally accessible within the United States. In 1988, IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was developed and used for file and link sharing and even keeping in touch with others. Readers could classify it as the father of instant messages as we know it today, though it was limiting access to most people. Touching the topic of early social networks, dating sites are sometimes considered the first social networks. Dating sites began to crop up just as soon as people began to get online with the Internet. These sites allowed users to create profiles with a photo and contact other people. Let’s not forget about Classmates.com, but dating sites and Classmates.com rarely  allowed you to keep a friends list and profiles appeared to be severely limited. The actual social networks like Six Degrees and LiveJournal were a tad bit more advanced than what dating sites had to offer. Six Degrees allowed users to create a basically-static profile while LiveJournal was created in 1999 and was a social network built around blogs that were constantly updated that encouraged other users to follow one another and form groups to interact. It wasn’t soon after that social interaction had found its way to online games. World of Warcraft is one the most famous for allowing players to interact both in the game would and on related forum and community sites. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games became popular in the early 2000’s though there were indeed other role-playing and other games prior to that. Additionally, the early 2000’s brought more advanced social networks and social media to the playing field. Some examples that most people are familiar with would be Friendster (2002), YouTube (2005), MySpace (2006), Facebook (2004), Tumblr (2006), Twitter (2006), and Instagram (2010). All these networks took a toll on millions and billions of people around the globe. People are more connected and up to date because of them. Social Media as a whole has brought a lot of positive effects to the world as we know it today. Social Networks started as a place to connect with your friends in an easy, convenient, and free from charge way. Social networks play an important role with social media. It has allowed individuals to connect with old friends from school, co-workers, and even with complete strangers. It has also provided us with the opportunity to build back a lost relationship or even better relationships with whom that are unable to meet us personally, and involve them with our lives and even take input into their personal lives with specific events that are happening with us. We are now able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions over different topics with a large number of audiences. Our voices are heard louder than ever with the help of social media and social networks. For example, with the Trayvon Martin case, people used social media to conduct marches and protests. On social networks, like Instagram, users blocked out their profile picture to show their involvement for wanting justice for that specific case. We have the option to make groups with people who are like minded and share the  related news with them and ask for their opinion or input about the topic. Far as businesses, they are using social media and social networks to promote their own products and there are a number of customized applications that are being made on social platforms, whose main and only purpose is to promote the product or brand given to them. The negative effects of social media seem to be quite questionable. Studies have shown that the extensive use of social media can quite frankly cause addition to the users. Throughout the day, people tend to feel the need to post something on their pages and check other posts as it has become an important part of everyday life. Extreme usage of social media had resulted in isolation of the individual. The level of human interaction has decreased tremendously and people appear to be less active. Individuals would rather check their smart-phones or tablets than actually picking up a book or a newspaper per say. Interpersonal communication has reduced and there aren’t many face to face communications and meetings being held because many people have lost their full ability to converse while being in the same room. Social Media is also affecting the productivity of people. Users are more distracted. Again, I must state that people are so caught up in texting, blogging, updating a status, and posting any and everything that it to the point where they cannot get specific things done. A prime example would be texting while driving or being on a social network while attempting to write a research paper or even complete homework. According to media bistro, the average person spent three hours and seven minutes online each day in 2012. It appears as online media becomes more popular; other media sources become less popular. People are not reading magazines, newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching television as much as they used to. As the popularity of social networks and online video increases, so does our time online. YouTube has more than one billion users that visit their website each month. Seventy two hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. The list just goes on and this also goes for Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Pinterest, Hulu, and Instagram. It seems nowadays that there are social and user-generated sites for just about every activity you can possibly imagine. There are social shopping sites and social financial planning sites. There are even sites to share goals and meet like-minded people. Sites to plan your travels and share them with others. There are so many apps and sites that accommodate the average person for me to say that social media has indeed made life better for people. Social media has become a huge part of millions of lives worldwide. On the other hand, social media has made everyday life harder or horrific for everyday people. Because social media has grown in popularity and mainstream, it can be used by stalkers to track their victims or even find new ones. Social networks make these privacy settings available to users to help prevent stalkers and predators from being able to see their update. In addition to stalkers, we must also consider cyber-bulling. Cyber-bulling has increased over the years and has affected a lot of social network users. These things can make it harder on individuals. One final thing that needs to be discussed is the fact that the people who have degrees to be covering the news face their job being at risk. News stations and news broadcasts are now up with competition against social media and social networks. This is because people use their mobile devices to obtain the news now a days. This is because it is more convenient to access things from your phone than to take time out to turn on the television or go buy a newspaper. This could make everyday life harder for them if they lose their job. Social media has come a long way since the days of BBSs and IRC charts and social media continues to evolve on a daily basis. With major social networks and social media sites making changes and improvements, it’s sure to keep evolving in the coming years. While in many ways social media has allowed us to share everything from the simplest to most sacred events of our lives with more people in real time, it has also taken away from the action of â€Å"living in the moment.† The one thing we can all conclude is that social media is not just a phase, and it most definitely won’t be going away anytime soon or at least until something better comes along. WORS CITED http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/how-social-media-made-me-better-person http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/the-history-of-social-networking/ View as multi-pages

Wilfred Owens Dulce Et Decorum Est, Tim OBriens The Things They Carri

Wilfred Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est, Tim OBrien's The Things They Carried, and Siegfried Sassoon's Suicide in the Trenches Many war pieces express a distinct sense of truth, hatred, and anger that can be found in the style, tone, and imagery they possess. Incredible images are created in ones mind as war writings are read and heard. Works written by such writers as Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and Tim OBrien really reach out to the audience by way of the authors choice of words and images that they use in their writing. These talented writers create very touching and heart-felt images as they write about the true occurrences, problems, feelings and emotions that soldiers encountered throughout times of war. It is by way of these writers words that the bloody truth of war is heard, rather than the glorified victories heard which overlook the pain that soldiers went through. One beautifully written piece of work by Wilfred Owen is entitled Dulce Et Decorum Est. Just as the poem is written in a rhyme and rhythm that makes poetry easy to follow, the vivid imagery helps one to picture more easily what is going on in the poem. Owen brilliantly chooses words and phrases that illuminate the scene, making the reader feel as if he is physically in the scene along with the characters. For example, Owen describes that the Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots/ But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;/ Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots/ Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind (Gioia 782). A feeling of sadness and pity is felt as one hears the previous words. It is almost as if the scene of the soldiers trudging through the battlefield is being painted for the reader to actually visually ... ... they have heard about war or want to believe about war. The three incredible works of literature by Owen, OBrien, and Sassoon give a true sense of what fighting for ones country was really like. The battles, soldiers, and wars that most of the public see is glorified tremendously through movies and books mainly. These writers wanted a change and they went about this by giving the true and honest facts of what happened. War should be thought of as a tough obstacle that no one should ever have to go through, a sad occurrence, or a horrible burden, but not as a glorious victory. In order to reach that victory, the road is anything but sweet. Works Cited Gioia, Dana and X. J. Kennedy. Literature. Longman Publishing: New York, 2002. Hermine. Poetry and Music of the War Between the States. 02 July 2002. 11 October 2002.

Foreign studies: Chinatown Essay

Extreme traffic congestion and crowding cerate an aggressive atmosphere (cp. fig. 7.2.1.8). Thus, experienced atmosphere carriers like colourful shops, Chinese pharmacies, exotic market places (cp. appendix A fig. 21, 22), the picturesque Binondo Church (cp. appendix A fig. 23) come not fully into one’s own due to the disorganized surroundings. Numerous untidy areas with visible garbage, filthy canals, fetid sewers and dilapidated heritage buildings are discouraging and leave a lasting memory of neglect and insufficient cleanliness (cp. fig. 7.2.1.8 and appendix A fig. 24). Prevailing monotonous (dark) grey colouration is perceived as oppressive. The activity spectrum refers mainly to education or shopping with guided tours or through self-exploration. Stimuli are mainly audio-visual, olfactory (spices) and food tasting The district is perceived as complex, with numerous confusing pathways. The orientation is difficult due to missing signage, brochures and absent references to landmarks. Inner district attractions (e.g. market places, temple) are not signposted and difficult to find while on self-exploration. Main attraction elements like Binondo Church, authentic Chinese historic shop-houses, exotic Chinese pharmacies, authentic restaurants, hidden spiritual places are not tourism oriented accentuated and staged for visitors. Unbearable crowding supports a feeling of insecurity. The district offers numerous catering facilities and shops but public restrooms are unavailable. Interconnectivity to adjacent sites (Escolta, Rizal Park, Intramuros) is conveniently within walking distance. The plan was to build a huge bargain shopping place that would dwarf all the popular thrift, wholesale haunts in the neighborhood. Three years hence, and what rose on one whole block on Reina Regente Street in the heart of Binondo has indeed eclipsed every structure in its vicinity. But it wasn’t the discount behemoth originally planned that opened last February, but a posh, multilevel mall that this side of town had never seen before. â€Å"We took a risk,† said Kevin Tan, first vice president and Commercial Division head of Megaworld Corp., the developer of Lucky Chinatown shopping mall. â€Å"Chinatown is a known bargain area, but midway we felt that we ought to do something different, one that’s never before seen in this area.† The five-level Lucky Chinatown, interconnected by bridge walkways to Megaworld’s twin-tower residential condo, Cityplace, has a supermarket, four cinemas, a food court, an appliance center, a kids’ zone, a fashion zone, and a host of dining, service and retail shops previously seen only in upscale malls in Makati. Tan’s father, real estate tycoon and Megaworld CEO Andrew Tan, always wanted to build something special for the Binondo of his childhood, according to Teresa Pesigan-Valentino, Megaworld’s AVP for marketing and business development. The 3-hectare location of Lucky Chinatown is considered a heritage site where two public high schools, Rajah Sulayman and Josà © Abad Santos, used to be. (When Megaworld acquired the property from the Manila city government in 2008, the developer relocated and built new structures for the two schools, also in Manila.)

Corporal of Marines Essay

Corporal of Marines BY Jkid43 What It Means To Be a Corporal of Marines A Corporal of United States Marine Corps had duty and responsibility that they carry out and sever on a day to day base. A Corporal is the lowest as a Noncommissioned Officer in the Marines Corps. A Corporal helps establish good order and discipline for their Marines. Corporals are held accounted for their and their Marines action. As Corporal of Marines they lead their Marines with firmness, fairness, and dignity. Corporals should have confidence, communicate, and good decision making. Corporal makes timely decision not only in combat, but in garrison oo. A Corporal is responsible for their self, along for their Marines. As Corporals their actions and decisions reflects the mission and welfare of their Marines. As NCO, Corporals must accept the responsible of their leadership roles. Corporals as leaders must understand his roles and Marines. For Corporal they must know their Marines comparability, weakness, and effeteness. Corporal is also responsible for their Marines actions. As NCO, Corporals hold accountable for the action their Marines do good or bad. Corporals serve as mentors for theirs Marines and should know their Marines. Which allow Corporal to make decisions base on their Marines abilities. Corporals also are responsible for the well-being and welfare of their Marines. Corporals should insure that their Marine is taken care on and off duty. To ensure if a Marine have an issue that they take the necessary action to ensure marine problem is resolve. Corporals needs to ensure that their Marines have necessary things need for accomplish the mission that their tasks with. Corporals are also responsible for the development and mentors for their Marines. Corporals should ensure that their Marines are challenged and motivated to the best of ability. A Corporal duty as a NCO is to enforce the rules and regulations on a daily base in the Uniform Code of Military Justice UCMJ. Corporals must understand, follows, and enforce the IJCMJ for their Marines. Corporal have a wide range of Jobs among the very wide range of thing Marines do, but their essential duty is to supervise their work and maintain discipline for their Marines. Corporal must ensure that they understand any tasks giving to them. Corporal should also ensure that they have the necessary plan and executing to accomplish the mission. Corporal should get feedback from their senior leader for guides and development to ensure they can leads the Marines better. Corporal’s duty is to ensure that their Marine is properly trained for any type of mission given to them. When training the Marines, Corporals should ensure that the Marines have their proper equipment, food, water and mind- set when training. Corporals must understand the safety and well-being of their Marine. Ensure that their Marine is healthy mentality, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Corporal duty is also establish good communicates with their Marines. Corporals need to ensure that their marine understand and can accomplish any tasks give to them and supervise to the standard set by the Corporals. The Corporal superiors. This includes the health of each Marine, supply requirements and any other need to ensure the Marines are prepared for any situation. Overall Corporals have a lot of responsible and duties that they must carry out. That core values honor, courage and commitment is emplaced in their Marine, and along themselves. Corporals are to set the example for their Marines emulate. Corporals are to hold themselves to a high stand also.

Critically Discussion Nature is Solely Responsible for Human Development

Critically Discussion Nature is Solely Responsible for Human Development Human development is influenced in a great way by nature, but this is not to say that nature is solely responsible for human development. Although heredity as a natural factor has a significant influence on human development, the environmental factors which are categorized as nurture have some level of influence on the general development of human beings. Nature and nurture interact in different ways to influence the development of a human being.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critically Discussion: Nature is Solely Responsible for Human Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The genetic makeup of a person represents nature while nurture is represented by external factors such as education and general upbringing. This essay will critically discuss the view that nature is solely responsible for human development. There has been an argument by scientists that nurture is influenced in a great way by nature. The c laim that nature is solely responsible for human development is not true. Human development is influenced by the interaction between nature and nurture. The behavioral and physical characteristics of a human being are influenced by nature. Human beings grow physically as a result of natural genetic processes. The general body size and other physical characteristics are influenced by heredity. Physical characteristics such as skin color and gender are determined by genetic factors. Psychologists are of the opinion that the early stages of human development are in most cases influenced by environmental factors. The genetic inheritance of a human being influences their development from conception to adulthood. Human beings can inherit some exceptional talents and hereditary traits that affect their development in one way or another. Nature is associated with biological influences that are normally revealed during different stages of life. Nature is solely responsible for the physical d evelopment of humans being while nurture has a great influence on cognitive and behavioral development. It is important to first of all discuss the influence of nurture on human development to give this discussion a new perspective. It is clear from the earlier observation that nature can not be solely responsible for human development. There are other aspects of human development that can not be provided by nature. Nature influences the physical aspects of human development through heredity while external environmental factors influence other aspects of development such intellectual and emotional development. Some psychologists argue that nurture begins its influence from the womb. Genetic influences begin at conception, but some of them are normally revealed during the later stages of life. It is therefore very difficult to discuss human development without mentioning the nurture factor. The capacity of human beings to learn things is influenced to a great extent by environmental factors.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are different dimensions through which the environmental factors that influence human development can be analyzed. The first category is the physical environment that involves conditions within the womb before a child is born and their physical environment after they are born. The social environment also plays a vital role in human development. Peer pressure from friends and family, and the media content that a child is exposed to at an early age have an influence their general development. Environmental factors can be viewed from different contexts because they affect human development at different levels. Family and friends have an immediate influence on human development while there are other bigger societal factors that influence human beings at different stages of their life. Politics and the education system are examples of macro environmental factors that have a significant influence on human development. Cultural norms and ethnic values are other examples of bigger societal contexts that influence human development. Families and communities have their own standards that have a certain level of impact on human development. At this juncture, it is evident that the genetic makeup of a person is not solely responsible for their development. It is important to also discuss how nature affects human development in order to determine its level of influence in relation to other factors. There are different aspects of human development that need to be discussed, but many scholars pay attention to the biological aspects. The physical aspect of human development serves as a platform for development through nurture. The cognitive abilities and behavioral characteristics of a person define who they are. Human development should be discussed from the physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive angels in order to have a better understanding. Hereditary abilities and tendencies facilitate the maturation process after conception. The genes that human beings inherit from their parents have some coded information that determines their genetic makeup. The physical development of human beings from the fetus level to adulthood is influenced by nature. Nature is responsible for all the physical characteristics of human beings. Examples of physical characteristics that are influenced by the genetic makeup of a person include gender, height and skin color. Heredity is responsible for all the distinguishing features in human beings. It also important to note that nature is responsible for all the hereditary traits in human beings. Human beings inherit some traits and special talents which have a significant influence on their development. The traits that are normally inherited can be positive or negative depending on the genetic makeup of parents.Advertising We will write a custom essay samp le on Critically Discussion: Nature is Solely Responsible for Human Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human beings are born with both positive and negative traits but nurture plays a critical role in enhancing the positive traits and suppressing the negative ones. The development of a human being from a fetus into an adult is a very gradual process and it takes some time for some of the genetic influences to be manifested. Language and spatial skills are influenced by genetics and therefore the relationship between nature and nurture is very complicated. The observed outcomes in human development are as a result of nature and nurture. The factors responsible for human development influence each other in different ways which makes it difficult to categorically state that one of them is solely responsible for human development. Nature and nurture interact to influence the cognitive, behavioral and emotional development of human bein gs. It is evident from this discussion that both nature and nurture are critical when it comes to human development. The upbringing of a child has a significant influence on their general behavior. Inherited traits have a certain level of influence on human behavior but environmental factors are the most responsible when it comes to enhancing human behavior. Children behave according to the way they are brought up by their parents and the people around them. The behavioral characteristics that are introduced to a growing child will always be part of them until they become adults. The development of a child is influenced in a great way by environmental factors. Children can have some inherited talents that require nurturing for them to be developed. Hard work and proper guidance are very critical in the development of natural talents and interests. Children learn how to do things from the people around them and it is therefore true to say that the early stages of human development ar e influenced by nurture. The complex relationship between nature and nurture can be understood by studying the influence of environmental factors and heredity on the characteristics of children. There are those children who inherit some disabilities from their parents and end up living exceptional lives as a result of good upbringing. An example of this is when a child who is born with some learning disabilities ends up performing well academically because of good nurturing. The nature-nurture controversy has been around for a very long time and is here to stay. Genetic predispositions differentiate human beings from other species because of their influence on group and individual characteristics. The genetic characteristics keep on revealing themselves throughout the entre life of a human being. Nature and nurture should not be polarized in any way because their interaction explains the overall human development. The extent of influence is what generates a lot of debate when it com es to human development.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are certain behaviors and characteristics that one can not determine whether they are influenced by nature or environmental factors. Violent acts can be linked to genetic mental disorders or environments factors such as poor parenting. Most researchers are of the opinion that certain human behaviors can neither be connected to nature nor nurture. Nature and nurture have a combined influence on the cognitive, behavioral and emotional development in human beings. Environmental and hereditary factors interact to influence important developmental outcomes in human beings. The nature and extent of interaction is what sparks controversy. According to some research findings, the kind of environment that a child is exposed to enhances their genetic predisposition. Nature and nurture influence human development but it has been a great challenge to determine which one of them plays a bigger role. Many researchers agree that nurture plays a greater role in human development. The argument that nature is solely responsible for human development is not true. The intellectual and emotional capacity of human beings is influenced in a great way by nurture. People and circumstances within the environment enhance the capacity of a child to learn new things in their early stages of development. Adequate parenting and positive influence from the schooling system determine the number of things that a child is able to learn in the early stages of their life. Positive hereditary traits can not influence human development if they are not nurtured in the right way. In conclusion, nature is not solely responsible for human development. Nature is in most cases responsible for the physical attributes of human beings but has a very little influence on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral development of human beings. Talents and other traits that are inherited from parents can only be developed through nurture. It is important to note that behavioral and cognitive development can n ot be developed by nature. The physical development of human beings is influenced by nature and enhanced in most cases by nurture. Human development is influenced by the interaction between natural and environmental factors. Although nature is responsible for human development to some extent, environmental factors play the greatest role in the overall development of human beings.

The Big Bang and the Origin of Everything

The Big Bang and the Origin of Everything How did the universe begin? Thats a question scientists and philosophers have pondered throughout history as they looked at the starry sky above. Its the job of astronomy and astrophysics to provide an answer. However, its not an easy one to tackle. An artists concept of what the Big Bang might have looked like, if anybody had been around to see it. HENNING DALHOFF / Getty Images The first major glimmerings of an answer came from the sky in 1964. Thats when astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered a microwave signal buried in data they were taking to look for signals being bounced from Echo balloon satellites. They assumed at the time that it was simply unwanted noise and attempted to filter out the signal. The antenna that Penzias and Wilson were using when they stumbled across the signals from the cosmic background radiation heralding the birth of the universe. Fabioj, CC BY-SA 3.0 However, it turns out that what they detected was coming from a time shortly after the beginning of the universe. Although they didnt know it at the time, they had discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The CMB had been predicted by a theory called the Big Bang, which suggested that the universe began as a densely hot point in space and suddenly expanded outward.  The two mens discovery was the first evidence of that primordial event. The Big Bang What started the birth of the universe? According to physics, the universe sprang into existence from a singularity - a term physicists use to describe regions of space that defy the laws of physics. They know very little about singularities, but its known that such regions exist in the cores of black holes. Its a region where all the mass gobbled up by a black hole gets squeezed into a tiny point, infinitely massive, but also very, very small. Imagine cramming Earth into something the size of a pinpoint. A singularity would be smaller. Thats not to say the universe began as a black hole, however. Such an assumption would raise the question of something existing before the Big Bang, which is pretty speculative. By definition, nothing existed prior to the beginning, but that fact creates more questions than answers. For instance, if nothing existed prior to the Big Bang, what caused the singularity to be created in the first place? Its a gotcha question astrophysicists are still trying to understand.   However, once the singularity was created (however it happened), physicists have a good idea of what occurred next. The universe was in a hot, dense state and began to expand through a process called inflation. It went from very small and very dense, to a very hot state. Then, it cooled as it expanded.  This process is now referred to as the Big Bang, a term first coined by Sir Fred Hoyle during a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio broadcast in 1950. Although the term implies some kind of explosion, there really wasn’t an outburst or a bang. It was really the rapid expansion of space and time. Think of it like blowing up a balloon: as someone blows air in, the exterior of the balloon expands outward. The Moments after the Big Bang The very early universe (at a time a few fractions of a second after the Big Bang began) was not bound by the laws of physics as we know them today. So, no one can predict with great accuracy what the universe looked like at that time. Yet, scientists have been able to construct an approximate representation of how the universe evolved. First, the infant universe was initially so hot and dense that even elementary particles  such as protons and neutrons could not exist. Instead, different types of matter (called matter and anti-matter) collided together, creating pure energy. As the universe began to cool during the first few minutes, protons and neutrons began to form. Slowly, protons, neutrons, and electrons came together to form hydrogen and small amounts of helium. During the billions of years that followed, stars, planets, and galaxies formed to create the current universe. Evidence for the Big Bang So, back to Penzias and Wilson and the CMB.  What they found (and for which they won a Nobel Prize), is often described as the â€Å"echo† of the Big Bang. It left behind a signature of itself, just like an echo heard in a canyon represents a â€Å"signature† of the original sound. The difference is that instead of an audible echo, the Big Bangs clue is a heat signature throughout all of space. That signature has been specifically studied by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Their data provide the clearest evidence for the cosmic birth event.   The detailed, all-sky picture of the infant universe created from seven years of WMAP data. The image reveals 13.7 billion year old temperature fluctuations (shown as color differences) that correspond to the seeds that grew to become the galaxies. NASA / WMAP Science Team Alternatives to the Big Bang Theory While the Big Bang theory is the most widely accepted model that explains the origins of the universe and is supported by all the observational evidence, there are other models that use the same evidence to tell a slightly different story. Some theorists argue that the Big Bang theory is based on a false premise - that the universe is built on an ever-expanding space-time. They suggest a static universe, which is what was originally predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Einstein’s theory was only later modified to accommodate the way the universe appears to be expanding.  And, expansion is a big part of the story, particularly as it involves the existence of  dark energy. Finally, a recalculation of the mass of the universe seems to support the Big Bang theory of events.   While our understanding of the actual events is still incomplete, CMB data are helping shape the theories that explain the birth of the cosmos. Without the Big Bang, no stars, galaxies, planets, or life could exist.   Fast Facts The Big Bang is the name given to the birth event of the universe.The Big Bang is thought to have occurred when something kicked off the expansion of a tiny singularity, some 13.8 billion years ago.Light from shortly after the Big Bang is detectable as the cosmic microwave radiation (CMB). It represents light from a time when the newborn universe was lighting up some 380,000 years after the Big Bang occurred. Sources â€Å"The Big Bang.†Ã‚  NASA, NASA, www.nasa.gov/subject/6890/the-big-bang/.NASA, NASA, science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-powered-the-big-bang.â€Å"The Origins of the Universe.†Ã‚  National Geographic, National Geographic, 24 Apr. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/origins-of-the-universe/. Updated and edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Aspects of Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aspects of Language - Essay Example I have identified the five major important features of language as: body language, writing, reading, academic paper structures, and message. The sources that would assist in learning more about these features include relevant authoritative online sources which are easily accessible. Finally, the manner of organizing these features would be from the most important to the least important. The five most important things about language that I have selected from the list of topics covered in English 1020 for this semester are as follows: body language (gestures, facial expression, etc.); writing; reading; academic paper structures (introduction, body, conclusion); and message (the underlying meaning of an act of communication). I consider these topics of greater relevance, from among the other topics learned, due to their applicability in current and future situations and settings. For instance, the lessons learned in terms of body language is acknowledged in terms of recognizing that effective communication should consider understanding non-verbal communication patterns that are used in conjunction with verbal cues. Thus, the ability of individuals to understand and correctly interpret and use gestures, facial expressions, posture, distance, or even time, is relevant in the communication process. In addition, writing is deemed of crucial importance in all endeavors: to comply with academic requirements, to compose correspondences and reports, and to express personal or professional ideas in a formally structured manner. Likewise, another relevant endeavor is reading, which is recognized as important in enhancing one’s knowledge in various subject matters and topics. Concurrently, the lessons learned on academic paper structures are important to ensure that academic requirements, specifically in terms of essay writing, are duly followed according to structure, writing style, and grammatical rules. Finally,

Definitions of Giftedness and Talent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Definitions of Giftedness and Talent - Essay Example The three traits are: above-average ability, creativity and task commitment. Renzulli (2011) suggests that special programs tend to favor children with above average ability and ignore those who may perform poorly academically but demonstrate a high level of task commitment. Renzulli (2011) sums everything in his own definition which suggests that giftedness can be defined as a sum of three basic clusters of human traits – above average general abilities, high level of task commitment, and high level of creativity. Gifted children are those capable of developing and applying these traits to valuable areas of human performance. For children to attain an effective interaction of these trait clusters, they should be provided with unique programs and services that are not available to ordinary instructional systems. This can be related to the definition of Gagne (2003) who suggests that giftedness is the possession and use of superior natural abilities to at least one area of ability, to a level where an individual appears among top 10% of his peers. These natural abilities are used to develop talents through a developmental process that uses environmental and interpersonal catalysts. Talents are defined as systematically developed skills, and include arts, social affection, business, academics, leisure and sports (Gagnà ©, 1999). Natural abilities are genetically determined and include: intellectual abilities, creative abilities, sensory abilities, and socio-affective abilities. Some of the interpersonal catalysts that can be used in the development process of giftedness include physical abilities e.g. health, motivation, self-management and personality. Environmental catalysts include: other people, culture and family, programs and events. From this definition by Gagne, it is clear that the concept of natural abilities brings the whole difference between Renzulli’s and Gagne’s definition. Although both