Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - The Battle Between Dr. Jekyll

The Battle Between Jekyll and Hyde      Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout Western literature, writers have created characters who act as perfect foils to each other with dramatically observable differences. Each pairing has a stronger and weaker in the combination, and usually one outlives the other. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the pairing exists in one body, and yet the struggle is heightened because both aspects of the identity are equal in strength. Ultimately, Stevenson emphasizes it is Jekyll who holds the power of life or death over Hyde. Hyde's "love of life is wonderful," but Hyde is also aware of Jekyll's "power to cut him off by suicide (Stevenson 101)." It is the awareness of each for the other which confirms that neither can exist alone.    According to Albert Camus in his essay "The Myth of Sisyphus," "the sight of human pride is unequaled (Bowie 47)." It is Jekyll's pride in his secret existence of sensuality and "love of life" which postpones the self-destructive tendency. However, as soon as Hyde begins to appear without Jekyll's physical act of drinking the elixir, Jekyll can no longer allow the "brute that slept within" to emerge on his own (Stevenson 102." Both Jekyll and Hyde are ultimately aware of each other, and interact through necessity. To each, the other's freedom must be checked in order to stay "alive," and yet Jekyll finally spies freedom, but only through suicide. In the end, it is Hyde who triumphs, as it is in his guise that the body is discovered.    Hyde is Jekyll without restraint, and the man Jekyll wants to be in the light of day. Jekyll's close friend and attorney Utterson regards Hyde with "disgust, loathing and fear," and yet cannot put a name on the precise reason for the... ...tor (Mighall 190)."    Works Cited Camus, Albert. "The Myth of Sisyphus." Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. Ed. G. Lee Bowie, Meredith W. Michaels and Robert C. Solomon. 4th ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2000. 45-49. Charyn, Jerome. "Who Is Hyde?" Afterword: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Bantam Books. Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1981. 105-114. Hume, David. "Of Personal Identity." Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. Ed. G. Lee Bowie, Meredith W. Michaels and Robert C. Solomon. 4th ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2000. 348-352 Mighall, Dr. Robert. A Geography of Victorian Gothic Fiction: Mapping History's Nightmares. Oxford University Press, 1999. 166-209. Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Bantam Books. Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1981.   

Essay --

SoftPot Rotary Potentiometer: Rotary potentiometer is provided at knee joint of the exoskeleton. Whenever the patient is having intent to walk, the rotary potentiometer calculates the respective torque. In response to that a feedback signal is provided to the actuation system to exert equivalent force to interact with the input torque. The feedback system is designed so well that it updates the status of input torque in fraction of a second and as a result exoskeleton keeps working accordingly; and works well with frequent torque changes. Rotary potentiometer works on the principle of resistance change. It is provided with a very fine needle/flip which rotates over the resistive ring. More the angle of rotation more will be the value of resistance observed between the terminal and the rotating flip. It is the measured resistance that tells about the angle of rotation of the joint and torques produced. Therefore, whenever rotational movement is observed the value of resistance of the respective potentiometer is changed and the signal is fed to the controller to take proper action. This helps in maintaining the exoskeleton motion according to the suggested profile and keeping it in the right motion. The rotary potentiometer used in our proposed design is SoftPot rotary potentiometer which is a miniaturized product with slim and sleek design. It can easily be placed along the bearings of the rotary joints and gives output in terms of analog electrical signals which are proportional to the angle of rotation. This sensor is very thin and compact in design with a wide range of operational resistances. Range of resistance change may vary between 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms; also the response of this sensor is much linear; therefore, the positi... ...e with a frequency rate multiplied by the movement. When you rotate the gyroscope, you may notice a so called Coriolis acceleration. In fact, the gyroscope is a spinner, rotating around a vertical axis, fixed in a frame which can articulate around horizontal axis, attached to another frame rotating around the third axis. Thus, we can conclude: no matter how rotate a spinner, it always has an ability to remain in the upright position. The transmitters accepts the signal about the spinner's orientation towards the frames, and the processor defines how the frame must be located with respect to gravity. Regardless to the types of stabilization the system, it can be the power system stabilization (used in two-stage gyroscopes), the tracer system stabilization force (also on a two-level gyroscopes) and the indicator system stabilization (in three-stage gyroscopes). .

Use Electronic Message Systems

Please find below some guide questions to help you when writing a statement for this unit, (if you would prefer, you can make notes on these points and we can have a taped discussion at our next visit)General Knowledge for using electronic message systems:Describe what the main types of electronic message systems are (for example, emails, instant messaging, text messaging etc) In our company we are using two of the main types of electronic message systems are as follows: †¢E-mails, these work by the message leaving your inbox, it is then transferred to a number of servers before it reaches the other persons inbox. During this time it passes through a few servers, some of which save the email for future reference.†¢Faxes are another type of electrical message system, this works by drawing the documents through it, scanning them and saving digital images into memory. The machine dials the number, waits for acknowledgment from the fax machine on the other end then transfers th e images using different frequency tones to translate varying shades of dark and light.Describe what the different features of electronic message systems are Emails are more superior then Faxes as you can attach things, and they can be used for a variety of things. Signing up to websites, they can also be used for video conferencing. You are not limited to how long the email is you are sending, however when you are using a fax machine you are charged by how many pages you send. This can be costly if it is used on a regular basis, whereas emails are free and readily available.Explain the purpose of keeping an electronic message system up to date The purpose of keeping an electronic message system up to date is that I know which messages I dealt with also to avoid miscommunication. It also allows me to have more clear view at other messages. For example every day when I’m coming to work first what I do is checking my email to find what task I have  to do. As soon as I replay I am moving them to folders or delete if are not important.Describe how to use an electronic message system to check and delete or discard messages On our computers we are using Microsoft Outlook.   First what I need to do is log in to my account by using login and password then I can see all emails what been send to me directly or to address group where I’m included. When I get an email, my computer displays an envelope in the task bar area, plays a sound and also pops up on my screen to let me know that I have mail.All new massages are bold font so are easy to spot. Enough if I click on message it will show on right site of my desktop and automatically sender will receive message that I have read his email. After read and respond I moving massages to adequate folder to keep information for case I’ll need it (for example attached forms) or delete if are finish and not needed any more. To delete message I need highlight message and click â€Å"Delete† button w hat move the message to â€Å"Delete items† then if I want remove permanently I need right click and choose â€Å"Empty bin†Explain the purpose of leaving clear messages for othersThe purpose of leaving clear messages for others is that we can make sure that the point we want to get across is received and hopefully understood. This can also minimize potential conflict that could come from misunderstanding.Now show me how you use electronic message systems and give me some examples of the following (you can use screen shots and explanations to illustrate your answers)Give me an example of a message that you have responded to within suitable timescale, show the message from someone and your message that you sent backTwice a week we send packaging to Spain.First what we receiving are details about transport from trays control department: Who, when and what will be collected.Then we are receiving a list of packaging from packaging planers:When everything is ready I sending back list with quantities prepared to let know planers what exactly was send and what left in our stores.Show me how you delete messages once they have been dealt withNext click on â€Å"Delete Items† folder by right click open menu and chose â€Å"Empty folder†.

Business Ethics Reflection Essay

A few years ago, my company decided to hire a man of Middle-Eastern decent to fill an open project engineering position. The gentlemen exemplified what the company wanted and needed in an employee. He had the educational requirements, work history, and years of experience in our manufacturing field. He shined during the interview process and stood head and shoulders above the other candidates. My company wasted no time making the man a reasonable offer and he gladly accepted soon afterwards. Within a few months after his arrival, the gentleman was tasked to lead a project to install an aseptic blend operation. The aseptic blend operation had some strict personal hygiene requirements. One critical requirement was no employee could don a beard when working in the blend area. Ironically, the gentleman sported a full lengthy beard in which he wore proudly as part of his Middle Eastern culture. Eventually, an unexpected ethical dilemma was on the rise. My company was caught between asking the man to shave his beard, assign another engineer to the project, or amend the requirement. After a few weeks of laboring over this problem, my company decided it would be in the best interest of all parties involved to allow the man to keep his beard and still lead the project. To do so, my company researched and was able to source large aseptic-acceptable beard nets. The gentleman was open to the idea of wearing the beard nets and the project was completed on time. The virtue, value, and moral conceptual issues in this ethical dilemma were also of interest. In terms of virtue, this man’s character was never in question. He was neither right nor wrong but was simply adhering to his cultural ways. In terms of values, the man’s personal values differed from those of the company’s. The man valued his culture and held it in high regard. As a result, he made a choice to sport a beard that signified his culture and ancestry. On the other hand, the company initially valued their policies. Yet, the company eventually decided to change them to honor the man’s values. Morally speaking, the virtues and the values of the company  and the man were not aligned thus causing an ethical dilemma. Neither of the two was right or wrong but simply had different beliefs. There were several ways in which external social pressures influenced business ethics in this situation. For example, when local Middle-Eastern delegates found about this ethical issue they became irate. They threatened to boycott the company’s products, protest outside of the company, and pursue a lawsuit. The local ACLU, The American Civil Liberties Union, spoke up against the company’s policies as well. Although they didn’t threaten any actions, their mere presence was enough to sway the company to change its policies. Finally, social pressure form the many Middle-Easterners within the community, county, and state weighed heavily on the company. These external social pressures along with internal pressure from employees were too much for the company to ignore. Again, as a result, the company amended its aseptic operation polices. If I was a company and was faced with the same dilemma today, I would have arrived at the same solution. Personally, in this situation, it would be better to amend a policy by finding suitable solutions, than it would be to stand firm. The company did the right thing by finding and purchasing acceptable beard nets rather than fight a lengthy battle in the judicial system and the court of public opinion. Therefore, I would have done the same thing today. If I was the gentleman in this situation, I would have done exactly what he originally did; stand firm and work towards to solution in which all parties are satisfied. I would not have decided to cut my hair because that would have violated my cultural values and personal value system. In the end, the solution was amicable to both the gentleman and the company. This ethical dilemma, although rectified in a reasonable fashion, brought to light other policy issues within the company. As a result, the company hired an ethical officer who oversees all policies, rules, and procedures. Also this individual helps orientate new hires who cultural ways and values are not easily recognized. This has helped the company become more cultural diverse and more cognizant of others who values differ from the majority of  the workforce References: * Managing Business Ethics * L. Trevino & K. Nelson * 2007

Letter of complaint Essay

This year in school my son Shem has brought to my attention that â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† will no longer be included in the school curriculum, though I feel this is a poor decision and that â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† is an important classic novel to read in school and should be included in lessons once more. Although â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† has been commonly regarded as a ‘banned book’ for explicit language and racism it is very informative and a noteworthy example of coming of age, and the wrongness of racism and stereotypes. For example Atticus, a character in To Kill a Mockingbird, who was a very respectable man in his community, represents a black man in court during a very racist era, doing all that he could to prove he was innocent despite the color of his skin; this shows that not all of the topics regarding racism in the novel are negative. The poor language is also something that unfortunately children are already exposed to in everyday life. I feel that as long as they understand the wrongness of this language and do not continue to repeat it then it shouldn’t be of much concern. This langue it is important for children to be exposed to, to fully understand what life was like in the 1930’s. This novel was set in a very important time in American history and exposes old practices that young students may not be familiar with in a more enjoyable and memorable fashion; through the narrations of the character Scout. This may help the children learn more willingly and enjoyably rather than learning from a text book that does not give them as great of an idea of what it might be like for someone to live during that time period. Teachers are also able to teach students about dialect, figures of speech, allusions and other literary devices using this novel. The characters in it are very colorful and developed well as well making a lot of material for discussions about characters. To Kill a Mocking Bird has been ranked by British librarians even before the Bible as a book that every adult must read before dying. The adaptation of the book was also made into an Oscar-winning film which was released in 1962. The novel has became popular with time and the style of writing, the plot and characterization places it in the top 10 books that everyone should read, therefore as students are maturing I believe that they should read â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† and be able to analyze and dig deeper into the book with the guidance of teachers and peers during school. In conclusion I believe that â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† should be included in school curriculum because it shows that racism and stereo types are unjust and not always true, exposes children to important times in history and is a great example of literary devices and character development. Kind Regards,

Tok Bias Essay (Gavin Menzies, Jared Diamond, Etc.)

Theory Of Knowledge To what extent can disagreement aid in our understanding of history? October 2012 International School of Curacao Wordcount: 2,691 Historical Disagreements To what extent can disagreement aid in our understanding of history? Disagreement has been present in the world ever since the first biotic and abiotic factors roamed the Earth. In order to understand what the question is asking, we must define its key words. Disagreement is defined as a difference in opinion and diversity.Even though the word disagreement has a negative tone, it does not necessarily have to be bad. Disagreement offers people a different point of view and can help the world’s population improve its understanding of each other. This brings me to the next key word in the question: understanding. Understanding is described as the comprehension of a certain topic and as having a mental grasp on something. People encounter disagreements during discussions, which makes the conversation richer. I find it is important, for every human being, to understand that disagreements are healthy.Without disagreement, there will be too much familiarity and similarity, and life will be lacking adventure and uncertainties. Disagreement and lack of understanding are often, if not always, seen in history. Many wars start because of a disagreement and/or because of the lack of willingness of understanding. History is defined as the study of the past. Much of the study of history is factual. Facts are statements supposedly set in stone and true. From a young age on, children are taught that facts are not to be altered. As they grow up, they find that this is false: history is not entirely set in stone.And that is exactly what this paper will be covering, with the help of Jared Diamond, Galileo Galilei, Gavin Menzies, Fritz Fischer, Charles van Doren, and Reuben Abel. Historiography is the writing of history. According to Reuben Abel, different historiographies are influenced by the history of civilization. This history of civilization is depending on climate, soil, and geography. Geography brings up another historian that helps support that disagreement aids in the understanding of history. Jared Diamond did research on why historiography is different in different continents.He published his findings in a book called â€Å"Guns, Germs, and Steel†. Diamond argued that the gaps in technology and power between human societies are not caused mainly by cultural and racial differences. He states that the geography and ecology of European and Asian landmasses gave the societies there an advantage over those on other continents. Although Diamond’s findings sound realistic, his work was critiqued for ‘factual errors’. Diamond, although criticized, is important to mention in the discussion on how disagreement aids in the understanding of history.His findings may not all be correct, but some are. This shows that there were many different factors playi ng in the different historiographies in different continents in the world. Reuben Abel goes on by stating that the history of civilization is also dependent of race, hereditary ability, and psychological factors. Additionally, it depends on the motif of power and on the theory that history is the history of class struggle. This is an idea taking from Marxism, and the first kind of approach to history: that it is cyclical.Reuben Abel goes on by stating that historiographies should be appraised and assessed, but that there is no crucial experiment that can test the validity of a theory of history. Abel’s claim that â€Å"History is far from being exclusively scientific or factual; it is also a larger part creative† is one I can agree with. History is not just facts. Between the factual sentences, there has to be at least one sentence linking one fact to another. The main reason why Reuben Abel is important to mention in this essay about disagreement aiding the understand ing of history is that humanity has not yet discovered every bit of evidence in the world.Abel mentions that the past is â€Å"inferred from present evidence†. What he means with this is that the evidence found in modern times indicates the past. With this, Abel concludes that present evidence is not complete. Hence, the past remains a mystery. A good example of historical deception is Stalin’s photograph taken with Nikolai Yezhov, which was altered later to remove Yezhov. Disagreement has been present in history and often a source of major (bloody) historical events. A good example of disagreement aiding in the understanding of history is the three different views of any historical event.You have the Orthodox view of a historical event, which is the traditional outlook and interpretation of historical ‘facts’. The second view is the revisionist one. These historians take a second look at the evidence of the first view. The third view is the post-revisioni st view. Historians look at both the traditional and the revisionist view of the same historical event, and conclude ‘something’ based on both views. This is important in discussing how disagreement aids in the understanding of history. The three views obviously have a different opinion of what caused a certain historical event.But this disagreement, that is healthy, provides the world’s population with a better understanding of history. The disagreement gives the world the option to choose which view they support the most. Gavin Menzies is another great example of one who argues the truth of history. He states that it was not Christopher Columbus who discovered America in 1492, but the Chinese. He says that the New World was ‘stumbled upon’ by the Chinese in 1421. This is seven decades prior to Columbus. Menzies is relevant in the discussion about disagreement aiding in the understanding of history, because he questions and challenges history.He has found and states his evidence, in his book, supporting that China had been actively sailing around the world during the 1420’s. The reason why he is arguing the truth of America’s discovery is because he himself found out that many historical Chinese events happened in 1421. This is the main reason why he decided to write a book about the Chinese discovering America before Columbus. Additionally, Menzies is important to mention in the discussion of how disagreement can aid in the understanding of history because of his thesis.His thesis changed the Western age of discovery and altered the common belief that Europe discovered Asia. Some of his arguments include finding Asian jade in Aztec tombs, and allegations of Chinese ideograms found on pre-Columbian pottery. Another argument he uses to defend his statement(s) is the idea of maps that show countries that were not yet discovered by Europe in the 15th century. His third supporting argument is that not only many acade mics in China support him; also academics on the West Coast of America believe Zhang He found North America and Australia during his two-year journey over the ocean, which began in 1421.Menzies re-opened the discussion of truth in relation to history in 2008 when he stated that the Chinese sparked the Renaissance. With his book, Menzies received much criticism. Oxford professor Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, for example, counters Menzies’ evidence of maps by saying: â€Å"What [Gavin Menzies] doesn’t understand is that maps at that time were as much acts of the imagination as cartography†. Menzies replies by stating that there are over 6,000 references that support the idea of ‘diffusion theory’. This is the idea that there are various alternative theories that discuss America’s discovery.Menzies goes on by stating that it is â€Å"Virtually impossible to still argue that Columbus discovered America, that Cook found Australia or that Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the world†. This is also because evidence was discovered that the Vikings discovered America 500 years prior to Columbus, and 430 years prior to the Chinese. Menzies also states that in the 1400’s, only the Chinese had the capacity and knowledge to explore the world. The article on his website summarizes that Menzies says that the Chinese fleet could have circumnavigated the world four times between 1421 and 1426. The key word to view is could.By using this word, Menzies assumes that the Chinese could circle the world four times, while there is hardly any sign of evidence to support this argument. If Menzies had evidence to support his statement, he would not be using the word could. Another reason why Menzies is significant when looking at disagreement aiding in the understanding of history is because he introduces the idea of ‘diffusion theories’ to a younger audience. He is able to make people question what they were taught a t school and think about their sources. But then this question comes to mind: is Menzies’ goal to prove China’s role in the discovery of America ethical?This means that many historians that studied the topic of discovery should and will be questioned. Many people will be questioning their beliefs and Spain (as well as various other countries) will be suffering under a ‘bad image’. Menzies is making the public question their authority and textbooks. Another man who made the public question their authority and textbooks was German historian Fritz Fischer. In 1961, he introduced that Germany intended to start a (world) war to gain more economic and political dominance over Europe, Africa, and Asia.Germany had a strong sense of colonialism, and found imperialism very important. Fischer, as a revisionist, concludes that therefore Germany is responsible for the start of the Great War, or the First War. His colleagues and the (German) public received his contribu tions with shock as it challenged the traditional view that Germany stumbled into the war, just like the other great European powers did. Younger historians later found truth in some of his evidence and Fischer became Germany’s best-known living historian to the world, until he died on December 1st of 1999.The main reason why Fischer is important to mention in a discussion about disagreement aiding in the understanding of history is because his statement opened up the discussion of the world wars. Before, German people were not allowed to speak of the war, as it was still a very sensitive topic. Fischer blew new life into the topic of Germany’s intentions. The disagreement among him and his supports and other historians has shown that there is more evidence to what humanity is aware of now. Back then; the causes of the Great War were debatable, yet one was seen as set in stone.Now children are taught that there are various causes of the Great War. This disagreement cau sed by Fischer has resulted in a better understanding of the intentions of Germany in the Great War. Another important subject related to disagreement in aiding the understanding of history is truth and reality. Before and somewhat after the Renaissance, religious populations believed that the world was flat, and that one could fall off of it. This was, however, proven wrong by various scientists in BC and in AD. Another example of human deception and ignorance of truth and reality is Charles van Doren’s game show appearance.In January of 1957, he entered a game show and won more than $1 million. It became later known that Van Doren was given the answers to the questions and that he therefore cheated. Van Doren’s cheating shows that even something as simple as a game show, can be manipulated. When viewing this problem on a larger scale, one will make the startling discovery that certain things are happening that ‘ordinary’ people are not and will never be aware of. The manipulation also shows and supports the idea that what happens in the present, and what happened in the past, may be believed to be true, until one knows the actual truth.Sometimes people do not want to have a disagreement about history and present knowledge. A good example of this is the Renaissance, specifically Galileo Galilei. Galileo was famous for his scientific findings and believes. In 1632, he published a book in which he stated that the Earth was moving around the sun. By doing so he was proving the common believe of the Earth being central in the universe, wrong. This angered the Pope, and Galileo was found suspect of heresy and was forced to say that his findings were wrong. Additionally, he became imprisoned and persecuted by the church.Galileo is important to mention in the discussion of disagreement aiding in the understanding of history as he demonstrated the advantages of experimentation and change. He was among those who began the Scientific Revoluti on in Europe. Disagreement is necessary in discussions and in life. Without it, life would be dull and too familiar. Because of disagreement, many people are given the option to choose who and what they want to believe. This is when historiography comes into place. Historiography is the writing of history. There is someone who writes the history that children are taught of in class.This someone can be a traditional Orthodox historian, a revisionist historian, or a post-revisionist. The lessons for history that we, the ordinary and educated part of humanity, are taught were once determined by one of these categories of historians. Their view is what we value as truth and factual. Galileo, for example, was one among many who proved the truth of a flat Earth wrong. He discovered, with a telescope and calculations, that the Earth is round. Although found mad at first, Galileo proved something that was found true by many religious people, false. Another example of this would be Gavin Men zies.He argued that it was not Columbus who discovered America, but the Chinese. Although he receives many critics on his book, he has proven that there is new evidence supporting that Columbus was not the first on America. This has made many people question their textbooks and take a second look at many historical facts. Fritz Fischer has done similar and made Germans and other countries in the world take another look at their textbooks. He did so by stating that Germany is responsible for the First World War, as they promoted imperialism and colonialism. Germany was greedy and therefore to blame for the First World War.Jared Diamond has also made people check their textbooks. He introduced the idea that there are various factors influencing each historical event. Diamond proved that Europe and Asia were able to conquer the New World due to their geography and agriculture. Charles van Doren did not prove anything wrong either, but proved that humanity may be deceived by their lack of knowledge. By entering a game show and winning through cheating, Van Doren has proven that something as simple as a game show can be manipulated. This raises the question of what else is manipulated that humanity is unaware of?To conclude, disagreement is important when looking at history. History is not set in stone, and can never fully be. Reuben Abel said that the evidence found today, determines the history. This is true as much information is still lacking from history, and certain events are still lacking cause and reason, which would be determined by the evidence. The disagreement among historians wakes up humanity. It forces us to study certain events better in order to fully understand all of its possible causes. We will be able to understand history better by viewing different possibilities.The people present during the historical events are gone, and only psychical evidence is left over. From this, historians conclude their professional opinions. Disagreement aids in t he understanding of history as it provides humanity with the possibility of variety. Bibliography BBC News. (2002, October 22). Experts hope to emulate Chinese Columbus. Retrieved September 21, 2012, from BBC News: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2349929. stm Clark, J. (2012). Did the Chinese beat Columbus to America? Retrieved October 1, 2012, from How Stuff Works: http://history. howstuffworks. om/european-history/chinese-beat-columbus. htm Dictionary. (2012). Disagreement. Retrieved October 3, 2012, from Dictionary: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/disagreement Dictionary. (2012). Fact. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from Dictionary: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/fact Freudenrich, C. C. (2011). World History. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from Curiosity: http://curiosity. discovery. com/question/how-know-vikings-north-america Gavin Menzies. (2011, August 11). Australia as surveyed by Zheng He fleet voyagers before 1433 -paper delivered in Brisbane, August 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2012, from Gavin Menzies: http://www. gavinmenzies. net/Evidence/5-australia-as-surveyed-by-zheng-he-fleet-voyagers-before-1433-paper-delivered-in-brisbane-august-2006/ Hitt, J. (2012, January 5). Goodbye, Columbus! Retrieved October 1, 2012, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2003/01/05/magazine/goodbye-columbus. html? pagewanted=all&src=pm Lovgren, S. (2005, July 6). â€Å"Guns, Germs, and Steel†: Jared Diamond on Geography as Power. Retrieved October 3, 2012, from National Geographic: http://news. nationalgeographic. com/news/2005/07/0706_050706_diamond. html Menzies, G. 2011, August 18). At the time only the Chinese had the capacity and knowledge to explore and chart the world. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from Gavin Menzies: http://www. gavinmenzies. net/Evidence/1-at-the-time-only-the-chinese-had-the-capacity-and-knowledge-to-explore-and-chart-the-world/ Merriam-Webster. (2012). Understanding. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from Merriam-W ebster: http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/understanding Saxon, W. (1999, December 10). Fritz Fischer, 91; German Historian Blamed Germany for First War. Retrieved October 3, 2012, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. om/1999/12/10/world/fritz-fischer-91-german-historian-blamed-germany-for-first-war. html Stanfor Solar Center. (2010). Who was Galileo? Retrieved October 3, 2012, from Stanford Solar Center: http://solar-center. stanford. edu/galileo/ The Free Dictionary. (2012). History. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from The Free Dictionary by Farlex: http://www. thefreedictionary. com/history The Telegraph. (2008, August 1). Gavin Menzies: mad as a snake- or visionary? Retrieved September 21, 2012, from The Telegraph: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/culture/books/3557568/Gavin-Menzies-mad-as-a-snake-or-a-visionary. tml Wikipedia. (2012, October 3). Jared Diamond. 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The Gaia Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Gaia Hypothesis - Essay Example Founded and formulated in the 1960s by Dr James Lovelock while on a NASA project to detect any sign of life on the planet Mars, the Gaia hypothesis has created strong pro and anti lobbies. The pro-gaian discipline is euphoric in the belief that 'optimising gaian' principles could lead to 'enhancing environmental conditions to such an extent that they are optimal for life.' [Alex Kleidon, p3]. The anti-gaian detractors, on the other hand, are dismissive on the premise that the whole hypothesis is at best, an entertaining story. Their argument is weakened due to their inability or unwillingness to prove their point through research. In his treatise, 'The Gaia Hypothesis: Fact, Theory and Wishful Thinking,' James W Kirchner states, 'Biologically mediated feedbacks are not intrinsically homeostatic. Many of the biological mechanisms that affect global climate are destabilizing, and it is likely that the net effect of biological feedbacks will be to amplify, not dampen, global warming.' [Kirchner J W, p1] The natural tendency of the micro and macro organisms to manage any threat to the homogeneity of a region in relation to its environment is limited to its ability to survive and adept to its surrounding. Could it be of improvement or transformation as well Seen logically, it is not possible to conclusively determine the capability of the biota to rise to the occasion of performing an enhanced role of preparing to interact with a greater force when required to do so in a hostile environment. Within a limited time span, in a changing environ, is it possible for teleological mechanisms hidden somewhere in nature to perform an offensive, defensive, or catalytic role on behalf of the biota Discoveries in microbiology, bio-ecology, and biota inspire awe and reverence. But these are not sufficient to draw conclusions on theories that require scientific testing and approvals. Perhaps the logic lies in the argument that 'it is one thing to say that we benefit from the environmental services that our ecosystem provides, and entirely another to say that our environment is in any sense tailored to our needs.' [Kirchen J W, p8] Other variables The forms of life in a given environment is best suited to recycle its own form due to several other factors, viz. climatic conditions peculiar to the region, its actions and reactions to the vagaries of nature, and taken to extremes, it does appear capable to rebound with much greater vigour. However, it is inconceivable by any stretch of imagination, that the biota and its environment hold secret codes to ensure a perennial survival or a revolutionary transformation mutually beneficial to each other in the face of annihilating circumstances. There isn't any evidence to show that organisms have the inherent capability to alter the environment for their own benefit. Can organisms alter the environment The temptation to draw such a conclusion is inevitable given the fact that the Gaia hypothesis has used terminologies