Is There Another Earth Out There Essays - Astrobiology,

Is There Another Earth Out There? Is There Another Earth Out There? (adopted from an article by Guillermo Gonzalez, Donald Brownlee and Peter D. Ward, Refugees for Life in a Hostile Universe, Scientific American, October 2001) Is there life on other planets? Science has been trying to answer this question for a long time. In the article, the authors argue that it is highly improbable that complex life forms exist in our galaxy. To quote the authors: Researchers are now casting a skeptical eye on musings about the prevalence of intelligent life throughout the Milky Way. Furthermore, according to the article, not only may most of the solar system be unfriendly to multi-cellular or complex organisms, the same may be true of much of the galaxy. In fact, in recent years, astronomers have gained an appreciation of just how deadly our galaxy can be, filled as it is with exploding stars, radiation, and stellar close encounters. Creating a Hospitable Planet How does one determine the hospitality of a planet? Within a given planetary system, astronomers describe the optimal locations for life in terms of the cicumstellar habitable zone (CHZ). The CHZ is generally considered to be a region around a star where liquid water can persist on the surface of an Earth-like planet for at least a few billion years. In 1999, there was a proposed concept of a galactic equivalent to the CHZ: the galactic habitable zone (GHZ). The GHZ defines the most hospitable places in the Milky Way-those that are neither too close nor too far from the galactic center. The boundaries of the galactic habitable zone are set by two requirements: a). the availability of material to build a habitable planet and b). adequate seclusion from cosmic threats. a. In order for a planet to be created, sufficient building material must exist. Interestingly, metals are the building blocks of Earth-like planets. In fact, the abundance of metals affects the size of the planets that can form. Size, in turn, determines whether a planet can retain an atmosphere and sustain geologic activity. The abundance of metals is measured by metallicy-the ratio of the number of metal atoms to the number of hydrogen atoms. Particularly, the lower the metallicy of a planet, the lower is the abundance of metals. In fact, without enough metals, large planets can not form at all. On the other hand, too high of a metallicity can also be a problem. High metallicity increases the density of the protoplanetary disk and therefore induces the giant planets to shift position. The result of such shift is that such planet will throw any smaller, Earth-like bodies out of the system all together or push them into the sun. b. Metallicy is not enough to determine hospitality of a planet. To contain life, a planet must also be kept reasonable safe from outside threats, such as the impact of asteroids and comets. Blasts of radiation also present a problem. Until a certain point, a planets magnetic field can fend off most particle radiation and its ozone layer can screen out dangerous electromagnetic radiation. However, sufficiently energetic radiation can ionize the atmosphere and generate nitrogen oxides in amounts capable of wiping out the ozone layer. Energetic radiation hitting the atmosphere can also let loose a deadly rain of secondary particles. Effects on Earth In many ways, the Milky Way is unusually hospitable: a disk galaxy with orderly orbits, comparatively little dangerous activity (comets and asteroids) and plenty of metals. Earth satisfies the requirement for optimal metallicity. The mix of land and sea on Earth is important for atmospheric temperature control and other processes. In our solar system, the frequency of asteroid impact depends on the details of Jupiters orbit and formation; the rest of the galaxy has no direct effect. As far as radiation is concerned, the nucleus of the Milky Way is currently relatively inactive. To quote the author: If our ideas about the GHZ are correct, we live within an especially comfortable region of the Milky Way. Any civilization seeking a new world would, no doubt, place our solar system on their home-shopping list. The Possibility of Life on Other Planets Given the above factors, can one determine if there is life on other planets?

Free Essays on Education Of Mexicans In 1960s

Education for Mexican-Americans, or Chicanos, was something that was fought long and hard for. Years of oppression and social inequality were ingredients for an unpleasant time of protest, and violence, and incriminating actions. For many years, Chicanos in California and the Southwest had to deal with segregation, police brutality, and unlawful convictions. The children were thought of as future laborers so they weren’t taught with the same standards as other children. There was an ongoing struggle with Chicanos all over the country along with the African-Americans who felt cheated in similar ways to gain the civil rights that the Anglos had. These actions were eventually brought to the attention of The Supreme Court and overturned and set new standards for the events to come. The 1960’s were a time of movement and struggle for the Chicanos in the United States. Chicano students felt that they were being deprived their education and that it was becoming a big problem. This had been the first time that they had actually begun making actions since there were some in college, and they realized that what was being done was unfair. High school students had begun to talk and begun to plan their walkouts. They had many reasons to act; they were unfairly judged and taught. Many children, in lower grades were being put in â€Å"Mexican schools† and would be punished for speaking Spanish. Bilingual education was a big concern that the Mexican parents wanted to address. The problem was the lack of bilingual education and the lack of government support and funding for it. Lyndon B. Johnson, the president of the U.S. at the time, felt that bilingual students lost valuable time learning English. (Acuna, 333) Many students were being put into special classes and classified as mentally retarded because they could not speak English. This went on and parents complained, but it was eventually stopped when a couple of parents from Santa Anna, Cal... Free Essays on Education Of Mexicans In 1960's Free Essays on Education Of Mexicans In 1960's Education for Mexican-Americans, or Chicanos, was something that was fought long and hard for. Years of oppression and social inequality were ingredients for an unpleasant time of protest, and violence, and incriminating actions. For many years, Chicanos in California and the Southwest had to deal with segregation, police brutality, and unlawful convictions. The children were thought of as future laborers so they weren’t taught with the same standards as other children. There was an ongoing struggle with Chicanos all over the country along with the African-Americans who felt cheated in similar ways to gain the civil rights that the Anglos had. These actions were eventually brought to the attention of The Supreme Court and overturned and set new standards for the events to come. The 1960’s were a time of movement and struggle for the Chicanos in the United States. Chicano students felt that they were being deprived their education and that it was becoming a big problem. This had been the first time that they had actually begun making actions since there were some in college, and they realized that what was being done was unfair. High school students had begun to talk and begun to plan their walkouts. They had many reasons to act; they were unfairly judged and taught. Many children, in lower grades were being put in â€Å"Mexican schools† and would be punished for speaking Spanish. Bilingual education was a big concern that the Mexican parents wanted to address. The problem was the lack of bilingual education and the lack of government support and funding for it. Lyndon B. Johnson, the president of the U.S. at the time, felt that bilingual students lost valuable time learning English. (Acuna, 333) Many students were being put into special classes and classified as mentally retarded because they could not speak English. This went on and parents complained, but it was eventually stopped when a couple of parents from Santa Anna, Cal...

Parsing Dickens

Parsing Dickens Parsing Dickens Parsing Dickens By Maeve Maddox A reader, reacting to a recent post about parsing, responded with this literary reflection: Two sentences from Dickens Bleak House, chapter one, confuse me as to how to parse them.   [The rain in London has been heavy and the streets a running with mud.] Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers. Its the genius of Dickens that the reader must visualize mud everywhere and dogs running in and out of crowded streets with horses hooves splattering mud into the air with every step. If hed written in standard formal English, the reader could simply note the story fact for future reference in case dirty dog and dirty horses might be important. You can see the Londoners trying to avoid the dogs and step into flying muck from the passing horses. Read more carefully, and you can hear it, smell it, and even taste the air. But how the Dickenspun intendeddo you parse it? My first reaction to this email was admiration for the reader’s fine appreciation of Dickens, master of the inspired sentence fragment. My second reaction was, why would anyone want to parse Dickens? But, since the question was asked, my answer is, â€Å"very easily.† Dogs- noun, subject of the fragment undistinguishable- adjective, qualifies â€Å"dogs† in- preposition, governs â€Å"mire† mire- noun, object of the preposition â€Å"in† Horses- noun, subject of the fragment scarcely- adverb, modifies adjective â€Å"better† better- adjective qualifies â€Å"horses† splashed- past participle used as adjective to describe â€Å"horses† to- preposition governs â€Å"blinkers† their- possessive adjective, qualifies â€Å"blinkers† very- adjective qualifies â€Å"blinkers† ​blinkers- noun, object of preposition to​ A complete sentence has a subject and a verb; a fragment usually has one or the other. In modern usage, very is almost always used as an adverb, but it can also function as an adjective. For example, â€Å"The sailors mutinied for very hunger.† In the Dickens example, very serves to emphasize the extremity of the blinkers from the horse’s feet, which could be expected to be covered with mud. It’s nice to know that Dickens is still being read for pleasure and with aesthetic appreciation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)The Possessive ApostrophePlurals of Proper Names

MGT 511 CASE ASSIGNMENT 3 Work-Life Issues Essay

MGT 511 CASE ASSIGNMENT 3 Work-Life Issues - Essay Example The main aim here is to ensure that the individual spends equal time and energy on home matters, family activities and also self well being. Some of main reasons a work life balance is so focused on is the need to spend quality and flexible hours in taking care of the elderly, children and also better health care. With the growing levels of competition the need for flexible working hours and conditions, the concept has been well received by numerous large organisations however has not been very well received by other smaller organisations. A number of the large organisations and medium scaled companies provide the employees with a chance to have shorter work weeks and flexible schedules as well as options to work from home. Also companies are now adopting the flexible work hours and flexible work environment as a part of the corporate social responsibility as well. An excellent source of information for the work place flexibility is that presented by Ken Giglio of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network. The website provides a wide range of flexibility options provided by several companies keeping in mind the needs of the workforce (Giglio, n.d.). As seen in the case study by Giglio, it is evident that companies like AFLAC provide the employees with a flexible work environment and are not very strict in terms of the work hours. The company works on the principle that if the employees are taken care of, then the employees will also take care of the business. The Gen X and Gen Y have very different approaches and perspectives to the work life balance. The differences relate to the attitude of work as well as the views and the changing work demographics in America. The Gen X is more focused on the fulfilment that they achieve from life. The typical family here will include both parents working and in case of any family needs, the wife tends to make changes to her work schedule accordingly. Here in Gen X the women need more flexible work options. However in the case of Gen Y, the men contribute to the work within the house as well. Here the men take up the roles of being a husband, father and also caregiver. This generation does not focus on the traditional gender roles and as explained by Fraone (2010), â€Å"Traditional gender roles no longer apply in a  marketplace, where women earn over half of all graduate degrees and have (in some  industries) the earning potential of their male counterparts† (Fraone, 2010).  Ã‚  Here in Gen Y the men take on the role within the family and here the men tend to be more involved in raising the children and also working towards child care responsibilities as well. As explained by Harrington in Fraone (2010), â€Å"The progressive organizations that we work with have developed a wide array of policies to support their employees and many are striving to foster a culture of flexibility, agility and viewing employees as a whole person† (Fraone, 2010). There is however a common issue wher e the managers or the Gen X workers tend to over look the role of men in home related work and also tend to overlook women who need flexible work conditions for family care. It is also crucial to note here that corporate leadership styles tend to be diverse and this provides a chance to provide better equitable work life balance as well. The leaders within an organisation may not always have children or may have children who are grown, or may not even have elderly to care for within the family.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report Analysis Research Paper

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report Analysis - Research Paper Example It is knowledge-based and aims at leveraging its core capabilities or skills so that they may broaden the understanding of the global trends in CSR. Hershey’s strategy, which is founded on the company’s value, is open to changes and focuses on partnerships that are in alignment with their culture, helps the company in advancing their growing global businesses. Hershey’s has also partnered with several companies in the solving issues arising from climate change, resource scarcity and human rights. The company’s management has realized there is a need for them to proactively comprehend and address their neighbor’s issues when doing business with them. Hershey’s has also been making noteworthy progress in the achievement of their CSR goals while building sustainable platforms for ensuring the company’s growth. This has been achieved through the foundation of strong beliefs in the company’s values and distinct heritage. The fundamen tal principles that guide the company’s CSR strategy to success are founded on talent or resource management and responsible sourcing. In managing the company’s CSR strategy, they use talented or experienced teams, an aware or engaged workforce, revitalized business strategies and confectionery products that are world-class. Hershey’s has made an impact on seventy countries in Asia, America and South America through the use of effective marketing, sale, distribution along with manufacturing operations. Finally, the company’s CSR strategies focus on their marketplaces, the environment, workplaces and the community (The Hershey Company, 2011). B. Brief Summary of the Report, Noting Significant Achievements, Actions and Goals. The report provides information on the company’s profile and the strategies of achieving their CSR objectives. It also provides their CSR’s towards the marketplaces, environment, workplaces and the community. The report p rovides that the company’s goals include producing high-quality products or selling them at fair prices and providing work that is meaningful while offering fair wages to their employees. Its other goals include giving back to the communities in their areas of operation and being good stewards of land and the resources obtained from it. The report indicates that the company has been able to launch factories in America, Asia and Latin America to enable them to handle their markets more effectively. They have also achieved success in other operations in the nonmanufacturing sector by opening up administrative offices in other parts of the globe which include Japan, Singapore, Dubai and the Philippines. The company report stipulates that it has also managed to expand their source for raw materials to countries like Nicaragua, Cameroon, Cote d’ivoire, Indonesia and Jamaica. Its reports indicate that the company has been able to gain their customers trust and have also incr eased their research efforts in order to satisfy their customer’s needs more appropriately. In addition, it indicates that the company has been able to satisfy their employees thereby improving on their productivity while providing suitable returns to the investors. These achievements have in turn enabled Hershey’s to closely collaborate with its business partners in finding solutions to the problems that the different

Experiment to Explore the Rate of Fermentation

Experiment to Explore the Rate of Fermentation Biology: Respiration, fermentation GLX setup file: grape juice.glx Qty Equipment and Materials Part Number 1 PASPORT Xplorer GLX PS-2002 1 PASPORT CO2 Gas Sensor PS-2110 1 PASPORT Extension Cable PS-2500 1 PASPORT Fast-Response Temperature Probe (included with GLX) PS-2135 1 Sampling Bottle (included with sensor) 1 Balance SE-8723 1 Beaker, 1 L SE-7288 1 Beaker. 250 mL 1 Graduated Cylinder SE-7289 1 Hot Plate SE-8767 1 Magnetic stirrer with stir bar 5 mL Mineral oil 1 Pipette 1 g Sodium fluoride, solid 1 pkg. Yeast, dry 1 L Water 1 Weighing paper Purpose The purpose of the activity is to explore the rate of fermentation. Measure the production of carbon dioxide gas in a sampling bottle containing yeast and grape juice and then measure the gas production when a chemical inhibitor is added to the grape juice/yeast mixture. Background All organisms require a source of energy to maintain cell physiology and growth. Cellular respiration is the process utilized to oxidize food molecules and release the energy to fuel life processes. There are two types of cellular respiration aerobic and anaerobic and both begin with glycolysis. Glycolysis is a biochemical process utilized by most microorganisms (yeast, bacteria) and higher animals to convert glucose to pyruvate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Prior to glycolysis, enzymes break down starch into complex sugars (such as sucrose) and then simple sugars (such as fructose and glucose). During glycolysis, the glucose breaks down into pyruvate. Animal cells and some unicellular organisms convert the pyruvate to lactic acid (lactic acid fermentation). Some plant cells and unicellular organisms convert the pyruvate to ethanol and carbon dioxide gas (alcoholic fermentation). Yeasts are versatile organisms. Unlike most other organisms that obtain their cellular energy either through aerobic respiration (requiring gaseous oxygen) or through anaerobic respiration fermentation (requiring the absence of oxygen), yeast cells respire in either condition, depending upon the availability of gaseous oxygen. During fermentation, enzymes break down complex carbohydrates into simpler ones. The loss of structural integrity, which can result from changes in pH or high temperatures, usually leads to a loss of enzyme activity. In this activity, the yeast cells use fermentation(also known as anaerobic respiration) to transform the sugars in grape juice into carbon dioxide gas, ATP molecules, and ethanol. Pre-lab Questions Measure carbon dioxide gas production during the metabolism of yeast in grape juice. How would a chemical inhibitor that stops enzyme actions affect the carbon dioxide gas production? How would a change in temperature (either very cold or very hot) affect the carbon dioxide gas production? How will the gas production change over time? Safety Precautions Follow all directions for using the equipment. Wear protective gear (e.g., safety goggles, gloves, apron). Procedure Yeast and Grape Juice Preparation   Ã‚   Connect a Fast-Response Temperature Probe (included with the GLX) into Port 1 on the left side of the Xplorer GLX. The Graph Screen will automatically open with Temperature (ËÅ ¡C) versus Time (s). Press the Home key () to go to the Home Screen. Select Digits and press the Activate key (). Pour 450 mL of grape juice into a beaker. Put the end of the temperature probe into the juice. Press the Start key () on the GLX so you can watch the temperature of the grape juice. Place the beaker on a hot plate and slowly warm the juice to a temperature of 30 to 35à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C (yeast will die above 40 °C). When the temperature is between 30 and 35 °C, adjust the hot plate so the grape juice remains warm, but does not get any hotter. While the juice is warming, add 100 mL of warm tap water to another beaker. [Remember to keep the temperature below 40à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C use the temperature probe to make sure.] Add a package of dry yeast to the beaker and stir well. The yeast will become active in 15 to 20 min. GLX Setup Stop recording temperature data. Remove the Fast-Response Temperature Probe from the GLX. Connect a PASPORT Extension Cable into Port 1 on the top of the Xplorer GLX. Connect the other end of the Extension Cable to the PASPORT CO2 Sensor. The Graph Screen will automatically open with CO2 Concentration (ppm) versus Time (s). Open the GLX setup file labeled grape juice.glx (check the appendix at the end of this activity). The file is set to record data once per second. Sensor Calibration (Optional) See the appendix at the end of this activity. Equipment Setup Transfer 150 ml of warmed grape juice to the sampling bottle. Add a stir bar. Mix the yeast suspension well and add 10 mL to the juice. Use a dropper to add a layer of mineral oil to the surface of the grape juice/yeast mixture so the yeast will have anaerobic conditions. Put the end of the CO2 Gas Sensor into the sampling bottle loosely. (You do not want gas pressure to build up too high in the sampling bottle.) Do not push the rubber stopper down into the end of the sampling bottle. Note: Avoid bumping the CO2 Gas Sensor during data collection because it may record erratically. Put the sampling bottle on the magnetic stirrer. Turn on the stirrer. Record Data: Grape Juice and Yeast Press the Start key on the GLX. Record data for 30 minutes and then stop. Carefully remove the CO2 Gas Sensor from the sampling bottle. Dispose of the contents as directed and rinse the inside of the bottle. Record Data: Grape Juice, Yeast, and Inhibitor Transfer another 150 mL of warm grape juice to the sampling bottle and add 1.0 g of sodium fluoride. Stir the yeast suspension again and add 10 mL to the grape juice. Add a layer of mineral oil on top of the grape juice as before. Return the CO2 Gas Sensor to the sampling bottle so that the rubber stopper rests loosely in the end of the bottle. Press the Start key on the GLX, record data for 30 minutes and then stop. Carefully remove the CO2 Gas Sensor from the sampling bottle. Dispose of the contents as directed and rinse the inside of the bottle. Record Data: Warm Grape Juice and Yeast Disconnect the CO2 Gas Sensor and reconnect the Fast-Response Temperature Probe. Select Digits as before and put the end of the probe in the remaining grape juice. Use the hot plate to warm the grape juice to between 45 and 50ËÅ ¡C. Transfer the warmed grape juice to the sampling bottle. Stir the yeast suspension again and add 10 mL to the warmed grape juice. Add a layer of mineral oil on top of the grape juice as before. Disconnect the temperature probe and re-connect the CO2 Gas Sensor. Return the CO2 Gas Sensor to the sampling bottle so that the rubber stopper rests loosely in the end of the bottle. Press the Start key on the GLX, record data for 30 minutes and then stop. Carefully remove the CO2 Gas Sensor from the sampling bottle. Dispose of the contents as directed and rinse the inside of the bottle. How do your results compare with others in your class? Analysis Draw a sketch of your CO2 concentration versus time graph as requested in the Lab Report section. Use your recorded data to find the change in CO2 concentration for the grape juice and yeast, the grape juice, yeast, and inhibitor, and the warmed grape juice (optional). In the Graph Screen, press F3 to open the Tools menu. Select Statistics and press Activate. The Statistics show the minimum and maximum values. Calculate the rate of change of CO2 concentration versus time, or the ratio of CO2 concentration (in ppm) divided by the time (in minutes), for each run of data. Record your results in the Lab Report. Appendix: To open a specific GLX file, go to the Home Screen (press ). In the Home Screen, select Data Files and press the Activate () key. Use the cursor keys to navigate to the file you want. Press F1 () to open the file. Optional: To calibrate the PS-2110 CO2 Gas Sensor, see the instructions provided by the instructor. Name ________________________________ Date ___________ Pre-Lab Questions Measure carbon dioxide gas production during the metabolism of yeast in grape juice. How would a chemical inhibitor that stops enzyme actions affect the carbon dioxide gas production? How would a change in temperature (either very cold or very hot) affect the carbon dioxide gas production? How will the gas production change over time? Data Make a sketch of one run of CO2 concentration versus time, including labels for the y- and x-axes. Data Table Run Initial CO2 (ppm) Final CO2 (ppm) Total time (min) CO2 production (ppm/min) Grape juice + yeast Grape juice, yeast, inhibitor Warm grape juice + yeast Questions What is the overall rate of CO2 production for grape juice and yeast and how does it change over time? How does the rate of CO2 production for grape juice, yeast, and the chemical inhibitor compare to the rate for the grape juice and yeast alone? How does the rate of CO2 production for the heated grape juice and yeast compare to the rate for the grape juice and yeast? What can you conclude about the affect of the chemical inhibitor on the yeast suspension? What can you conclude about the affect high temperature on the yeast suspension?  

Homeschooling and Family Education

Homschooling is the education of children at home, rather than other formal settings of public or private schools. Homeschooling can affect a child negatively in some cases. Some of the effects include lack of social interaction, too much protection from the parents and limited exposure to extra curricular activities. One of the negative effects of homeschooling is that it decreases the ability of the child to interact socially with others. As stated by John 2012, â€Å"homeschooling do not teach homeschoolers how to interact with peers and authoritative figures†. Homeschoolers are less exposed to other poeple compared to those who get a formal setting of education. Also, they lack of communication skills with children from different backgrounds (Mead 2009). Other than that, homeschoolers get too much protection from their parents, making it hard for them to adapt in real life situations without their parents protection. Parents must realize they cant protect their children forever ( Family Education 2012). According to Schroeder 2011, real life situations are introduced at schools such as bullying, teasing and public humiliation are a part of life. Children from homeschools may suffer from culture shock when dealing with real life situation (Family Education 2012). Next, another negative effect of homeschooling is the limited exposure of homeschoolers on extra curricular activities. Homeschooled children lack the diverse enrichment activities(Mead 2009). They are also not exposed in group works such as team sports amd performing art clubs as mentioned by Family Education 2012. In conclusion, there are many disadvantages of homeschooling that could have a negative effect on children. Therefore, parents should think wisely before sending their children to homeschools because it lacks of social interaction, too much protection from parents and has limited exposure to extra curricular activities.