Astronomers Have Announced That A Large Asteroid On A Trajectory Headi

Astronomers have announced that a large asteroid on a trajectory heading toward the vicinity of Earth will, in fact, pass no closer to the planet than about 600,000 miles (about 966,000 kilometers). The announcement brought sighs of relief to the general public and scientific community, both of which had been in a frenzy since an earlier announcement suggested the space rock would pass much closer and possibly collide with the Earth. Such an impact would have catastrophic implications for the planet. Much evidence exists to indicate that ancient bombardment of the Earth by asteroids and comets may have precipitated mass extinctions of dinosaurs and other species. An announcement on March 11 that the asteroid would pass within about 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers) of the Earth in the year 2028 sparked fear among the public and debate within the scientific community. While the general public learned about the degree of devastation the impact of such an object would cause-including tidal waves, dust clouds that would cause significant global cooling, and disruption of agriculture-astronomers debated the probability of an earthly impact, while other scientists began to discuss the possibility of intercepting and destroying the space rock before it could cause damage. The initial announcement, made by Brian G. Marsden, director of the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams in Cambridge, Mass., sparked a debate with a colleague at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Marsden, who is regarded as one of the leading authorities on the movement of asteroids, announced that the asteroid-which is called 1997 XF11-would come within 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers) of the Earth on Oct. 26, 2028. It was further suggested that there was a strong risk of the asteroid hitting the Earth. His views were challenged by Donald Yeomans at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who claimed that his analysis of the path of the object indicated that it would pass no closer than about 54,000 miles (86,900 kilometers); Yeomans later recalculated the path of the object and announced an approach of no closer than about 600,000 miles (966,000 kilometers) from Earth. By the end of the week, photos of the asteroid that had been taken by a camera at the Palomar Observatory in 1990 helped both groups of astronomers to refine their estimates of the trajectory of the asteroid. By measuring the movement of the space rock between four points, they reached an agreement regarding the future behavior of the object, concluding that the asteroid would not come closer to the Earth than about 600,000 miles. This distance is more than twice the distance between the Earth and the moon. Scientists planned to continue to study the asteroid, but the next chance to measure it was not expected to take place until the year 2000, after the asteroid completed a 21-month orbit around the sun. The interim was to be spent studying the data already available, as well as debating strategies to possibly intercept the object if it does range too close for comfort.

Analysing the Role of Government Intervention in Resolving the Financial Crisis The WritePass Journal

Analysing the Role of Government Intervention in Resolving the Financial Crisis Abstract Analysing the Role of Government Intervention in Resolving the Financial Crisis ). The main objective of the interventions, which was to stop the financial panic and bring back normality to the financial markets, was achieved. The intervention programmes were successful in helping financial markets to return to their normal functions (Webel Labonte, 2010). A more realistic way of evaluating whether the government had succeeded in its intervention efforts is to determine if financial normality was reinstated at the least cost to taxpayers. At the height of the crisis, non-intervention would have likely resulted in more costly losses for the national economy in terms of productivity and this would have worsened the government’s finances (Webel Labonte, 2010). Non-intervention could also prolong the crisis as successive bankruptcies may contract the economy. The government receives assets in return for interventions (i.e. recapitalization, guarantees, etc.). These assets provide the government with legal entitlement to the potential revenues of the companies it had assisted (Webel Labonte, 2010). Therefore, the interventions do not actually cause permanent losses to the government’s finances. These arguments put to rest the claim that the interventions should have not been made at the cost of taxpayers’ money. In defence of bailout packages Due to fears that the financial crisis would spiral out of control in September 2008, the leaders of western developed countries undertook radical measures to rescue financial institutions, which were in danger of collapsing. The US, in particular, embarked on the most extensive government economic interventions with the doling out of huge bailout packages for its beleaguered financial institutions. It was estimated that the US government spent USD $1.3 trillion on bailout packages; while European countries spent an aggregate amount of USD $2.8 trillion to rescue their financial institutions. This amounts to a combined total of USD $4.1 trillion (Aikins, 2009). The popular sentiment towards these government sponsored bailout packages is that it created a moral hazard because it only served to increase the risk-taking of banks. The argument is that by failing to penalize banks for their improper practices, banks may make riskier investments because their leaders believe that the government will always bail them out during the crisis (Poctzer, 2010; Norberg, 2009). Although this sentiment is understandable (and may even prove to be true in some cases), the primary purpose of the bailout packages was to restore confidence in the financial system in the short-term (Psalida, et al., (2009). From this standpoint it is apparent that government intervention had worked to stop or, at the very least slowdown, the crisis from escalating. More importantly, the public wanted to see that their government was doing something to resolve the crisis. Leaving the market to run free, in anticipation that it would inherently fix the imbalances by itself, might be difficult for most ordinary citizens to understand. At that point in the crisis, the lack of action by the government would be met with even more criticism by the public. (Aikins, 2009) Table 1. US Commitment to Financial Sector Bailout in USD $ billions (as of Nov 13, 2008)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Program Amount Description Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) 700.00 Intended for purchasing troubled mortgage-related assets; later on was used for cash injections on banks Commercial Paper Funding Facility 243.00 The Fed purchases commercial paper (short-term debts) from banks to help fund daily operations Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac 200.00 The Fed took control of mortgage firms; cash injections are used to keep them afloat AIG 112.50 Excludes $40 billion taken out from TARP; AIG successfully negotiated a bigger bailout package with easier terms Bear Sterns 29.00 Special lending facility that guarantees losses on portfolios of investment banks FDIC (Federal Bank Insurance Corporation) Bank Takeovers 13.20 The FDIC put up this fund to cover deposits on failed banks Total USD $1.3. trillion Source: (Aikins, 2010) Table 2. Western European Nations’ Commitment to Financial Sector Bailout in USD $ billions (as of Nov 13 2008) Country Amount Description United Kingdom 743.00 Half of the package is used to guarantee bank to bank borrowing; 40% was allocated for interim loans; and 10% is used for recapitalization Germany 636.50 Most of the amount is for undertaking medium-term bank borrowing; 20% is for recapitalization France 458.30 Majority of the fund is to secure bank debts; $50 billion is for recapitalization Netherlands 346.00 For guaranteeing bank to bank borrowing Sweden 200.00 For credit warranties Austria 127.30 For bank acquisitions, inter-bank borrowing, bank bond insurance guarantees Spain 127.3 For bank acquisitions; inter-bank borrowing; bank bond insurance guarantees Italy 51.00 Purchasing of bank debts Other countries 110.60 Total European USD $ 2.8 trillion Source: (Aikins, 2010) Poctzer (2010) also found that despite the possibility of increased risk-taking by banks after being bailed out, there are indications that recapitalization is an effective tool for stimulating lending, but it is most helpful for bigger banks and when implemented in combination with an asset purchase program. Figure 2 shows the comparison of risk taking by recapitalized and non-recapitalized firms. It can be observed that recapitalized firms tend to be more risk-taking compared to non-recapitalized firms. On the other hand, Figure 3 shows that recapitalized firms tend to increase their lending activities compared to non-recapitalized firms. Figure 4 illustrates that asset transfer firms have the most lending volume compared to recapitalized and non-recapitalized firms.    Figure 2. Time Series of Risk Measure between Recapitalized and Non-Recapitalized Banks    Figure 3. Time Series of Average Lending Volume between Recapitalized and Non-Recapitalized Banks Figure 4. Time Series of Average Lending Volume between Recapitalized Banks, Non-Recapitalized Banks, and Asset Transfer Firms Lessons learned The bailout packages served their purpose at the height of the crisis. However, the government cannot always employ capital injections to rescue financial institutions as this have implications not only on the issue of moral hazard (Poctzer, 2010), but more importantly, these have major impacts on the national budget and taxpayers’ trust (Webel Labonte, 2010). Breitenfellner Wagner (2010) recommend that only financial institutions that are non-liquid but solvent should be saved and the institution must pay significantly for the bailout. The authors also argue for stricter regulation, enhanced risk awareness, more advanced risk management, and a more effective alignment of interests among stakeholders. Gertler, Kiyotaki Queralto (2011) argues that a bank’s decision over its balance sheet is highly dependent on its risk perceptions, which in turn are dependent on major disruptions to the economy and their expectations on government policies. The authors also found that the incentive effects of risk taking may potentially diminish the benefits of credit policies that are intended to stabilize financial markets. It is therefore important to design appropriate and efficient macroeconomic policies to mitigate moral hazard costs. The role of the government in managing the economy cannot be overlooked. The lack of a suitable economic policy and regulatory structure will make the financial system vulnerable to recession and may jeopardize the stability of the whole economy. The government therefore should establish appropriate economic and regulatory policies: (a) to defend against market failure; (b) avoid political and institutional intrusions in the regulation of financial institutions; and (c) avert supervisory tolerance, arbitrage, and capture (Aikins, 2009). References Aikins, S. (2009). Global Financial Crisis and Government Intervention: A Case for Effective Regulatory Governance. International Public Management Review. 10(2), p.23-43. Breitenfellner, B Wagner, N. (2010). Government intervention in response to the subprime financial crisis: The good into the pot, the bad into the crop. International Review of Financial Analysis. 19(4), p.289-297. Gertler, M, Kiyotaki, N Queralto, A. (2011). Financial Crises, Bank Risk Exposure, and Government Policy. NYU and Princeton. Available: princeton.edu/~kiyotaki/papers/GertlerKiyotakiQueraltoJune7wp.pdf. Last accessed 23rd May 2013. Canova, T. (2009). Financial Market Failure as a Crisis in the Rule of Law: From Market Fundamentalism to a New Keynesian Regulatory Model. Harvard Law Policy Review. 3(1) Hodson, D Mabbett, D. (2009). UK Economic Policy and the Global Financial Crisis: Paradigm Lost. Journal of Common Market Studies. 47(5), p.1041-1061. Laeven, L Valencia, F. (2012). Resolution of Banking Crises: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. International Monetary Fund. Available: imf.org/external/np/seminars/eng/2012/fincrises/pdf/ch13.pdf. Last accessed 23rd May 2013. Norberg, J. (2009). Financial Fiasco: How America’s infatuation with homeownership and easy money created the economic crisis. Washington, DC: Cato Institute Psalida, LE, Elsenburg, W, Jobst, A, Masaki, K, Nowak, S. (2009). Market interventions during the financial crisis: How effective and how to disengage. International Monetary Fund. Available: imf.org/external/pubs/ft/gfsr/2009/02/pdf/chap3.pdf. Last accessed 23rd May 2013. Webel, B Labonte, M. (2010). Government Interventions in Response to Financial Turmoil. Congressional Research Service. Available: fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41073.pdf. Last accessed 23rd May 2013.

Should our food habits and eating preferences be guided by sense of Term Paper

Should our food habits and eating preferences be guided by sense of morality - Term Paper Example Maybe, what is intended is not that you are free to do whatever you want to the animals, morality states that we cannot treat animals with barbarity, brutality, savagery and truculence, but† since humans are made with more rationale than the rest of the animals on earth, it will be up to them to see that the animals are well cared for – humans shall not harm or kill them unless it is absolutely necessary." (Weil). It's not that I suppose ethics isn't an element in consuming creatures however, the cruel actuality of life is that with a explicit end goal to feed one form, some life, a living thing whether an animal, fish, bird or plant, must be given the ax. Every species has its own sort of sustenance that their physique needs in order to survive. Some individuals have the capacity to be solid on a veggie lover eating regimen, however numerous individuals go for vegetarian diets and sometimes their health deteriorates to dangerous levels. However, some individuals, regard less of the fact that their health suffers as a result of their veggie lover eating regimen, won't consume meat items in light of moral explanations. Endeavoring to go against what your physique needs in an exertion to be an "exceptional individual" is not ethics or morality, its silliness. It’s corrupt to damage yourself! Also, in the event that you don't think about yourself, and might rather spare a creature's existence than your own, that is one thing, however in the event that you have children or a companion, it would not seem to be a sensible, healthy and moral choice to give priority to an animal’s life over your own. You might be going overboard with your morality obligations because you have certain responsibilities regarding family and professional life. At the same time provided that you still consume meat from processing plants you have not, by definition, assimilated the actuality of atrocities committed by these plants. In the event that you legitimately comprehended the nightmarish fierceness of what happens inside these austere animal correctional facilities and butcheries, you essentially would not consume this meat (Walsh). Consider the fact that numerous individuals all over the world consume next to no meat and are among the planet's longest-living individuals, healthier by all intents and measure. Corporations that possess these horrific industrial facilities take agonies to keep their operations mystery, covered up behind showcasing symbolism (Weil). The even bigger concern is that, efforts to expose this gruesome and nightmarish abomination in exact, intentionally sourced profundity are not yet noticeably successful. Sacrificing your morality on the altar isn’t the only way of consuming meat, there’s a middle sensible path as well. It is quite clear that we see value in responsible farming on a diminutive scale. The logic behind this practice is that there is a considerable time period for an animal to become suitable for slaughtering. Assuming that individuals needed to raise all the creatures they consumed notwithstanding growing everything else they consumed, it is highly unlikely that they have the capacity to devour meat at the same rate most individuals do today, they'd

Organization of IT and information systems (Amazon company) Essay

Organization of IT and information systems (Amazon company) - Essay Example Computers, servers, and data management systems are some of the key components of an IT department. These components perform various complex functions related to management of information. IT department of a company plays a critical role in the success of the company in the 21st century. Today, there is hardly any company or organization, which does not make use of information technology for managing data and information in an organized way. Amazon is one of the leading global internet companies of the world. It is a platform for the sale of different kinds of products such as books, toys, furniture, and music CDs. Amazon holds the pride of being the largest retailer of America. Amazon Company was launched online by Jeff Bezos in 1995. Amazon S3 and Amazon EC2 are those products, which have contributed significantly to the success of the company. Farmer (2008) asserts, â€Å"Their core competency is their ability to develop and leverage their technology stack, including SimpleDB, EC2, and S3, towards making retail ultra-efficient†. Amazon Company has many competitors who are trying to snatch the market domination from Amazon but none of the competing companies has been successful in the purpose yet. Some of the major competitors of Amazon include Elastra, eMusic, and Alice.com. It is due to the implementation of an effective and efficient management information system that the company has achieved market dominati on in a very short span of time leaving behind all of its competitors. At present, Amazon is recognized as one of the largest online shopping companies of the world. In the later part of this report, we will discuss those factors that are driving use of the information system in the company. We will also analyze the impact of information system on the company in terms of benefits and limitations. Let us first get to know what management information system actually is in order to get a

Women's Labor Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women's Labor Project - Coursework Example I have secured a new job in an apparel factory, many of the women that I work with are also from Italy so we get the opportunity to swap stories in our mother language. It is difficult to communicate with some of the other women because they often speak different languages and it is sometimes difficult to communicate in English. Nevertheless I have become good friends with a German lady who speaks English quite well, and even some Italian. It was not always easy for Aronne and I in our new life. Upon our arrival we had to live in a settlement house in the city and it was difficult for us to find good jobs. There was a lot of crime, in this new apartment complex but we life next to some good Italian people and we look out for each other. In the market it is easy to find some of the foods that we are accustomed to but there are a lot of people from very exotic places and it is always exciting to explore new areas. Recently some of the people at work asked me to join a union. I am reluc tant to come on board simply because the management is so strongly anti-union that I would fear for my job security and possibly even for my health and safety.

DC Motor Speed Control

DC Motor Speed Control Abstract The point of this paper is to comprehend the attributes of open loop and close loop speed control for a DC engine. It additionally intends to demonstrate the properties of a PID Controller. Introduction Open loop and close loop control are two unique sorts of controlling the speed of the engine we constructed. These two sorts of control each have positive points and negative points, which we will attempt to research all through this paper. Most importantly, an open loop system works regardless of the output of the function. In restriction, a close loop control system react depending on the input and output values. Utilizing an Arduino microcontroller, we will run tests on this motor by changing some variables. This permits us to concentrate data about the responses of the control system. P, D and I remain for: proportional gain, integral gain and derivative gain. Their particular elements show up in the following section. Theory The transfer function of a first order system is given by the equation: :. Knowing that (k/a) the final value in RPM, and that the time constant is   1à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾a. The transfer functions of the system can then be determined. In principle, corresponding, integral and derivative gain cooperate with a specific end goal to keep up the output to a set value. The corresponding gain applies an exertion that is relative to how far the value is from the set esteem. In any case, the nearer the set and value are the less exertion it applies on the system. The basic pick ups part is to try and out the time spent on each side of the set point. Last, the derivative gain controls the overshoot and goes about as a dampener when the value changes violently. Results Open loop test Fig 1: Open loop test 1 Fig 2: Test 2 time series plot Fig 3: Test 3 time series plot Fig 11: Simulink model of open-loop system The realistic information demonstrates a delay of 0.1s and the time taken to achieve 63% of the last esteem is 0.5s for each test. So the time steady is 0.4s for each test. At that point the transfer function of each of these system can be resolved:    ,   , . When rescaled to RPM units, these transfer functions are all equal to: Toward the finish of this section, one noteworthy weakness of open loop control system shows up. The open loop system doesnt take a gander at the output value, so it cant correct itself. Despite the fact that the system works, it depends for the most part on the clients involvement to conform the PID controls to the correct qualities to acquire the best outcomes. The proportionnal gain role is to direct the final value that the system comes to (the higher the gain, the nearer to the set value the systeme will be). Closed loop system test In the test where kp=1 that appeares on figure 4, the set point was 1000 RPM. Not surprisingly for this low estimation of the proportionnal gain, the last value is just around 4000 RPM. So we will increse the Kp to see what it does to the system. At the point when the estimation of kp expands, the exactness of the system get higher. On figure 4 the red bend demonstrates the outcomes for kp=2, the last RPM esteem has expanded to 6000 with an overshoot to 8000. Figure 4 obviously demonstrates that the greater kp is, the nearer the last esteem is from the coveted set point. Expanding the estimation of the proportionnal gain enhances the precision of the close loop system. The system begins to sway unmistakably for a proportionnal pick up estimation of 15, with a time of around 0.5 seconds (reference: figure 4, kp=15). On figure 5, the system seems to stabilize at 1 second and then reaches the set point value of 10000 RPM a around 8 seconds. Lets try to understand what is the relationship between the Kp and the Ki. On figure 6, the system goes into overshoot before backpedaling to the fancied estimation of 10000 RPM. The framework takes roughly 2 seconds to settle to its last value. Figure 7 demonstrates se reaction of thew motor with kp set to 1 and ki set to 10. It is recognizable that for a higher ki value, the reaction (in RPM) is swaying around the chosen value (10000 RPM for this situation), expanding its exactness with each period. On the off chance that ki is expanded to a higher value, the oscillation dont enhance in exactness as observed on figure 8. After around 5 seconds, the Dc motor has balanced out; At this point, the card touches the flywheel (see figure 10). The reaction is prompt, and the system tries to remunerate the loss of RPM has returned to the sought estimation of 10000, which it settles again around 7 seconds after the card touched the framework. This test demonstrates the fundamental favorable position of a close loop system, which is that if the output is changed, the input changes likewise to go back to the initial value. these tests comprehended the parts of every PID control. By tweaking the numbers, it is conceivable to streamline the framework so that the reaction has a negligible overshoot and in addition the speediest settling time conceivable. By abusing the outcomes, unmistakably a shut circle control framework is the best for this circumstance. Figure 12 demonstrates the best outcome acquired in the lab for set estimations of the PID controller As it shows on figure 12, expanding the estimation of the derivative gain keeps the system from overshooting. With this estimation of the proportional gain, the DC motor can settle rapidly (in around 1.5 seconds) around the estimation of 10000 RPM. To further build the exactness of the motor, the integral gain was set to 1.4. This empowers the system to make little oscillation around 10000 RPM without losing any exactness. Planning a PI controller in like manner to this table brought about a system that has great attributes: little overshoot, quickly revised, quick settling time and just a small error on the last estimation of the system.This table is exceptionally helpful with regards to designing the motor. Be that as it may, outlining a PID controller with this table is trickier as the derivative gain affects the way the system carries on. It can dampen the motor excessively, or take a little unsettling influence for a major issue and the system wont be as productive. The key is not to utilize a lot of the derivative. Conclusion In conclusion, the less complex outline of the open loop system makes it simple and modest to make, all things considered. Notwithstanding, the way that open loop system dont adjust to unsettling influences in the output is a noteworthy disadvantage. The adequacy of these system depends on the qualities picked by the user for for proportional, integral and derivative gains. close loop system are vastly improved at keeping up a desired target, for this situation the speed of the engine. By tweaking the estimations of every parameter of a PID controller, it is for all intents to make the system do precisely what it is intended to.However, the three type og gain must be set for each exact system, which makes outlining the close loop system more complex to do. References Document on moodle Open loop systems http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/systems/open-loop-system.html Understanding D in PID control http://www.controleng.com/search/search-single-display/understanding-derivative-in-pid-control/4ea87c406e.html electrical4u, 2013. Speed Control of DC Motor. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.electrical4u.com/speed-control-of-dc-motor/. [Accessed 9 February 2017]. Bishop, R.H. and Richard C. (Richard Carl) Dorf (1998) Modern control systems. Available at: https://capitadiscovery.co.uk/greenwich-ac/items/337549?query=Modern+control+systemsresultsUri=items%3Fquery%3DModern%2Bcontrol%2Bsystems (Accessed: 17 February 2017).

Democracy Essay -- miscellaneous

Democracy This essay will now discuss the different forms of government, which are monarchy and aristocracy. In this essay I will also answer the question â€Å"Is Democracy the Best Form of Government?† My basic answer to that question is yes, I do think it is the best form of governments. I will be giving reason to back up my answer to this question. This essay will now discuss the different forms of government and the answer to the question â€Å"is Democracy the Best Form of Government?† in more depth and detail. One of the forms of government that we would be discussing is monarchy. A monarchy is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State, political power which belongs largely to one ruler, generally called a king or queen, who receives his or her position by claim of divine or inherited right. This basically means that there is one ruler for the common good. An example of this is Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Monaco. However, the prevision of a monarchy is a tyranny. This happens when the one man who is a dictator governs for his or her self and not for the interest of the common good. An example of tyranny is Greece where Hippias (last tyrant of Athens) ruled. Another form of government is aristocracy. An aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an "upper class" known as aristocrats. The aristocrats are a few of people which are the most elite of men that are chosen to run the country. The word aristocracy implies the meaning of...

Drones Essay

At one point in everyone’s life they have felt that they were being watched. Now that feeling may not be just a feeling anymore. The government uses aircraft drones to video and take pictures of other countries to spy on them. Although, the government has started using these drones and other spying devices to watch the United States as well. One day, you may observe a miniature helicopter with cameras or a small plane looking upon the houses of this country’s citizens houses. There is a very good use for these drones as well, â€Å"Police departments in Texas, Florida and Minnesota have already expressed interest in the technology’s potential to detect fugitives on rooftops or to track them at night by using the robotic aircraft’s heat-seeking cameras† (Reporter). The police have already started using helicopter drones to help search for suspects and criminals. The use of drones in residential areas needs to be limited to the use of police to find c riminals that have been sited or thought to have been in that area. The fact that using these drones is helping the police find criminals is good, but spying on the innocent people of the suburbs is an invasion of privacy and unneeded. During the event that the government starts spying on residence for no reason is when these drones become misused. â€Å"FBI director Robert Mueller told congress the agency owns several drones but has not yet formed policies or guidelines on their use. Confirmation that the U.S. is using the surveillance equipment to monitor its own citizens comes after the NSA phone tracking scandal rocked trust in the government† (Jerreat). The head of the FBI has admitted using drones to spy on U.S. citizens very solemnly but after the NSA tracking citizens cell phones without any kind of permission makes it very hard for people to trust anything that the government says. Drones being used violates the fourth amendment because of search and seizure. There is also a chance that these drones could be hacked and taken over. The United States could become a Communist Country if the government continues â€Å"watching† the people of this country with these drones. The government should not be able to spy on United States citizens because these actions violate the people’s rights as individuals. The Fourth Amendment is being violated if drones start flying around watching those who haven’t done anything. Core values such as privacy and protection from the government are always within its sweep. A continuing question, though, is how the demands of its protection apply to an ever-changing  society in which new and pervasive forms of technology are increasingly common.† President Obama signed an FAA bill into law that provides for the integration of â€Å"drones,† or more properly into the nation’s airspace. This has generated legitimate concerns that UAVs could be used by the government in ways that infringe privacy rights†(Villasenor) Although there are many rules and exceptions throughout the Supreme Court’s Fourth Amendment. In short, the Fourth Amendment regulates when, where, and how the government can conduct searches and seizures. The Supreme Court held that police wiretaps of the defendant’s home telephone did not constitute a Fourth Amendment search because the police did not trespass onto a persons property to intercept his or her conversation. One of the modern Fourth Amendment tests relied upon by courts in assessing whether government monitoring constitutes a search. The Court’s thinking at the time was that if the person’s home, property, or papers were not physically invaded, then no search in the constitutional sense occurred. It considers whether the person has a subjective expectation of privacy in the area to be searched and whether s ociety is prepared to deem that expectation reasonable. The technology used by UAVs may be a decisive factor considered by courts in determining whether individuals have an expectation of privacy in the object or area of the drone search. The question, is whether drones have the potential to be significantly more invasive than traditional surveillance technologies such as manned aircraft or low-powered cameras technologies in which have been upheld in previous cases. Some have asked whether using sophisticated digitized platforms on a drone is any different from attaching the same instrument to a lamppost or another traditional aircraft. Technological developments make it increasingly easy to share and acquire personal information about others, oftentimes without their direct knowledge or consent. â€Å"As the American Civil Liberties Union explained in its December 2011 report, the machines potentially could be used to spy on American citizens. The drones’ presence in our skies threatens to eradicate existing practical limits on aerial monitoring and allow for pervasive surveillance, police fishing expeditions, and abusive use of these tools in a way that could eventually eliminate the privacy Americans have traditionally enjoyed in their movements and activities† (Franceschi-Bicchierai). Currently, many states and municipalities employ automatic license plate readers, which are  usually mounted on police vehicles or stationary objects along the streets, to take a snapshot of a license plate as a car drives by, and store this information in a large database for possible later use by law enforcement. It is alleged that these devices can be used to track a person’s movements when police aggregate the data from a multitude of ALPR stations. A majority of the reviewing federal circuit courts have held that a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy in his license plate number. However, it appears th at no federal court has addressed the constitutionality of the use of ALPRs, as opposed to plate numbers collected by a human observer. Nonetheless, the question remains whether attaching an ALP, or any similar sophisticated technology to a drone would alter the constitutionality of its use by law enforcement. Some say yes, arguing that the sophistication of drone technology in and of itself is a unique threat to privacy. Drones are smaller, can fly longer, and can be built more cheaply than traditional aircraft. some drones could theoretically stay in the air forever. Unlike a stationary license plate tracker or video camera, drones can lock on a target’s every move for days, and possibly weeks and months. This ability to closely monitor an individual’s movements with pinpoint accuracy may raise more significant constitutional concerns than some other types of surveillance technology. With this increasing presence and usage of drones, a major concern is developing. Many people consider this advancement in technology as quite controversial. Many people believe that with drone technology in the governmen t’s hand, we will begin to lose our privacy. â€Å"A report on the military’s growing arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles indicates that approximately 31% of all US military aircraft are now drones† (Boyle). if all of these drones that the military is using were hacked then who knows what might happen. With no restrictions on drones, governments have the power to monitor its citizens invading their privacy. Without any restrictions on drone technology, it can be expected that you will no longer have any privacy. Along with these privacy concerns, there are also great areas of concern in the subject of security and drones. Drones run the risk of becoming hacked therefore making them possible security risks. In a recent talk on National Public Radio, the topic of hacking of drones was brought up. The method called â€Å"spoofing† has been used to take control of helicopter drones flying over ones head.. Spoofing  is basically matching the signal of the actual controller and then increasing the strength of your signal allowing you to gain control. â€Å"Serial hacker Samy Kamkar turned up in an Arstechnica article yesterday with a pretty interesting hack. He’s put together a system of hardware and software that can be put together to build a drone. From there, that drone finds other drones out and about in operation, hacks the drone and then controls them. It is one of the most innovative drone hacks to ever come out, and it may have many people concerned about the potential malice that could be played out with such a capability† (Casaretto). The fact that it is easy for hackers to take control of these drones and use them for themselves and even take footage from them can be a very dangerous situation. this hacker could find out where you live, who your friends are, and who your family is. The increasing presence of drone technology in today’s society is quite evident. We hear on the news quite frequently of a drone bombing or spying on someone in the war. Not only do we hear about what drones do, we experience the benefits that they provide for us. When we listen to the weather there is a possibly the information is received from an actual drone. Despite the many different types of benefits drones present, drones still present a very serious security and privacy risk. Drone use violates the fourth amendment if used to spy on civilians without actual reason. If the person has an expectation of privacy then that person should have their privacy. The United States people will lose all of their privacy in a matter of years if we allow drone research to continue. One must decide whether the privacy and security risks outweigh the benefits. Works Cited Casaretto, John. â€Å"Drones That Hack Drones.† SiliconANGLE. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. Jerreat, Jessica. â€Å"FBI Director Admits Using Domestic Drones to Spy on US Citizens and Says Agency Has No Guidelines for Their Use.† Mail Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. Reporter, Daily Mail. â€Å"U.S. Government to Use ‘drones the Size of GOLF BALLS to Spy on AMERICAN Citizens'† Mail Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013 Sifton, John. â€Å"A Brief History of Drones | The Nation.† A Brief History of Drones. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Villasenor, John. â€Å"Will â€Å"Drones† Outflank the Fourth Amendment?† Web log post. Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 20 Boyle, Ashley. â€Å"Drone Information Sources : Annotated Bibliography.† ASP RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.

Themes in 1984 essays

Themes in 1984 essays 1984 is rather interesting as it contains many themes, mostly about society and control. It also warns us about the dangers of a totalitarian rule and what our world would become if a single authority ruled our entire lives. In this essay, I will express my opinions about and reactions to these themes. In the world of 1984, the world is divided into three superpowers: Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. In the novel, Oceania is permanently at war with either East Asia or Eurasia, with constant air raids and bombings. It is not a pleasant view of the world and a picture that everyone feared greatly during the Cold War. Obviously, one of the major themes in 1984 is totalitarianism. In 1984, Oceania is controlled by the Party, which is symbolised by Big Brother. It is the perfect totalitarian society, a modern day example of a government with complete control on society. In the novel, Party holds complete control on the people of Oceania. Every single action is scrutinized and searched for a possibility of an act of disloyalty to the Party. The Party uses several ways to control the people, namely, psychological control, physical control and control of the media, language and technology, as described below: Psychological control is achieved by the means of enormous amounts of propaganda, spread through the telescreens in every home. Every single action by the Party, victory or failure is disguised as a success and blasted into the citizens minds, overwhelming the minds capacity for independent thought and creativity. The posters of Big Brother are another form of propaganda. The words Big Brother give a sense of someone who can be trusted and is close to you, yet Big Brother is watching you sounds like Big Brother is observing your every move and gives a warning not to break the law or cause trouble. Other ways of psychological control are the Junior Spies, where children ...

Spelling Review Exercises for Commonly Misspelled Words

Spelling Review Exercises for Commonly Misspelled Words Study  spelling rules and commonly misspelled words, then test your spelling skills by completing the following short exercises. In some cases, you will need to add a letter or two to complete the correct spelling of each word in parentheses. In other cases, the word in parentheses is correct as it stands. When youre done, compare your responses with the answers below. Group A: To E or Not to E? Some of the words in parentheses require the addition of the letter e; others are correct as they stand. Gus is (tru-ly) sorry for keeping you awake last night.We were criticized (sever-ly) by the sewing circle.The shed was (complet-ly) demolished.Merdine was (sincer-ly) grateful for the reprieve.The Simpsons are (argu-ing) again.They (argu-d) last night for hours.When is Mr. Wolfe (com-ing) home.Maya is (writ-ing) her autobiography.Mr. White is (judg-ing) the essay contest.Be (car-ful) when you light the furnace. Group B: IE or EI? Some of the words require the addition of ie; others require ei. Paint the (cling) before you paint the walls.Gus has been (recving) threatening e-mails.A (wrd) noise came out of the attic.I paid almost five dollars for that (pce) of pie.I dont (belve) in coincidence.The guests brought (thr) children to the wedding.(Nther) of us can help you today.The (nghbors) complained about our parents.Linda (wghs) less than her collie.We waited for the (frght) train to pass. Group C: I or Y? Some of the words require the addition of i; others require y. Have you (tr-ed) the dessert yet?The baby (cr-ed) throughout the church service.We compared two (theor-es) of evolution.Peggy felt (betra-ed) by her manager.You should be (stud-ing) for Fridays exam.(Lonel-ness) was never a problem for Henry.She (fl-es) on broken wings.I have always (rel-ed) on my friends.Please give Mr. Flannery my (apolog-es).It was a (pit-ful) sight. Group D: A, E, or I? Complete each word with the letter a, e, or i. I borrowed these flowers from the (cemet-ry).My parakeet eats huge (quant-ties) of bird seed.The tax cuts will (ben-fit) the wealthy.It was a (priv-lege) to meet you.He has a remarkably (unpleas-nt) disposition.We placed the puppies in (sep-rate) rooms.Henry is an (independ-nt) thinker.I found an (excell-nt) excuse to resign from the committee.She chose items from different (cat-gories).Professor Legree made another (irrelev-nt) remark. Group E: Single or Double? Some of these words require the doubling of a consonant; others are correct as they stand. The sun was (shin-ing) down like honey.The experiment was (control-ed) by a madman.The region is slowly (begin-ing) to recover.Doug (pour-ed) sugar over Yoddys oatmeal.She keeps (forget-ing) to call me.Gus (admit-ed) his mistake.They were (sweat-ing) in the classroom.That idea never (occur-ed) to me.The bunny went (hop-ing) down to the abattoir.His doctor (refer-ed) him to a dimple specialist. Group F: Letters Needed? Some of these words require the addition of one or more letters; others are correct as they stand. Marriage comes without a (g-arantee).Caley (su-prised) me.You are (prob-ly) going to be late.Does she (reali-e) that her socks dont match?(D-scribe) the man who hit you.We waited (until-) the mortician arrived.Merdine (recom-ended) a psychiatrist.Take two (asp-rin) and go to bed.She supports a strong (ath-letic) program.The (tem-rature) reached 109 degrees in Yuma. Group G: More Letters Needed? Some of these words require the addition of one or more letters; others are correct as they stand. She (a-quired) a good tan and a new boyfriend.Gus is (basic-ly) lazy.We must work together to improve the (envir-ment).I wish Hansel would just (dis-pear).Mr. Summers should attend to his (bus-ness).Alice Walker wrote an essay (sim-lar) to yours.The Red Sox have (fin-ly) won a ball game.I was (dis-appointed) by the cranberries in dill sauce.Doc Brown was working in his (lab-ratory).Baron Leibniz works for the (gover-ment). When youre done, compare your responses with the answers below. Answers Here are the answers to the Spelling Review Exercises, Groups A through G. ANSWERS- GROUP A1. truly; 2. severely; 3. completely; 4. sincerely; 5. arguing; 6. argued; 7. coming; 8. writing; 9. judging; 10. careful. ANSWERS- GROUP B1. ceiling; 2. receiving; 3. weird; 4. piece; 5. believe; 6. their; 7. Neither; 8. neighbors; 9. weighs; 10. freight ANSWERS- GROUP C1. tried; 2. cried; 3. theories; 4. betrayed; 5. studying; 6. Loneliness; 7. flies; 8.  relied; 9. apologies; 10. pitiful ANSWERS- GROUP D1. cemetery; 2. quantities; 3. benefit; 4. privilege; 5. unpleasant; 6. separate; 7. independent; 8. excellent; 9. categories; 10. irrelevant ANSWERS- GROUP E1. shining; 2. controlled; 3. beginning; 4. poured; 5. forgetting; 6. admitted; 7. sweating; 8. occurred; 9. hopping; 10. referred ANSWERS- GROUP F1. guarantee; 2. surprised; 3. probably; 4. realize; 5. Describe; 6. until; 7. recommended; 8. aspirin; 9. athletic; 10. temperature ANSWERS- GROUP G1. acquired; 2. basically; 3. environment; 4. disappear; 5. business; 6. similar; 7. finally; 8. disappointed; 9. laboratory; 10. government

History and Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

History and Political Science - Essay Example There were many factors at the end of the 19th century that saw a shift towards American Imperialism. Kennedy Cohen-Bailey in his book, The American Pageant outlines the period and covers the various aspects that led to the Great War of 1914 and America’s involvement. This article reviews the book under the following subheadings: The Spanish American war and the aftermath. The legacy of President Roosevelt and the effect of his presidency on America A comparison of the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Taft and Wilson and who was the best among the three? The end of World War I and the decisive factors that lead to the end The Spanish American war and the Aftermath The US had for the most part of the 19th century strictly adhered to its non-colonization policies and even at the onset only acquired contiguous territories. Most of it was brought about by the need to expand the trade borders of the American people. America was linked in many ways to Cuba than just at the time of the war. Cuba was one of the major producers of sugar and major suppliers to the USA. The Wilson-Gorman tariff imposed on Cuba by America to protect the sugar growers in America invariably raised the price of sugar and the Cuban economy suffered as a result. The misrule by the Spanish of its colony in Cuba created a lot of unrest. The Cubans fought the 10year battle of independence from 1868 to 1878 and tried to drive the Spanish away by destruction of property including cane fields and blowing up of passenger trains. The situation peaked when Spain sent tyrant General Wyeley in 1895 to Cuba. Wyeley took it upon himself to crush the rebellion and opened up re-concentration camps, imprisoned and isolated the Cuban revolutionaries from the Filipino revolutionaries in their war of independence. Many perished and â€Å"died like dogs† (Bailey, 629). from unsanitary conditions in the camps. The American people rose against this atrocities to the Cubans and wanted war but the then president Grover Cleveland was against it and even motioned to strike against congress if they were to declare war against Spain and send troops to Cuba. This resolve however did not last very long as there were many other factors at stake than America was unwilling to admit to at that time. US also had a stake in the war because it was not really comfortable with having a European colony that close to its own borders. The unrest in Cuba was straining US trade relations in the region and threatening US investments in Cuba. There was also fear that its access to Panama would affect future sea trade routes. The anti-colonisation policies of the US went a long way in selling the concept of a free Cuba to the Americans. What cinched the deal however was the journalistic trend of the time, which focused more on justifying the concept of war. There started a spate of graphic imagery and reports of atrocities adding fuel to the situation and feeding the insatiable hunger of yellow journali sm. Eventually Wyeley was removed from his position and sent back home. In February 1988, the USS Maine, which was on a friendly mission to take Americans in Cuba to safety, blew up in the Havana harbour with the loss of 260 American lives. The cause for the explosion still remains unknown. Reports have even said that the blow up was due to mechanical failure and not a case of sabotage. But sensationalised news articles blamed the Spaniards for it and the fate of history was sealed, War had begun. President Mc Kinley forced by circumstances and party loyalty consented and under Theodore Roosevelt’s command of the military, the American’s over threw the Spanish from Tampa, Florida and gave armistice to the Cubans in August 12, 1898. The war was a forgone conclusion although not evident. Spain’

BP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

BP - Essay Example BP publishes a sustainability review report on a regular basis in which it focuses on building a safer as well as a stronger workplace. It does not have any designated Corporate Social Responsibility Officer (CSR) to oversee their CSR activities. The Chairman has the discretionary authority to look after their valuable social activities. In order to address ecological and social concerns, after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill case incident, BP has decided to pay around US$500 million within a period of 10 years towards supporting research activities for betterment of ecosystem in the Gulf region. In order to contribute to people, planet along with focusing on its long-term profitability, BP has decided to focus on ISO 14001:2004 standards for environmental management, which in turn can provide benefit to the people all over the world and can ensure its sustainability (BP plc, â€Å"Sustainability Review†). The company has recorded a huge number of environmental disasters wit h over 8,000 spills of oil, dangerous chemicals as well as gases. The states of Texas and Louisiana have been the worst hit with close to 3,000 cases being reported in those states. There occurred about 550 previous incidents in the Mississippi Canyon near the area where the current Deepwater Horizon disaster is unfolding. In the recent past, two major incidences have been reported in the city of Texas in which an explosion was registered in the major refinery of the company in the year 2005 and oil spill at the Prudhoe Bay. The Texas explosion led to the death of 15 people while at the same time 170 people were severely injured. The root cause of the explosion was found to have been caused by temporary trailers that had been placed close to the volatile units which the company’s top management admitted to have been a measure taken to cut costs. It was further established that poor maintenance of the