Free Will in Scientific Psychology Essay

Actions are freer than others, and the difference is palpably important in terms of inner process, subjective perception, and social consequences. Psychology can study the difference between freer and less free actions without making dubious metaphysical commitments. Human evolution seems to have created a relatively new, more complex form of action control that corresponds to popular notions of free will. It is marked by self-control and rational choice, both of which are highly adaptive, especially for functioning within culture. The processes that create these forms of free will may be biologically costly and therefore are only used occasionally, so that people are likely to remain only incompletely self-disciplined, virtuous, and rational. BACKGROUND What shall I do? Why did you do that? Are people captains of their fate, or are they mere products of their times and victims of circumstances? Should they be held responsible for their actions? These and similar questions pertain to the psychological problem of free will, also known as freedom of action. At the core of the question of free will is a debate about the psychological causes of action. That is, is the person an autonomous entity who genuinely chooses how to act from among multiple possible options? Or is the person essentially just one link in a causal chain, so that the person’s actions are merely the inevitable product of lawful causes stemming from prior events, and no one ever could have acted differently than how he or she actually did? My thesis is that free will can be understood in terms of the different processes that control human action and that, indeed, these differences correspond to what laypersons generally mean when they distinguish free from unfree action. To discuss free will in the terms of scienti? c psychology is therefore to invoke notions of self-regulation, controlled processes, behavioral plasticity, and conscious decisionmaking. Address correspondence to Roy F. Baumeister, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306; e-mail: baumeister@psy. fsu. edu. The extreme positions on free will have been staked out through centuries of philosophical debate. On the negative side, the deterministic position can be traced from Democritus through Spinoza, Comte, and Freud. It leaves no room for free human choice. Everything that happens is the unavoidable product of prior causes. The universe resembles a giant machine, grinding along exactly as it must. There is no difference between the categories of possible and actual in this view: Everything that happened was inevitable, and nothing else was ever possible. The subjective impression that when you make a choice you really can choose any of several options is an illusion, because forces outside your consciousness are in motion to determine what you will choose, even if you do not know until the last minute what that choice will be. On the other side, Jean-Paul Sartre (1943/1974) argued passionately in favor of human freedom. He contended that people are always, inevitably free—‘‘condemned to freedom,’’ in his famous phrase. Life is a series of choice points, and at each choice point, you could have chosen differently than you did. (Thus, the category of the possible is far, far more vast than the category of the actual, in this view. ) When people say they could not help acting as they did, they are engaging in self-deception (bad faith, in Sartre’s term), because they could actually have acted otherwise—could have held their tongue, walked another step, resisted the temptation, and so forth. Other outcomes really were possible. In between those extremes, many thinkers have proposed limited or partial freedom. Kant (1797/1967) proposed that people have a capacity for free action but only use it sometimes. For him, freedom meant acting in a morally virtuous manner based on enlightened reasoning. His argument thus aptly sets up the emphasis on self-control and rational choice as two widely adaptive forms of free will. If free will is only occasional, whereas behavior is constantly occurring, then it is necessary to posit two systems for guiding behavior: a default one that mostly runs the show and an occasional one that sometimes intervenes to make changes. Free will should be understood not as the starter or motor of action but rather as a passenger who occasionally grabs the steering wheel or even as just a navigator who says to turn left up ahead. 14 Copyright r 2008 Association for Psychological Science Volume 3—Number 1 Roy F. Baumeister OBJECTIONS TO THE VERY IDEA Many psychologists disdain the idea of free will, for several reasons. First, some think that in order to be a scientist it is necessary to believe in determinism, because a scientist studies causality and cannot tolerate or accept exceptions. Second, and related to the ? rst, free choice (especially the full, extreme case of total freedom) cannot seem to be explained in scienti? c terms. Causality is how the human mind generally (and the scienti? c mind particularly) understands events, and there is no way to explain a free action causally. In other words, even if free will exists, there is no use in scientists talking about it, because there would be no replicable patterns of behavior. (On this I disagree most emphatically—see below. Third, and perhaps more formidably, plenty of research has by now shown that people are sometimes mistaken when they believe their actions to be free, insofar as factors outside their awareness do exert a causal in? uence on them (e. g. , Bargh, 1994; Wegner, 2002; Wilson, 2002). The fact that automatic, nonconscious processes are the direct causes of action (e. g. , Libet, 1985, 1999) seems now well established and has dealt a severe blow to some theories of conscious free will. But new theories of action have separated the deciding from the initiating (Gollwitzer, 1999), and free conscious choosing may have its main role in the deciding (deliberative) stage. To illustrate, free will would have more to do with deciding (now) to walk to the store when the rain stops (later) than with directing each footstep during the actual trip. Modern research methods and technology have emphasized slicing behavior into milliseconds, but these advances may paradoxically conceal the important role of conscious choice, which is mainly seen at the macro level (Donald, 2002). Meanwhile, there are several objections to the determinists too. To require scientists to believe in determinism seems unwarranted. After all, the deterministic hypothesis—that every event is fully and inevitably caused by prior events and nothing else than what happened was ever possible—is itself unproven and even unprovable, so it requires a big leap of faith. Determinism is also contrary to everyday experience (in which people do make choices, and they believe subjectively that more than one outcome is possible). Moreover, to say that scienti?c data and especially psychological data point to determinism is itself severely overstated. Most psychological experiments demonstrate probabilistic rather than deterministic causation: A given cause changes the odds of a particular response but almost never operates with the complete inevitability that deterministic causality would entail. These objections do not disprove determinism, but they certainly raise questions. It seems unreasonable to require that every scientist must believe something that is unproven, unproveable, contrary to daily experience, and incongruent with our data. A further objection to determinism is the observation that freedom and choice are woven deeply into the fabric of human relations and activities. If freedom and choice are completely illusions—if the outcome of every choice was inevitable all along—why must people agonize so over decisions? Why do they argue and strive so much for the right to decide (that is, for power and liberty)? Why has so much political, economic, and social struggle been aimed at increasing freedom if freedom is just an illusion? The presence versus absence of choice, control, autonomy, and freedom has been shown to be a signi?cant causal factor in many aspects of human life, including dissonance and consistency (Linder, Cooper, & Jones, 1967), reactance (Brehm, 1966), stress and coping (Glass, Singer, & Friedman, 1969), and motivated performance (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Moreover, with few circumscribed exceptions, people almost always prefer freedom and are better off with it—and seemingly not just because the lack of freedom prevents them from securing tangible rewards. It is not as if people would be ? ne with slavery or prison if only the food were better. Countless people have risked and sacri?ced their lives in ? ghting to achieve and defend freedom, and it is very dif? cult to ? nd historical instances of uprisings or wars based on a demand for less freedom. Laypersons may not understand the concept of free will in the same way as philosophers and scientists, but they use ‘‘freedom’’ to denote some psychological phenomena that are powerful and important. PSYCHOLOGY’S TASK In my opinion, it would be a mistake for psychologists to argue about whether free will exists and to debate the conceptual details. Philosophers and others have already spent centuries re? ning the concepts through such argument, and repeating their work would not be a good use of time and effort. In comparison with philosophers, psychologists are amateurs at conceptual re? nement and debate but are specialists at conducting experimental tests of causal hypotheses. Our expertise is thus not well suited for ascertaining the existence or nonexistence of free will, which is probably impossible to prove. Researchers such as Wegner (2002) and Bargh and Morsella (2008, this issue) may show that people are sometimes unaware of the causes of particular behaviors, but such ?ndings are incapable of establishing that all behaviors are the result of ? rm causal processes of which people are unaware. Conversely, it seems equally impossible to prove that a given person could have acted differently than he or she did under exactly the same circumstances. Psychology’s contribution lies elsewhere. Psychologists should focus on what we do best: collecting evidence about measurable variance in behaviors and inner processes and identifying consistent patterns in them. With free will, it seems most productive for psychologists to start with the well-documented observation that some acts are freer than others. As already noted, dissonance, reactance, coping with stress, and other behaviors have been shown in the laboratory to depend on variations in freedom and choice. Hence, it is only necessary to assume that there are genuine phenomena behind those subjective and objective Volume 3—Number 1 15 Free Will in Scienti? c Psychology differences in freedom. In a nutshell, we should explain what happens differently between free and unfree actions. Thus, the optimal agenda for psychology would be to ? nd out what people mean when they use concepts of freedom, choice, and responsibility in their daily lives and then to illuminate the inner processes that produce those phenomena. WHAT MAKES ACTION FREE? A starting point for psychology is to identify what aspects of an action make people regard it as free versus unfree. To be sure, some factors can contribute to a mistaken sense of freedom in one’s own action. Wegner (2002) showed that when the thought of an event immediately precedes its actual occurrence, people believe they have caused it, even if in reality they have not. For example, when participants who were moving a cursor around a computer screen along with someone else (akin to having four hands on the pointer on a Ouija board) heard the name of some image mentioned and then the cursor stopped there 2 s later, they believed that they had intentionally caused the cursor to stop, even though the stopping was actually programmed by the apparatus (Wegner & Wheatley, 1999). There are several ways to interpret these ? ndings. One is to suggest that all conscious will and volition are illusions: From the observation that people are sometimes mistaken about conscious will, one could extrapolate that they are always mistaken. Another is to suggest that people do not have a direct, introspective way of knowing when they initiate action, and so they rely on salient cues to give them the feel and subjective impression of having acted or chosen, and this system of cues can be fooled. Shifts in the social distribution of causality and agency are important to people, and these correspond to social phenomena that people have encountered for millennia. Power, for example, confers on one person the right to make decisions that may affect others (e. g. , Keltner, Gruenfeld, & Anderson, 2003), and the long history of power struggles can be viewed as being about who gets to choose. Studies by Brehm (1966) and his colleagues have also shown that people are very sensitive to having their freedom of choice restricted by others. When an option is taken away from them, they respond by desiring that option more, by trying actively to reassert that freedom and take that option, and even by aggressing against whomever restricted their freedom. Such patterns seem hard to reconcile with the view that all free will and choice (in every sense) are illusions: Why would people care so much about something that is entirely inconsequential? Another approach to understanding what people mean by free will is to have participants rate how free a stimulus person’s actions are. Stillman, Sparks, Baumeister, and Tice (2006) had participants rate scenarios that varied systematically along several dimensions. Participants rated people’s actions as freest when their choices were made after conscious deliberation, when their actions went against external pressure rather than going along with it, and when people acted against their shortterm self-interest. Thus conscious, rational choice and selfcontrol seem to be integral parts of what people perceive as free. When people wrote autobiographical accounts of their own acts that felt free or unfree, pursuing long-term personal goals was central to the feeling of freedom. The difference suggests that people see free will in others as useful for restraining their socially undesirable impulses, but in themselves they see free will in the sustained pursuit of (enlightened) self-interest. As Dennett (1984, 2003) has argued, free will is hardly worth having unless it helps you get something you want. THE EVOLUTION OF FREEDOM Several recent authors have argued that human freedom of action is a product of evolutionary processes (e. g. , Dennett, 2003). I proposed that the de? ning thrust of human psychological evolution was selection in favor of cultural capability (Baumeister, 2005). That process might well have included a new, different way of controlling behavior, whose purpose was enabling the beast to function in a complex, information-based society. The hallmarks of this new form of behavioral control include personal responsibility, conscious deliberation, invoking abstract rules and principles to guide actions, autonomous initiative, and a capacity to resist urges that have earlier evolutionary roots but that may be incompatible with civilized life (e. g. , eating any food you ? nd when hungry, including what is on the plates of other restaurant patrons). Whether this pattern will satisfy the various theological and philosophical de? nitions of free will is hard to say, but it could well correspond to what ordinary people mean when they speak of free action. The previous section noted that free will has to be useful for bene? ting the person. Evolution has favored animals with psychological processes insofar as those processes help them pursue their goals. A more intelligent animal, for example, may be better able to ? nd food and reproduce than a less intelligent one. In human cultural life, however, there is sometimes a tradeoff between short-term and long-term goals, and much of the success of the human species is based on our ability to sacri? ce short-term goals for the long-term ones, as in delay of grati? cation (Mischel & Ayduk, 2004). For example, taking someone else’s food may bring short-term bene? ts, but if it leads the other group members to imprison or expel the person, it could be self-defeating in the long run. Hence free will may be most useful in fostering the pursuit of enlightened self-interest. Were evolution working instead to enable the human animal to pursue what it wants right now to maximum effect, it might have promoted physical strength, speed, and ferocity rather than brainpower and social skills. But to succeed and live harmoniously in a cultural group, the animal is best served by being able to inhibit its impulses and desires. Perhaps ironically, free will is necessary to enable people to follow rules. 16 Volume 3—Number 1 Roy F. Baumeister Let me focus brie? y on two of the most important phenomena that are associated with the concept of free will: self-control and rational intelligent choice. The cultural-animal argument has the following assumptions. First, self-control and smart choice are much more highly developed in humans than in other animals and thus are among the most distinctively human traits. Second, these traits are highly conducive for living in a cultural society. Third, these traits are probably interrelated in the sense of sharing some inner processes and mechanisms, which suggests that one evolved ? rst and the other piggy-backed on the ? rst one’s system. My speculative evolutionary scenario is that self-control evolved ? rst, because it is useful already in merely social (as opposed to cultural) groups. For example, it would be natural for hungry animals to eat food that they see and want, but in many social groups the alpha male would beat up any other who tries to take his food or usurp his other prerogatives. Therefore, in order to live in social groups, animals must develop the capacity to restrain their impulses and bring their behavior into line with externally imposed constraints. Moving from social to cultural groups substantially increases the importance of following rules, including moral principles, laws, commands, religious prescriptions, norms, and customs. Rational intelligent choice, then, evolved later than selfcontrol and was even more distinctively associated with culture. Culture is based on information, and the large amount of information in a culture creates great opportunities for reasoning powers to sort through it and draw action-relevant conclusions. Human decision making is far more complex and varied than that in other species. As Searle (2001) pointed out, rationality is widely regarded as a central human trait, but not all have noticed that rationality entails at least some limited concept of free will—at least to the extent that one can alter one’s behavior on the basis of that reasoning. Put another way, self-control gives the capacity to alter your behavior to conform to the group’s rules, and rationality enables you to work out your own rules and then behave accordingly. This line of thought ? ts the view of free will as a sometime thing. People are incompletely rational and self-controlled. They have the capacity for acting for acting rationally and exerting self-control, but they only use it sometimes. This suggests the capacity is limited. WHY FREE WILL IS LIMITED Our research on ego depletion provides one way to understand why free will is at best an occasional phenomenon. In testing several competing theories about self-regulation, we consistently found that people performed relatively poorly at almost any self-control task if they had recently performed a different self-control task (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice, 1998; Muraven & Baumeister, 2000). The implication is that some resource is used up by the ? rst act of self-control, leaving less available for the second. Choice may also deplete the same resource. Vohs et al.(2006) found that making a series of choices led to poorer self-control on subsequent, unrelated tasks, as compared with just thinking about items or answering questions about them without making choices among them. The fact that effortful choice uses the same resource as self-control links the two main forms of free will and supports the idea that they share a common underlying mechanism. Thus, the traditional concept of ‘‘willpower’’ does appear to be a useful metaphor, insofar as both self-control and rational choice rely on some kind of power. To move beyond metaphor, Gailliot et al.(2007) began studying blood-glucose dynamics. Glucose is a chemical in the bloodstream that is the fuel for brain (and other) activities. Although all brain processes use glucose, some use much more than others, and self-control is a likely candidate to be one of these more expensive processes. Gailliot et al. (2007) found that acts of self-control caused reductions in the levels of glucose in the bloodstream, and that low levels of blood glucose after initial acts of self-control were strongly correlated with poor self-control on subsequent tasks. Moreover, experimental administrations of glucose counteracted some of the ego-depletion effects. That is, drinking a glass of lemonade with sugar enabled people to perform well at self-control even if they had recently gone through a depleting exercise of self-control. Lemonade made with a sugar substitute (thus not furnishing glucose) had no effect. These ? ndings suggest that human evolution developed a second, new, and expensive way of controlling action. It involved using relatively large quantities of the body’s caloric energy to fuel complex psychological processes. If the cultural-animal argument is correct, then these processes should have improved biological success by enabling people to behave in more advantageous ways. Ample evidence con? rms that this second executive mode of action control has adaptive bene? ts and that when its resources are depleted or inadequate, behavior is less successful. Nondepleted persons outperform ego-depleted ones at making effective and unbiased decisions (Amir, Dhar, Pocheptsaya, & Baumeister, 2007), at logical reasoning and intelligent thought (Schmeichel, Vohs, & Baumeister, 2003), and at active coping with unexpected setbacks (Vohs & Baumeister, 2006). Self-control has multiple bene? ts, and people who are high on the trait end up more successful in work and school, are more popular and better liked, have healthier and more stable relationships, commit fewer crimes, and have less psychopathology (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005; Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990; Mischel, Shoda, & Peake, 1988; Tangney, Baumeister, & Boone, 2004). And as for following rules generally, there is some cross-cultural evidence that countries with higher rule of law report signi? cantly higher subjective well-being (Veenhoven, 2004). Volume 3—Number 1 17 Free Will in Scienti? c Psychology BELIEVING IN FREEDOM This brief article has argued that psychology’s task is to ? nd out what people perceive as free will and what genuine psychological phenomena underlie those perceptions. Such investigations will not establish whether free will exists according to some philosophical or theological de? nitions, and it remains possible that many laypersons’ beliefs about free will are partly or wholly mistaken. If free will is entirely an illusion, however, then it becomes especially perplexing that people devote so much time and effort to sustaining those illusions. Belief in free will is highly relevant to many social, legal, and moral judgments. For example, if all actions are fully caused and therefore inevitable, why does the legal system spend so much time trying to establish whether a perpetrator was acting freely? ‘‘Heat of passion’’ crimes are just as fully caused as any other crimes, in that view, so it makes little sense for judges to award lighter sentences. Yet they do. One possible explanation for the widespread social belief in free will is that it helps produce socially desirable and harmonious actions. To return to the cultural-animal framework, I am assuming that people evolved so as to be able to live and work in culture (Baumeister, 2005). Anything that makes people better able to do that, including improvements in cooperation and prosocial actions or reductions in antisocial actions, would therefore be bene? cial. To speculate, cultures that believed in free will might have outreproduced and supplanted cultures that did not. Belief in free will does support socially desirable actions, according to Vohs and Schooler (2008). They found that participants who had been induced to disbelieve in free will were subsequently more likely than a control group to cheat on a test. Further studies by Baumeister, Masicampo, and DeWall (2006) using the Vohs–Schooler methods found that inducing participants to disbelieve in free will made them more aggressive and less helpful toward others. If we combine the cheating, aggression, and helping ? ndings, it seems reasonable to suggest that belief in free will is conducive to better, more harmonious social behavior. CONCLUSION A scienti?c approach to free will should perhaps start with the view that freedom of action evolved as a new, more sophisticated form of controlling behavior. Its two components, self-control and rational intelligent choice, conferred important advantages by enabling the human animal to function within a cultural society. Recent evidence about ego depletion and glucose dynamics suggests that this new, freer form of action control is biologically expensive, which may help explain why free will is only used occasionally. Nonetheless, even its occasional use may contribute greatly to increasing the ? Exibility and adaptive diversity of human behavior. Acknowledgments—Work on this article was facilitated by a grant from the Templeton Foundation, and it builds on research supported by Grant MH57039 from the National Institute of Mental Health. REFERENCES Amir, O. , Dhar, R. , Pocheptsaya, A. , & Baumeister, R. F. (2007). The fatigued decision maker: Ego depletion changes decision process and outcome. Manuscript submitted for publication. Bargh, J. A. (1994). The four horsemen of automaticity: Awareness, ef? ciency, intention, and control in social cognition. In R. S. Wyer Jr. , & T. K. Srull (Eds. ), Handbook of social cognition (2nd ed. , pp. 1–40). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Bargh, J. A. , & Morsella, E. (2008). The primacy of the unconscious. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 73–79. Baumeister, R. F. (2005). The cultural animal: Human nature, meaning, and social life. New York: Oxford University Press. Baumeister, R. F. , Bratslavsky, E. , Muraven, M. , & Tice, D. M. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1252–1265. Baumeister, R. F. , Masicampo, E. J. , & DeWall, C. N. (2006). Prosocial bene? ts of feeling free: Inducing disbelief in free will increases aggression and reduces helpfulness. Manuscript submitted for publication. Brehm, J. (1966). A theory of psychological reactance. New York: Academic Press. Dennett, D. C. (1984). Elbow room: The varieties of free will worth wanting. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Dennett, D. C. (2003). Freedom evolves. New York: Viking/Penguin. Donald, M. (2002). A mind so rare: The evolution of human consciousness. New York: Norton. Duckworth, A. L. , & Seligman, M. E. P. (2005). Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents. Psychological Science, 16, 939–944. Gailliot, M. T. , Baumeister, R. F. , DeWall, C. N. , Maner, J. K. , Plant, E. A. , Tice, D. M. , et al. (2007). Self-control relies on glucose as a limited energy source: Willpower is more than a metaphor. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 325–336. Glass, D. C. , Singer, J. E. , & Friedman, L. N. (1969). Psychic cost of adaptation to an environmental stressor. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 12, 200–210. Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54, 493–503. Gottfredson, M. R., & Hirschi, T. (1990). A general theory of crime. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. The distinction between free choice and unfree action has enormous and widespread signi? cance individually, socially, historically, and politically. That distinction also seems so thoroughly woven into the fabric of human social life that it seems quixotic to try to imagine a society that had abandoned the concept so as to operate ‘‘beyond freedom and dignity,’’ in Skinner’s (1971) titular phrase. Psychology can explore and elucidate that difference between free and unfree action without having to resolve metaphysical questions. Conscious, controlled, and self-regulating processes seem likely to be important aspects of what people understand as free will. 18 Volume 3—Number 1 Roy F. Baumeister Kant, I. (1967). Kritik der praktischen Vernunft [Critique of practical reason]. Hamburg, Germany: Felix Meiner Verlag. (Original work published 1797) Keltner, D. , Gruenfeld, D. H. , & Anderson, C. (2003). Power, approach, and inhibition. Psychological Review, 110, 265–284. Libet, B. (1985). Unconscious cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action. Behavior and Brain Sciences, 8, 529–566. Libet, B. (1999). Do we have free will? Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6, 47–57. Linder, D. E. , Cooper, J. , & Jones, E. E. (1967). Decision freedom as a determinant of the role of incentive magnitude in attitude change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 6, 245–254. Mischel, W. , & Ayduk, O. (2004). Willpower in a cognitive-affective processing system: The dynamics of delay of grati? cation. In R. Baumeister & K. Vohs (Eds. ), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (pp. 99–129). New York: Guilford. Mischel, W. , Shoda, Y. , & Peake, P. K. (1988). The nature of adolescent competencies predicted by preschool delay of grati? cation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 687–696. Muraven, M. R. , & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: Does self-control resemble a muscle? Psychological Bulletin, 126, 247–259. Ryan, R. M. , & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78. Sartre, J. -P. (1974). Being and nothingness. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel. (Original work published 1943) Schmeichel, B. J. , Vohs, K. D. , & Baumeister, R. F. (2003). Intellectual performance and ego depletion: Role of the self in logical reasoning and other information processing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 33–46. Searle, J. R. (2001). Rationality in action. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Skinner, B. F. (1971). Beyond freedom and dignity. New York: Knopf. Stillman, T. D. , Sparks, E. , Baumeister, R. F. , & Tice, D. M. (2006). What makes freedom? Situational factors that in? uence ratings of free will. Manuscript in preparation. Tangney, J. P. , Baumeister, R. F. , & Boone, A. L. (2004). High selfcontrol predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. Journal of Personality, 72, 271–322. Veenhoven, R. (2004). World database of happiness: Continuous register of scienti? c research on subjective appreciation of life. Retrieved September 26, 2004, from http://www. eur. nl/fsw/research/happiness Vohs, K. D. , & Baumeister, R. F. (2006). Does depletion promote passivity? Self-regulatory resources and active coping. Manuscript in preparation. Vohs, K. D. , Baumeister, R. F. , Nelson, N. M. , Rawn, C. D. , Twenge, J. M. , Schmeichel, B. J. , & Tice, D. M. (2006). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. Manuscript submitted for publication. Vohs, K. D. , & Schooler, J. W. (2008). The value of believing in free will: Encouraging a belief in determinism increases cheating. Psychological Science, 19, 49–54. Wegner, D. M. (2002). The illusion of conscious will. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Wegner, D. M. , & Wheatley, T. (1999). Apparent mental causation: Sources of the experience of will. American Psychologist, 54, 480–491. Wilson, T. D. (2002). Strangers to ourselves: Discovering the adaptive unconscious. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Volume 3—Number 1 19.

The Sandman

E. T. A. Hoffmann's â€Å"The Sandman† illuminates Freud's theory of the Uncanny. Freud’s understanding of Nathaniel in E. T. A. Hoffmann’s â€Å"The Sandman† is that the Nathaniel’s â€Å"madman† like actions are the result of the return of his suppressed juvenile material. Nathaniel is the protagonist and is convinced that a frightful destiny awaits him. His fear focuses on a threatening old man whom he has understood since infantile to be the â€Å"Sandman†, a monster who takes away the eyes of children who are awake at night. He connects the â€Å"sandman† with Coppelius, a colleague of his father and he incriminates Coppelius in his father's death.As an adult, Nathaniel madness is triggered after having a visitor from what he believes to be the â€Å"sandman† whom in reality is a salesman named Coppola. Freud uses E. T. A Hoffmans â€Å"The Sandman† to describe the idea of repression of childhood complexes. E. T. A. Hoffmann's â€Å"The Sandman† is believed to be â€Å"uncanny† by Freud. Nathaniel believes in the evil â€Å"sand-man† from his childhood. He is not completely mature and has trouble growing up throughout the story. His fiancee Clara tries to help and tell not to let his stories get to him but it only maddens him.Nathaniel wants people to feed into his stories but his stories drive him to be a mad man. He is sent away to recuperate at an asylum. He meets a man named Coppola who he believes to be the evil Coppelius/ sandman. Nathaniel ends up realizing that he is just a man who sells glasses and buys a pair off of him. While he is away he falls â€Å"in love† with an inanimate object named Olimpia and forgets about his fiancee Clara. â€Å" But then he had never had such a perfect listener. † He loves the way Olimpia just sit there and listens to his stories, he falls for her womanly shaped figure. Her beautifully molded features and her sha pely figure compelled general admirations. † Nathaniel ends up destroying Olimipa, which can serve as one of his alter egos, his narcissistic side. He remembers about his lovely Clara and gets â€Å"better† he goes back home to his family but Nathaniel is not better. Clara ends up bringing up a gray bush that she spots which reminds him of the sandman and drives him mad again. He attempts to kill Clara and then ends up jumping and killing himself as well as his alter ego Coppelius.As people began to climb the stairs in order to seixe the lunatic, Coppelius laughed and said: â€Å"Ha, ha- just wait, he’ll soon come down soon by himself† and looked up, like the others. Suddenly Nathanael paused and stood stock still, he went down. Suddenly Nathanael paused and stood stock still he went down perceived Coppelius, and, with a piercing shriek of Beautiful eyes-a! Beautiful eyes- a! ’ he jumped over the parapet. By the time Nathanael was lying on the pavem ent, his head shattered, Coppelius had vanished into the throng. 118) Coppelius can be read to be an alter-ego of Nathanael; the way Hoffman states that Coppelius just vanishes once Nathanael hits the ground makes it seems as if now that Nathanael is not alive neither is the story of the â€Å"sandman† Freud does not believe that the sandman or Olimpia are Nathaniel’s alter-egos. He has other interpretations about what is wrong with Nathaniel. Freud believes that Nathanael’s obsession with the sandman and Olimpia is what someone experiences in adulthood that was repressed from their earlier stages in life.Nathaniel was told the story of the sandman as a little child by his old nurse: don’t you know yet? He’s a wicked man who comes to children when they don’t want to go to bed and throws handfuls of sand into their eyes; that makes their eyes fill blood and jump out of their heads and he throws the eyes into his bag and takes them into the cr esent moon to feed his own children (87) Freud believes that this story triggered the instability of the psych while Nathaniel was young.In the Uncanny Freud states â€Å"everything that ought to have remained hidden and secret, and yet comes to light,† (7) Whenever something reminds Nathaniel of the sandman it triggers him to turn into a â€Å"madman† and he gets lost in his own world. There are different causes that trigger one to go mad. Freud believes that one of the main sources of â€Å"uncanny† has to do with the idea of one being robbed of their eyes. â€Å" Oedipus that mythical-lawbreaker was simply carrying out a mitigated for of punishment of castration. Freud believes Nathaniel was afraid of castration not just loosing his eyes since many cherish both. Oedipus links with Nathanael, both were afraid of loosing a part of them that they both treasure. Nathanael also treasures his mother. Nathaniel seems to only see his mother as â€Å"good†, sh e is the one who protects them and the one that does not want the sandman in the house. â€Å"my mother, kissing and cuddling her darling boy who was thus restored to life. † (91) Nathanael has an attachment to his mother.Nathaniel appears to not like his father and see him as the â€Å"bad† parent. â€Å"I was comforted by the realization that his alliance with the devilish Coppelius could not have plunged him into eternal perdition. † (92) It could be because the father continues to allow the sandman in their home. Freud believes that nothing is ever forgotten and it just stays suppressed in one’s mind until something triggers one to remember. Nathanael’s suppressed memories make his narcissist.The â€Å"double† is the primary source of narcissism in a child. Only in Olimpia’s love do I recognize myself† â€Å"Olimpia had voiced his own thoughts. † This is where Nathaniel’s narcissism returns; Olimipa is a reflec tion of himself. â€Å" The idea of the â€Å"double† does not necessarily disappear with the passing of the primary narcissism, for it can receive fresh meaning from the later sages of development of the ego† (10) Olimpia is the re-birth of Nathaniel’s narcissism ways in which he begins again to be self-absorbed.The Sandman by ETA Hoffman is one of the most well known short stories throughout history. It is very unusual to other short stories. Whether we all agree with Freuds interpretation of the story, Freud makes some good arguments on why the narrator is the way he is. Nathaniel is a troubled individual who ends up taking his own life. No matter which way you take the story he ends up still being a madman.

Mediterranean fruit fly (ceratitis capitat) in NewZealand Essay

Mediterranean fruit fly (ceratitis capitat) in NewZealand - Essay Example It is also referred to as the med fly for short. It belongs to the Animalia Kingdom. Its phylum is anthropoda. The class is an insect. The order is diptera. The family is tephritidae and the genus ceratitis ("Ceratitis capitata," 2011). As a species of fruit fly, the insect is able to cause significant damage to a wide array of fruit agricultural crops. This insect is native to the Mediterranean region; however, it has spread to many other parts of the globe. These areas include Australia, as well as a variety of regions throughout North and South America. This fruit fly’s invasive nature has made it a particular problem in many of these regions. In terms of reproductive elements the fruit fly lays its eggs under the skins of fruit. This occurs most frequently in fruit where the skin is already broken. After three days, the larvae develop inside the fruit. While the insect has been viewed largely as an invasive species, it additionally has an ecological purpose as it can serve to control specific plant growth. There are significant implications for the Mediterranean fruit fly’s invasion into New Zealand. In understanding these implications there is the understanding that this insect has caused significant problems in other areas. Attacks between 1975 and 1993 in California cost the state over $170 million in prevention measures. Australia and Hawaii experienced similar incursions of the fruit fly. In Australia, over 200 fruit crops became infested before preventions measures were put into place. For New Zealand, it’s noted that there would be a significant impact on the horticulture industry ("Mediterranean fruit fly," 2011). This is highly significant because of the impact it would have on the New Zealand economy, including potential job losses. Indeed, it’s noted that among the products that there are more than $58 million worth of crops that are in the highly susceptible range

Wk2 Progress a Assign. INTL304 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk2 Progress a Assign. INTL304 - Assignment Example There are different types of sensor suites. These are the easiest way to monitor the things inside a building from any part of the world. An Orbit refers to a path of an object found in the space. There are four types of orbit of satellite sensor. The first one is satellite orbit; this satellite follows an elliptical path, round the earth. One complete revolution is known as the orbital period. Geostationary orbits, this occurs when a satellite follows an orbit that is parallel to the equator that moves in a similar direction as the earth’s rotation. Near polar orbits, refers to the orbital plane that is inclined at an angle with respect to the rotation of the earth’s axis. Sun-synchronous orbits, follows an orbit whose altitude is in a way that the satellite will pass over a location at a local solar time. Technical intelligence is not easy because it not possible to collect complete information from the adversaries. This is because the chips may be down, and some of the strategies may fail. Designing a satellite of balanced force has been another drawback of the airborne sensors platform in collecting technical intelligence. 2 Resolution is the clarity of an image. It is the ability of the sensors to see the smallest objects in an image. Resolution determines the sharpness of an image. Spatial resolution refers to the ability of measuring how closely lines can be resolved in an image. Spatial resolution is limited by diffraction. The pixel spacing the ground sample of an image on the earth’s surface is small compared to resolvable spot size.

Do We Need Passion to Start a Business Venture Research Paper

Do We Need Passion to Start a Business Venture - Research Paper Example A passionate entrepreneur associates their businesses with their lives and in the process, they develop a strong feeling of attachment towards it. Passion connects the entrepreneur with the power that makes him or her excel in the business activity. It provides enthusiasm, commitment, and hope that encourage the entrepreneur to press on with his or her business idea even when the circumstances are not conducive. A passionate entrepreneur has an intense feeling of love towards his or her business idea and always does things or activities that promote its growth, development, and sustainability. Passion leads to the development of purpose in a person. Entrepreneurs must have passion because starting and running a business is not an easy task. The idea of starting and running a successful business is overwhelming. There are so many questions to answer, hurdles to jump, losses to make, wars to fight and successes to celebrate at the course of business operations. All the above activities that occur during the startup and operation of any business requires a passionate heart. However, to be truly a successful entrepreneur, a person must possess other entrepreneurship qualities apart from passion. Passion forms an integral part and does not operate in isolation. Apart from being passionate, successful entrepreneurs are moderate risk takers, opportunists, visionaries, hardworking, innovative, creative, feedback-seeking, concern for excellence, positive thinkers as well as good negotiators. A person who possess all or almost all the above characteristics posses entrepreneurial tendencies and are more likely to create a thriving business in any field. Entrepreneurs who plan to achieve or realize their dreams must identify what they like most and develop a framework that guides them exploit the opportunities that accompany those activities they are passionate about.  

Marketing and advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing and advertisement - Essay Example Advertisement is a detailed process and hence quite a bit of thought and planning goes into advertising campaigns, as a complete campaign comprise of print ads, radio ads and television ads, all meant to maximize results for the client or business being advertisement. This paper tries to understand the various ways through which the UK CAP Codes (CAP/BCAP Codes) can be reformed. Advertisement can be seen in different perspectives. As defined above, the purpose of advertisement increase the number of articles or products sold. As if this is not enough, advertisement is also a very important aspect in the political scene as politicians use ads to sell their manifestos (DYER 1988, pg67). Advertisement developed into a big business in the 20th century, creating numerous jobs in advertisement agencies and the marketing industry. The growth in advertisement has been made possible through advance use of the media like newspapers, television, radio, magazines, direct mails and the internet. Advertising has developed to an international business strategy, since producers and companies try to sell their products on a globalized market in almost every corner of the world (DYER 1988, pg112). Business is all about who knows you rather than who you know. Advertising generates sales and opportunities through building awareness of products and services. Identifying of the ideal customer and understanding their motivation behind buying the products is core to the advertising production process.... in advertisement has been made possible through advance use of the media like newspapers, television, radio, magazines, direct mails and the internet. Advertising has developed to an international business strategy, since producers and companies try to sell their products on a globalized market in almost every corner of the world (DYER 1988, pg112). Business is all about who knows you rather than who you know. Advertising generates sales and opportunities through building awareness of products and services. Identifying of the ideal customer and understanding their motivation behind buying the products is core to the advertising production process. It is a fact that the process of advertising is a complex one and is therefore characterized by some costs (PAGELL & HALPERIN 1997, pg45). Therefore advertising agencies should avoid cost overrun by reviewing their adverts before incurring additional charges. Good advertising process should also ensure that the final product includes the ne cessary contact information, together with any needed mention of pricing or a special offer. In this regard, the entire advertising process requires a lot of responsibility. Knowledge of the laws is important to advertisement planning because of complexity of communication and the diverse perceptions of customers in response to promotional communications (DYER 1988, pg63). Media ethics is an elusive topic that will change from medium to medium from audience to audience and from person to person. Thus, I cannot write this paper from the perspective of right and wrong (MARLIN 2002, pg34) .Whenever a group of individuals are poses some power to influence the lives of others, ethical obligations becomes domineering. Ethical issues are imperative in considering different courses of action, and

Criminal Liability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminal Liability - Assignment Example The fact that Neil died as a result of the scuffle with John, John may be held liable for manslaughter. Note that under the Homicide Act 1957, a person may be charged with voluntary manslaughter if death resulted from the act of another. Note that John came back and confronted Neil and he bodily pushed Neil to the ground then kicked him. Even if John did not intend to kill Neil, he is still guilty of maliciously inflicting bodily harm against Neil. When John came back to the scene to confront Neil, he already showed the elements of a guilty mind or mens rea as he had the chance to think things over when he turned away. The fact that Neil died in the hospital after he contracted MRSA does not excuse John from liability of his death.As stated by the court in the case of R v Blaue , where the subsequent events that lead to the death of the victim are foreseeable consequences of the incident and such foreseeable consequences would not have happened if not for the unlawful acts of the acc used, then there is no break in the causation and the accused may still be held liable for the death of the victim. In the case of John, he may be held liable for voluntary manslaughter under the Homicide Act 1957. However, John may use provocation as a mitigating circumstance to reduce his culpability. In order for John to make use of the defense of provocation, he should prove to the court that he is a reasonable man as defined by the court in the case of R v Ahluwalia   and he should prove to the court.

Summary+Discussion+Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary+Discussion+Question - Essay Example this kind of behavior from any of these countries but the violation of human rights and killings of innocent in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Pakistan. Terrorism should be confronted in a way that justice is given to everyone and no one is deprived of their liberty to live. Innocent should be protected and culprits should be punished. Terrorism should be confronted like the Norwegians did after the attack in Oslo, not by ding arbitrary arrests and all. Confronting terrorism is showing the world and the terrorists that we have a better option for both the parties and we can solve the issues properly by talks but not by fighting and killing innocent people. Many terrorist organizations have recently shown serious interests in using nuclear weapons for their evil purposes and if used the results could be devastating, killing millions of people around the world. Steps need to be taken by the major organizations and super powers of the world as these threats are not at all fictional but pose a real threat to the world. so far these efforts does not seem to be enough but if proper measures are taken the issue can be resolved. Ans. Hostage taking certainly is an act of terror. If we see the effects of this action on the people that have gone through this experience we will see that they have a long lasting mental and psychological effect on them, affecting their personal and social life. Hostages are kept by terrorists than how could it not be an act of terrorism. Terrorists who have done something wrong and are afraid of being captured and punished keep hostages to flee and continue their activities spreading more terrorism proving that hostage taking is an act of terrorism indeed. BRILL, KENNETH C., and KENNETH N. LUONGO. "Nuclear Terrorism - A Clear Danger - NYTimes.com." NY Times Advertisement. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.

Philosophy final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy final - Essay Example Individualism is believed to be a factor which is being promoted in the society to maintain the balance in society. Adam Smith was a proponent of capitalism along with liberty as he believed in individualism in every individual. He believed that if everyone realizes his or her advantages in accordance to his needs then he would be able to balance the needs of the society too. Adam Smith is considered to be the first promoter of individualism in the society. Nowadays a similar change can be felt in the society when everyone is realizing his own individual advantages and disadvantages in accordance to his needs. Similarly Jeremy Bentham believed that a social policy could be a great way to promote individualism in which the benefits of every individual could be noted down without any moral judgment. By this he meant that every individual has a right to be happy in the way he likes and his happiness cannot be judged on moral grounds. Bentham proposes that a social policy must include clauses and ideas which are equally beneficial for all people living in a society without any indication of discrimination or bias on any grounds. His approach is more inclined towards democracy of thoughts, judgment and social order. Nowadays in the modern society similar events can be seen when people are not able to judge their happiness by being rich only. Even a poor old man can be happier than a rich man because of his realization of individualism. The equal opportunity rights, bills condemning discrimination and social policies for the minorities are all translating the idea of creating individualism in a democratic manner i.e. by creating self-regulating attitudes. People are motivated to think, judge and choose for themselves. They are given the autonomy to choose the career that best suits them, vote for the leader which they truly trust in, go for a decision which find the most appropriate and form

Assignment on Eastern and Western Europe Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Eastern and Western Europe - Assignment Example Due to the second World War, the so called Iron Curtain was established in Eastern and Central Europe. During this time, the Soviet Union established a strong program of influence on many of these Eastern Bloc countries, making them so called satellite states, under complete control of the Soviet Union, sometimes through its support of autocratic dictators. This reflected the historical problems of approaching true communism from an Eastern Bloc perspective, as a direct result of the growing tensions between the USA and USSR in post-World War II Berlin. After the closing off of Berlin and the separation of an entire city by the infamous Berlin Wall, the stage was set for the metaphor of the literal division of Europe. In the west, there was a lot of cultural and hegemonic influence from societies based on the concept of approaching socialism in some cases, but not true communism, and in many cases, very strong capitalism. In the east, there was the dominance of the Soviet power, whic h then aligned with local power in the creation of Eastern and Central European puppet regimes. #2 Central European countries that were more â€Å"Western† in their focus included Hungary and Poland. â€Å"Eastern† countries included the Baltic states and more northern areas. Poland seems to the lay person to be more similar to Germany than to Russia. The Czech Republic seems closer to Germany as well, considering the amount of German spoken there. Hungary seems more Russian, as do the Baltics. Of course, there are objective and subjective considerations to keep in mind, when it comes to ascribing national characteristics, or characteristics that are seen or said to be based on nationality. In any case, the cultural influence of other states and cultures can be divided between western and eastern ideas, in terms of political structure, and if the east is considered to be

Poetic form meter Essay Example for Free

Poetic form meter Essay Exploring how Allen Curnow portrays the search for inspiration in Continuum In the poem ‘Continuum’ by Allen Curnow, he tells us about his lack of inspiration. The theme of the poem revolves around poetic inspiration, and how he is unable to get inspiration. Allen Curnow uses a variety of stylistic devices to portray this. The title, â€Å"Continuum†, shows us that the problem Allen Curnow talks about, his lack of inspiration, is never ending and is continuing all the time, i.e., it is continuous. The first stanza signifies the first stage of poetic inspiration and also shows us Curnow’s unstable thoughts; â€Å"the roof falls behind†, as he is unable to compose poetry he is in a sense, rolling and falling all over the place so to speak. In the first line, the word â€Å"moon† is used as an image: a symbol for Curnow. As the moon is unable to shine on its own (it has to draw its light and energy from the sun), just like that Curnow depends on his writing to keep him going in life. The first stanza also tells the reader about the setting and time of the poem which is at night. The moon also evokes images of loneliness and a solitary state in that it is the only bright object in the night sky just like Curnow is the only (and therefore lonely) person awake at night. The poem has no definite rhyme scheme, suggesting to us that the poet is finding it difficult to express his thoughts, and he cannot tap into the world of imagination. The last line of the first stanza; â€Å"I am talking about myself.† Is a clear statement of his frustration and his inability to write. In the next stanza, Curnow is seeking connection with nature to find poetic inspiration. The line, â€Å"It’s not possible to get off to sleep†, tells the reader that the poet is unable to sleep which shows that something is troubling him. He tries to convey that it’s as tough to get rid of his thoughts as it is to get rid off the planet. Curnow goes out â€Å"barefoot†, to rid himself of the human material and wants to connect with nature†¦.

Flexibility And Stretching | Essay

Flexibility And Stretching | Essay Mans interest in flexibility is by no means a modern development. The importance of flexibility and its practice is evident from Roman times in the training of Gladiators, and in more recent times World War I injuries spurred the study of orthopedics. Specifically, as injured soldiers returned from war many were compromised in basic daily function because of loss of flexibility that occurred from war injuries. It was observed how this limited ones activities and the practice of restoring function began. The interest in flexibility was heightened again in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s when standardized fitness tests were developed and children were performing poorly on flexibility and strength measures. Fast forwarding to today restoration of range of motion is a primary goal of therapists when rehabilitating musculoskeletal injuries and it is often the most limiting factor in recovery from a musculoskeletal injury. Beyond that, we now have science to demonstrate the loss of flexibility and muscle function with age which leads to loss of independence and thus the primary goal of many exercise programs is to maintain muscular strength and flexibility.(Kraus, H., Hirschland, R. P. 1954). But have you ever wondered why some people are more flexible than others? Is it because they stretch more, or is it a genetic trait? You probably know someone who is quite flexible but who rarely stretches. Are females more flexible than males? How do you become more flexible? These are all important questions regarding muscle flexibility. We can accurately answer some of these questions but other answers are less clear. This chapter will provide some insights into the numerous factors that influence flexibility. Flexibility is basically described as the total range of motion (ROM) around a joint (or group of joints such as the spine). Thus the terms flexibility and ROM are often used interchangeably. One problem in the literature is the inconsistent use of terms such as flexibility, stretching, range of motion, and so on. Many other terms are also related to overall flexibility and these terms along with definitions are presented below in Table 8.1. In more scientific term, flexibility is defined as the intrinsic property of body tissues. However, while both intrinsic and extrinsic factors relate to flexibility, the intrinsic component is clearly more important. ROM is highly variable from joint to joint and from person to person. Flexibility as a term is used by many practitioners, including strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, doctors, and chiropractors, etc. For this reason there are often differences in what each practitioner means when they refer to flexibility. Thus, we must consider the setting in which the term flexibility is being used, such as a clinic, running track, or training room. Flexibility is advocated as promoting multiple healthy outcomes. In general, flexibility declines with age and injury. The benefits of stretching include: Decreased risk of low back pain Reduced muscle soreness post exercise Reduced risk of musculoskeletal injury Increased functional range of motion Increased comfort in activities of daily living Improved muscular efficiency Faster recovery from injury Improved postural alignment Improved mobility Improved self perception with movement Adapted from Mc Hugh Gleim (1998) Alkylosis: Pathologically low flexibility (may be whole body or joint specific). Compliance: How easy the muscle lengthens or stretches. Deformation: The ability of the muscle to change shape (stretch) and then return to normal. Elasticity: The ability of a material to resist deformation from force and then return to normal state. Flexibility: The intrinsic property of body tissues that determine ROM without injury. Hypermobility: Excessive joint (or group of joints) ROM. Stiffness: A measure of a materials elasticity, often defined as the ration of force to elongation. Viscoelastic: Complex mechanical behavior of a material because the resistive force in the material is dependant on elongation (elastic) and the rate (viscous) at which the force is applied. Yield Point: the point beyond which deformation becomes permanent (or muscle is torn). Stretch Tip number 1(see illustrations). Your father is interested in improving his range of motion in his shoulders. Can you suggest 3 basic exercises? a. Large arm circles. Stand up tall and swing both arms in large circles forward and backwards for 10 rotations each. b. Full arm wall press: Stand against a wall with your arm straight back and against the wall. Keep your arm against the wall and gently turn your body away from the wall slightly and hold fro 20 seconds. Repeat on each side. c. Lie on your back, put your arms out straight, hands overlapping, and place on the floor behind your head. Hold for 20 seconds (1)Anatomy and Physiology of Stretching Flexibility The anatomy and physiology of stretching involves multiple components: the design of the musculoskeletal system, muscle composition and connective tissue. Additionally, we must consider other co-contracting and synergistic muscle groups, the types of muscle actions and the forces produced. Lets look at the role of these components in stretching. Design of the Musculoskeletal System: The muscles and bones naturally comprise the musculoskeletal system. The muscles are often viewed as cords attached to levers to facilitate movement and posture. The muscles pull on the bones generating tension and consequently movement. Bones are connected to bones via ligaments which are not very flexible. The muscles are attached to the bone via tendons which are more flexible than ligaments, as is the muscle itself. Muscles vary in shape and size depending upon their role. Generally longer muscles are more flexible with a greater range of motion. Muscle Composition: While the body contains several types of muscle, such as skeletal, heart, and digestive, their basic structure is the same. That is, the muscle composition is similar in that they all contain fascicles, fiber, myofibrils, sarcomeres, and contractile proteins. In skeletal muscle, a fibrous connective tissue called the epimysium covers the bodys more than 430 skeletal muscles. Inside the epimysium the muscle fibers are bound in bundles called fascicles which often contain 100-150 fibers. Within fascicles, muscle fibers are separated by the endomysium. Outside of the fascicles lies the perimysium which separates the fascicles wrapped in the epimysium. The muscle fiber itself is made up of proteins called actin and myosin (contractile proteins) and these proteins are arranged longitudinally within the smallest component of the muscle fiber, the sarcomere. It is the sarcomere that actually shortens and lengthens when we perform a contraction. Fascicles: Bundles of muscle fibers. Fiber: Cylindrical cells that sometimes run the length of the muscle. Myofibril: The inside of a muscle fiber that contain the contractile proteins, actin and myosin. Sarcomere: The smallest contractile unit of skeletal muscle. Connective Tissue: A main factor affecting ROM is connective tissue. Connective tissue can be found all around muscles. Connective tissue contains two types of fiber called collagenous connective tissue and elastic connective tissue. Collagenous tissue comprises mainly collagen, which are extracellular, related proteins that provide tensile strength. Elastic tissue comprises mostly elastin, a yellow scleroprotein that provides elasticity. In general, the greater the amount of elastic connective tissue surrounding a joint; the greater the elasticity or ROM will be around that joint. Muscle Groups: The way in which a muscle group interacts with the other co-contracting muscles in its group can also influence ROM. For example, with knee flexion we have hamstring contractions, gastrocnemius lengthening (or shortening), gluteal shortening, and so on. At the same time the quadriceps relax so as not to impede the flexibility. This is referred to as reciprocal inhibition (more about this later). It is also referred to as the agonist/antagonist relationship. Thus the degree of resistance or compliance of an opposing or synergistic muscle can increase or decrease ones ROM. Insert Illustration showing agonist-antagonist relationship Research Box Effects of Stretching on Passive Muscle Tension and Response to Eccentric Exercise. La Roche DA and Connolly DA. 2006 (vol 34, 6, 1000-1007). American Journal of Sports Medicine. The purpose of this study was to assess if 4 weeks of stretching could reduce the risk of muscle injury following eccentric exercise. 29 subjects were assigned to a static stretching, ballistic stretching, or control group. Baseline measurements for dynamic range of motion, stiffness, peak torque, and soreness were recorded. Subjects then performed a stretching program for s total of 3600 seconds over 4 weeks in their assigned group. Baseline tested was then repeated with an eccentric task designed to cause muscle damage added after day 1. Both stretching groups increased their range of motion and stretch tolerance following the 4 weeks of stretching. After eccentric exercise both stretching groups had greater range of motion and less pain than the control group. The authors concluded that 4 weeks of stretching maintains range of motion following eccentric exercise. The Action of Stretching When you stretch your muscle the origin of the stretch is in the sarcomere. As the sarcomere contracts, the area of overlap between thick and thin filaments increases and this facilitates increased forced production. Consequently, as the muscle stretches this area of overlap decreases allowing muscle elongation. This is often referred to as Sarcomeres in series. When the muscle reaches its maximum resting length the stretch tension transfers to the connective tissue. Because connective tissue is less pliable than muscle tissue, the relative stretch is considerably decreased. When we stretch, not all fibers are stretched and the length of the muscle actually depends upon the number of stretched fibers. As we increase the length of the muscle more fibers are stretched. The ultimate length of the stretch is also influenced by other feedback from proprioceptors, the stretch reflex and lengthening reaction. Lets look at what these are! (3)Proprioceptors Anytime we move our limbs around we receive feedback information about the position and length of our muscles and limbs. This information about the musculoskeletal system is relayed back to the central nervous system via proprioceptors. Proprioception is a spatial awareness of ones body movement and position. Proprioceptors are sometimes referred to as mechanoreceptors and they specifically detect changes in position, force and tension of muscles. When we stretch a muscle the proprioceptors provide feedback about the length of the muscle, especially pain and discomfort when the muscle is stretched too far. The primary proprioceptors involved in stretching are called muscle spindles or stretch receptors. Also involved are golgi tendon organs which are found in the tendon at the end of muscle. They provide information specifically on positional changes and pressure or tension. Golgi tendon organs provide information about the change in muscle tension and also the rate of change in tens ion (sometimes called rate of force development). Thus, together they provide feedback about when our muscles are lengthening or are experiencing too much force. (3)Stretch Reflex Naturally, when the muscle lengthens so too do the muscle spindles. The information provided by the spindles triggers what is called the stretch reflex or myotatic reflex. This causes the muscle to try and shorten (it basically resists lengthening). This stretch reflex contains both a static and a dynamic component that relate to the initial increase in length and the duration of the stretch. These are called the lengthening reaction and the reciprocal inhibition. (3)The Lengthening Reaction When we stretch and induce the stretch reflexes causing the muscle to contract, tension is produced at the musculotendonous junction (this is where the GTO is located). As the tension increases it reaches a threshold which causes a lengthening reaction which prevents the muscle from contracting and actually causes them to relax. (This is often referred to as the inverse myotatic reflex or autogenic inhibition.) This action is part of the reason that exercise prescription for stretching advocates holding a stretch for at least 15-20 seconds. (3)Reciprocal Inhibition A final consideration in this section is the action called reciprocal inhibition. In reciprocal inhibition the antagonists are essentially neutralized and prevented from contracting thereby not impeding the stretch of the agonist. Practicing how to voluntarily relax your antagonist can increase your stretch response in the agonists. (1)Types of Stretching Stretching can take many forms, last for various durations, and have both negative and positive effects on athletic performance. Stretching can be performed statically or dynamically. If a stretch is performed dynamically, it directly affects dynamic flexibility. If it is done statically, it will directly affect static flexibility. There is also some crossover effect between the types of stretching. There are numerous ways to stretch. The following is a list of stretching techniques. Static Type Stretching Static stretching basically involves a form of stretching whereby the muscle is lengthened and then held in that lengthened position for a pre-determined period of time. The following are types of dynamic stretching. Static Holding Stretching involves stretching ones own muscle as far as comfortable and then holding the stretch for 10-30 seconds. Passive Stretching involves someone else stretching your muscle and applying the 10-30 second hold. This method usually results in a further stretch than individual static stretching. Sometimes this technique is used without someone else when you use another body part to stretch a particular muscle group. A simple example is stretching your quadriceps by holding onto your foot and pulling up towards your back. Sometimes you will see passive stretching called relaxed stretching or static-passive stretching. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching (PNF) is a popular and effective method of rapidly increasing ROM. PNF combines both static and dynamic components by having isometric agonist contraction, relaxation and contraction again. It normally requires a partner and is sometimes call partner assisted stretching. In basic PNF the individual stretches an agonist muscle as far as possible (a partner can help stretch further.) This initial stretch is held for about 10 seconds and then an antagonist contraction follows for 5-10 seconds. Following this the original agonist is then stretched again and the cycle repeated. This cycle should be repeated about 3-5 times on each muscle, with the muscle being stretched a little farther each time. Isometric stretching is somewhat of a combination of PNF and static stretching. This method requires the muscle to contract at the end of the range of motion and so the muscle being stretched is also the agonist. A common example is a calf stretch where one pushes against the wall creating both force and stretch in the calf at the same time. An additional advantage of isometric stretching is that it can also increase strength. Dynamic Type Stretching Dynamic stretching basically involves a form of stretching whereby the muscle is lengthened and shortened at various speeds without the muscle being held in the lengthened position for any period of time. The following are types of dynamic stretching. Ballistic stretching uses a limbs momentum to push it beyond its normal ROM. Sometimes added weight can be held to increase the stretch. This stretching involves limbs swinging through their ROM back and forth for about 10 repetitions. This stretching has traditionally been viewed as unsafe. However, it is effective if progress is done slowly and few injuries have actually been reported. One concern with this stretch is that the muscles do not have enough time in the lengthened position to adapt to the stretch and may in fact invoke the stretch reflex causing greater tightness. Dynamic stretching is a progressive stretching technique involving slow increases in ROM and speed. In contrast to ballistic stretching, dynamic stretching is more controlled and progressive. Dynamic stretching does not contain bouncing or ballistic movement. Dynamic stretches are commonly used in team sport settings or where speed movements are important. Active stretching is not commonly practiced as it is difficult and uncomfortable to a degree. In this technique a muscle is held only by the antagonist muscle in a certain position at the limit of motion for about 10 seconds. For example, lifting your leg straight up and holding it. Yoga uses many of these types of stretching. Application Question: Can you improve your flexibility if you are fifty or sixty years old? Answer: Even elderly men and women over seventy years old can increase their flexibility (Brown et al. 2000; Lazowski et al. 1999). With strength training the elderly, even in their 90s, can increase their strength and muscle mass although not as fast and as much as young people, but they can (Fiatarone et al. 1990; Lexell et al. 1995), and the responsiveness to strength training determines the effectiveness of isometric stretches (the most intense stretches) as long as the structure of the persons joints is not an obstacle. Exercise Prescription for Stretching The main reason advocated for the development of flexibility and its assessment is the reduction of injury. Interestingly, the literature does not support increased levels of static or dynamic flexibility reducing injury. It actually appears that people at both extremes of static flexibility may be at higher risk for musculoskeletal injuries and we dont have mush information on the relationship between dynamic flexibility and injury. In general, it is agreed that flexibility is healthy and although most experts agree on the benefits of flexibility and stretching, precise guidelines for stretching do not clearly exist. There is wide variation in the type of stretching, duration of stretches and intensity. Many individuals stretch for only a few seconds whereas others may stretch for 50 minutes as in a yoga class. General guidelines by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend three days of stretching per week, holding stretches for 10-30 seconds and 3-5 stretches for ea ch major muscle group. ACSM recommends static stretching for the majority of the population. When is it best to stretch? In general, muscle is more receptive to stretch when it is warmer. Therefore, it makes more sense to stretch your muscles following exercise. We must be careful and distinguish between stretching to improve ROM and warming up for performance. Human muscle stretches better at about 38.5Â ° c. which is higher than normal body temperature. For this reason, post exercise is perhaps the best time to stretch. Factors Influencing Flexibility Many factors contribute to joint flexibility. Sometimes the factors influencing flexibility can be classified as intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors apply to those musculoskeletal factors within the body such as ligaments and tendons, whereas extrinsic factors generally apply to factors such as age, gender, body build and so on. Generally, extrinsic factors are those that we cannot change. Intrinsic Factors for Flexibility While factors such as age and gender clearly play a role, the structure of the joint itself plays a major role in its own flexibility. Joints comprise various types of tissue and bone and these components differ in how they contribute to joint flexibility. Table 2 provides information on the relative contributions of soft tissue to joint ROM. Intrinsic factors specifically relate to the mechanical properties of the musculoskeletal variable. This varies between individuals and is affected by injury, race, muscle types and amount and others. In general, when we practice stretching we are seeking to make change to these intrinsic factors. Extrinsic Factors for Flexibility We can assume the intrinsic factors to be fairly consistent within individuals leaving a lot of room for the many extrinsic factors to influence joint flexibility. However, extrinsic factors usually explain variability between joints within individuals and overall flexibility between individuals and not all of them are changeable. Gender: In general, females are more flexible than males across the lifespan. Several factors contribute to this increased flexibility such as lower muscle mass, different hormone concentration and anatomical variations in joint structure. Age: flexibility tends to decrease with age usually beginning in the teenage years. With increasing age there is a decrease in elasticity of connective tissue surrounding both joints and muscles. For the most part this is attributed to decreased activity levels. Temperature: Muscle and connective tissue are like most other materials, i.e. they are more pliable/flexible at warmer temperatures. Increasing body temperature through an appropriate warm-up increases the flexibility of the muscle and joint. Consequently, a decrease in body or muscle temperature decreases flexibility and may increase the risk of injury. Habitual/Exercise Activity: Individuals normally preserve the required flexibility to perform tasks they perform on a daily or regular basis. Some scientists refer to this as form follows function. Therefore, individuals who exercise regularly and exercise their limbs through a full ROM tend to preserve flexibility better with age. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with decreased flexibility. Injury: Injury is a common cause of loss of flexibility especially in the upper extremities. Joint injuries typically result in the deposition of collagen or scar tissue. Scar tissue in particular restricts the mobility of the joint. Joint injuries also result in inflammation that also restricts mobility. Following injury rehabilitation to specifically restore and increase ROM is extremely important to allow the joint to return to normal function. Joint Structure/Type of Joint: Flexibility is specific to each joint and to the way in which the joint is designed. Ball and socket joints (triaxial) are much more mobile than glinglymus joints (uni-axial). Joints fall into one of four categories based on ROM, no movement (non-axial), uni-axial, bi-axial or triaxial. The structure of the joint is therefore a major determinant in a joint ROM. Muscle Mass/Body Build: The role of muscle mass in flexibility while important is often over-emphasized. In general, well hypertrophied muscles of the upper body, e.g. chest and arms, can restrict movement. However, if muscles are developed through the entire ROM of the muscle, flexibility is often preserved. Male gymnasts are a good example of well hypertrophied muscle and high flexibility. Therefore, while muscle mass can play a role in diminishing flexibility, the negative effects can be minimized by ensuring full ROM during muscle contraction. Pregnancy: Women generally increase their flexibility during pregnancy. The basic reason for this is to prepare for childbirth but also to allow greater ROM in the hip region. Specifically, the pelvic and hip joints increase in flexibility due to increased production levels of the hormone relaxin. This can also help alleviate discomfort with pregnancy associated Lordosis. Relaxin levels decrease following pregnancy. Stretch tip number 2 (see illustrations) Your friend complains of tight calf muscles following running, what can you recommend? Stand with feet together, legs straight, on a step and let the heels hang over the edge. Hold this position for 20 seconds. Repeat several times. Stand with feet together about 3 feet away from a wall. Place your hands on the wall and slowly bring your chest into the wall. Keep both heels on the floor. Hold this position for 20 seconds. Stand with feet together about 3 feet away from the wall. With hands on the wall, bring one leg forward and push with the back leg keeping the heel on the ground. Repeat on each leg. Flexibility and Athletic Performance It is a widely held conception that flexibility improves athletic performance. However, the scientific literature does not consistently support this belief. There is great variation in the amount of flexibility required for successful performance between activities and even within activities, such as team sports, there is wide individual variation. Furthermore, decreased flexibility has been shown to improve running economy and thus decreased flexibility can in some cases improve performance. Some studies have shown that less stiff muscles are more effective in using the stored elastic energy that is developed during a stretch. However, we must be careful about when these stretches are initiated as recent evidence suggests that static stretching prior to activities requiring maximal contraction tends to cause a decrease in performance. Overall, the ability of increased flexibility to improve athletic performance is most likely restricted to those activities that actually require extr eme ranges of flexibility such as gymnastics, figure skating etc. and a universal approach of requiring infinite flexibility in all athletes is not warranted. Research Box Dynamic versus Static Stretching Warm-up: The Effect on Power and Agility Performance. Mc Millian et al. 2006 (vol20, 3, 492-499). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 30 subjects participated in a study to determine the effects of a dynamic warm-up (DWU), a static stretch warm-up (SWU), or no warm-up (NWU) on a T-shuttle agility test, an underhand medicine ball throw, and a 5-step jump. Testing took place over three consecutive days and the order of all tests and warm-ups was randomized. Each warm-up lasted for 10 minutes. The DWU comprised a series of exercise such as bend and reach, push-ups, squats, and skipping. The SWU comprised of exercises such as the overhead pull, quadriceps stretch, trunk flexion and extension. All stretches were performed once and held for 20-30 seconds. The NWU group did no exercises. Results showed significantly greater performances for all tests following a DWU. The performances did not differ between the SWU and NWU. The authors conclude that the use of SWU should be reassessed when preceding athletic performance. Measurement of Flexibility Several basic flexibility tests exist such as sit and reach for hamstrings and low back and shoulder rotation test for shoulders. Since flexibility varies between joints, comprehensive flexibility assessment would have to assess many joints. This is not really possible and so one typically selects a few major joints and muscles such as low back and hamstrings, calf and Achilles, and shoulders. Simple tests for these assessments as well as more detailed laboratory practices are described at the end of the chapter. Any measurement of flexibility should be based on sound and accepted testing procedures. For the most part static flexibility tests are the most widely used and these are based on linear and angular measurements of the motion of the joint. All flexibility assessments should follow a standardized procedure whereby warm-up, and practice trials are all controlled. Summary After you read this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Define flexibility and other relevant terms related to flexibility Flexibility is basically the range of motion around a joint. It is influenced by many factors. Flexibility is an important for overall health. It is important for basic daily function and comfort. Flexibility varies between joints within individuals and between individuals. List the factors affecting flexibility Factors that influence flexibility are numerous and varied and can be classified as intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic factors include variables such as the tendon and muscle, whereas extrinsic factors include variables such as age, gender and activity levels. Explain the techniques for improving and measuring flexibility. There are many ways to stretch and improve flexibility. The most commonly prescribed method is static stretching for 10-30 seconds per muscle group. Including safe and full ROM exercises into our daily routine is an excellent way to improve and preserve flexibility. Flexibility should be measured at multiple sites and can be assessed using basic goniometry or a more simple test such as a sit and reach teat. Summary Flexibility is an important component in overall health and generally declines with age. There are many benefits including reduced risk of low back pain and increased functional range of motion. Flexibility varies between people and is affected by many variables. These factors are usually classified as intrinsic or extrinsic. When we stretch we are usually trying to change intrinsic factors. Flexibility usually takes two forms, static and dynamic, and we can stretch a muscle using either form. Most exercise prescription for flexibility advocates static stretching and involves holding a stretch for 10-30 seconds per muscle group. When we stretch or measure flexibility, it should be performed at multiple sites as flexibility tends to be site specific. The major joints to consider are the lower back, shoulders, and hamstrings. Chapter Review Flexibility Discussion Questions Identify and describe 5 extrinsic factors that are known to influence flexibility! What are the best approaches to improve flexibility? What are the various musculoskeletal components that provide regulatory feedback to muscle stretch? Can you differentiate between the roles of golgi tendon organs and muscle spindles? Provide a short description for each of the following terms: Sarcomeres in series. Stretch reflex. Lengthening reaction. Proprioceptors. Autogenic inhibition. Reciprocal inhibition.

Questions on analysing red bulls marketing strategies

Questions on analysing red bulls marketing strategies Red Bull is a highly successful branding story. The brand came to India in 2003. Although the brand has been keeping a low profile compared to the Cola majors , Red Bull has created a category of energy drinks in the Indian market. According to Economic Times ( 30.05.08) the energy drink market in India is estimated to be around 100 crore. The market now has two main players Red Bull and Power Horse. Energy Drinks are not much popular in India or it can be said that this product is used mostly by sport persons hence a niche. So far the use of these kind of drinks has not percolated to the mass market.. The energy drink broadly comes under the category of functional drinks which is a bigger market estimated to be around Rs 543 crores. Q1. Argue for the most relevant segment criteria to be used in the international market selection process? Red bull has consistently worked on growing international sales. Red bull has a well developed network of local subsidiaries set up in key markets to oversee distribution in any given region. Instead of targeting largest distributors with greatest reach, red bull targets small distributors who often become exclusively red bull distributors. Small independent venues are also the first targets. Red Bull does not use traditional market the local subsidiaries are responsible for local marketing content such as oral marketing, bill boards and radio. Q2.Which changes would you suggest for red bulls future global marketing mix in order to make future challenges? Have an ability to gain new customers and retain current customer loyalty: With Red Bulls target market currently aimed at the Generation Ys (15 30 year olds) there is the question of whether this generation will continue to drink Red Bull as they grow older.  And will the next upcoming generation accept this product as their own. They should segment the market in two difeernt ways, one relating to the youth. Second to the older generation Have Health and Social Implications: Due to growing pressure on organisations in society, Red Bull now promotes their product with current societal and health issues in mind. Childhood obesity and type 2-onset diabetes has become a major issue across western developed nations. By introducing sugar free Red Bull will open up a new opportunity to the health conscious and diabetics. Managing this issue will be a constant process and Red Bull must be seen to be adjusting their product to suit society. By not having only one product: One particular issue Red Bull has to consider is their limited product range. Unlike their major competitors such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, who have various different products in different beverage classes (water, soft drinks, electrolytes) Red Bull does not. Only having one product can be a positive however, for example Red Bull can concentrate 100% effort on their product while not being distracted by other influences, however the downside is that should the market share of that product decrease in the future, Red Bull has no back up product to cover the loss. Q3.How will you categorize red bulls oral global marketing strategy? Red Bull globally is known for buzz marketing. It is a brand which has built its equity through careful below the line marketing. During the initial launch time, Red Bull used to invest heavily in buzz marketing . Some of the famous marketing strategy adopted by Red Bull is given below : Student Brand Managers : The brand tried to reach the trend setters and opinion leaders by appointing ( informal agreement ) student brand managers across campuses. These members were given free Red Bull cans and was encouraged to organize parties for other youngsters. Identify Hot Spots : The brand identified hot spots where the majority of consumers /opinion leaders gather. This could be a bar or a party area. Once these hotspots are identified, the brand campaigns in that spot. Red Bull has the famous slogan Red Bull gives you wiings . The ads are revolving round this theme of the brand giving a high. One fact is that Red Bull need not do much of a product advertisements because the brand was confident that once the customer tries the product, he will start understanding the benefits of this product. Q4.Red bulls is available in large cities in India across supermarkets, restaurants and bars. Evaluate for opportunities for market expansion in India? In India which is a market which is characterized by heavy duty advertisements, high profile celebrity endorsements and mouth watering sales promotions, Red Bull has managed to take the different route. Since the launch the brand has managed to dominate the Indian market with more than 60 % market share . The popularity of Red Bull has prompted many cola majors to launch their energy drinks brand in India. There are news reports of Coca Cola and Pepsi bringing their global brands in this category into the Indian market. Despite the success of Red Bull and Power Horse, there are stumbling blocks in the development of this category . The main issue is regarding the perception of consumers towards this category. Energy drinks are usually viewed this type of drinks with suspicion. Frankly speaking they have an attached perception that this energy drinks are associated with alcohol ( it was a perception). I was surprised to find that these products are targeted towards youth.And these products are more found in pubs and bars which further reinforced the perception that these drinks have parity with products like beer.India, the culture is different. The consumption of these beverages are not considered a part of social living. There are restrictions in consumption and availability of these beverages. Red Bull is marketed heavily through pubs and bars across the western markets. But in India , Red Bull should keep away from associating itself with these kind of beverages. Because such an association will repel many customers especially ladies. Having said that, this category also offers excellent growth potential also provided the brand rationalizes the price. The price of energy drinks vary between Rs70-95 per can which can restrict the frequency of purchase of this product.  

Nuclear Weapons Essay -- Threats To World Peace

Nuclear Weapons A Nuclear weapon is any weapon that gets its destructive power from the transformation of matter in atoms into energy. They include missiles, bombs, artillery shells, mines and torpedoes. Another name for nuclear weapons are Atomic bombs or Hydrogen bombs. The United States was the first country to ever use a Nuclear weapon in battle against Japan. The major arguments for a test ban was first proposed in the 1950Õs. Today, however, the stopping of radioactive fallout and the superpower arms race are still in negotiation. Nations have sought to limit the testing of nuclear weapons to protect people and the environment from nuclear radiation and to slow the development of nuclear weapons. In 1963, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States negotiated the first test limitation treaty, the Limited Test Ban Treaty. The TreatyÕs signers agreed not to test nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, in outer space, or underwater. The only testing that was allowed was underground testing. Attempts to control the number of nuclear weapons in the world began about 1970. The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks(SALT) was a convention held by the United States and the Soviet Union to limit the numbers in nuclear weapons. In 1982, the United States and the Soviet Union began the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks(START). Unlike the SALT talks, these were aimed at the number of nuclear weapons each country could obtain. Then there was another treaty signed in 1987 which was called the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces(INF). This treaty called for the dismantling of ground-launched nuclear missiles. A major obstacle to controlling nuclear weapons has been a lack of trust between the two principal powers; the United States and the Soviet Union. The relationship has improved though in the late 1980Õs after President Gorbachev introduced the principles of glasnost and perestroika to the Soviet Political System. In 1989 and 1990, democratic reforms spread spread across Eastern Europe. These reforms have greatly reduced tensions. The country of China still wants to test their nuclear explosions for mining and for some construction. For two years China has successfully held up the 38-na... ...s are considered necessary. In conclusion, Nuclear Weapons arenÕt safe for any country no matter their stability amongst others. Testing Nuclear weapons destroys the well being of our Earth. So many treaties have been passed but it still seems that the likes of a Nuclear war is still stagable. The United States has the most known nuclear tests having a record of 1,030 tests. The closest country next to us is Russia with 715 tests. As you can clearly see it will take a lot more than treaties to negotiate. LetÕs just hope this will all end before that ozone layer breaks down on us!!!! BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Budanski, Stephen. "Ban the bomb? Not quite." U.S. News and World Report 17 June 1996: 30 2. Cohen, James. Nuclear arms. Pittsburgh 1979. 3. Mitchell, Alison. "Clinton and Yeltsin Accentuate the positive at Summit Meeting." Newsweek 22 May 1990 A7 Column 1 4. Von Hippel, Frank. "Bombs Away." Discover April 1992: 32-35 5. Zimmerman, Tim. "Nuclear Fiction." U.S. News and World Report 24 August 1996: 20

The summary of The Fall of the House of Usher :: essays research papers

The Narrator had received a letter from a boyhood acquaintance, Roderick Usher, begging that he come to him "posthaste." Usher had written to explain that he was suffering from a terrible mental and bodily illness, and longed for the companionship of "his only personal friend." The plea seemed so heartfelt that the Narrator immediately set out for the Usher ancestral home. Approaching the ivy-covered, decaying old house, the Narrator was struck b y an overwhelming sense of gloom which seemed to envelop the estate. The very sight of the manor caused within him "an illness, a sickening of the heart, an unredeemed dreariness." But even though the"eye-like" windows of the mansion seemed to be staring at him, he managed to swallow his fear and continue in his carriage up the path to the door. As he rode, he tried to recall Roderick Usher as he had once known him; years had passed since they had last met. He remembered his old friend as an extremely reserved fellow, quite handsome but possessing an eerie, morbid demeanor. Roderick's family was noted for its particular musical genius - and for the fact that no new branch of the family had ever been generated. For centuries, the title of the estate had passed directly from father to son, so that the term "House of Usher" had come to refer both to the family and to the mansion. Sad ly, though, Roderick was the last surviving male issue of the Usher clan. Finally, the carriage crossed over the creaking moat bridge to the door, and a servant admitted the Narrator. He was led through intricate passageways and past hung armored trophies to Roderick Usher's inner chamber, a sorrowful room where sunlight had never entered. Usher himself looked equally shut in, almost terrifying: pallid skin like that of a corpse, lustrous eyes, and long hair that seemed to float about his head. Moreover, he was plagued by a kind of sullen, intense, nervous agitation, similar to that of a drug-addict experiencing withdrawal. The list of his complaints was dismaying: He suffered much from a morbid acuteness of the senses; the most insipid food was alone endurable; he could wear only garments of a certain texture; the odors of all flowers were oppressive; his eyes were tortured even by faint light; and there were but peculiar sounds, and these from stringed instruments, which did not inspire him with horror.