Keats And Longfellow Analysis Essay Example

Keats And Longfellow Analysis Paper When I Have Fears and Mezzo Caiman by John Keats and Henry Headwords Longfellow respectively, have similar themes such as the inevitability of death and the fear of living unfulfilled and inadequate lives. John Keats fears that he will live a life of inadequacy and fail to accomplish all of his dreams, but he understands that his goals are miniscule in the larger scope of life. Conversely, Longfellow maintains a morbid view of death and of the future itself, while Keats is more captivated by the human experience and despite his uncertainty about the future, feels that living is far more important than reaching his personal goals. The poems possess some commonalities, specifically in the beginning, where both complain about the temporary nature of life. Longfellow Half of my life is gone directly coordinates with Keats When I have fears that may cease to be. Both men fear that they will die before theyre able to accomplish their respective goals. Keats specifically fears that he will die Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, before he can get all of his thoughts onto paper and leave his mark on the world in a literary manner. Longfellow possesses a similar fear specifically that he has not fulfilled the aspiration of [his] youth and failed to build a tower of song with lofty parapet. Both men hope to leave some sort of lasting legacy on history but both understand that death is an inevitable fact of life and that time is running out for them to accomplish their goals. Neither man has accomplished all of his goals in life, whether it be Keats literary aspirations, or Longfellow wish to build a tower of song. However, both fear that the ultimate end will come too soon and put an end to their dreams. We will write a custom essay sample on Keats And Longfellow Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Keats And Longfellow Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Keats And Longfellow Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Despite both men fearing that death will come too soon for them, the apparent differences in their situations arise towards the middle of the poem. Specifically their experiences and views of love are expressly different. Longfellow has experienced times of passion and pleasure, but complains that the subsequent sorrow and care that it disabled him in the pursuit of his goals. Longfellow experiences of a love lost caused him great pain that slowed his progress towards his goals and ultimately adversely affected his life. However, Keats takes a different tone towards love. He views love as a beautiful and mysterious endeavor that he wishes to experience before his life ends. He feels that true love occurs With the magic hand of chance and finds it regrettable that he in unable to find true love. He thinks that his keen awareness of death will prevent him from being able to trace the huge cloudy symbols of high romance or prevent him from ever experiencing true love at all. Longfellow fear of death as well as his experiences in love keep him from completely accomplishing his goals, while Keats has lived an interesting and fulfilling life that he does not want to end, hence his fear of death. The end of the poems both show the conflicting attitudes towards life and death by using situations where the men can reflect on their lives and life in general. Both men walk to the edge of a geographical feature, Keats a shore, and Longfellow a hill overlooking a city. Keats looks forward to the future during his time resting on the shore and realizes that life is a grand endeavor, and a wide world exists outside the confines of his life. He realizes that his oils are unimportant on this grand scale and seems to find peace in this fact. Longfellow on the other hand, sees nothing but a vast city that symbolizes his past, and a cataract of Death thundering from the heights. Longfellow cannot move on from his past and henceforth cannot see any future for him at all, and will never achieve his aspirations. Keats on the other hand, realizes that he still has opportunity in his life and finds peace in the fact that he is still alive to achieve his goals, despite the realization that theyre not as significant as he once thought.

Neoclassical Literary Period Essays

Neoclassical Literary Period Essays Neoclassical Literary Period Essay Neoclassical Literary Period Essay Essay Topic: Candide Classical Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Neoclassical Literary Period The neoclassicism period may be viewed in three instances, each happening at a certain period, and these periods include the Augustan age, the enlightenment, and the age of Johnson. Poetry during Augustan age depended on the knowledge of the poet. Poets controlled their imagination, and they did not express their fantasies in their work. During the period, poets presented men as the master of all things and were at the top of all world creatures (Zgorzelski 7). Basho’s poem illustrates his journeys to different places. His ability to visit wherever he places and to survive the dangerous journey illustrates his dominion over nature. He presents man as a person who is capable of doing anything he wills. The neoclassical writers got their inspiration from classical literature, especially the Greek and Roman literature. The dependence on classic literature contributed to the conservative nature of the writers. Writers during this period believed that passion and emotions were not as powerful as the representation of social needs. They believed in the use of reason and establishment of rules. The belief in rules followed their conviction that there has to be some order in the universe (Golban 2). This followed their belief that writing was not a means of individual expression, but was rather for public purposes. Writing in the neoclassicism period was distinct from that of other periods. The authors wrote in a clearly ordered and unified way as they sought to create harmony. Harmony in writing was important as it signified sequence and a process of the way things should have been. This was important to the authors because it signified their preference for the literature of the classic period. Basho presents this sequence and order in his poem as he tells of his travels from one region of Japan to the other. This unity is reflected in Moliere’s Tartuffe, where he displayed the unity of space, time and action. All the events during the play happen in a day, and they all happen in a single location. The play has no subplots, thus creating unity of action. Voltaire describes the events in Candide’s life, beginning from his time in the baroness’s house to when he marries Cunegonde. The reader is able to follow all the details and events of his life. Order is a valued personal and societal commodity. Things are bound to go wrong and out of harmony when there is no order. Candide would not have experienced the suffering he endured, had he realized and accepted his place in society. The neoclassical authors valued their traditions, and this made them critical of any radical changes. Social hierarchy was essential, and the authors believed that people should accept their position in the society. In Candide, Voltaire showed how people would rather continue suffering when trying to maintain their social hierarchies. Although Cunegonde and her brother are no longer rich, they continue to act as though they belong to a higher social hierarchy, and they continue treating Candide as a low class member, although he is better and in a more privileged position than they are. This showed people’s willingness to maintain their traditions. Moliere shows some form of societal hierarchy through Dorine. Dorine reasons that it would not be wise for Tartuffe to marry Mariane, considering he does not have any money or property of his own. Orgon then makes a drastic decision regarding his wealth, and he decides that Tartuffe should have part of his wealth. Writers during this period believed people should develop goals that were realistic and should have a realistic perspective of life. Basho presents this same reality in his work, The Narrow Road to the Interior. He writes with a directness that enables the readers to form a direct connection of his subjects. Dorine, Orgon’s servant, is a representation of reality in Tartuffe. She has a clear perspective of all the things that are happening in the house. She is the first person to see Tartuffe’s hypocrisy, and she tries to warn her master about him. She admonishes Mariane for failing to oppose his decision concerning her intended marriage to Tartuffe. Dorine paints a clear and realistic picture of what marriage to Tartuffe would be like. Literature during this time showed an increasing use of logic while it did not condone superstition, since it did not present reality. Instead, there was an emphasis on scientific discovery and rational thought. The literature showed the people’s beliefs in the use of logic as a way of advancing knowledge and transforming and improving their society. The people applied their reason even in religion, and there was less emphasis on revelation as far as religion was concerned. Thus, although the people were to a certain extent religious, they did not tend to believe in the supernatural, and many of them saw religious beliefs and practices as a way of life. Moliere shows this in Tartuffe, where Tartuffe suggests that even though adultery is against God’s will, there is a way that they can receive God’s grace even if they enjoyed their pleasures. By pretending to be a holy man, and proposing adultery, Tartuffe is no longer afraid of God or the religious consequences h e would face. He reasoned that people were no longer bound to religion, as they were in previous years. The fear of religion kept some people from openly engaging in sin, but Tartuffe did not seem to care about this. People believed that they could discover all things and understand everything through reason. Although Candide is an optimist who believes in God, he suffers great misfortunes, and this leads him to reason and conclude that God is not as compassionate as he had previously thought. Voltaire uses different misfortunes throughout the novel to show that contrary to the optimist beliefs at the time, God does not create the best of all possible worlds (Hersberger 2). Basho does not separate religion from his life in his poetry. Religion is not some extraordinary phenomena to him, and it is part of his daily life experience. He exercises his religious beliefs and practices as he goes on with his life. Voltaire shows the importance of reason by showing the absurdity of Pangloss’ beliefs. Pangloss has strange explanations for all the things that are happening. He, at one time, suggests that it was necessary for syphilis to come to Europe so that the Europeans would enjoy the benefits a nd joys of chocolate. At another time, he tells Candide not to save Jacques from drowning because the bay of Lisbon exists for that very purpose. Such beliefs show a lack of reasoning, and they end up leaving them in trouble. Candide only has a realistic and practical perspective of issues once he rejects the philosophies passed on to him by Pangloss. The use of satire was prevalent during this time as the authors used it to ridicule those who did not behave according to the societal expectations of them. The writers used satire as a way of controlling passions, as they urged people to restrain themselves. The use of satire was to illustrate an opposition to tradition and to reason. True to the character of neoclassicism, the authors believed in representing the truth as it has always been, and many of them found satire a good way of doing so. Moliere satirizes the character of Orgon, who despite being wealthy, is foolish enough to believe Tartuffe’s ideas and he even makes him heir to his property. He gives almost everything he owns, including his daughter, and even that which he does not own, such as the secret documents to Tartuffe. Dorine shows the extent to which Tartuffe has managed to blind Orgon, such that Orgon is no longer concerned about his wife. Instead, he seems to be more concerned about Tartuffe who is doing well in his house, instead of the reports he is getting of his sick wife. Orgon does not seem to have any words to describe Tartuffe, other than the fact that he is a religious man. Satire is evident in Voltaire’s work, Candide. He uses humor to criticize the government, society, and religion. Voltaire also satirizes the human philosophy, which encourages people to have an optimistic view of all things. Once seen as the wisest of all philosophers, different events happen, which lead Candide to dispel this notion concerning Pangloss. Voltaire describes some of Pangloss beliefs, which makes one question the wisdom of his thinking. The society is crucial to the writers, and this is especially characterized in the neoclassical period. The writers regarded themselves as part of the society, and this meant exposing the ills in the society. They are concerned with whatever is happening to people. They are especially concerned with the actions of those in power, especially the government and the church, which at this time had significant influence in people’s lives. They are also concerned with people’s actions, and individuals’ contribution to the degrading of the society through their actions. They showed how the society could sometimes portray varying degrees of corruption and foolishness. Moliere did that when he exposed the religious hypocrisy and people’s willingness to believe anyone who said he was religious. Tartuffe represents the people in society who are willing to do anything for the sake of wealth, and who have no shame in their actions. Voltaire exposes religious hypocrisy throughout the novel. He writes about the daughter of a pope. This is an unusual occurrence, considering that the pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and all priests are celibate. He also writes about different individuals, such as the Franciscan friar, whose greed for wealth has led to him becoming a jewel thief and another who sleeps with a prostitute. Ordinarily, this would not raise as much objection and speculation, but in this case, such an act shows a high level of hypocrisy because the members belonging to the Franciscan order have to take a vow of poverty. Candied and Pangloss suffer under the hands of religious leaders. They are persecuted, yet they have not done anything wrong. The neoclassical literary period was an interesting period because it was a mixture of the old and the new. Writers during this period used the classical writers as their models. They were conservative in their writing in the sense that they wanted to maintain the social order and hierarchy in the system, and they were critical of radical change. At the same time, they exposed the ills that plagued the society. The writers used satire in their writing, and this enabled them to address serious concerns. Society was crucial to them, and they addressed different issues that the people faced. The writers used logic and reason, and they were more realistic, hence they avoided writing about fantasy and superstition. They exposed religious hypocrisy in different forms, and they exposed the weaknesses of the government. Golban, Petru. Transitional Phenomena in the 18th Century English Literature. http://sbe.dumlupinar.edu.tr/13/187-194.pdf Hersberger, Eli. Candide and Religion. October 2005. Web. June 21, 2013. http://users.manchester.edu/Student/EJHersberger/MyPage2/Candide.pdf Pearson, Roger. Voltaire Candide and other Stories. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. http://m.friendfeed-media.com/0d4ce81817b2c41244d8445631e8f04c7e3a8d23 Tokareva, Galina. Ways to Express the Moment of Enlightenment (satori) in Classical Japanese Hokku Poetry. http://aitmatov-academy.org.uk/references/doc/conference_2013_web.pdf#page=26 Zgorzelski, A. Sinko. General View of Neoclassicism. The Augustan Age (1700-1740). http://anglistika.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/british-literature-augustan-age-pre-romanticism.pdf

Biography of Aristotle Onassis

Biography of Aristotle Onassis Aristotle Onassis was a Greek shipping magnate and a wealthy international celebrity. His fame increased enormously in October 1968 when he married Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The marriage sent shockwaves through American culture. Onassis and his new wife, dubbed Jackie O by the tabloid press, became familiar figures in the news. Fast Facts: Aristotle Onassis Nickname: The Golden GreekOccupation: Shipping magnateKnown For: His marriage to former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and his ownership of the largest privately-owned shipping fleet in the world (which made him one of the richest men in the world).Born: January 15, 1906 in Smyrna (present day Izmir), TurkeyDied: March 15, 1975 in Paris, France.Parents: Socrates Onassis, Penelope DologouEducation: Evangelical School of Smyrna (high school); no college educationSpouse(s): Athina Livanos, Jacqueline KennedyChildren: Alexander Onassis, Christina Onassis Early Life Aristotle Onassis was born January 15, 1906 in Smyrna, a port in Turkey that had a substantial Greek population. His father, Socrates Onassis, was a prosperous tobacco merchant. Young Aristotle was not a good student, and in his early teens he left school and began working in his fathers office. In 1919, Greek forces invaded and occupied Smyrna. The Onassis family fortunes suffered greatly when Turkish forces invaded in 1922, taking back the town and persecuting Greek residents. Onassiss father was jailed, accused of conspiring with the Greeks who had occupied the region. Aristotle managed to help other family members to escape to Greece, smuggling the familys funds by taping money to his body. His father was released from prison and rejoined the family in Greece. Tensions in the family drove Aristotle away, and he sailed to Argentina. Early Career in Argentina With savings equivalent to $250, Onassis arrived in Buenos Aires and began working at a series of menial jobs. At one point, he landed a job as a telephone operator, and he spent his night shifts improving his English by listening in on calls to New York and London. According to legend, he also overheard information about business deals which enabled him to make timely investments. He began to appreciate that information obtained at the right time could have enormous value. After repairing his relationship with his father, Onassis partnered with him to import tobacco into Argentina. He was soon very successful, and by the early 1930s he was prominent in the Greek expatriate business community in Buenos Aires. The Golden Greek Becomes a Shipping Magnate Seeking to move beyond being an importer, Onassis began to learn about the shipping business. While on a visit to London during the Great Depression, he obtained potentially valuable information: rumors that Canadian freighters were being sold by a troubled shipping company. Onassis bought six of the ships for $20,000 each. His new company, Olympic Maritime, began moving goods across the Atlantic and prospered in the late 1930s. The outbreak of World War II threatened to destroy Onassis growing business. Some of his ships were seized in ports in Europe. Yet Onassis, after safely sailing from London to New York, managed to negotiate to get his fleet back under his control. For most of the war, Onassis leased ships to the U.S. government, which used them to transport vast quantities of war supplies around the globe. When the war ended, Onassis was set up for success. He purchased more ships cheaply as war surplus, and his shipping business grew quickly. At the end of 1946, Onassis married Athina Tina Livanos, with whom he had two children. Tina Livanos was the daughter of Stavors Livanos, another wealthy Greek shipping magnate. Onassis marriage into the Livanos family increased his influence in the business at a critical time. In the postwar era, Onassis assembled one of the largest merchant fleets in the world. He built massive oil tankers which roamed the oceans. He encountered legal problems with the U.S. government over the registration of his vessels, as well as over a controversy about his visa paperwork (which was rooted in conflicting information about his declared birthplace when he had first emigrated to Argentina). Onassis eventually settled his legal problems (at one point paying a $7 million settlement) and by the mid-1950s his business success had earned him the nickname The Golden Greek. Marriage to Jackie Kennedy Onassis marriage to Tina Livano came apart in the 1950s when Onassis began an affair with opera star Maria Callas. They divorced in 1960. Soon after, Onassis became friendly with Jacqueline Kennedy, whom he met through her socialite sister Lee Radziwill. In 1963, Onassis invited Mrs. Kennedy and her sister for a cruise in the Aegean Sea aboard his lavish yacht, the Christina. Onassis remained friends with Jacqueline Kennedy following the death of her husband, and began courting her at some point. Rumors swirled about their relationship, yet it was startling when, on October 18, 1968, the New York Times published the front-page headline, Mrs. John F. Kennedy to Wed Onassis. Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a limousine. Getty Images Mrs. Kennedy and her two children flew to Greece and she and Onassis were married on his private island, Skorpios, on Sunday, October 20, 1968. The marriage became something of a scandal in the American press because Mrs. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic, was marrying a divorced man. The controversy faded a bit within days when the Catholic archbishop of Boston defended the marriage on the front page of the New York Times. The Onassis marriage was an object of enormous fascination. Paparazzi trailed them wherever they traveled, and speculation about their marriage was standard fare in gossip columns. The Onassis marriage helped define an era of jet-setting celebrity lifestyle, complete with yachts, private islands, and travel between New York, Paris, and the isle of Skorpios. Later Years and Death In 1973, Onassis son Alexander died tragically in a plane crash. The loss devastated Onassis. He had anticipated his son taking over his business empire. After his sons death, he seemed to lose interest in his work, and his health began to fail. In 1974, he was diagnosed with a debilitating muscular disease. He died on March 15, 1975, after being hospitalized in Paris. When Onassis died in 1975, at the age of 69, the press estimated his wealth at $500 million. He was one of the richest men in the world. Legacy Onassis rise to the pinnacle of fame and wealth was unlikely. He was born to a merchant family that lost everything in the aftermath of World War I. After relocating from Greece to Argentina as a virtual refugee, Onassis managed to enter the tobacco importing business and by the age of 25 had become a millionaire. Onassis eventually branched out into owning ships, and his business sense led him to revolutionize the shipping business. As his wealth increased, he also became known for dating beautiful women, ranging from Hollywood actresses in the 1940s to the famed opera soprano Maria Callas in the late 1950s. Today, he is perhaps most well-known for his marriage to Jackie Kennedy. Sources Onassis, Aristotle. Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by Andrea Henderson, 2nd ed., vol. 24, Gale, 2005, pp. 286-288. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Passty, Benjamin. Onassis, Aristotle 1906–1975. History of World Trade Since 1450, edited by John J. McCusker, vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, p. 543. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Research - Assignment Example Research findings, clinical knowledge, knowledge resulting from basic science as well as opinion from expert are all regarded as â€Å"evidence† (Drake and Goldman 32). Practices that are based on research findings, however, have high chances of resulting into outcomes that match the desires of patients across different settings as well as geographic locations. The challenge for evidence based practice is caused by the pressure from health care facility due to containment of cost, larger availability of information, greater sway of consumer regarding care and treatment options. This kind of practice demands some changes in students’ education, more research which is practice-relevant, and a working relationship between researchers and clinicians (Drake and Goldman 38). Evidence-based form of practice also brings an opportunity for nursing care to be more effective, more individualized, dynamic, streamlined and opportunities to maximize clinical judgment effects. When there is reliance on evidence in defining best practices but not for supporting practices that exist, then nursing care is said to be keeping pace with recent technological changes and benefits from developments of new knowledge (Drake and Goldman 49). Although many young professionals have embraced this new approach, it has come with its challenges. A number of researc h studies have indicated that perception of nurses towards EBP is positive and they regard it useful to better care of patients. This research will critically analyze the barriers towards full acceptance of EBP. This will be a descriptive research design. Qualitative research does not, by definition, aim to precisely estimate population parameters or test hypotheses. However, most qualitative projects do attempt. This design was identified as the most convenient and ensured that the data obtained gave answers to the research questions. Descriptive design also offers the opportunity for a logical structure of the inquiry into

BUS DB4 opening of a presentation is crucial Essay

BUS DB4 opening of a presentation is crucial - Essay Example Objectives should be established from the start.Bring out your personality in the presentation. Make it your own, do not imitate others. When you believe in a topic or concept it is easier to present and also to live by. Maintaining a good balance and keep it interactive will get your opening message across effectively. AIDS presentation: opening was not effective and why Non effective way of opening and presentation: 1. The audience is seated and waiting as the speaker comes rushing in a total frenzy. 2. Does not apologies for being late. 3. Takes at least 10 minutes to get organized. 4. After introducing himself he says "Today you are going to learn all you need to know to protect yourself against HIV infection" a. For the first 15 minutes he waffled on and on, giving statistics and showing overheads about the distribution of the spread of HIV. 5. Then in a "goofy" voice said that condoms should be burned as it just promotes promiscuity. 6. Upon closing he opened the floor for questions, but only answered 4 questions and then said "OK that is it; I hope you all have an HIV free life. Remember true love waits!!" Reasons why Opening and Presentation was ineffective 1. Not prepared 2. Had not done research as to who his audience was going to be relevant to them. 3. Had no idea on how to address teenagers. 4. Had no interaction with the audience. 5. His Opening was only Statistics. 6. He gave information that was totally misleading. 7. There was minimal room for questions. 8. It was more a one-sided opinionated sermon Reference(s) Mary Munter, COPYRIGHT 1998 Meeting Technology: From Low-Tech to High-Tech. Contributors: - author....For example, an Aids presentation to a group of Teenagers, it is essential to touch on basic topics such as self-esteem, peer pressure, social myths, etc. Beginning immediately with statistics and charts you will immediately lose their attention. This can be observed in their body language, i.e. fidgeting, drawing, no eye contact, etc. If you open the presentation with an introduction, statement, story or an interactive game, you will retain the audience throughout the presentation. An interactive game can be used to demonstrate how the HIV virus is spreads instead of just verbally giving facts. High-Tech. Contributors: - author. Journal Title: Business Communication Quarterly. Volume: 61. Issue: 2. Publication Year: 1998. Page Number: 80+. COPYRIGHT 1998 Association for Business Communication; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

British Government Essay Example for Free

British Government Essay Evaluate different methods of estimating the current extinction rate. Do you think that humans will induce a mass extinction on the same scale as the Big Five? Introduction: There is consensus in the scientific community that the current massive degradation of habitat and extinction of many of the Earths biota is unprecedented and is taking place on a catastrophically short timescale. Based on extinction rates estimated to be thousands of times the background rate, figures approaching 30% extermination of all species by the mid 21st century are not unrealistic, an event comparable to some of the catastrophic mass extinction events of the past. The current rate of rainforest destruction poses a profound threat to species diversity. Likewise, the degradation of the marine ecosystems is directly evident through the denudation of species that were once dominant and integral to such ecosystems. Indeed, this colloquium is framed by a view that if the current global extinction event is of the magnitude that seems to be well indicated by the data at hand, then its effects will fundamentally reset the future evolution of the planets biota. Robert Whittaker recognized an additional kingdom for the Fungi. The resulting five-kingdom system, proposed in 1969, has become a popular standard and with some refinement is still used in many works, or forms the basis for newer multi-kingdom systems. It is based mainly on differences in nutrition: his Plantae were mostly multicellular autotrophs, his Animalia multicellular, heterotrophs and his Fungi multicellular saprotrophs. The remaining two kingdoms, Protista and Monera, included unicellular and simple cellular colonies. Extinction rates in the fossil records: The time at which an organism is classified as becoming extinct is when the youngest fossil of its form is found. It is likely that there would have been later examples of the organism present, which were simply not preserved. It is known that some genera have existed for long periods around this time without leaving any known fossil record by the phenomena of Lazarus taxa. It is believed that these organisms were simply not preserved during the time they are missing, or preserved in offshore sediments as yet undiscovered. This may also be the case with many other organisms creating the illusion they are becoming extinct before they are in reality. Ecological Evolutionary Factor affecting the past extinction: Many claim that human activity caused a large scale of plants and animals extinction. The others claim that human caused extinctions are on a similar scale to those that occurred 65 million years ago at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary eras when most species perished including the dinosaurs. This causes two distinct worries: (1) The loss of species will harm humans (2) Quite apart from any harm to humans; there is a duty to prevent ecocide. According to Peter Raven (National Academy of Science) â€Å"We are confronting an episode of species extinction greater than anything the world has experienced for the past 65 million years. Of all the global problems that confront us, this is the one that is moving the most rapidly and the one that will have the most serious consequences. And, unlike other global ecological problems, it is completely irreversible. † Different people evaluate this duty differently. Since the purpose of these pages is establish the sustainability of material progress, Ill take the view that although biodiversity is an important amenity, we are mainly concerned with the extent to which losses of diversity are a threat to human progress. One interesting fact in the article concerns the effect of an increase in temperature on the north-south range of a plant species, especially of trees. It turns out that the northern limit of a species is determined by temperature. As that limit is approached the rate of growth goes to zero. However, the rate of growth of a species does not decline as it approaches the southern limit of its range but remains stable or even increases. What determines a species’ southern boundary is competition from other species that require high temperatures. For this reason the southern boundary of a species is likely to change slowly as its territory is gradually invaded by species liking warm temperature. The invasion is likely to begin in gaps caused by logging and various kinds of die-off. According to Lord Robert May (FRS)-Chief Scientific Adviser to the British Government. â€Å"Hardly a day passes without one being told that tropical deforestation is extinguishing roughly one species every hour, or maybe even one every minute. Such guesstimates are based on approximate species-area relations, along with assessments of current rates of deforestation and guesses at the global total number of species (which range from 5 to 80 million or more. ) While such figures arguably have a purpose in capturing public attention, there is a clear and increasing need for better estimates of impending rates of extinction, based on a keener understanding of extinction rates in the recent and far past, and on the underlying ecological and evolutionary causes. † Scientists who worry about extinctions often agree that the world will reach a new equilibrium as temperature increases assuming it does. However, they worry that the rate of increase of temperature is unprecedented and that species, especially of plants, will migrate northward too slowly and become extinct. Roughly 43 percent of the earth’s terrestrial vegetated surface has diminished capacity to supply benefit to humanity because of the recent, direct impacts of the land use. This represents 10 percent reduction in potential direct instrumental value (PDIV), defined as the potential to yield direct benefits such as agricultural, forestry, industrial and medical products. Capitalizing on the natural recovery mechanisms is urgently needed to prevent further irreversible degradation and to retain the multiple values of productive land. Differences in extinction rates among groups: Estimated Future extinction rates from the species area relations: A better way of studying rates of complete biota extinction levels has been developed with the analysis of isotopic ratios of Carbon. When life is abundant there is almost completely carbon-12 within the geological record. Enzymes within organisms, passing into organic matter faster, more efficiently accept this isotope, which becomes lithified into rock. At times of lowered biotic activity, such as at an extinction event when a lot of life has been killed, the ratio of carbon-13 within the rocks will be higher as a higher proportion of carbon will be being fixed as carbonates inorganically. Inorganic precipitation of carbon does not differentiate between the different isotopes of carbon as life does. By analyses of carbon isotope ratios it is then possible to see, by peaks in the carbon-13, at what times there has been a reduction of biotic activity. This is independent of whether organisms present are being preserved or not, and shows at what rates the extinction is occurring. Estimated future extinction rates from IUCN red Lists: Recent extinction rates are 100 to 1000 times their pre-human levels well known, but taxonomically diverse groups from widely different environments. If all species currently deemed threatened become extinct in the next century, then the future extinction rates will be 10 times recent rates. Although new technology provides details on habitat losses, estimates of future extinctions are hampered by our limited knowledge of which areas are rich in endemics. The 2004 IUCN Red List contains 15,589 species threatened with extinction. The assessment includes species from a broad range of taxonomic groups including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fungi. However, this figure is an underestimate of the total number of threatened species as it is based on an assessment of less than 3% of the world’s 1. 9 million described species. Among major species groups, the percentage of threatened species ranges between 12% and 52%. The IUCN Red List identifies 12% of birds as threatened, 23% of mammals, and 32% of amphibians. Although reptiles have not been completely assessed, the turtles and tortoises are relatively well reviewed with 42% threatened. Fishes are also poorly represented, but roughly a third of sharks, rays and chimaeras have been assessed and 18% of this group is threatened. Regional case studies on freshwater fishes indicate that these species might be more threatened than marine species. For example, 27% of the freshwater species assessed in Eastern Africa were listed as threatened. Of plants, only conifers and cycads have been completely assessed with 25% and 52% threatened respectively. References: Robert M. May, John H. Lawton and Nigel E. Stork. â€Å" Assessing Extinction Rates† â€Å"Extinction Rate Analysis† http://palaeo. gly. bris. ac. uk/Palaeofiles/Permian/rateanalysis. html â€Å"Restoring the value to the worlds degraded Lands† Gretchen C. Daily â€Å"The future of biodiversity â€Å" Stuart L. Pimm, Gareth j. Russell, John L. Gittleman ,Thomas M. Brook â€Å"IUCN Red List of Threatened Species†http://www. iucn. org/themes/ssc/red_list_2004/GSAexecsumm_EN. htm References: IUCN 2001. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3. 1. IUCN Species Survival Commission, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, pp. ii+30. Parr C. S. and Cummings M. P. 2005. Data sharing in ecology and evolution. Trends Ecol. Evol. 20: 362–363. Purvis A. and Rambaut A. 1995. Comparative analysis by independent contrasts (CAIC): an Apple Macintosh application for analysing comparative data. Comput. Appl. Biosci. 11: 247–251. Sherwood, Keith and Craig Idso (2003) â€Å"The Specter of Species Extinction Will Global Warming Decimate Earths Biosphere? † 2003 September John Lawton and Robert May â€Å"BIODIVERSITY AND EXTINCTION RATES† 17-May-2004) www-formal. stanford. edu/jmc/progress/biodiversity. html

Jurassic Park :: essays research papers

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a riveting piece of science fiction. Most of the story takes place on an island off the Pacific side of Costa Rica. A deciduous rain forest inhabits most of the island. An eccentric old man named John Hammond leases the whole island to create a frightening dinosaur amusement park, using real dinosaurs. Within this jungle setting, Michael Crichton’s engrossing, believable characters bring the story to life with quick action, intense dialogue and scientific questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Hammond’s amusement park is dedicated to making live dinosaur specimens available to view to the paying public by genetically splicing prehistoric DNA. To test out his park and prove to investors it is safe and real, he invites two paleontologists, Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, his two grandchildren, Tim and Lex, and a mathematician, Ian Malcolm. While the guests are on a tour of the dinosaurs, a greedy self, obsessed computer programmer named Dennis Nedry shuts the security and power off using a trap door he built into his computer code, in order to steal valuable embryos of the dinosaurs in the park. While trying to flee from the park to deliver the embryos to a competing genetics company, Nedry comes across a few dilophosaurs, who have escaped, because along with security, the electric fences (to harbor the animals) has been shut off. The dilophosaurs leisurely kill Nedry by first spitting him in the eye with poisonous spit to make him blind, and th en devouring him. Meanwhile, the guests are attacked by an escaped tyrannosaur. Throughout the last half of the book, Hammond and his assistants try to re-establish electric power, while Grant and Hammond’s two grandchildren fight and outsmart dinosaurs to make it back to the main headquarters. In the end, Hammond dies from a dinosaur attack, along with seven other island visitors. His employees and guests are taken in to Costa Rican custody. A herd of velociraptors escapes from the island and the Costa Rican government kills the remaining dinosaurs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alan Grant is a very important character for the story. He is a paleontologist that shows three strong good qualities during his journey back to the control room., which are that he is a problem solver, an intelligent person and caring individual. Grant is in his mid-forties. He is an outdoor oriented person, wearing tennis shoes and jeans, even when teaching at universities. One of his qualities is that he is a problem solver.