Homi Jehangir Essay

Homi Jehangir Bhabha, FRS (30 October 1909 – 24 January 1966) was an Indian nuclear physicist who played a major role in the development of the Indian atomic energy program and is considered to be the father of India’s nuclear program. Bhabha was born into a prominent family, through which he was related to Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Homi K Bhabha and Dorab Tata. After receiving his early education at Bombay schools and at the Royal Institute of Science, he attended Caius College ofCambridge University to pursue studies in mechanical engineering. After taking mechanical engineering, he pursued studies underPaul Dirac to complete the Mathematics Tripos. Meanwhile, he worked at the Cavendish Laboratory while working towards his doctorate in theoretical physics under R. H. Fowler. During this time, he embarked on groundbreaking research into the absorption of cosmic rays and electron shower production. Afterward, he published a string of widely-accepted papers on his theories regarding cosmic ray showers. World War II broke out in September 1939 while Bhabha was vacationing in India. He chose to remain in India until the war ended. In the meantime, he accepted a position at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, headed by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman. He established the Cosmic Ray Research Unit at the institute, and began to work on the theory of the movement of point particles. In 1945, he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, and the Atomic Energy Commission of India three Electron-positron scattering was later named Bhabha scattering, in honor of his contributions in the field.In 1936, Bhabha collaborated with Walter Heitler to formulate a theory on cosmic ray showers. They conjectured that the showers were formed by the cascade production of gamma rays and positive and negative electron pairs. The calculations agreed with the experimental observations of cosmic ray showers made by Bruno Rossi and Pierre Victor Auger a few years before. Bhabha later concluded that observations of the properties of such particles would lead to the straightforward experimental verification of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. In 1937, Bhabha was awarded the Senior Studentship of the 1851 Exhibition, which helped him continue his work at Cambridge until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. In 1939, Bhabha went back to India for a brief holiday. In September, World War II broke out, and Bhabha decided not to return to England for the time being. He accepted an offer to serve as the Reader in the Physics Department of the Indian Institute of Science, then headed by renowned physicist C. V. Raman. He received a special research grant from the Sir Dorab Tata Trust, which he used to establish the Cosmic Ray Research Unit at the institute He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 20 March 1941. With the help of J. R. D. Tata, he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay. With the end of the World War II and Indian Independence, he received a commendation from Jawaharlal Nehru for his efforts towards peaceful development of atomic energy. He established the Atomic Energy Commission of India in 1948. Homi J. Bhabha was also a close friend of Jawaharlal Nehru and he, along with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, had played a significant role for developing the Indian nuclear program as well as education reforms in India. Bhaba founded and directed two major scientific institutions – the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)of India[1]. He represented India in International Atomic Energy Forums, and as President of the United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, in Geneva, Switzerland in 1955. Death and legacy He died when Air India Flight 101 crashed near Mont Blanc in January 24, 1966. Many possible theories have been advanced for the aircrash, including a conspiracy theory in which CIA is involved in order to paralyze Indian nuclear weapon programme. The atomic energy centre in Trombay was renamed as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in his honour. In addition to being a famous scientist, Bhabha was also a painter and a classical music and opera enthusiast, besides being an amateur botanist. After his death, the Atomic Energy Establishment was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in his honour. Bhabha also encouraged research in electronics, space science,radio astronomy and microbiology. The famed radio telescope at Ooty, India was his initiative, and it became a reality in 1970. Bhabha has since become known as the â€Å"Father of India’s Atomic Energy Programme†. The Homi Bhabha Fellowship Council has been giving the Homi Bhabha Fellowships since 1967 Other noted institutions in his name are the Homi Bhabha National Institute, an Indian deemed university and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai, India. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian nationalist leader who established his country’s freedom through a nonviolent revolution. His beliefs are shown in today’s society as an excellent means of resistance to unjust rule. The life of the Mahatma was a long struggle filled with brutality and hardships. In order to understand passive resistance, we will take a look at his hate-filled upbringing. Gandhi was born in Porbandar in the present state of Gujarat on October 2, 1869, and educated in law at University College, London. In 1891, after having been admitted to the British bar, Gandhi returned to India and attempted to establish a law practice in Bombay, with little success. Two years later an Indian firm with interests in South Africaretained him as legal adviser in its office in Durban. Arriving in Durban, Gandhi found himself treated as a member of an inferior race. He was appalled at the widespread denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants to South Africa. He threw himself into the struggle for elementary rights for Indians (Gandhi, Arun). Gandhi was disgusted with the way his people were treated. This paper will discuss his religious and spiritual point of view and the environment which c When Mohandas Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, he saw the British ruling India. The British brought some benefits to India but many costs to the Indian people, such as economic. When the British persuaded farmers to switch from growing crops to growing cotton, there was not enough food for the country and millions of people died from lack of food. The increasing taxes and lack of food made many Indians suffer on account of the B ritish. The Eleven Vows of Mahatma Gandhi-Their Observance and Relevance Kurangi Desai Any of us who has attended a prayer meeting at a Gandhian institute is likely to remember a chant beginning:-â€Å"Ahimsa Satya Asteya –.† The two verses beginning with these words enumerate the eleven vows that Gandhiji considered almost mandatory for the inmates of his Ashram, in Sabarmati as well as in Sevagram. The eleven vows are: (1) Satya-Truth, (2) Ahimsa-Nonviolence, (3) Brahmacharya-Celibacy (4) Asteya-Non-stealing, (5) Aparigraha or Asangraha-Non-possession (6) Sharira-Shrama; Physicallabour or Bread Labour. (7) Asvada-Control of Palate, (8) Abhaya-Fearlessness, (9) Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva- Equal respect for all Religions, (10) Swadeshi-Duty towards Neighbour and (11) Asprishyatanivarana – Removal of Untouchability. Of these eleven, the first five are found in most of the religions of the world and are called ‘Pancha Mahavratas’ – the Five great Vows. The remaining six are somewhat new ideas that have been given the importance of vows to fulfill the need of the time. The image of Gandhiji in the minds of his contemporary Indians was that of a political leader – of one who brought Swarajya. Essentially, however, Gandhi was a Sadhaka, one who was in search of God. His ultimate goal was Moksha or the realization of God. Since he believed that service of man was the best way to realize God, he lived and died in the service of India, which in a mircrocosm, was the service of Mankind. That was his pilgrimage towards realization. In this context, the eleven were very important to him. They were a part of ‘Tapa’ Austerity and Self – denial for Purification. Tapa is considered necessary in all religions for elevating oneself spiritually, for control over desires, as a check upon an unruly mind and for paving the way to sacrifice for others – all these leading to Moksha. But Gandhiji was a ‘Sadhaka’ with a difference; his ‘Sadhana’ did not end with himself. He wanted to include society in his spiritual efforts and so he gave a new dimension to the Five Great Vows and extended them into the remaining six. Let us have a closer look at these vows and their observance: 1. Satya -Truth Truth is the most important vow, being the very basis of all the others. The word ‘Satya’ is from ‘Sat’, which means ‘Being’. On ‘Sat’ depends true knowledge, known in Sanskrit as ‘Chit’ and Bliss that is ‘Ananda’. The three together form the word ‘Sachhidananda’ which is one of the epithets of the Supreme Being. According to Gandhiji, Truth is God. Satya, therefore, was the pivot of the life of an Ashramite. Observance of Truth was expected not only in speech but also in thought and in action. One may wonder what one should do if what appears to be truth to one person does not appear to be truth to another. Gandhiji suggests that after due deliberation and humble consideration of the opinion of the other person, if one still feels his own truth to be truth for himself, he should follow it according to his own light. In order to be convinced about one’s ability to understand truth, one s hould use as the measuring rod those who have suffered for Truth and should himself be ready to suffer similarly. 2. Ahimsa – Non-Violence Truth and Non-Violence are like the two sides of a coin – one cannot exist without the other. Using another imagery, Ahimsa is the path along which one reaches truth. Violence leads to more violence and hampers the clear vision which is essential for the pursuit of Truth. At a personal level; Ahimsa consists in not only forbearing from physical violence; in order to achieve non-violence it is necessary to remove from the mind all hatred, all jealousy and all desire to harm even those who harm us. The next step would be to extend our love to all living beings, including living beings like snakes, tigers, etc. At a social level, the goal of Ahimsa is to create a society where there would be no need to act in an anti-social manner and hence no need for any punishment. This can happen only when the economic differences between the classes get considerably narrowed down and when the erring members of society are considered as their own brothers by the righteous. Top 3. Brahmacharya- Celibacy or Chastity Brahmacharya normally connotes a rigid control over sexual urge. An unmarried man who shuns sex is called a Brahmachari. According to Gandhiji, however, this is a very narrow meaning of the word. ‘Brahmacharya’ really means ‘Moving towards, Brahma’ that is, towards truth. For such a person, a control over all senses is necessary. So also, it is necessary to keep himself away from attachment to social connections. In achieving this end, control of sex is perhaps most helpful, because sex is one of the strongest temptations to cause one to stray from the narrow path of truth. Again marital relations are the cause of the strongest social bond, that of the family. Hence the importance attached to the control of sex, which became synonymous with Brahmacharya. Control of sex, can also help the Sadhaka to gain control over his other senses. Gandhiji believed that a celibate life was most congenial for the pilgrim to truth. However, married couples could also tread that path by subtracting sex from their marital life. Such a step would free them from undue attachment for each other and free them for service of mankind. It is obvious that Brahmacharya, like truth and Non-violence, should be adhered to not only at the physical level, but also at the level of thought. To harbour a passion in the mind, while practicing physical control of the senses is not really Brahmacharya. On one point, however, Gandhiji differed radically from the orthodox believers in Brahmacharya – he did not believe that a Brahmachari should shun the company of women. He wanted the Brahmachari of his Ashram to live a life of service to society; so it was inevitable that he would come into contact with women social workers. In Gandhiji’s opinion a Brahmachari should keep his public contact with women workers and learn to look upon them as sisters and mothers. If someone could adhere to Brahmacharya only when there were no women around, according to Gandhiji, he was not a real Brahmachari. While laying all this stress on Brahmacharya, Gandhiji was not unmindful of the difficulty experienced by the Ashramites in its day to day observance.. We are told by persons near to Gandhiji that he was completely aware that a number of the Ashramites were only partially successful in their attempts at Brahmacharya. Since Gandhiji himself never claimed complete success, he was satisfied that the Ashramites sincerely tried their best. 4. Asteya – Non Stealing In an ordinary sense, very few people actually steal anything from others, partly because of the social stigma attached to stealing. Gandhiji, however, gave a far wider connotation to stealing. According to him those members of the family who help them-selves to better facilities depriving the other members, are thieves. Even those who enjoy luxuries not available to the lower strata of society are also thieves. So, a person who wishes to apply Asteya in his life ought to lead such a simple life that he takes for himself from society only his minimum requirements. In the Ashram, one aspect of Asteya, namely avoiding waste, was strictly observed. Nothing was to be wasted-food, water, clothes or even paper. As a matter of fact, Gandhiji would reply to a letter in the blank half; he used to open addressed envelopes on all sides, gum them up inside out and use them again; the idea was something more than mere frugality – he wanted to use as little of the people’s money as p ossible for his own purpose and thus be as little indebted to society as possible. It was on this principle that he did not allow Kasturba the personal use of the gifts she received in South Africa for his public service. 5. Aparigraha – Non-Possession Aparigraha is almost a corollary of Asteya. In order to follow the dictum of non-thieving one must have as few pos-sessions as possible. For Gandhiji, Non-possession was also a proof of one’s faith in God. He used to quote instances of devotees who did not believe in keeping back a little food even for the next meal. Aparigraha also helped one in slowly giving up the attachment towards wordly possessions, an essential condition of a seeker of truth, which every Ashramite was expected to be. And yet Gandhiji realized that giving up possessions was no easy matter. So, for non – Ashramite she propounded the ideal of trusteeship. Possessions, particularly in the form of business assets or land, could not be given up without complications. So he suggested that businessmen and landlords should consider themselves not owners but trustees of their property. A trustee is expected to use the income of the trust solely to the advantage of the beneficiaries. In the case of wealthy people the beneficiaries are all the employees and underlings connected with the wealth. So, all income from the business or the land should be shared-with the employees or tillers of the land. The owner turned trustee should avail himself of the bare minimum, thus narrowing the economic gap between himself and his dependants. The concept of trusteeship can be called a, slightly diluted social extension of both Asteya and Aparigraha. These, then, are the interpretations of Panch Maha Vratas. Let us now turn to the other six vows, which project the social application of these five. Top 6. Sharirashtrama – Physical Labour or Bread Labour Gandhiji got the idea of Bread labour from Tolstoy. The idea is that everyone must put in some physical labour to earn his daily bread. An intellectual or an artist or a person with any other ability should utilize that ability for the service of society, while bread should be earned through physical labour alone. Economic differences in society can be mitigated in this way. Even those professions essential to society-those of a teacher, a doctor, a pleader-the wages of the professional should not be more than those of a physical labourer. Gandhiji modified this idea into the concept of shrama-yagna. He suggested that even those who earned their livelihood through other professions should devote at least one hour every day to some kind of physical labour performed in the spirit of oneness with the poor. At the time when Gandhiji presented this concept to India, cheap foreign cloth was being dumped in the country by the British rulers to the detriment of our indigenous industry. So, Gandhiji revived the art of spinning and decided that spinning the Charkha should be the symbol of Shrama-yagna. The Ashramites were expected to spin for an hour every day without fail. This exercise was called Sutrayagna. Over and above this, he made it a rule that all domestic chores should be performed by the Ashramites themselves, including a reformed method of scavenging – the last out of respect for the ‘Bhangi’, whom he later called ‘Harijan’, the lowest of the low in the Hindu caste system. 7. Asvada – Control of Palate Palate being one of the senses, its control is obviously a part of Sadhana of the pilgrim to Truth. Gandhiji gave it a special place as a separate vow because he believed that control of the palate was inevitable for Brahmacharya that observance of Brahmacharya became easier if taste was conquered. Besides, conquest of taste was helpful in the conquest of other senses too. The most important condition of Asvadawas the conviction that food is meant only to sustain the body for service of others. So, to indulge the taste by a variety of culinary delicacies was against the spirit of Asvada. This vow was adhered to rather rigidly in the Ashram. The food in the common kitchen was as simple as possible, without any condiments, some times even without salt. Individual families who cooked at home did not always develop Asvada to the extent desirable. All the same most of these families had their own rules regarding simple diet more or less in keeping with the concept of Asvada. 8. Abhaya – Fearlessness Psychologists tell us that fear is a natural reflex in all living beings on par with hunger, sleep and the sexual urge. How then can one vow, â€Å"I shall not experience fear† ? And yet fearlessness is the backbone of most other virtues. Gandhiji appreciated the importance of fearlessness partly because he used to be a timid child, full of all kinds of fears. Later on he consciously trained himself into fearlessness. The Gita places Abhaya at the head of divine attributes. Many poet-devotees sing the praises of fearlessness in spiritual life. Fears are innumerable. All of us are afraid of disease, injury, death; of loss of wealth, loss of prestige, loss of loved ones; of displeasing our dear ones, of displeasing the boss, of displeasing society and so on. Some people can get rid of some of these fears, others struggle to conquer other fears. In order to realise truth, it is necessary to remove all fear, which is hardly possible. A Sadhaka should, therefore, endeavour to rid himself or herself of as many kinds of fears as possible. The fear of God, which in other words means the fear of wrong doing, is one fear which no one should give up. This fear keeps us on guard against further growth of unwholesome traits of the mind and perhaps helps us in going beyond ordinary fears. Top 9. Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva- Equal Respect for all Religions This is a very important vow in a multi-religious country like India. One has a natural respect for one’s own religion, and rightly so. But that respect need not lead one into disrespect for other religions. All religions help their adherents to proceed towards an ideal life. All religions have had devotees who realised God in their own way. And yet no religion is perfect. Quest of truth being the moving spirit behind all religions, they are always subject to a process of evolution and re-interpretation. So one should never consider one’s own religion to be the only perfect religion. On this ground, Gandhiji was against conversion unless it was desired by some one through conviction. All should study first one’s own religion and then as many others as possible and appreciate the good points of all of them. In the daily prayers of the Ashram, there were chantings from the Koran, the Buddhist prayer, the Bible and so on. In South Africa a bhajan was being sung which said â€Å"Dear to me is the name of Rama.† A Parsi friend once suggested, â€Å"Why don’t we sing ‘Dear to me is the name of Hormuzd?† The congregation took up the idea. That was the spirit generated by Gandhiji’s ideal of Sarva-Dharma-Samabhava. 10. Swadeshi – Duty Towards the Neighbour As early as 1909 Gandhiji had found that India was filled with items of every day use imported from England. This was one of the main causes of the impoverishment of the country. Then again, it was necessary to induce Indians to be proud of their country. In order to achieve this, Gandhiji after returning to India in 1915,researchedon Khadi, reestablished the forgotten Charkha and unfolded his theory of Swadeshi, for the rejuvenation of Indian economy and Indian self-respect†¦ But then, Gandhiji was never satisfied with only the economic or political aspect of ideas. He gave Swadeshi a deeper significance based on an ancient ideal which says that one’s first duty was not one’s neighbours. Fulfilled in the spirit of love, that duty was not to at variance with one’s duty to mends further away either. It was in this light that Gandhiji said that the Swadeshi movement was not harmful to the British mill hand, as it saved him from exploitation of his Indian brethren. This spirit of love made the labourer in Manchester his mend when Gandhiji went there even though Gandhiji was instrumental in bringing about unemployment of the British textile labourer. 11. Asprishyata – Navaran- Removal of Untouchability This vow meant that Ashramites would mix as freely with so called untouchables as with all other people. This was, perhaps the vow most difficult to be practiced. Among the Ashramites themselves all were not free from the age-old Hindu belief that a person born in certain castes pollutes others by his touch. For Gandhiji ever since his twelfth year the ideal that any human being was inferior to another was not palatable. He always resisted the very basis of untouchability. He called it a cancer of Hindu Society. He had already started practicing the removal of untouchability while in South Africa. Then, soon after he returned to India he accepted an untouchable family in the Ashram. Several of the inmates, including Kasturba were quite upset at this step; the financial aid that the Ashram was receiving all but stopped. Gandhiji, however did not flinch from his decision. The resentment soon died down and sympathetic friends solved the financial problem as well. Later on Gandhiji gave the name ‘Harijan’ to the untouchables and gave a great deal of his time to their amelioration. So these were how the eleven vows were observed in Gandhiji’s Ashram. They were quite well known in his lifetime. Even non-Ashramites studied them and tried to follow some of them to some extent. People ask us: â€Å"Are Gandhiji’s vows relevant today?† My husband once asked a counter question: ‘Is a lamp relevant in darkness?† The eleven vows cover such a vast canvas of life that one cannot say enough about their relevance today and tomorrow. In ending this resume we hope that these spiritual lamps would shed enough light on the paths of the people of India, nay on the paths of the people of the world to enable them to make this poor troubled Earth a better place to live in.

Amazing Grace poem

The poem I chose was â€Å"Amazing Grace† by John Newton. John Newton was born in London, July 24, 1725 and died December 21, 1807. He was an Anglican priest and hymn writer, advocating the Christianity view of redemptive forgiveness. He wrote â€Å"Amazing Grace† as an element of that prospect (Clugston, 2010). â€Å"Amazing Grace† is one of the most famous poems ever written and composed. This poem is also a hymn that speaks too many who is looking for salvation, forgiveness, grace and faith. This form of poetry is narrative poetry because it tells us a story in a song about salvation. Amazing Grace† also uses figurative speech to express imaginative and distinctive effect. I grew up in a Baptist church where I still attend today. We would sing â€Å"Amazing Grace† every Sunday as one of our devotional hymns. Devotion is what we have before our church service starts. About three deacons would stand in front of the church and pray, read scriptures, and sing hymn with the congregation. Every Sunday it never failed â€Å"Amazing Grace† was a hymn that was going to be song. This hymn is one of the most popular hymns of all time.The literary element that I thought contributed to this poem was tone, content, and form. Using these literary elements is what makes this poem a significant piece of poetry in history. â€Å"A hymn is a lyric poem or scared song, which is written in praise to a deity or spirit† (Wheeler, 2012). The poem â€Å"Amazing Grace† is different from any poem that has been ever written. This poem is unique because it is written in the form of a song. When you see â€Å"Amazing Grace† no one ever stops to read it as a poem, that poem is automatically song without any hesitation.This type of literary element is to be specifically heard, not to be read. â€Å"Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see † (Clugston, 2010). By listening to the words of that song pretty much tells us what kind of person John Newton was, and how he changed his life. Throughout this poem Newton is talking about different events, or thing that has happened to him during his lifetime.These elements affected my response to this poem because I never knew that this hymn originated from a poem. I always thought that this was a song and I knew we would sing it church on Sundays. Some people use this song at funerals and many different church functions such as a theme or some sort. Now by actually looking at the poem and getting a chance to read it in poem form I have a different point of view on this particular poem. I always though Amazing Grace was a hymn. I had no idea that it originated from a poem.This song is universal and is known throughout the world by its lyrics. This poem comes to life after you have read or sung it. It really makes you think with all the different elements that he uses in th e poem. He used words to describe himself such as wretch. He used words to let you know the difference between right and wrong. He used these words to captivate his audience and to let them know where his faith stood. Amazing Grace demonstrates purity as it relates to the excellence and awe of divine love.

What happened to Neandertals Why did they extinct Essay

What happened to Neandertals Why did they extinct - Essay Example Neandertals are the most well-studied representatives of the ancient Homo sapiens.The transition from archaic to modern humans is documented in Europe, however, what has caused the disappearance of these people is still not known to the science. One of hypothesis suggests that Homo sapiens migrated into Neandertal lands and caused their extinction. Homo sapiens had bigger brain and more advanced in technology. Another theory suggests that populations of that time merged and mixed, which resulted in the evolution of the new human species. Archeologists are still not sure which theory is right, even though more Neandertal skeletons have been found compared to other human species. It is well known that Neandertals lived in Europe and Asia more than 150,000 years ago. Neandertals managed to adopt physically and cultural to the ice age conditions, however, their disappearance still cannot be explained.These ancient people are not considered Homo sapiens, and even if they were the represen tatives of human species, they were of the different race. Neandertals disappeared 30,000 years ago and have left only traces of their living. Scientists from advanced countries are analyzing DNA samples from bones trying to find the cause of Neandertal extinction. It is not an easy task because genetic material is much degraded and mixed with other types of DNA. New technologies in this field gives scientists the hope to collect new valuable information from Neandertal's DNA. The first bones of Neandertal were discovered in 1820s in Europe (Green 2006). Later the skulls of a child and a female were found and stored in the museums. The discovery which recognized the existence of human-like species was made in Germany. After examination by paleontologists and medical pathologists, the agreement was reached that those fossils were not of animal origin as well as not of human as of modern Europe. After publication of Darwin's works, the society was convinced that Neandertals were very ancient humans and disappeared in the result of the natural selection process. Neandertals were not humans as the investigation of two skeletons found in Belgium cave demonstrated. It was found out that these two Neandertals were associated with food bones from animals and stone tools which were more advanced. In general, more than 400 skeletons were found and majority of which were excavated in France. At first, Neandertals were described as dull-witted and ape-like creatures. However, the further analysis showed that this depiction was wrong and Neandertals were much like humans (Shreeve 1996). However, the question whether Neandertals were of human origin or whether they were the representatives of other species. The evidence is still searched in the genes and bones. In 2004, the researchers conducted several tests and reached the conclusion that modern humans are much different genetically from Neandertals. Nevertheless, based on the current research, as much as 25 percent of Neandertal DNA is the same as of modern humans. Thus, it is possible that Neandertals did not disappear but rather evolved into the modern human species. Last year, the team of professors at Max Planck Institution have sequenced approximately 1/3 of the DNA from Neandertal bones and hope that within the next two years it will be possible to draft the entire genome and compared it with human. The Neandertal disappearance is critically analyzed by scientists all over the world. Additional information was gathered in 1999 when the skeleton of the four year old boy dating 25,000 years ago was found. This child has the mixture of Neandertal and modern human features (Tattersall 1999). Therefore, he was the hybrid of two species. Scientists note that such hybrid was possible only if the genetic differences between modern humans and Neandertals was not very great. In other words, it means that Neandertals were not the representativ

Negotiation & Conflict Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Negotiation & Conflict Resolution - Essay Example One recent instance of conflict and negotiation in the political world is the partial shutdown of the US government. The conflict originated from lack of consensus on political issues but wrecked not only the political but also the social and economic fabric of the US. The primary parties to this conflict were President Obama with the Democrats on one side and the Republican House of Representatives on the other side. The issue arose on October 1, 2013 during a budget discussion session in the Congress due to a disagreement over a particular healthcare reform law. The Republicans were not in favor of passing the reformed healthcare law and looked forward to a delay or repeal in the legislation. But President Obama strictly asserted that he wanted the bill to be passed clean and without any amendments or unnecessary delays. The resulting concord between the parties led the Republicans to declare a partial shutdown of the government operations in the US. This primary issue of the healt hcare reform bill further got entangled with another vital issue regarding the debt ceiling for government borrowings. Obama requested a relaxation of the debt ceiling as the deadline for the same was approaching soon, i.e. on October 17, 2013. Not extending the debt limit would lead to a fiscal impasse as the nation will be unable to repay its debts and clear its bills. This would affect not only the US economy but also the global economy and the secondary parties such as the financial agencies, stock markets, federal workers and general public. The 16-day-long impasse in the US was primarily born out of a policy deadlock over the spending bill in the government budget. President Obama had suggested the inclusion of a healthcare reform law, Affordable Care Act, which offers a range of healthcare and welfare facilities for the US citizens. But the Republican-led House of Representatives refused to pass it and showed intentions to repeal or delay it by the span of a year. They called for a House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve the matter. But the Democrats refused to this idea, saying that the House was just trying to defer the new healthcare law using the pretext of the budget process. Owing to this unresolved conflict, the House declared a partial shutdown of the government on October 1. While the Republicans insisted on a delay in the implementation of the healthcare reform, Obama remained immovable on his stance that â€Å"Obamacare† is non-negotiable and that he wanted a â€Å"clean bill† devoid of any conditions or amendments. (CNBC, 2013) This shutdown very soon raised an alarm amongst the secondary parties to the conflict. Wall Street officials expressed their concern over the present shutdown and the future prospect of a financial default. The US government was fast approaching its debt ceiling of $ 16.7 trillion which it was about to hit on October 17 (Jackson, 2013). James Clapper, Director of the US National Intelligence, shared with the media his grave fears regarding the severe impact of the shutdown on their ability â€Å"to support the military, to support diplomacy, and to support the policymakers.† (Cornwell, 2013). Owing to the shutdown, 70% of the federal intelligence personnel had been sent on unpaid leave. Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of the Goldman Sachs Group, apprehended over the aligned and perhaps more critical issue of a financial default arising from the shutdown. Saying that America had seen a precedent

Weekly journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Weekly journal - Essay Example When individuals are unemployed they have less money to spend on goods and services and they are more inclined towards ensuring that their basic needs are met. Due to this they spend more on the basic necessities such as food and clothing and ignore spending money on luxurious products and services such as cars. Another subject that the chapter focuses on is the fiscal and monetary policies that government may use to encourage individuals to spend more. When the government implements an expansionary policy, it allows business to borrow more and due to these businesses invest more (Krugman 148). More investment leads to increase in demand for employees which in turn increases the wages paid to employees. Due to this increase, individuals tend to spend more and they even spend on luxurious items. But if the demand for goods and services continuously increases, suppliers will increase their prices on continuous basis and this would lead to increase in inflation rate and decrease in the number of goods and services that can be purchases by individuals in a particular economy (Krugman

Thomson One - Business School Edition - Walt Disney Prospectus Essay - 1

Thomson One - Business School Edition - Walt Disney Prospectus - Essay Example This is a type of debt whereby the investors are paid an interest rate for their money. This debt is different from others in that its interest rate resets after every four months. A company that offers this kind of debt has the right to sell bonds whose benchmark is different from those that are linked to the United States of America. Companies embrace this type of debt since they are able to hedge against risks related to interest rates and at the same time remain in corporates. Its main aim was to attract long term investors into buying the stocks. The company targeted both the existing as well as new investors. The fact that the debentures were offered as floating debt was one major factor that increased their marketability. The interest rates were to be offered in quarterly basis and this served to attract many people to buy the bonds. In addition, the bonds’ interests could be reviewed after every four months, a factor that could also increase its marketability. They wer e to be sold on the basis of shareholding. Those who already have shares at the company would fill an enrolment form to get the bonds at a minimum lower amount. Those who do not hold shares were also given a chance to buy the bonds but their minimum amount was set at a higher than the existing shareholders. 2) List the dollar amount of debt Disney proposed to sell to the public. Indicate whether this amount has increased or decreased from 2008 to 2010. Discuss some potential causes of this increase or decrease. At the time when Disney proposed to sell its debentures to the public, the amount to be sold was stated to be $1 billion (High Beam Business, 2013). The bonds were to be issued in the denominations of $2, 000. For the excess of $2, 000, there was to be issues of integral multiples of $1, 000. It is important to note that the proceeds that the company was to receive equalled $989, 760, 000 with the rest being commission to agents which was stated at the rate of 0.35% (High Bea m Business, 2013). Between the years 2008 and 2010, the amount in dollars increased. There are a number of reasons that could have led to this increase. One of them is the fact that the company needed more money as the expansion plan changed as the business environment changed. In addition, the company’s profitability may have reduced due to the global economic crisis that hit most countries. This reduced the amount of profit that the company could have re-invested and hence it had to borrow more. 3) Determine the percentage of the sales price Disney nets after discounts and commissions. Indicate whether this amount as decreased or increased from 2008 to 2010. Discuss some potential causes of this increase or decrease For every sale of shares or any kind of securities including bonds and debentures, the company usually does not sell them directly. The securities are normally sold through a broker or an agent who has to be paid a commission. In addition, the company may opt to sell its securities at a discount or at a premium. Discounts are expenses to be charged on revenue while premium is recorded as an income. In the case of Walt Disney, the bonds were not sold at a discount. However, there was a commission fee that was pain to the agents who were selling the bonds on behalf of the company. As it has been mentioned earlier, the discounts/ commissions

The Case for the Metropolitan Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Case for the Metropolitan Insurance - Essay Example But what good is the image when it is not properly stored Documentum serves as the file cabinet where the documents and images are arranged and stored. The introduction of the document imaging system and the establishing of the database Documentum has provided opportunities in to cut down costs in aspects of the business' operations. They are enumerated and discusses as follows: documents coming in everyday. One can just imagine the volume of storage space occupied by the microfiche images and equipment. File Cabinets, indexing materials and rooms must be provided for the storage of the images. Since microfiche images are not considered as "legal archives", there is really a need to provide storage and indexing mechanism for the paper documents. File folders, envelopes, cabinets, rooms and indexing materials represent a rather large cost to the business. Added to this is the labor cost associated with the people employed to attend and safeguard the documents and images. The Imaging system eliminated the need for microfiche images and paper document storage. Because of this, there is no more need to purchase filing and indexing materials. Provision for storage space such as rooms is no longer necessary. Furthermore, the pre-existing materials and rooms can be sold or used in other business works. ... Added to this is the labor cost associated with the people employed to attend and safeguard the documents and images. The Imaging system eliminated the need for microfiche images and paper document storage. Because of this, there is no more need to purchase filing and indexing materials. Provision for storage space such as rooms is no longer necessary. Furthermore, the pre-existing materials and rooms can be sold or used in other business works. The Metropolitan can also cut down labor costs as the system does not require many filing personnel. b. Maintenance Costs Paper documents and microfiche images can be corroded by environmental elements thereby reducing it to a useless material. This problem becomes more important since the insurance business operates in a very wide time frame. This temporal criterion makes it imperative that the documents are properly maintained. Furthermore, insects or animals may reside in the file cabinets and consume/ruin records. There is a need to purchase chemicals to prevent corrosion and animal destruction. Maintenance personnel must also be properly trained for them to be able to protect the documents. All of these represent a large capital cost for Metropolitan. Since the document's images are stored in the computerized database and since this is considered "legal archives", the paper documents need not be thoroughly taken cared of. Environmental and animal concerns are also eliminated. These improvements lessen the need for chemicals and maintenance personnel. 3B. Explain how the System shortens cycle time. The system also shortened cycle time because it eliminated the need for manual imaging of the pertinent documents. It can even image