Hamlet’s relationship with his mother Gertrude Essay

When Gertrude in ‘the Closet Scene’ faces Hamlet, we get a greater understanding of Hamlet’s emotional state. His mindset and emotional state vary throughout the scene from bitter hostility towards his mother and step father, to timid fear of the Ghost in the light of his inaction, and finally to intimate resolve and benevolence as he advises his mother on how to aid his situation and her own. Hamlet, depicted as â€Å"The glass of Fashion and mould of form†, is expected of polite forms of chivalry and temperate speech. But, on the contrary, he is strikingly coarse, even brutal in his talk with his mother, and goes on with unnecessary details of her sin. Indeed, he makes more of this than his father’s murder. So disgusted is he, by the picture of her sexual relations with the â€Å"bloat king† and his â€Å"reechy kisses† pressed on her in the â€Å"rank of sweat of an enseam’d bed†. As Mr. Ivory Brown states, â€Å"it is surely plain that Hamlet (Shakespeare) has some special woman in mind, a wanton, with special tricks of speech and habit of using mocking names, and with a tendency to some kind of fidgety or skipping gait. † Even while Gertrude is probably hysterical or saddened Hamlet continues to chide her whilst she is at her lowest and most vulnerable point, â€Å"Honeying and making love, Over the nasty sty,† Hamlet sees his mother as a disgustingly sensual creature, driven by carnal needs. He seems to forget that she is his mother, who has given birth to him, raised him, and showered him with love. And she deserves a certain degree of respect from her son. However, despite everything, Hamlet’s emotional struggles with Human Nature and his shattered illusions, he has not lost love for either of his parents, as reflected in the goals of this scene. When the ghost reappears, Hamlet treats it with respect and humble submission. But, even though he loves his mother, in his heart, he has no respect for her. As he states, â€Å"I must be cruel only to be kind†. His strong words help express his own feelings of rage, and in addition, help Gertrude realize her sin and lead her towards repentance. After his periods of bitterness, anger and fear he realizes that she finally understands his message about her actions, Claudius, and his own assumed madness. His tone then changes from one of bitterness and rage to one of almost priestly counsel as he explains to her how to remedy the situation. Gertrude is described as a frail character, which lacks feeling. She is of an insensitive nature, not likely to be troubled by guilt. A placid nature, even stolid, she cannot rise high. Like Hamlet, despite her sin, Gertrude reveals that she still loves Hamlet, even if she makes no indication as to whether she still loves the Late King or Claudius. Even though she offers no defense of Claudius, for Hamlet’s accusations of regicide. And nowhere dos she affirm Hamlet’s admiration and love for his father. But she does love Hamlet and shows her love though her actions. As Claudius states, † The queen, his mother, lives by his looks†. She addresses him in affectionate terms, even in moments in the scene, which bring her pain, shame and confusion. These include calling him â€Å"Sweet Hamlet† and â€Å"gentle son†. She echoes these terms in the last scene of the play, when, rather than any addresses to either husband, in her dying words, she cries â€Å"Oh my dear Hamlet! † This implies that Hamlet is more important to her than either of her husbands, or anyone else in the court. Hamlet is probably the only person she truly loves. The actions of Claudius and Gertrude showed Hamlet a darker, more lustful animalistic side of nature, particularly in his mother, who longs for Claudius, â€Å"as if increase of appetite had grown by what it fed on†. This shatters his illusion of inherent goodness and virtue of mankind. If his own mother is corrupted by sin and lust, the how can anything or anyone in the world be truly virtuous? This disillusionment, anger and disappointment continue through most of the play, and appear in this portion in Hamlet’s scathing tirades against Queen. In one, he speaks to hell itself, yelling, â€Å"If thou canst mutine in a matrons bones, To a flaming youth let virtue be as wax, and melt in her own fire. † If sin can corrupt an older, wiser, calmer person such as the Queen, the virtue has no value in the world, and society can plunge into chaos. Hamlet exclaims, â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman! † Hamlet’s problem is supposed to be his feelings of disgust towards his mother. Thus the actions of his mother have lead him to believe that all women are capable of acting in this wicked way. Women, the frail members, provoke lust and feed it and Shakespeare looks for these indications, and denounces them. His inability to have a successful relationship with Ophelia is a result of this belief. He treats Ophelia with little respect, and subjects her to loathsome verbal abuse, bursting with sexual innuendo, as even in the mousetrap scene he twists everything Ophelia says, to make it sound vulgar, as he states, â€Å"That’s a fair thought to lie between a maids legs†. Hamlet’s mind is crowded with feelings of betrayal, disappointment and distrust. He ruins his relationship with the beautiful, sweet natured Ophelia due to his suspicion and distrust in the fairer sex. And Hamlet probably only realizes Ophelia’s virtue and good nature after her death, when he realizes that Ophelia had been faithful to him, and had truly loved him, so much so that she couldn’t bear his negative attitude towards her and grieved to the point, where she became mad, and then died. Uncertainty and conflict are two of the major themes of Hamlet, and both play an important role in this scene. The themes of uncertainty and appearance versus reality also appear in several inter-character relationships. The relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is a good example. Their entire relationship is highly controversial, and there is not one explanation that proves their relationship natural or simple. Hamlet’s madness is also a good example of this. Hamlet pretends to be mad, but is not quite so, but still towards the end, even we are confused whether Hamlet’s feigned madness is actually settling in. Shakespeare fills the play with imagery of sight and blindness. Shakespeare uses this motif to see how clearly the characters can see the truth about themselves and others. Blindness to one’s heart, motives and sins leads one to excuse sins and continue in them, as Gertrude does. Her lust has blinded her to the sinful nature of her incestuous marriage to Claudius. Also we see that everyone else in the kingdom is blind to the incestuous nature of Gertrude’s marriage. This leads Hamlet to believe that he is alone in a nasty, immoral world. Where people are blind to sins as immoral as incest. Thus the Theme of Morality is major concern of Hamlet himself, as he wants those around him to feel just as strongly about the issue. His morality is largely responsible for the lack of action regarding the change of revenge on Claudius. His conscience does not permit him to kill Claudius without being sure that Claudius is responsible for King Hamlet’s regicide. So he waits to kill Claudius only after he is sure Claudius is guilty, after the play-within-the-play. Shakespeare also employs several motifs to enrich the theme of morality. One of these is sickness and disease. He compares Gertrude’s sin to a disease or ulcer, which will subtly rot her soul if she ignores it. As he says â€Å"will but skin and film the ulcerous place, While ranks corruption, mining all within, infects unseen†. A similar motif is the image of the â€Å"unweeded garden† in his first soliloquy. Hamlet sees the world, filled with sinful people as an unweeded garden. The connections with Denmark being corrupted and diseased are metaphorical for Gertrude’s relationship with Claudius, incestuous and corrupted. Hamlet is the most realistic character Shakespeare ever created. His relationship with his mother was extremely natural, in the fact that it experienced certain abnormalities, as in the case of all relationships. Their love for each other is painful, but ultimately helps them grow as people and fulfill their obligations- Hamlet’s duty to avenge his father’s death and Gertrude’s duty to repent and try to protect her son from himself and those around him. Hamlet was merely a man, with motives unknown to him, with secret agendas and internal conflicts that remain unresolved.

Back Titration Essay

Synopsis The objective of this experiment is to determine the percentage by mass of calcium carbonate,CaCO3 in toothpaste using back titration technique. A known weight portion of toothpaste is obtained to react with known volume and concentration of standard acid solution. After completing the reaction, the resulting solution containing excess acid is back titrated with known volume and concentration of standard base solution. Determination of excess acid after reaction allow us to calculate the amount of acid react with CaCO3 in toothpaste sample. My result for this experiment shows that 19.6% of calcium carbonate presents in toothpaste sample. In conclusion,CaCO3 only made up approximately one fifth of toothpaste sample, toothpaste derived from a variety of component such as fluoride, water and detergent. Since the result obtained approaching 20%, saying that most of the error is avoided, the chemical reaction in this experiment is rapid and complete with no side reaction, determination of concentration of reactant is accurate, it is a successful experiment. Introduction The purpose of this experiment is to improve the understanding of practical application of back titration. Back titration is designed to resolve the problems encountered with forward titration. Back titration can be used for many reasons: when the analyte is volatile or insoluble in water; when the analyte contains impurities that interfere with forward titration; when the end point is difficult to identify in forward titration; when the analyte react slowly with titrant in forward titration.In this experiment, a weighted portion of toothpaste is analysed to determine the percentage by mass of CaCO3 present in the toothpaste sample. Back titration technique is applied in this experiment instead of forward titration.This is because the substance being analysed, toothpaste is insoluble in water but soluble in acid. Theory Titration is the scientific techinique of volumetric analysis used to determine the concentration of unknown solution which involves the direct and stepwise addition of standard titrant to the analyte until the reaction  reach neutralization.Back titration is also a kind of titration.It is called titration done in reverse because it is not carried out with the solution whose concentration of substance being analysed is required to be known as in the case of normal titration.In figuring out the concentration of an analyte(toothpaste,CaCO3),back titration works by reacting the analyte with a known number of moles of excess intermediate reactant(hydrochloric acid,HCl). The reaction goes past the equivalence point. The amount of intermediate reactant is in excess in the reaction with analyte.The resulting mixture containing excess of intermediate reactant is then titrated back with known volume and concentration of titrant(sodium hydroxide,NaOH). Knowledge of stoichiometry of the react ion allow the concetration of the analyte in the original solution related to the amount of reagent used. Procedure Materials was prepared and equipment was cleaned with distilled water if necessary.10 ml of 0.16M of standard HCl was measured and pipetted into a clean conical flask. Approximately 0.1-0.2g of toothpaste was removed using a glass rod from the container and the exact weight of toothpaste sample was recorded. The glass rod with weighted toothpaste was placed in the conical flask which contained 10ml of 0.16M of standard HCl. Toothpaste was dislodged completely from the glass rod into the conical flask. About 10ml of deionised water was added to wash down the toothpaste from the glass rod.A funnel was inserted in the flask and the flask was gently heated to boil over a hot plate for 3-5 minutes until the reaction was complete. The funnel and the side wall of the flask was rinsed with small amount of deionised water. The mixture in the flask was allowed to cool to room temperature.A clean graduated burette was prepared and the inside of burette was rinsed with NaOH solution. Rinsing procedure was repeated.The graduated burette was filled with excess amount of 0.08M NaOH solution. Some solution was allowed to drain out through stopcock to a waste beaker.The burette was clamped securely to a retord stand.1-2 drops of methyl orange indicator was added to conical flask and it was swirled. The conical flask was placed under the burette.The initial burette reading was read and recorded.To begin titrating the excess HCl with NaOH, The stopcock was opened all the way and  the flask was swirled.As the end point was approached, the rate of addition of HCl into the NaOH was decreased to drop by drop.The end point reached when the colour of mixture changed from red or pink to orange.The final burette reading of NaOH solution was read and recorded.The titration was repeated twice.

Annotating and Summarizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Annotating and Summarizing - Essay Example Knight laments, â€Å"Then they take to the woods, often with willful disregard for posted signs on private land. Although the state has thousands of acres of land open to hunters, many of them seek out the less crowded conditions found on private property†(Knight, 1998). This impunity cuts across the board from the aged to the young, from parents to children. The police have also been complacent and the fines imposed are not punitive enough to deter the hunters to keep off from other people’s property. Knight basically wants us to focus on the disturbances as well as dangers caused by hunters who intrude on an individual’s private property, New York State’s lack of control over hunters where she lives, occurrences of hunters blatantly disregarding â€Å"no hunting† signs clearly posted on people’s property and most importantly the fact that trespassing is a serious sign of similar social illness which misleads some people to think that the law cannot touch them, since they are above it (Knight,

Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decision Making - Assignment Example 5’S model emphasizes on providing the workers with resources. Role clarification helps improve productivity. Reinforcement inculcates motivation in the workers to achieve the assigned tasks. Regulation promotes clarity of vision and clarity with respect to what behaviors are allowed. Workers need this clarity in order to behave as required of them. Reward reaffirms the workers that they are on the right track and that they are being noticed. Being assigned resources, it becomes easier for the workers to achieve their goals. Role clarification helps eradicate interpersonal conflicts. Reinforcement reassures the workers that the work they are doing is of importance to the management and the organization as a whole, so that the workers feel owned, important, and appreciated. Regulation promotes clarity with respect to what behaviors are forbidden so that workers refrain from displaying them in the workplace. Rewards keeps the workers from feeling neglected. Without resources, workers might take too long or never be able to accomplish the assigned

Mimetic Violence in The Road Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mimetic Violence in The Road - Essay Example They work towards getting what they desire, and when they eventually get it, it becomes apparent that they seem to desire the possessor of the object also, not just the object. The second stage is Mimetic Rivalry. At this stage, the desire becomes so strong that it begins to reveals its violent side. At the Skandalon or Scandal stage, the violence has become so immense that it is capable of disrupting the life of an entire community. The situation becomes so scandalous that it becomes very difficult for the players to give up. Scapegoating stage, the fourth, is where a victim is picked and blamed for the sad turn of events. This is the stage where peacekeeping finally fails. Then the final stage which is known as Sacred Violence comes; the scapegoat is punished, most times killed, supposedly at the command of a god. But this doesn’t end the violence. It gives rise to persistent mimetic violence. There are different types of mimetic violence but one feature common to all is tha t the minority in the society are often the scapegoats. In some cases, it is the women. In others, it is the poor. Generally, the scapegoats are those that are not considered to be indispensable in the society. Examples of Mimetic Violence The examples of mimetic violence abound. A typical example is when politicians contest for elective offices. All the stages of that come before mimetic violence are all experienced. Even though in some climes, people are not killed during electioneering, the level of competition still reflects mimetic violence. However, in many places like Africa, during political strife, the mimetic stages eventually arrive at the level of violence. Another example of Mimetic Violence is that which is encountered is found in William Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Hamlet.† Mimetic violence also develops to its final stages in the play. Hamlet and his Uncle, Claudius, try to skim out each other (for the prize – the throne). The situation at the end b ecomes very bloody as both of them get killed. However, it seems Hamlet remains the hero while Claudius is the scapegoat. Examples and Usage of Mimetic Violence in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road Before much analysis is done on how mimetic violence plays itself out in the novel, it must be clearly stated that the third person narrator in the novel uses such expression like â€Å"the man†, â€Å"the father† and â€Å"the boy† to refer to the fact that the characters represent any member of the human society. Hence, all the characters are involved in mimetic violence in at least one stage. One of the earliest revelations of mimetic violence in the novel is depicted when the boy and his father leave their original home to embark on a journey because they needed to survive. The fact that the circumstance in their original place had ceased to be welcoming reveals the high play of mimetic violence. Recognizing how hopeless their situation is, the man’s wife c ommits suicide; that is mimetic violence. One cannot but wonder why it is the woman that had to sacrifice her life. Why is it not the man that had to commit suicide? That question should actually be directed at the author. The choice of the woman as the one to commit suicide is a depiction of how the people who are considered to be less important than others are the

Neurotheology in Review (Brain & Heart) part 2 Essay

Neurotheology in Review (Brain & Heart) part 2 - Essay Example An attempt to understand these mechanisms, ultimately calls for basic understanding of the mechanisms about how different systems work in our body. Physiology is the study of vital processes of living organisms, particularly at the level of organs and organ systems and at the level of the organism as a whole. Physiological processes, in turn, are dependent on anatomical and biochemical factors and constitute the physical basis of behavior (Abram et al., 2007). But with the existing knowledge, it is difficult to explain, as Eiser (2005) has pointed out how out of the structure and function or anatomy and physiology, a novel psychological entity representing the individual arise (Eiser, 2005). Questions keep coming on this hitherto unexplored area of the science. What people think, what they say, what they do, what they feel, and why they think, say, act, and feel in these ways are plainly of the greatest interest to all of us. The interface between psychology, religion, and spirituality has been of great interest to scholars for a century (Tartaro, Luecken, and Gunn, 2005). Taking into account that religious consciousness arises out of functional aspects of brain, it is not irrational to assume that the origin of such consciousness is from an emotion, and there must be a harmonious mechanism occurring in our body that leads to such emotions, hence physiologic effect out of some anatomic structures (Saver and Rabin, 1997). Are the sayings, "my heartfelt love", "from the core of my heart" and so on and so forth, just the sayings, or there exists some relationship in reality between the mind and the heart, or emotion and physiologic function. The anatomically determined theory of emotion or consciousness indicates emotion is like other somesth etic or special senses (McEachrane, 2009) similar to pain, temperature, and vision, emotional experience was accorded a thalamic nucleus and thalamocortical cortical relay (Compton, 2003). As

Nelson and Mr. Head in 20 years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nelson and Mr. Head in 20 years - Essay Example Nelson knows that Mr. Head is really old now and he doesn’t want him to leave this world without seeing other continents. Nelson knew that Mr. Head is old and old people create very strong associations with objects and surroundings. However, he was determined to show him Africa, the way he showed him the city and the Artificial Nigger. Nelson owns a clothing store near his house and is in good business, owns a fat bank account and has contacts that can safely ship them to Africa. The only problem is Mr. Head’s stubbornness. But Nelson is also the grandson of the same stubborn man. He is determined to drag him to another continent and show him around. One fine Tuesday morning, Mr. Head is up earlier than usual and decides to go for a little walk around his house. He grabs his stick, puts on his slippers glances over to Nelson’s room where he’s sound asleep and walks out the door. It’s winters and the morning breeze is chilling. Mr. Head buttons up his shirt to the neck and wraps his free arm around him in an unsuccessful attempt to cover him from the wind. He turns around and takes a look back at his house which is 20 odd yards away from him now and in a moment of perplexity decides to continue his morning walk. All the time he suppresses the voice in his head that it is a bad idea to leave the house in such a cold weather, but there is strange spirit within him that is pulling him forward. Maybe he wants to prove to himself that he is still a man and can take care of himself. He doesn’t want Nelson to escort him to the bathroom, to the breakfast table or to tie his shoelaces. He is feeling tired now, and very cold. His determination is giving up. He is trembling now as he frequently wipes of the mist from his glass with the sleeve of his sweater. Mr. Head is panting and the walking stick is wildly shaking now and he realizes his mistake of leaving home. He shouldn’t have left the house in

Educational Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Educational Policy - Essay Example According to him the educational system was getting more and more influenced by the changing political scenario. Contrary to this, in his paper written in 2011 he has argued upon the importance of leadership and values in the current educational institutions. He has thoroughly discussed the changing nature of schools while stating that more research is required in order to resolve educational issues. Ball’s position has actually evolved from the first to the second paper because initially he was considering educational system as a weak social institution but later in 2011 he analyzed that institutional policies have greatly changed and they are now strong enough to be compared with any successful business (Ball, 2011, p.50-52). 5. Identify the main points that Ball makes in the paper he wrote in 2011. Be careful to use your own words to show your understanding and avoid direct citation from the text. (approx. 600 words) In his paper ‘A New Research Agenda for Educational Leadership and Policy’ written in 2011, Ball makes some significant points in relation to the research issues and education policy for English. He has critically analyzed three unified variables including ownership, interests and values, and leadership. Moreover, he has discussed the necessary skills and cognitive thinking required by contemporary researchers and business analysts (Ball, 2011, p.50). Leadership Over the time leadership skills especially for the school managers have changed drastically. For instance, the modern educational institutions are now exposed to the management freedom and role enhancements particularly in the area of public administration. Hence entrepreneurial heads are emerging. These individuals are specifically working for the betterment of deficient schools in order to help the disadvantaged groups of the society (Ball, 2011, p.50-51). Contrary to this there are also corporate heads appointed by the major sponsors. For instance, Ark and Harris o perate their companies on the basis of some regional offices headed by a particular office which ensures the economies of scale, standardization and values. These companies are also involved in the supply of chain heads or corporate heads.In addition to this there is also an emerging concept of category heads that are fundamentally responsible to look after different branches of schools working under the same trust or non-profit organization. They are also involved in supporting failed educational centers. These developing approaches in leadership are incorporated with identity and loyalty (Ball, 2011, p.50-51). Interests and Values Contemporary organizations are introducing new career sectors, for instance, management practiced by boundary spanners. Consider E-Act, which is forming educational standards through making a close association with local authorities and parents. However, this process becomes more and more challenging with the involvement of private associates which incre ases the tension among students, parents, sponsors, shareholders and employees (Ball, 2011, p.51). For instance, WS Atkins discontinued its services to Southwark LA as a result of shareholder and share price

An analysis of the impact that advertising has on retail banking for Research Paper

An analysis of the impact that advertising has on retail banking for increasing the level of brand awareness; case study on Barclays bank,uk - Research Paper Example al., 2004). However, in this paper discussion will be made regarding the impact of advertisement in creating brand awareness of Barclays bank of the UK. Barclays is considered as one of the largest banks of the world having it’s headquarters in London. The bank operates in more than 50 countries consisting more than 48 million customers (Barclays 2015). It is therefore necessary for the bank to retain existing customers as well as attract new customers that would help in maximizing the amount of profit. Barclays bank has been spending millions of dollars on advertising in order to promote its brand to the public to create awareness (SAGE Publications, 2015). The advancements of technology have provided opportunity for the bank to use digital channels of advertising including social media and other online sources. Moreover, the bank also provides personalized products and services to the selected customer that helps in increasing brand value for the bank (WIPRO, 2013). Advertis ement is the most important tool that helps in an effective promotion of any brand as well as the popularity of the company also increases. Advertising through celebrities is also considered as one of the most effective means that may help in improving the brand equity, brand awareness as well as positive financial return (The New York Times Company, 2015; Olum, 2010). In this context, the focus of the paper is on Barclays Bank of the UK and advertising impact. The primary motive of any business establishment irrespective of whether it is a private or a public company is to maximize its profit through the sale of products and services. It is also essential for any business establishment to maximize the volume of sales that would help in covering various types of costs incurred during operating business. For this, it is necessary for the company to market their products and services in an effective manner considering the 4P’s of marketing that

Why was the original marketing mix extended for the service sector Essay

Why was the original marketing mix extended for the service sector - Essay Example organization may not survive or prosper effectively in this age of tough rivalry. This is because the customers act as the prime potency of any organization but they need to be presented with qualitative services so as to retain them for longer period of time. Only then, a service organization might retain its reputation and brand image in the market among other rivals. However, to do so it is extremely essential to appoint talented and skilled staffs within the organization. This might act as a stimulant in enhancing the level of dedication and devotion of the employees towards work thereby amplifying their standard of performance. The productivity and efficiency of the organization might get enhanced thereby amplifying the rate of profit margin. The brand image and loyalty of the service provider might also get enhanced to significant extent as compared to many other rival players. Moreover, due to the presentation of qualitative services, the level of satisfaction of the customers might also get enhanced thereby amplifying their level of reliability. Hence, it might be depicted from the above mentioned paragraph that qualitative service acts as the guiding force to enhance the competence of the brand as well as its staffs thereby reducing its threat from new entrants. This report is divided into five phrases. It mainly highlights the important of marketing mix in case of service providing organizations. Along with this, it also describes the effectiveness of three P’s i.e. people, physical evidence and process within a service providing organization. Discussion A Definition and importance of service marketing What is service marketing? Service marketing is described as the process of promotion of the products and services to the customers so as to satisfy their needs and desires. The prime objective of service marketing is to present the desired quality of products or services at a competitive cost. It is done so as to satisfy the underlining desires and needs of the customers thereby amplifying their level of loyalty and dependency over the brand. The profit margin as well as productivity of the organization also gets enhanced in this age of competitiveness. Therefore, it might be stated that in spite of being a new phenomenon in marketing, service marketing gained significance mainly due to its urge to present qualitative and value-added services to its customers. Other than this, service marketing gained popularity due to its efforts to present the economic activities generated by the organization to its clients in an effective and disciplined way. For example: proper treatment facilities by the health care organizations, services offered by the hospitality providers such as NHS. The importance of 4p’s The term 4p’s are referred as product, place, price and promotion. Product: This part of the marketing decisions deal with the specifications of actual goods and services. It also takes into account the needs and the wants of the end users. The extent of product category includes warranties, support and guarantees. In case of service category it is difficult to apply the marketing decisions since services can only be judged by quality. In case of similar services the only parameter is quality. For example, customer service facility on a product sold by a company can be judged only by the number of

Yemen Strikes May Target Top AL Qaeda Leaders Essay Example for Free

Yemen Strikes May Target Top AL Qaeda Leaders Essay Al Qaeda is a global militant Islamist organization founded by the late Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam among other Islamic. It dates back to around August 1988-1989 in Peshwar in Pakistan. Its origins were traced to the Soviet War in Afghanistan. It operated as a network that comprised of both multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim revolution. This movement called for global jihad and implemented a strict interpretation of the Sharia laws. It was branded a terrorist organization by major organizations and countries in the world such as the United Nation Security Council, the European Union, NATO, the United States, and the United Kingdom among many other countries.               Al Qaeda functioned both on its own and through some minor terrorist organizations. The organizations that operated under the al Qaeda included Ayman al-Wawahiri’s Egyptian Islamic Jihad which was also known as el Gamaa Islamia. There were also other Jihad groups in countries such as Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Pakistan, Croatia, Tunisia Lebanon, Albania, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Tajistan and the Hashmiri Region in India and Chechnyan in Russia. AL Qaeda kept cells and personnel in numerous countries to facilitate its operations including Kenya, Tanzania, the United States, Germany, United Kingdome, Malaysia and Canada. â€Å"Al Qaeda has no home base, but maintains cells in different countries in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia† (Zalman) Objectives                  One of the ultimate goals of Al Qaeda was to fight off the United States armed forces out of Saudi Arabian peninsula and Somalia. They issued rulings on Islamic laws indicating that such action was proper and essential. Bin Laden led the AL Qaeda to oppose the United States for various reasons. First, they perceived the United States to have no faith because its governance was not as per their interpretation of the Islamic laws. The second reason was that they regarded the United States as a provider of vital support to â€Å"other infidel† nations and institutions. They particularly branded the Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and finally the United Nations, as enemies of the Islamists organization. Third, Osama Bin Laden greatly contended the participation of the United States armed force in the Gulf war and operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1991, 1992 and 1993 respectively. Above all, the presence of the American forces in the Saudi Arabian penins ula was with no doubt resented by the al Qaeda. Last but not least, the United States Government’s incredible resentment was owed to the arrest and conviction of the al Qaeda personnel or any member of their affiliate terrorists organizations. For these reasons, Osama Bin Laden led the al Qaeda to declare jihad, holy war, against the United States. He pursued this goal through all means possible. The al Qaeda made attacks on any nations or organizations allied to the United States.                Since 1988, when Al Qaeda was formed, â€Å"the organization has been credited with scores of terror attacks around the globe, which have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people† (National Geographic). Attacks in East Africa                   On 7th August 1998, well planned attacks were made on two American embassies in the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania. In Tanzania, it is perceived by the authorities that a bomb was planted in a refrigeration truck which was later parked outside the United States embassy. It was unfortunate that these two embassies did not meet the recent strict measures that have been implemented. The attack on the Tanzanian embassy saw 11 people die and 86 more get injured. On the other hand the Kenyan bombing resulted in the deaths of 12 Americans, 213 Kenyan Citizens and had over 5000 casualties. One of AL Qaeda’s leaders, Al Libi, â€Å"was wanted for his alleged role in the deadly 1998 bombings of the two embassies in Africa† (CNN).               The aftermath of this attack was devastating and the United States in conjunction with the Tanzanian government sought to set up a new embassy. The United States impeached Osama Bin Laden as the core perpetrator of the bombing of these embassies. The united stated went ahead to offer a reward for five million dollars for his arrest and conviction.                   The United States government as devastated as it was plotted attacks on Sudan and Afghanistan. On 20th August 1998, the United States attacked Sudan and Afghanistan. It was alleged that the US targeted a chemical weapons producing plant, located in Sudan, with 13 cruise missiles. This only resulted to the deaths of the night guards. There has not been any substantial evidence that supports the attack and therefore it has come under extreme criticism. The attack on Afghanistan consisted of about 75 cruise missiles which targeted three separate terrorists’ camps and strongholds. This attack brought the deaths of 24 people but unfortunately failed in getting Osama Bin Laden. â€Å"The strikes were a response to an imminent threat to the U.S. posed by a terrorist network backed by Osama bin Laden† (CNN). Attacks in Yemen                   This is AL Qaeda’s first ever attack in its course. It is known as the Yemen Hotel Bombing of 1992. On the evening of the 29th of December 1992, a bomb went off at the Gold Mahur Hotel. This happened to be where the United States’ armed forces had been staying on their route to Somalia. Fortunately the troops had already evacuated the hotel at the time of the attack. Undeterred by any circumstances, the AL Qaeda went ahead to plot another attack. They targeted another hotel. They perceived that the American troops were staying in the Aden Movenpick. However, the bomb detonated in the hotel car park, ahead of time for their attack. The explosion led to the death of two Australian tourists. Osama Bin Laden and Mohamed Khan claimed responsibility for these attacks. Attacks in Jordan                In December 1999-2000, there was a plotted attack by the AL Qaeda to attack United States and Israelis tourists who had visited Jordan to celebrate the millennium. Conversely, authorities in Jordan disillusioned the plotted attacks and apprehended and convicted 28 suspects. This plot involved the bombing of the LAX but this was a complete failure for the AL Qaeda since the bomber, known as Ahmed Ressam was apprehended at the US- Canadian border with explosives in his car. The AL Qaeda did not stop at that. They planned an attack on the USS Sullivans on January the third in 2000. This failed because they put too much weight on a small boat that was to bomb the ship. Attack on MV Limburg                   The Limburg was loaded with 397,000 barrels, equated to 63,100 m3, of crude oil from Iran en route to Malaysia. It was attacked in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen where it was to collect another load of crude oil. The Limburg was registered under a French-flag. PETRONAS, a Malaysian petrol firm, had chartered the Limburg. At some distance offshore, a small boat loaded with explosives rammed the tanker on the starboard and detonated. The craft caught fire and estimated 90,000 barrels, equated to 140,000 m3 of crude oil spilled into the ocean. Yemeni authorities apparently claimed that the explosion was caused by an accident. However investigations showed traces of TNT on the wrecked vessel. In the incident one crew member was killed and 12 others were injured. According to BBC, Ahmed al-Darbi confessed to being responsible for this incident.                      The Battle of WanatOn July 13, 2008, AL Qaeda and Taliban guerilla fighters raged war on NATO troops. This occurred near Wanat, a village in Waygal district, in Afghanistan’ province of Nuristan. This battle has been branded â€Å"Black Hawk Down†. It was one of the bloodiest attacks in the war and one of the numerous attacks on remote outposts. In comparison to the preceding ambushes that were executed in a haphazard manner, this was well coordinated and executed. â€Å"American casualties included nine killed and 27 wounded, while four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were wounded† (Terrorists groups). Attacks on the United States                  On Tuesday September 11, 2001 a coordinated series of 4 attacks were launched on the US in the metropolitan area of Washington DC and in New York by the Al-Qaeda, a terrorist group of Islamic religion.                19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger airliners. The purpose of hijacking the planes was so that they could be used for suicide attacks.                  Two of the planes, the United Airline flight 175 and also the American Airliners flight II were crashed into the south and north towers of the world trade center complex in New York City respectively. In two hours the two towers collapsed. The debris from the buildings and the fires partly of completely caused the collapse of the buildings in the world trade center complex and also caused damage to another ten large surrounding structures. The Rise                  The affliction of AL Qaeda on global is seemingly a long standing affair. Its beginning goes back decades to the modern-day establishment and conversion of a non-state armed group that has made it its purpose to create exceptional regional and international changes based on unnecessary use of brutal force for political motives. Apart from prompting domestic and foreign crises, the AL Qaeda focused specifically in adapting and prospering open-endedly as it sought new approaches. All along, it is in this perspective that the growth of AL Qaeda was planned for. This was a preordained way for the group to ensure it growth regardless of any setbacks from the very beginning. This isolated it from preceding and successive Islamists groups. On the other hand, traditional Islamist factions started to institute themselves through religious preaching, political sermons and particularly through networks of domestic social amenities.                   The first incarnation of AL Qaeda was to act as a welfare provider originating in the reinter state, Arabian Gulf. On the other hand its purpose was to apparently fight the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Jihad. The superiority of this underlying principle did not translate to a sudden halt of an unsatisfied local aim but somewhat the domestic contention to spill out to the external parties. From the perspective of a failed Arab and Islamic nation building, this faction sprang forth as a project with the combination of religion and politics. I was built upon: Relocation of authority; Outwitting the state; And the belligerent empowerment of a non-state actor.                  If in the beginning the swift propagation of the five regional depictions of the Al Qaeda were questionable, an added suggestion of the organization’s inspiring global reach and its ability to function in multiple nations long after War on Terror had been declared against it, it progressively occurred that the regional affiliates were significantly at variance and their link to the mother Al Qaeda was in some way unsubstantiated.                   Although in its first fifteen years it had been able to develop globally against vital odds; for each tactical loss, the Al Qaeda earned a strategic gain. This was demonstrated by: Retreating in Afghanistan but advancing in Iraq; Restricted leadership but had proliferating contacts; Abridged physical mobility but had global impact; Additional enemies but expanding recruits. The fall                  In the period between 2006 and 2011, AL Qaeda’s leadership had changed into a self-commandment, in due course offering only political, religious and military commentary, and not operational orders. Taking everything into account, what can be interpreted as a regionalization strategy of the Al Qaeda mixed up the global representation of the organization. The required elasticity the group embraced, partially voluntarily, partially as a way to adjust to the impending international anti-terrorism campaign, brought about an ever-growing distance with the already liberated divisions.                  Osama Bin Laden’s vanishing from Al Qaeda and also the War on Terror scene, for that reason, signified the end of the reign of the original faction established in Afghanistan. This opened a new chapter in which the regional authorizations will further sanction their existing independence. In so doing they will bestow the conflict with a new arrangement by diminishing terrorism among nations. War on Terror                  Previous efforts to put an end to this menace were somehow unsuccessful until May 2, 2011. O this day, a team of U.S Navy Seals with the help of the United States intelligence located the AL Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. He was found in Abbottabad in Pakistan, 31 Miles from Islamabad where he met his demise. On June 16 the same year, Ayman al-Zawahiri succeeded Osama Bin Laden but the fight against terror continues.                The war against terror is a global war. There have been numerous efforts to curb the AL Qaeda menace. The United States has shown great dedication in trying to bring justice to the crimes committed by this faction, the Al Qaeda. These efforts have included several military actions by the United States armed forces and other allied nations and institutions like the UK and the United Nations. Presently, there are ongoing various military operations against this terrorist faction. This operation either targets the faction directly or the affiliates of this faction such as the Al Shabaab in Somalia. Many countries have joined the war against terrorism. For example, according to Fox News, the Iraqi Government has announced that it is offensive on AL Qaeda. Yemen is also said to be targeting top AL Qaeda leaders, as Stated by CNN reporters, Jamjoom and Smith, write.                   The United States government has greatly contributed the gradual fall that AL Qaeda is undergoing. Military action is seemingly the way to go since these terrorists seem not to the get the hang of diplomacy. Presently, â€Å"prompted in part by a recent video that showed Al Qaeda leaders in Yemen openly taunting the United States, the CIA launched lethal drone strikes†(Dilanian). According to ABC News, even after two years when the United States withdrew its troops from Iraq, the US is still aid the Iraqi government to fight off the AL Qaeda faction. References Al Qaeda. Answers, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. AL Qaeda Attacks: A Chronology. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Battle of Wanat 2008. Terrorist Groups, 8 Apr. 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2014 Fast facts: The embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. CNN, 6 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Guantanamo prisoner al-Darbi admits MV Limburg Attack. BBC, 20 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Jamjoom, Mohammed and Smith, Matt. Yemen Strikes May Target Top AL Qaeda Leaders. CNN, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. US Assisting Iraq in Fight Against Al Qaeda 2 Years After Troops Withdraw. ABC NEWS, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.Zalman, Amy. Al Qaeda: Profile of Al Qaeda. About, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Source document

Advantages of Metamaterials

Advantages of Metamaterials Juan Castellanos The future is here and you wouldn’t believe how far research has come. Through countless experiments and hard work scientists have expanded the limits on what we thought to be impossible via advances in metamaterials. These so called â€Å"metamaterials† are artificially constructed improvements over naturally occurring materials commonly used in inventions. These metamaterials are altered at a Nanoscopic scale to give them new properties. Advances in the field of metamaterials could impact many aspects of life including: technology, medicine, and military combat. To fully understand what metamaterials are, we need to completely understand how they work. Metamaterials are created on a small scale in order to manipulate or alter incoming waves, causing them to behave differently than they normally would. This can include light, mechanical, sound, or electromagnetic waves. Through the use of metamaterials you could conceivably â€Å"stretch the law of refraction to its limits because you could make light bend in any direction you liked†(Grant Hapgood). For example, water has standard refraction, which produces a bent image since light travels throughwater at a different speed than it does throughair while â€Å"Metamaterials can make objects in waterappear to angle in the opposite direction, whichis known as negative refraction† (Clark). Metamaterials normally acquire their properties from structure rather than composition since they are engineered to have different properties than those found in nature. Metamaterials are going to innovate the next wave of technological advances that could make life easier. For instance, metamaterials can have a major impact on the commercial market by making wireless charging a possibility, affecting millions around the world that are in constant need of a convenient method to charge their portable devices. According to Business Insider major companies such as Samsung, Hewlett-Packard and Panasonic have cited metamaterials in recent patent filings (Wagstaff). Furthermore, metamaterials could potentially keep families in touch by enabling access to the Internet in areas around the world where it is currently unavailable. This is achieved by â€Å"an antenna on a moving object, such as a plane or automobile, to a satellite, facilitating a constant connection† (Clark). This antenna generates a connection that enables satellite-connected Internet to exist anywhere in the world. In addition, Metamaterials can save lives and prevents catastrophes b y being able to shield and redirect seismic waves away from buildings and other important structures. Researchers conducted an experiment in 2013 where seismic waves were artificially produced in soil and in the presence of metamaterials; probes determined there was a â€Å"modification in seismic energy distribution† (Brule, Javelaud, Enoch, Guenneau). The cloaking of seismic waves can be a bit more complex than say that of acoustic waves due to the nature of the medium (Sheng) but the benefits of such an advance could limit damage from natural disasters by protecting important structures such as power plants, residential buildings, and hospitals. Just in recent memory, seismic cloaking could have benefited Japan when their power plants were struck by a tsunami resulting in nuclear meltdowns and a 2010 earthquake crippled Haiti leaving millions of people devastated. These are just few examples of how metamaterials are revolutionizing the world we live in. Secondly, the military is also investing in metamaterial research in order to gain an advantage on the battlefield. As previously mentioned, metamaterials are designed to have characteristics their counterparts would not normally have, a prominent example is the ability to â€Å"produce plastic metamaterials that are superconductors of electricity† (Scharrett, Garrison). Replacing electric conducting metals with plastic conductors would result in less electrical resistance and â€Å"large drops in electrical resistance translate directly into reduced thermal buildup and major increases in the meantime between failures of electrical components† (Scharrett, Garrison). Moreover, a naval research program is funding a prototype that bends sound around a submarine in order to make it invisible to enemy sonar through the use of metamaterials that can manipulate sound waves. In addition, Army is researching metamaterials to build biological and chemical detectors. These metalli c nanostructures react electromagnetically to incoming molecules detecting single molecules that could be of great use for passenger or cargo screening (Hambling). The Holy Grail in all the research being poured in to metamaterials is the development of â€Å"invisibility cloaking†, the type we have only been able to imagine in movies and comic books. Duke University’s Yaroslav Urhumov says the U.S. Department of Defense is a â€Å"major sponsor of metamaterials and invisibility research and backing this up further is Miguel Navarro-Cia of Imperial College London who claims the military’s primary interest was in â€Å"making a cloak†(Wagstaff). Besides the obvious goal of being able to approach and attack enemies sight unseen, there are other possible functions for the military that could also be applied to civilian use such as â€Å"rendering parts of an aircraft invisible for pilots to see below the cockpit, or to rid drivers of the blind spot in a ca r† (Wagstaff). All these improvements and advances could potentially save casualties and be the difference between victory and defeat. Perhaps the most important utilization of metamaterials will occur in the field of medicine where it can directly help treat and save millions of patients. As opposed to bending light waves in order to make something invisible, metamaterials could also potentially lead way to a super microscope that can view objects as small as a singular strand of DNA. As Discover magazine puts it, this could â€Å"turbo charge biological research† (Grant, Hapgood). Conventional optics are hindered by the refraction limit, only allowing objects to be viewed up to a certain resolution, meanwhile â€Å"metamaterials having negative refractive index is theorized to create a lens having better capabilities beyond conventional lenses. A British scientist, Sir John Pendry, proposed that a thin slab of negative metamaterial might overcome the problems with common lenses to achieve â€Å"a perfect lens† that would focus entire spectrum† (Pendry 3966). One of the biggest tools against ca ncer is early detection; the difference between life and death is often determined by the stage the cancer is discovered. â€Å"By developing microwave devices and combining it with structures inspired by metamaterials, it can lead to a very cost effective device that can localize with high precision an abnormality within the human body† (Raghavan, Rajeshkumar 368). Moreover, In the future metamaterials could â€Å"absorb all light, to create heat to destroy cancerous tissue† (Tufts University). The researchers at the Tufts University School of Engineering and Boston University concentrated on metamaterial silk composites that are resonant at the terahertz frequency. At this frequency many biological and chemical components could be possibly used for biosensing in the human body. According to this research â€Å"The silk metamaterial composite is sensitive to the dielectric properties of the silk substrate and can monitor the interaction between the silk and the local environment. For example, the metamaterial might signal changes in a bio-reactive silk substrate that has been doped with proteins or enzymes (Tufts University). All these potential advances show how metamaterials will impact the medical field with great importance. In conclusion, metamaterials can have a advantage over naturally occurring materials due to alterations made at a small scale that allow for manipulation of any incoming waves that come in to contact. Metamaterials have introduced a wide array of possibilities previously thought unreachable. The use of metamaterials will be widely used in different fields and will result in beneficial developments for humanity. Therefore, metamaterials will have an impact on the future of humanity and the perception of what we know. Works Cited Clark, Marjorie. Metamaterials Are Quietly Shaping the Future of Radar 425 Business. 425 Business. N.p., 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. http://425business.com/metamaterials-quietly-shaping-future-radar/>. Hambling, David. 5 Metamaterials That Make Matter Invisible, Silent or Blindingly Fast. Popular Mechanics. Hearst Digital Media, 05 Mar. 2010. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. Luan, Pi-Gang. The Physics of Metamaterials. N.p.: National Central University, n.d. PDF. Metamaterials. Metamaterials. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. http://www.iop.org/resources/topic/archive/metamaterials/>. Tufts University. Implantable silk metamaterials could advance biomedicine, biosensing. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 August 2010. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100812135938.htm>.

The Causes And Solutions For Academic Stress Psychology Essay

The Causes And Solutions For Academic Stress Psychology Essay The present research is aimed to explore the causes and solutions for academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. Survey research design was used to examine the causes of academic stress. Non- probability purposive sampling technique was used to draw the sample of 55 M.Phil and Ph.D students (male students=20, female students=35) of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Indigenous questionnaire was used. SPSS (version 16.0) was used to determine the descriptive statistics of sample and independent sample t-test was applied to compare the academic stress level reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Results indicate that there is no difference in gender and M.Phil and Ph.D students on the level of academic stress. Chapter I Introduction The present research is aimed to explore the causes and solutions for academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. Stress is one of the most crucial of all areas of human understanding (Hancock and Szalma, 2008). The inability to cope with demands placed on a person is referred as stress (Seaward, 2007). According to Blerkom (2009), attending college can be stressful for many students because they are forced to deal with so many new responsibilities, opportunities, challenges, and decisions. This study explored what students themselves said about the stresss causes related to their university. In academic, social, and employment settings, stress is often reported by individuals. The most recognized definition of stress was conceived by Hans Selye over 70 years ago, who stated that stress is the non- specific response of the body to any demand for change (Durstine, 2009). Academic stress falls in the category of performance stresses in which people report being pressured to have high productivity and to meet time demands (McGraw, 2008). The students face different kinds of stressors in their life, such as the pressure of academics with a responsibility of success, uncertain future, and difficulties envisaged for integration into the system (Gilany and Amr, 2010). There are different kinds of academic stressors particular to students such as academic, financial, time, health related and self-imposed types of stressors. Academic stress among students have long been researched on, and researchers have identified stressors as too many assignments, competition with other students, failures, lack of pocket money (Fairbrother and Warn, 2003), poor relationships with other students or lecturers, family or problems at home. Institutional (university) level stressors are overcrowded lecture halls, (Ongori, 2007; Awino and Agolla, 2008), semester system, and ins ufficient resources to perform academic work. Other causes of academic stress can be summation of the number of exams, projects or papers due for students during a specified period of time (Weidner, Kohlmann, Dotzauer, Burns, 1996). Academic stress is viewed as a chronic stress because of the nature of academic demands (Hulstein, 2009) and it varies from individual to Individual (Sulaiman and Akinsanya, 2011). In 2010, Shah, Hasan, Malik and Sreeramareddy conducted a research on undergraduates in a Pakistani medical school. The objectives of their study were to assess perceived stress, sources of stress and their severity and to assess the determinants of stressed cases. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among undergraduate medical students of CMH Lahore Medical College, Pakistan during January to March 2009. The survey was based on questionnaire. Perceived stress scale was used to assess the perceived stress. To assess sources of stress and their severity a questionnaire co nsisted of 33-item was used. Students reported a higher level of perceived stress and mostly were related to academic and psychosocial domains. This research supports that academic issues are also a major source of stress for students. Many college students experience stress as they are concerned about their academic performance. Ross, Niebling and Hecker (1999) conducted a research to determine the major sources of stress among college students. They used Student Stress Survey (SSS). The scale consisted of 40 potentially stressful situations. The scale comprised of interpersonal, intrapersonal, academic, and environmental sources of stress. The items in the scale were classified as daily hassles and major life events. Participants were 100 students at a mid-sized, Midwestern university and varied in year in school, age, gender, and major. Overall, daily hassles were reported more often than major life events, with intrapersonal sources of stress being the most frequently reported source. The top five sources of stress were; change in sleeping habits, vacations/breaks, and change in eating habits, increased work load, and new responsibilities. The findings from this study may be further used to examine which source s of stress cause the highest levels of stress among college students, and may be helpful in creating stress management programs. Students experience stress when they realize that their courses are much more demanding and fast paced than were their high school classes. Lifestyle changes are another common source of stress for college students. Balancing work, home, and school responsibilities puts additional stress on students (Blerkom, 2009). It is not uncommon to see teaching personnel in institutions of learning develop strange attitude and cold feet to work which leads to academic stress. Most often, classes are skipped and when they are not skipped, they are abrupt. Evaluations (both formative and summative) are handled carelessly. Teachers role as models, guide or counselors, are no longer the usual parlance. When all these happen, the teacher, the students, and infect, all educational resources suffer (Sulaiman and Akinsanya, 2011). In 2010, Conner, Pope and Galloway did a study to explore what students themselves said about the causes of their school-related stress and then looked at ways to reduce it. They gathered data from 2006 to 2008, from 3,645 students, attending seven high performing high schools in the California Bay Area. Many students reported feeling stressed out, overworked, and sleep deprived. More than 70 percent of students reported that they often or always feel stressed by their school work, and 56 percent reported often or always worrying about such things as grades, tests, and college acceptance. The schools that participated in this study joined a research-based intervention program. This program guided school teams of multiple stakeholders as they design and implement site-based policies and practices that reduce student stress and promote greater student engagement, academic integrity, health, and well-being. Academic stress can have both positive and negative consequences if it is not well managed (Agolla Ongori, 2009). Fisher (1994) provides an overview of the effects of stress on performance, daily efficiency and health, and reports the results of research into stress in academic environments (for both staff and students). She explores the origins and nature of academic stress, personal vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms and proposes ways in which individuals can be helped. She emphasizes how working conditions and practices must be changed in order to reduce stress in academic life. When students perceive excessive or negative stress they experience physical and psychological reactions to stressors (Misra Castillo, 2004). Excessive amount of stress that is experienced by university students can have negative academic, emotional, or health outcomes (Marshall, Allison, Nykamp, and Lanke, 2008). Students psychological and physical well-being can be also affected by college classroom challenges and it is another negative impact of academic stress (Hall, Chipperfield, Perry, Ruthig, and Goetz, 2006). Academic stress can also lead to depression and physical illness (MacGeorge, Samter, Gillihan, 2005). It is important to the society that students should learn and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that will in turn make them contribute positively to the development of the general economy of any nation (Agolla Ongori, 2009).   Objectives The purpose of the present research is to know the causes of academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of different departments of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Solutions for the reported causes are also find out in this research. It will make the University administrator to know how to monitor and control the stress factors that are responsible for the students stress. Research Questions What are the causes reported by students that lead to academic stress? What are the solutions for the causes of academic stress? Is there any difference in the level of academic stress of M.Phil and Ph.D students? Is there any gender difference in the level of academic stress? Chapter II Methodology Research design Survey research design was used to examine the causes of academic stress reported by the M.Phil and Ph.D students of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Sample and Sampling Strategy Non- probability purposive sampling technique was used to draw the sample because the choice of the sample was contingent upon the availability and consent of the participants. Sample was drawn on the bases of following inclusion criteria. Day scholars currently enrolled in the M.Phil program. Day scholars currently enrolled in the Ph.D program. Male and female students currently enrolled in M.Phil or Ph.D program. Hostelites are not included due to rule out confounding. Sample consists of 55 M.Phil and Ph.D students (male students=20, female students=35) of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Sample was drawn from different departments of University of the Punjab, Lahore such as center for high energy physics, department of statistics, department of physics, department of economics, institute of chemistry, and department of botany because it is the purpose of the research to find out the academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Demographic characteristics of the sample are given in Table 1. Table 1 Demographic Characteristics of the Sample (N= 55) Characteristics Male students (n=20) Female students (n=35) Age in Years 21 24 3 (15.00) 25 (71.40) 25 28 10 (50.00) 10 (28.60) 29 32 7 (35.00) 0 (0.00) Programme M.Phil 12 (60.00) 25 (71.43) Ph.D 8 (40.00) 10 (28.57) Job Status Yes 10 (50.00) 5 (14.30) No 10 (50.00) 30 (85.70) Marital status Married 5 (25.00) 2 (5.70) Unmarried 15 (75.00) 33 (94.30) Instruments Academic stress questionnaire was developed by the researchers in order to determine the causes of academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of University of Punjab, Lahore. First part of the questionnaire pertained the demographic information (name, gender, age, programme, job status and marital status) of the participants. In second part section I was consisted of 21 statements of causes of academic stress. Each statement has four possible options as always (1), often (2), sometimes (3), and never (4). The participant was asked to encircle any one of the four options which was appropriate for them. The II section was consisted of 13 statements of causes of academic stress and the participants were asked to encircle those statements which are mostly faced by them. The Cronbachs Alpha reliability of scale I is .82 and of scale II is .504. Procedure To formally initiate the study an authority letter explaining nature of study was taken from the department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore and then signed by the supervisor to collect the data. Consent form was prepared and finalized to obtain participants willingness to participate in the research. The data was collected from the different departments of Punjab University. Authority letter explaining nature and purpose of the study was provided to the chairpersons/heads/principals of the Departments of the University if the Punjab, Lahore. The heads of the departments allowed researchers to collect data and some of them referred the researchers to the coordinator for further help, who settled time with researchers for data collection. On the fix day the coordinator took the researchers in the class where the students were available. The subjects were approached and were briefed about the purpose of the research. After their consent and willingness to partici pate in the research, questionnaires were given to fill up. The questionnaires were completed in the researchers presence. Some departments arrange the classes for data collection and were very cooperative. But some department allows collecting the data after classes timing. Institute of Biochemistry did not allow to collect the data from their students. Statistics SPSS (version 16.0) was used to determine the descriptive statistics of sample and independent sample t-test was applied to compare the academic stress level reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Qualitative analysis was used to find out the solutions given by the students. Chapter III Results The present research is aimed to explore the causes and solutions for academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. Non- probability purposive sampling technique was used to draw the sample. Sample consists of 55 M.Phil and Ph.D students (male students=20, female students=35) of University of the Punjab, Lahore. Indigenous questionnaire was used and following results are obtained. Table 2 Causes of academic stress reported by students (n=55) Causes of Academic Stress Often + Sometimes + Always (% ) Never (%) Solutions Teachers cover too much of the course content in their lecture which causes difficulty in assimilation of the knowledge. 83.60% 16.40% 20 Teachers teaching method is difficult to comprehend. 69.10% 30.90% 23 Too many assignments are given by teachers in a limited time. 67.30% 32.70% 20 Some teachers give assignments which are beyond the course content. 54.60% 45.40% 14 Some teachers give assignments which are beyond the course content. 78.20% 21.80% 32 The students do not have any choice for the number of credit hours per semester. 85.50% 14.50% 25 Difficulties in gathering data for research project. 41.80% 58.20% 13 Unplanned workshops with credit hours between 2-6 hours which enhance work loads for the students. 80.00% 20% 27 Students shyness towards asking questions. 65.45% 34.55% 14 Difficulty in completing group assignments due to the lack of pre plan distribution of workload among the group members. 80.00% 20% 19 Subjective biasness in allocation of grades. 61.82% 32.73% 20 Little training for power point presentation. 67.27% 32.73% 20 Insufficient facility for power point presentation with multimedia. 83.64% 16.36% 23 Class rooms are not well equipped to promote optimal learning. 72.73% 27.27% 23 Class rooms furniture is not conducive for lengthy classes. 83.64% 16.36% 22 Lack of alternative arrangements in case of sudden power breaks up. 100% 0% 19 Poor access to internet. 87.27% 12.73% 25 Lack of printing facility in computer room. 80.00% 20% 26 Lack of facility for photo copying in the library. 80.00% 20% 25 There is no latest reading material in the library. 87.00% 13% 24 Study is often affected by class mates chatting. 67.30% 32.70% 17 Table 3 Difference in the Level of Academic Stress Reported by M.Phil and Ph.D Students of Punjab University, Lahore. M.Phil Students (n=37) Ph.D Students (n=18) 95% CL Variable M SD M SD t(53) p LL UL Cohens d Reported Academic Stress 58.05 7.16 61.56 11.44 -1.39 .17 -8.55 1.55 -0.31 Note. Cl = confidence interval; LL = lower limit; UL = upper limit. Table 3 represents the results of difference in the level of academic stress reported by M.Phil (M=58.05, SD=7.16) and Ph.D (M=61.56, SD=11.44) students of Punjab University, Lahore. The results t(53)=.17,p Table 4 Difference in gender on level of academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. Male Students (n=20) Female Students (n=35) 95% CL Variable M SD M SD t(37.54) P LL UL Cohens d Reported Academic Stress 59.15 9.38 59.23 8.70 .031 .91 -5.08 5.24 .23 Note. Cl = confidence interval; LL = lower limit; UL = upper limit. Table 4 represents the represents the results of gender difference in the level of academic stress reported by male (M=59.15, SD=9.38) and Ph.D (M=59.23, SD=8.70) students of Punjab University, Lahore. The results t(37.54)=.91,p Qualitative Analysis of Solutions given by Students Item 1 Out of 55 students, 46 (i.e. 83.6%) reported item 1 as a cause of academic stress. 20 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Course should be according to the credit hours and cover properly. Teachers have to focus on the topic so that main concepts of students can be clear and not to cover the course. Teachers should cover the course that can be bearable for students in the limited semester time and easy to prepare. Increase the number of working days. Increase the number of working days so that course can be completed with in time, inside schedule classes. Item 2 Out of 55 students, 38 (i.e. 69.1%) reported item 2 as a cause of academic stress. 23 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Teachers should present the material with diagrams. Teachers should be explanatory. There should b teacher training sessions. Practical aspects of topic should be high lighted. Modern and latest methodology must be used. Item 3 Out of 55 students, 37 (i.e. 67.3%) reported item 3 as a cause of academic stress. 20 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Assignments should be limited. Topics should be allocated early. Focus should be on quantity not on quality. Item 4 Out of 55 students, 30 (i.e. 54.6%) reported item 4 as a cause of academic stress. 14 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Assignments should be about course. Assignments should be relevant to contents. Main points should be explained. Item 5 Out of 55 students, 43 (i.e. 78.2%) reported item 5 as a cause of academic stress. 32 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Choice should be given not only for credit hours but also for subjects. Participants of students should made compulsory in policy making process. Item 6 Out of 55 students, 467(i.e. 85.5%) reported item 6 as a cause of academic stress. 25 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Research should be given in time. Research supervisor must be helpful and give proper guide line. Government should provided official data websites. Facilities for data collection should be provided. Item 7 Out of 55 students, 23 (i.e. 41.8%) reported item 7 as a cause of academic stress. 13 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Workshops should held but for 1-2 hours maximum. Workshops should be in week days not in off days. Workshops should be planned according to the subject. No such work shops should be planned. Number and quantity of work shops should be pre planned. Item 8 Out of 55 students, 44 (i.e. 80%) reported item 8 as a cause of academic stress. 27 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Teachers should be lenient. There should be student teacher understanding. Teachers should be more encouraging towards the students. Teachers should be friendly. Teachers behavior should be motivating. Item 9 Out of 55 students, 36 (i.e. 65.45%) reported item 9 as a cause of academic stress. 14 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Marks should allotted for effort of group and there should a leader in the group. The assignment should be given individually rather than in group. The other solutions are group member should be cooperative and There should be plan for group work. Item 10 Out of 55 students, 44 (i.e. 80%) reported item 10 as a cause of academic stress. 19 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: There should be no favoritism by the teachers. It should be abolished. There should be external examiner Paper should be shown to the students after the marking. Item 11 Out of 55 students, 34 (i.e. 61.82%) reported item 11 as a cause of academic stress. 20 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: There should be a proper computer classes as a course work. And there should be seminars and workshop on it Item 12 Out of 55 students, 37 (i.e. 67.27%) reported item 12 as a cause of academic stress. 20 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Department should provide facility Multimedia should be fixed in the classes Administration should take step. Item 13 Out of 55 students, 46 (i.e. 83.64%) reported item 13 as a cause of academic stress. 23 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: The infrastructure should be good There is need of over head projector in every classroom. The other solutions are noise due to fans must be reduced; Mick for teachers also provided, Proper air condition and heater in summer winter respectively should be facilitate. Item 14 Out of 55 students, 40 (i.e. 72.73%) reported item 14 as a cause of academic stress. 23 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: The chairs should be comfortable more chairs should be provided Item 15 Out of 55 students, 46 (i.e. 83.64%) reported item 15 as a cause of academic stress. 22 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: UPS generator should be must provide to each department. Item 16 Out of 55 students, 55 (i.e. 100%) reported item 16 as a cause of academic stress. 19 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: IT center must be well established, department lab should be upgrade, WIFI signal should also be provided. Item 17 Out of 55 students, 48 (i.e. 87.27%) reported item 17 as a cause of academic stress. 25 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: The printing facility should be provided in the computer lab. Item 18 Out of 55 students, 44 (i.e. 80%) reported item 18 as a cause of academic stress. 26 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Photocopy machine should be buy by the department. Item 19 Out of 55 students, 44 (i.e. 80%) reported item 19 as a cause of academic stress. 25 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Library should be upgrade. Department should increased the budget to buy latest books and journals. Good books must be under assessed by the students. Item 20 Out of 55 students, 48 (i.e. 87.2%) reported item 20 as a cause of academic stress. 24 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Labs should be well equipped. Funds should be increased. Instruments, chemicals should be provided by increasing funds. Sufficient number of computers should be provided in Ph.D lab. Infrastructure should be improved. Item 21 Out of 55 students, 37 (i.e. 67.3%) reported item 21 as a cause of academic stress. 17 students gave the solution to overcome this cause. The basic solutions are: Chatting should not be happened. Students should be well mannered and teachers should be little bit strict in this way. There should be fine. Any other cause and solution Result is mostly late in the department. It should be in time. For M.Phil students there is no time for job. The time table should be in such a way that students can do their jobs. Communication problems associated with students about faculty so there should b regular arranged meetings between advisor and chairman. Libraries must b provided with latest books and research related material. Favoritism is a major problem. Unbiased teachers irrespective of beauty and gender of students must be hired. Institute should be politics free. Proper counseling and guidance for students. Chapter IV Discussion The primary purpose of the present research was to explore the causes and solutions for academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. This chapter discusses the major findings of the research with reference to the topic under study. Data was drawn from different departments of Punjab University, Lahore. This research investigated the common causes of academic stress among the students and to what extent students experienced stress. The results indicated that there are a lot of causes of academic stress reported by students. The analysis was done by calculating the percentage of respondents who gave a high rating on the causes of academic stress. The result indicates that students do experience academic stress due to many reasons related to their departments as shown in Table 2. The finding is consistent to earlier studies (Ongori, 2007; Awino and Agolla, 2008; Ross, Niebling and Hecker 1999). Our finding reflects that, most of the students are experiencing stress in their daily academic activities. Amponsah (2010) conducted a study to investigate stress levels, experiences of stress and coping strategies of non-UK students studying at the University of Manchester, UK. The main purpose was to consider their perceived stress levels, their experiences of stress and their coping strateg ies and to link these to the continents from which they came, their gender and whether they were graduates or undergraduates. This research consisted of two phases. Survey method, perceived stress scale (PSS), the inventory of college students recent life experiences (ICSRLE) and the coping inventory for stressful situations (CISS) were used. Key findings indicated that, time pressure and work demands were the non UK students most stressful experiences. Gender was the most significant predictor of non-UK students stressful experiences, whilst female students expressed higher levels of distress than their male counterparts. The results indicate that there is no difference in gender on level of academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. There is also no difference in the Level of Academic Stress Reported by M.Phil and Ph.D Students of Punjab University, Lahore. The ratio of male and female students and M.Phil and Ph.D students was not equal in s ample so the results can not be generalized. Students also gave solutions to these academic stresses. The percentages of these solutions are in table 2. Students gave the solutions to academic stress related problems and also reported some others problems and their solutions. Many problems are related to the course content and to the facilities. 100% students reported academic stress due to the lack of alternative arrangements in case of sudden power breaks up. More than 80% students reported course content as a cause of academic stress. More over they reported that politics in academia, gender and subjective biasness and late result declaration also caused academic stress. Limitations and Suggestions The sample size was small because M.Phil and Ph.D students enrolled less than the other students. Some departments did not allow to collect data from their students. Ratio of male and female students is also not equivalent because female students are more than the male students in Punjab University, Lahore. Ratio of M.Phil and Ph.D students is also not equivalent because M.Phil students are more than the Ph.D students in Punjab University, Lahore. More over Ph.D students are not easily available in the departments. The sample size should be large so that results can be generalized. The university should take action to sort out the problems of the students. So that their stress can be reduced and they can give more concentration to their studies. Conclusion The present research explored the causes and solutions for academic stress reported by M.Phil and Ph.D students of Punjab University, Lahore. Many causes are reported that leads to the academic stress. It has been concluded that there is no differences in M.Phil and Ph.D students in reporting academic stress fur

The Big Experience on the Golf Course :: essays research papers

The Big Experience On the Golf Course   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Golf is a big experience for me in the first place. Three reasons why this certain tournament was such an experience was because I was the leader of our team. It was for pride against the other players we were playing, and it just was not for the pride it was also for the money and that played a big role in it also. Golf has brought me a long way like going to college and the way I look at certain things now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being the captain of our team was a big privilege but it also made me very nervous. I knew that I had to do my part and carry our team because they were counting on me more than anybody else. This was the first time I was ever the leader of the group or the captain as most people call it. Before we started I had a lot of bad thoughts rushing through my head like what if you don’t play good or your team mates get mad because you don’t hit a good shot or that I am not as good as they think I am. This was really a lot of pressure to me, believe it or not. We stepped on the first tee and all my teammates teed off and it was my turn. I teed my ball up took a deep breathe, stepped up to the ball and hit it straight down the middle. My teammates told me â€Å"great shot Dell.† That really relaxed me and I played so good. I was on my game all day long and nothing was going to get my way, not even a tree. I just felt like I could not do anything wrong that day. I kind of felt like I was a machine because everything was just so nice and smooth like a routine would be. Anybody that plays golf on a regular basis knows what I am talking about whenever I say â€Å"my swing just felt so good and smooth.† My teammates were really impressed with my skills. After we were through they were bragging to all the other teams about how good I was and how far I could hit a golf ball. That made me feel good and that I did everything that I could to help out my team. They were really a great team The Big Experience on the Golf Course :: essays research papers The Big Experience On the Golf Course   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Golf is a big experience for me in the first place. Three reasons why this certain tournament was such an experience was because I was the leader of our team. It was for pride against the other players we were playing, and it just was not for the pride it was also for the money and that played a big role in it also. Golf has brought me a long way like going to college and the way I look at certain things now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being the captain of our team was a big privilege but it also made me very nervous. I knew that I had to do my part and carry our team because they were counting on me more than anybody else. This was the first time I was ever the leader of the group or the captain as most people call it. Before we started I had a lot of bad thoughts rushing through my head like what if you don’t play good or your team mates get mad because you don’t hit a good shot or that I am not as good as they think I am. This was really a lot of pressure to me, believe it or not. We stepped on the first tee and all my teammates teed off and it was my turn. I teed my ball up took a deep breathe, stepped up to the ball and hit it straight down the middle. My teammates told me â€Å"great shot Dell.† That really relaxed me and I played so good. I was on my game all day long and nothing was going to get my way, not even a tree. I just felt like I could not do anything wrong that day. I kind of felt like I was a machine because everything was just so nice and smooth like a routine would be. Anybody that plays golf on a regular basis knows what I am talking about whenever I say â€Å"my swing just felt so good and smooth.† My teammates were really impressed with my skills. After we were through they were bragging to all the other teams about how good I was and how far I could hit a golf ball. That made me feel good and that I did everything that I could to help out my team. They were really a great team

The Apocalypse of William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch Essay -- Apocalyps

The Apocalypse of William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man. (William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, p. 7) In 1980, William S. Burroughs delivered a speech at the Planet Earth Conference at the Institute of Ecotechnics in Aix-en-Provence titled ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’.1 In this speech, Burroughs, following religious tradition, says that the four horsemen of the apocalypse are Famine, Plague, War, and Death and moves on to prophesise a more contemporaneous apocalypse. In Burroughs’ apocalypse, War and Plague, for example, have become allies; this alliance, Burroughs announces, ‘was cemented with the first germ experiments’ (Burroughs, 1984, p. 12). The danger of these experiments lies in their ability to not only create new viruses but to also turn them into biological weapons. But for Burroughs there is a significant similarity between a twentieth-century-specific apocalypse, with its radiation and contaminants, and the religious apocalypse of the four horsemen. For Burroughs, both types of apocalypse ‘have no meaning outside of human c ontext, they are in fact human inventions’ (p. 17). More specifically, they are the essential flaws in what Burroughs calls the ‘human artifact’ (p. 17) and in our evolution as a species. For Burroughs, the only way out is to first understand that our biological destiny ‘is in Space, and that our failure to achieve this is the basic flaw in the human artifact’ (p. 24). This speech constitutes Burroughs’ first appearance in the scene as an apocalyptist. Previous to this, he was best known as one of the fundamental members of... ... and McCain, Gillian, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (London: Little Brown and Company, 1996) Morgan, Ted, Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs (London: Pimlico, 1991) Mottram, Eric, The Algebra of Need (Canada: Beau Fleuve Series, 1971) Murphy, Timothy S., Wising Up the Marks: The Amodern William Burroughs (London: University of California Press, 1997) Pounds, Wayne, ‘The Postmodern Anus: Parody and Utopia in Two Recent Novels by William Burroughs’ in Poetics Today, 8:3-4, 1987, pp.611-629 Seltzer, Alvin, Chaos in the Novel, the Novel in Chaos (New York: Schocken Books, 1974) Ziegesar, Peter von, ‘After Armageddon: Apocalyptic Art Since the Seventies: Tactics of Survival in a Postnuclear Planet’ in Strozier, Charles B. and Flynn, Michael, eds., The Year 2000: Essays on the End (London: New York UP, 1997)

The Golden Greek :: Running Yiannis Kouros Papers

The Golden Greek One April morning Spring became intoxicated She is intoxicated and is singing and is dancing madly She has become intoxicated by her joy, by her flowers the bee hive too has buzzed, oh! this spring intoxication. One afternoon in April, you fell in love, oh heart! You fell in love and you are weeping, you're ashamed but don't admit it You became intoxicated by the moon and your intoxication does not subside, you became intoxicated by the nightingales by the sweet swallows, One eve in April I will turn into a night bird so that I can see your shadow and all your carryings on. So that I can become intoxicated with you and discover your soul so that I can remember your gaze and the taste of your kisses. -y kouros "There's the world class, the elite, then there's Yiannis." Trishul Cherns For those of you out there who know who Yiannis Kouros is, but cannot believe a normal person could do what he has done (so you call it talent) open your eyes right now and realize that Yiannis is a man who has overcome many things throughout his life and has learned from each of them, has made something good out of virtually nothing. He is just a man, he is not a "Greek God," but he has done many great things which many of us cannot even comprehend. The funny thing is that Yiannis couldn't comprehend them before he did them, either. Yiannis is a very special person who has a deep understanding of his own existence. That understanding is why he can run as he does, as a Golden Greek gone Australian. Yiannis Kouros holds world records for 12, 24, and 48 hours, 6 days, and 1,000 miles. He is also the owner of many Greek and Australian records, along with the many course records he has set along his way. To state it this simply tells nothing of Yiannis himself. One can say, for lack of understanding, that it is pure talent that this man has. That each of his records was set by him with complete ease, as if he were exempt from experiences every runner goes through in any ultra race. Yiannis obviously has talent, as do all of the world class ultra runners. It is what is in his mind that pulls him so far above that level.

Does the Art of Science Vitiate the Science of Art? Essay

INTRODUCTION   Why there would be ripples in the modern art world, if a 17th century artist is found to have used an instrument to perfect his art? It all started when David Hockney, a British artist, started his research on artists, mainly of the Renaissance Period, when observed some ‘suspicious details’ in the works of Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), an artist of Holland, who, like many of his contemporaries had failed to make his rank in his time and thus struggled all along, before getting recognized and appreciated posthumously. The fact that he could master only 30 paintings indicates about the roadblocks he had before him.   However, he has been ‘rediscovered’ presently and his works are now lauded for its wonderful details, which are found to be one up in his time, mainly for their precision. The Situation It was that precision, which caught the fancy of David the researcher. Stunned by the perfect perspectives and light distortions in Vermeer’s paintings. David delved deep into matter and came out with a conclusion that Vermeer might have used a refracting device, such as a ‘Camera Obscura’, to achieve that incredible degree of precision in the details in his paintings. Camera Obscura It is one of the early optical instruments, presumed to have been invented in the late Renaissance period, around the time Galileo, the inventor of Telescope. However, Hockney`s new evidence seems to suggest that the usage of magnifying tools like Camera Obscura were there well before that. That’s a good finding. The Art of Science Camera Obscura is a light-tight box with a small whole on one side, through which an image of an outside object can be projected onto a wall or piece of paper. The resulting image will be projected upside down. This is due to the fact that the reflected rays of light, which enter the box, do not spread out but traverse and reorganize, before reappearing as an upside down reflection. The size of the pinhole determines the sharpness of the reflected image, as well as the degree of diffraction and the level of light sensitivity. The narrower the passage of light, the lesser sensitive is the image. Moreover, narrow holes result in sharper projections and a better image resolution – since the resulting circle of confusion, the distortion of bright areas caused by the shape of the pinhole, will be smaller. This situation also calls to define the resultant diffraction from a particularly small pinhole, which causes a rather unfocused projection of the image. This phenomenon can be explained by the wave theory of light, which states that light behaves like a wave. Diffraction, in this case, refers to the dispersion of waves (light) when passing through the pinhole, which produces a hologram effect. The smaller and closer to the lights’ wavelength the hole is, larger the proportion is in the diffraction pattern, compared to a larger opening. To further increase the brightness and focus of the image, artists started to use a lens instead of the pinhole. It is really heartening to imagine that some of the artists of the Renaissance Period experimented on such nuances of diffraction towards gaining unbelievably realistic, almost photographic paintings. Vermeer’s Endeavor Situations indeed indicate that Vermeer might have used a Camera Obscura to enhance his paintings. Firstly, Vermeer didn’t seem to have used any sort of sketches or preparatory drawings while on his way towards producing paintings with incredibly realistic details and perspective in them. That couldn’t have happened if such works were done manually. His work, â€Å"Soldier and Laughing Girl†, where an amazingly detailed map can be seen hanging on the wall in the background, consolidates this assumption – even after zooming, the map seems to be an exact replication of a map at the time. How could he achieve such precision at one go, if he didn’t use any instrument? Another indication is the presence of bright, round reflections on reflective surfaces. Almost all the reflections in Vermeer’s paintings have an unusually circular shape. We now believe that these round reflections are circles of confusion, which are caused by the imperfection of the lens through which the image is reflected or can occur when the lens is not focused. Such unusually round reflections are distortions of bright areas caused by the shape of the pinhole of the Camera Obscura. One of the most famous examples of such a circle of confusion is the reflection in the girl’s earring in Vermeer`s masterpiece â€Å"The girl with the pearl earring.† Thirdly most of his paintings seem to take place in the same room. A reason for this could have been the size and weight of the apparatus. It might have been too laborious and time consuming to move the optic device in those days. Furthermore, in his painting â€Å"The Music Lesson†, there is a mirror on top of the piano, which reflects the leg of an object, which could have been a Camera Obscura. Science of Art Even though the indications point towards Vermeer’s using of optical instruments, that should be seen as a bold, and nonetheless creative endeavor, which aligns with the intellectual movements of that period – considering the treatise and texts about optics circulated then – only substantiates Vermeer’s contemporary approach towards his work, when people of 17th century had been exploring the possibilities of mirrors and lenses – it was then, even with low quality lenses and bad resolution, Vermeer and his colleagues would have been able to create incredibly detailed pictures. Lastly, the use of such instrument at that time could not have lessened the value of the art. It is assumed, that the painters using a Camera Obscura, merely used the projection of the image as a foundation, a sketch, on which they would paint. Since the projection of the image would be like a movie in color and every movement of the object would distort the artist drawing, only certain features of the object could be taken down on paper, leaving the rest to be done by the artist him/herself. CONCLUSION Artists of 17th century could not be totally dependent on Camera Obscura – they had to add in their own imagination, creativity and hard, manual labor. Attaining precision was just a part of their whole aim, and the attempt to achieve that by using an instrument cannot be hyped as something demeaning in the approach of the artists who did that. It is clear that those artists simply used Camera Obscura to increase precision or shorten the sketching time. There is nothing more in this useless debate, as the choice and combination of colors, the brush strokes, the shading, the technique and much more that take to make a great image, were done all by the artists themselves. To quote Hockney – â€Å"The lens can’t draw a line, only the hand can do that†, would be enough to block this controversy for once and all. Therefore this has nothing to do with any useless debate on the ethical violation of the creative processes involved in painting. It could have been so, if Vermeer did his works with blood, or stole or plagiarize someone else’s idea.