Astronomy of history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Astronomy of history - Essay Example Consequently, this gave them the capability to compute the surface temperature of about minus-418 degrees Fahrenheit. The findings showed that the icy balls around Pluto that was given the nickname Xema. .Xema was among the largest objects to be discovered orbiting Earth’s sun after the 1846 identification of Neptune. This findings of 2003 UB313, was 1,860 miles, take 250milles added debate on whether this icy ball should be considered a planet. Moreover, the findings discovered were announced on July 2005 illustrated to astronomers that the icy ball was definitely larger that Pluto, since it looked in a surprising manner bright in the sky, although it is nine billion miles from the sun. Apparently, the similarities between Pluto and 2003 UB313, extend beyond size and reflectivity. Similar to Pluto, 2003 UB313 also has a moon and has methane ice on its surface. These findings brought out more debates as planet definition in different context made it a planet. This mission is important, as it helps astronomers to put more thought on what a planet really entails. Consequently, most research in the past have described planet as any object in the solar system large enough that gravity has shaped it into a sphere or anything larger than planet Pluto (heacademy.ac.uk). Generally, this report will help stakeholders in the astronomy and science fields put a clear definition on what a planet should entail. However, the finding of the report will not be of any interest to the general public who are not interested in science. Therefore, the report is only relevant to astronomers. My preconception of the article before reading it was that, a planet like object in the solar system, which is bigger that Pluto can be classified as a planet. However, going through the report changed this preconceptions as it shows how complicated the definition of a planet is. The fact that the definition of planet

German Aesthetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

German Aesthetics - Essay Example These ideas pursue to estimate to a demonstration of cogent ideas (Makkreel, 1990). According to Makkreel (1990), by Critique of the Power of Judgment, he demanded that a work of art is a media by which an artist may express such an idea, a notion that may not immediately be intelligible. For Kant, a notion is an idea whose objective merely can’t be met in experience. He illustrated a difference between the notions of the understanding, which forge instincts into skills and the pure ideas of reason, the notions that won’t be mixed with any instinctive fundamentals and hence remain beyond the understanding of experience. He believed that the onset of beauty is a product of the contemplative judgement. The art philosophy can be explained by close analysis of its guiding principles. He intended to differentiate art as a source of desire from entertainment as a source of cordiality. An aesthetic judgement concerning a piece of art must be unbiased. The idea of functionality is also predominant in the second indicated objective of Kant’s philosophy of art that is to differentiate art from craft. After identifying the main features of these judgments, Kant then requires to ask the question of how such judgments are likely. And are such judgments in any manner valid (Kemal, 1986). In the development of his treatment of beautiful art, he confers fine art in relation to the fabrication of human relics. He Associates fine art to the arts and makes remarks about the relation amid the beauty of art and that of nature, demanding in specific that fine art resembles to us like nature in that it must appear free and genuine. He also gives a classification of the numerous fine arts and a contrast of their respective aesthetic value, with poetry topping and music. Of interest, within Kants explanation of fine art, is his argument of how beautiful

The Pros And Cons Of Desalination

The Pros And Cons Of Desalination Desalination is a technological solution that some believe would provide ample supplies of additional water resources.   Discuss the pros and cons to this technological solution and whether or not you support it.   Less than 3% of the earths natural water is viable for human use and consumption. This brings light to the need for a solution to the quickly depleting resource in the rapid growth of population, industry, and increased overall use of water. What is desalination? Put simply, desalination is the conversion of seawater and or brackish water into consumable quality water. To elaborate, this process can be done through a few different methods depending on the location and need for quality, the main process being distillation and reverse osmosis (preferred method). Of the more than 7,500 desalination plants in operation worldwide, 60% are located in the Middle East. The worlds largest plant is in Saudi Arabia. In contrast, 12% of the worlds desalination capacity is in the Americas, with most of the plants located in the Caribbean and Florida. To date, there are currently 23 proposed desalination plants on the coast of California. With these facts in mind it is the responsibility of human kind to weigh the benefits and the consequences of this somewhat deceivingly simple solution. Pros: There is no doubt that an answer to the ongoing discussion of the potential exhaustion of water is indeed overdue. With that in mind, facts supporting the use of desalination as a good alternative remains to be seen. One factor supporting the use of desalination is that desalination can provide a backup water source and a partial solution to a growing problem. While some believe that the use of desalination plants can provide an infinite supply of water and make it possible to put an end to the depleting resource, in reality, as idealistic as this illusion may be, it is far from true. Another favorable point includes the idea that desalination can remove drug contaminated water and other substances such as arsenic and fluoride which is an ongoing issue in places such as Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It should be noted however, that the use of desalination is not currently present in either place, and the likelihood of implementing a plant, anytime in the near future, is most lik ely unattainable due to topographical and economic limitations. Another supporting idea proposes that desalination may reduce the need to take additional water from the environment and, in some cases, offers the opportunity to return water to the environment. In some areas it is proposed that desalination facilities may help reduce the dependence of local water agencies on climate sensitive sources of supply. Furthermore, desalination is currently an efficient and reliable water source in use among military operations world wide including naval ships. It is also used on some cruise ships as a reliable source of potable water. Cons: Desalination is costly not only ecologically but economically. Desalination costs are subjective due to many factors, which include location and methodology, making comparisons complex and estimates vague. For example, Tampa Bay Floridas desalination plant ended up $48 million dollars over its original estimate and is still not in full working capacity due primarily to poor planning. Previous desalination plants have cost in upwards of an estimated $100-$150 million dollar range, just to start the facility, this does not include what it costs to run after it is already built. Although Costs have come down over the past decade, as technology has become more efficient, desalination still perpetuates a cost of approximately $500-$2,000 per acre foot of water (325,000 gallons), compared with approximately $250 per acre foot for water in urban Los Angeles, and $10 per acre foot paid to the federal government by farmers in the Sierra foothills, according to Haddad, the author of Rive rs of Gold: Designing Markets to Allocate Water in California (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2000). Furthermore, the assumption that desalination costs will continue to fall may be false, in fact future costs may actually increase. Another negative factor is that more energy is required to produce water from desalination than from any other water-supply or demand-management option in California, this in turn brings to light the concern of further dependence on fossil fuels. Conversely, it should be noted that the use of fossil fuels can and has been reduced in many facilities by using solar, wind and wave energy to power the facility. According to an executive summary by the pacific institute desalination can produce high-quality water however it may also introduce biological or chemical contaminants into our water supply this will weigh heavily on the design and location of the plant and should be monitored heavily by local government agencies to ensure consumer safety. Desalination produces highly concentrated salt brines that may also contain other chemical pollutants. More specifically, seawater contains approximately 35,000 parts per million of salt. During the reverse osmosis, water molecules are strained through membranes while the salt particles are retained by the membrane and result in a reject stream nearly twice as salty (70,000 ppm) as seawater. Safe disposal of this effluent presents a significant challenge. Additionally and perhaps of the most devastating of the negative aspects to this process is the Impingement and entrainment of marine organisms. This is among the most significant of the environm ental threats associated with seawater desalination. Impingement occurs when marine organisms are trapped against intake screens by the velocity and force of water flowing through them. The inevitable outcome of impinged organisms varies between intake designs as well as marine life species, age, and water conditions. Some resilient species may survive impingement and be returned to sea; however the 24-hour survival rate of less healthy and/or juvenile fish is potentially less than 15%. Entrainment happens when smaller organisms pass through an intake screen to the processing equipment. Organisms entrained into processing equipment are projected to have a mortality rate of 100%. The number of affected organisms will, of course, vary with the volume and velocity of feed-water as well as the mitigation measures developed to minimize impact. Lastly, the use of desalination is a concern because with its implementation and commercialization, the general public could potentially begin a m ore relaxed view of water use than they already do. Meaning, if people think that we have manufactured a solution to the need for conservation there will not be a need to be water use conscious e.g. the more we have the more we spend. This can lead to higher costs to the environment, more unnecessary development and less environmental consciousness. While desalination is what some have considered the holy grail of water scarcity issues, the reality seems quite the contrary. One of the most difficult factors being faced in light of desalination seems to be the idea that desalination has not been in use long enough to perpetuate actual evidence of overall environmental impacts. With that in mind, an environmental analysis conducted under CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) should consider the assessment of cumulative impacts not only of the proposed project but future projects (and existing facilities) in the area. These impacts would include the cumulative entrainment/impingement impacts, cumulative energy consumption, cumulative growth-related impacts, and cumulative wastewater urban runoff impacts. These factors are especially important in areas where pre-existing air quality, water quality and ecosystem health are already compromised. More specifically, developed areas wher e water use is higher and environmental impacts are considered / monitored, have the potential of being the proverbial guinea pig when it comes to testing the idea at max capacity. This information should also be part of heavy public education to ensure a full public understanding of its costs and benefits as part of most growing problems in the world come with the lack of education and understanding. Furthermore, there is little evidence that desal plants are any more or any less of an impact than other alternatives, not because they are incapable of causing issues but more because the potential issues have not been fully investigated. Primarily the concern is that the pressing issue and urgency may prematurely cause major environmental impacts (especially long term) to be overlooked or dismissed as something we can conquer at the time it becomes an issue. This vary idea is precisely the reason why most, if not all, environmental catastrophes currently exist. Question is, when is t he woops factor going to cause all parties involved to finally get a clue? In closing, the benefits and consequences of desalination are vast and seem to be vaguely understood. While on some levels desalination should be considered as a supplemental potable water source, many other alternatives which are far less costly economically and environmentally do exist. These alternatives include treating low-quality local water sources, encouraging regional water transfers, improving conservation and efficiency, accelerating wastewater recycling and reuse, implementing smart land-use planning and fixing leaks in already existing distribution pipes and plants. Furthermore a tax deductible option to home owners encouraging water wise appliances and repair allowances should be considered as an encouragement to fix what we already have. For example it is estimated that US Homes Leak 1 Trillion Gallons of Water Annually, which is said to be enough water to supply the entire state of Colorado for three years! Is desalination the answer? To me, it seems a desperate attem pt to band-aid a far larger and blaringly obvious issue. If we continue to use and waste, as a human species, regardless of the solutions we find, our existence will inevitably be self limiting.

Two Conceptions of Freedom or Two Appearances of a single Conception? E

In his essay "Two Concepts of Liberty," Isaiah Berlin distinguishes between two conceptions of freedom, namely negative and positive conception of freedom. Basically he defines negative liberty as the absence of coercion. He states: "To coerce a man is to deprive him of freedom" (121). According to him, coercion is the intention to interfere in the freedom of an individual. Thus, absence of coercion is absence of deliberate, intentional coercion. For him, negative liberty requires an immune area, away from the obtrusive action of other people. For the accomplishment of freedom "[s]ome portion of human existence must remain independent of the sphere of social control" (126) However, achievement of negative liberty, creation of the immune area from coercion, is contingent upon the authority to be kept at bay. Therefore, the position of authority, which entails coercive powers, should be controlled in order to make them accountable to the people, whose fre edom, immunity from coercion depends on. Positive liberty, on the other hand, is, not freedom from coercion, but freedom to determine one's own destiny: it is self-determination. In this sense positive liberty is a necessary condition of human being, right to choose, right to determine ones behavior. Berlin maintains that the negative and positive concepts of liberty are "at no great logical distance from each other," but in reality they are profoundly divergent, in fact irreconcilable,...

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (Bars)

Question: What techniques discussed in this chapter did he seem to apply? Answer: The technique discussed in this chapter did Mr. Trump seem to apply is behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS). It is an appraisal method that aims at combining the benefits of narrative critical incidents and quantified ratings by anchoring a quantified scale with specific narrative example of good or poor performance. There are five steps required to developing the BARS which the first one is write critical incidents.On this step, it is required to ask persons who know the job (jobholders and/or supervisors) to describe specific illustrations (critical incidents) of effective and ineffective job performance. The second step is develop performance dimensions which people group the incidents into five or ten dimensions and then define each of the dimension. The example of the dimension is salesmanship skills, skill in monetary transactions, bagging skills, human relation skills and so forth.The third step of developing BARS is reallocate incidents that verify these groupings and have another team of people who also know the job reallocate the original critical incidents. From the second step and the critical incidents, a cluster definition has been concluded and must reassign each incident to the cluster which is fits best. For example, 50 per cent to 80 per cent of this second team assigns it to the same cluster as did the first group. The next step is scaling the incident which the second group were rate the behavior described by the incident as to know how effective or inefficiently it represents performance on the dimension.The last step of developing BARS is developing a final instrument which chooses about six to seven of the incidents as the dimension’s behavioral anchors. However, there are some advantages when developing the behaviorally anchored rating scale. The first one is more accurate gauge which people know and do the job and its requirements better than a nyone develop the BARS and finally was producing a good gauge of job performance. Secondly is has a clearer standards. The critical incidents along the scale illustrate what to look for in terms of superior performance, average performance, and so on.Meaning that, they will know how good they are in term of performance. Third advantage is getting the feedback which the critical incidents make it easier to explain the ratings to appraisees. Next advantage is it has independent dimensions. Clustering the critical incidents into five or six performance dimensions should help to make the performance dimensions more independent of one another. Lastly, consistency is the advantage where the BARS-based evaluations seem to be relatively reliable, in that different raters’ appraisals of the same person tend to be similar.

Ikea Operations Management Essay

Profile: ikea IKEA is the world’s most successful mass-market retailer, selling Scandinavian-style home furnishings and other house goods in 230 stores in 33 countries and hosting 410 million shoppers per year. An acronym for founder Ingvar Kamprad and his boyhood home of Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd, IKEA began operating in Sweden in 1943 and continues its original ethos based upon cost obsession fused with design culture. No design, no matter how inspired, finds its way into the catalogue if it cannot be made affordable. With an aim of lowering prices across its entire offering by an average of 2% to 3% each year, its signature feature is the flat packed product that customers assemble at home, thus reducing transportation costs. Yet, unlike some peers, IKEA has sustainability at heart and, through an internal mantra of ‘low price but not at any price’ is a leading example of sustainable innovation and business growth.The company designs its own furniture, which is made by about 1,500 suppliers in more than 50 countries. It also sells online and by mail order with the print run for the 2006 catalogue hitting 160 million – more than the Bible, so IKEA claims. Finding the right manufacturer for the right product is a key component of the company’s success. It once contracted with ski makers – experts in bent wood – to manufacture its Poang armchairs, and has tapped makers of supermarket carts to turn out durable sofas. Simplicity, a tenet of Scandinavian design, also helps keep costs down. For example, the 50 cents Trofà © mug comes only in blue and white – the least expensive pigments. IKEA’s conservation drive extends naturally from this cost-cutting. Adding to the challenge, the suppliers and designers work to customize some Ikea products to make them sell better in local markets. That said, the global middle class, that IKEA targets, shares buying habits: The $120 Billy bookcase, $13 Lack side table, and $190 Ivar storage system are its best-sellers worldwide and average spending per customer globally is even similar: According to IKEA, the figure in Russia is $85 per store visit – exactly the same as in statistically more affluent Sweden. IKEA operates approx 25 US stores, which account for 11% of the company’s sales and Germany is its biggest market, accounting for nearly one-fifth of revenue. Sales have been growing steadily each year thanks both to expansion of its store network and the ongoing price cuts – 18 new stores were opened in 2005 and the retailer reduced prices by 3%. Such expansion has kept IKEA’s turnover rising – in 2005 by 17.3% to $18.8 billion from $16.0 billion in 2004. And, although being privately held IKEA’s profit figures are not published, conservative estimates put pretax operating profits at around $1.7 billion. IKEA maintains these profits even while it cuts prices steadily with operating margins of approximately 10% being among the best in home furnishing. To keep growing, IKEA is accelerating store rollouts in both large outlet and new high-street formats. Nineteen new large outlets are set to open worldwide in 2006, at an average cost of $66 million per store. The firm plans to boost their profile in three of its fastest-growing markets: In Russia, where it is already a huge success in Moscow, in China, where is has a strong footprint, and in the US, where the goal is to have 50 outlets by 2010. IKEA demonstrates that, when underpinned by strategic partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers, providing access to affordable contemporary design, in an exciting, yet simple format can be a winning formula. Where and when did IKEA start? What does IKEA stand for? Who founded IKEA? Find out all about the history of IKEA and the timeline of the store’s development in this article. IKEA founder, Ingvar KampradIngvar Kamprad The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began his business career as a young boy selling matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbors near Agunnaryd. As his business grew, he expanded to selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens which were a new phenomenon in 1935. He was very clever in utilizing his resources – he delivered his goods by bicycle, and later used the local milk delivery vehicle to make deliveries. IKEA In 1943, with a gift from his father, Ingvar established his business, using his initials, Ingvar Kamprad, the name of the farm on which he was born, Elmtaryd and the village nearby, Agunnaryd for the acronym. At this time, he was selling everything from pens and wallets to watches and nylon stockings by going door to door and selling directly to his customers. By 1945, the first advertisements for IKEA began showing up in local newspapers and he had developed a rudimentary catalog. IKEA Catalog Locally manufactured furniture first showed up in the IKEA product range in 1947 and was received positively by its customers. It wasn’t until 1951 however that Ingvar began to focus only on furniture and discontinued all other products from the IKEA product range. The first IKEA furniture catalog was published that same year and 2 years later, in response to competition, the first furniture showroom opened in the village of Älmhult. This same competition caused other furniture stores and manufacturers to put pressure on suppliers to boycott IKEA which led to the critical decision to design their own furniture beginning in 1955. IKEA Flat Pack Furniture ikea_lovet_table.jpgIt’s difficult to overstate the importance of this turn of events. Designing furniture for their own stores allowed IKEA to focus on low prices, improve function and ultimately led to the success of the company. Around this time, an employee removed the legs of a table in order to fit it into the trunk of a car and avoid transportation damage, which began IKEA thinking about designing furniture to be flat packed. In 1956, IKEA began testing the concept of flat pack to reduce costs through reduced transportation expenses, lowered storage space requirements, decreased transportation damage and reductions in labor costs. The IKEA Lovet table, pictured left, was the first IKEA product designed as flat pack furniture. http://www.ikeafans.com/ikea/ikea-history/ikea-history.html Ingvar Kamprad The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began his business career as a young boy selling matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbors near Agunnaryd. As his business grew, he expanded to selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens which were a new phenomenon in 1935. He was very clever in utilizing his resources – he delivered his goods by bicycle, and later used the local milk delivery vehicle to make deliveries. History of IKEA IKEA was founded in Älmhult, Sweden, in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. He founded the company at the age of 17. IKEA is an acronym incidentally similar to the Greek word ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± [oikia] which means (home) and to the Finnish word oikea (correct, right), but actually was originally an abbreviation for â€Å"Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd†. Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd comes from the address where Ingvar Kamprad started the company IKEA initially. Originally, IKEA sold pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewelry and nylon stockings or practically anything Kamprad decided is a needed product on reduced price. Furniture was first added to the IKEA product range in 1948. In 1955, IKEA began to design its own furniture. The company motto is: â€Å"Affordable Solutions for Better Living.† At first, Kamprad sold his goods out of his home and by mail order. Later a store was opened in the town of Älmhult. It was also the location for the first IKEA â€Å"warehouse† store which came to serve as a model for IKEA establishments elsewhere. On March 23, 1963, the first store outside Sweden was opened in Asker, a Norwegian municipality outside Oslo. IKEA has grown step by step into the world’s largest furniture retailer. There are 202 Ikea stores in 32 countries. Of these, 180 stores belong to the Ikea Group. The remaining 22 stores are owned and run by franchisees outside the Ikea Group. Products Available IKEA’s products are used from the customers for the whole furnishing of a home. Customers may find everything they need and basically furnish their houses â€Å"from the forks to the chairs†. The products available are: * Storage furniture; * TV solutions; * Small storages; * Sofas and armchairs; * Tables and desks; * Chairs and lighting; * Decoration and mirrors; * Floors; * Textiles and rugs; * Beds and mattresses; * Cooking and eating; * Furniture care and hardware; * Kitchen cabinets and appliances; * Bathroom furniture; * Clothes storages; * Safety products;