Ancient Chinese Contributions Essay

As a young child growing up in Chicago Illinois, I remember my family excitedly preparing for the fourth of July fireworks show that took place annually at the Navy Pier. I remember staring up into the Chicago sky at night in anticipation of the first round of fireworks. The crowed all around me excited and ready for the show. From the beginning of the show with the first explosion and until the last firework faded into the night, I was riveted, almost in a spell. At that time when I was a child, I made no connection between the Chinese and this great spectacle that I loved to see. As I have grown older I have learned many things that escaped me when I was a child. I can remember sitting at home waiting for Kung Fu Theater to begin, I can recall most of the settings taking place during the early feudal times in China. I never really paid much attention to the display of fireworks in some of these movies or any of the other numerous inventions that the Chinese developed over time. I made no connections at all, now looking back it all makes sense, I understand the significance of those things I witnessed as a child. Now I understand the quality of life many of those things invented so long ago have afforded me today. The following is an excerpt from the Minnesota-China Connection website; You may think that fireworks are as American as the Fourth of July, but we would not have them without Chinese inventiveness. The first fireworks might have been an accident. Legend tells that a cook discovered the ingredients for black powder, and quickly the Chinese were entertaining themselves with beautiful displays in the night sky. In the year 1161, the Chinese used explosives for the first time in warfare. And who invented cannons and guns? The Chinese, of course. They also used gunpowder to make primitive flamethrowers and even explosive mines and multiple-stage rockets. The use of gunpowder in weapons gave those with access to the technology a greater ability to protect themselves from enemies or to conquer and control others. It greatly affected the balance of power in many parts of the world. Chinese firearms, fireworks and gunpowder were popular items of trade along the Silk Route (or Silk Road) to Europe. 1994-2011, The Franklin Institute) When I was a child I enjoyed fireworks so much that it has stuck with me all these years and so much that I made sure my children had the chance to experiences it too. Another memory comes to mind much later on in life and was while I was serving on board the USS Donald Cook DDG 75. I can recall one summer while we out to sea doing weapon systems certifications. During one particular evolution we fired more than 180 rounds from the ships 5† 54 main gun. After that evolution nearly every corner of the ship reeked of cordite. This particular assignment brought that memory back. This is the first of the most important inventions ever. Not just because of fireworks, but because the invention of gun power enabled the average man to hunt for food more effectively, kill his prey from a greater distance and take down larger animals. It also enable man to defend his family, home, community and or country. The second greatest invention would be paper, printing and publishing, this Chinese invention could be arguably the number one most important invention in the history of man. But if I had to chose with having paper or a gun, I will take the gun every time. But the ability to record and preserve information efficiently, could have only been done with the invention of paper. The ability to duplicate important documents for larger consumption by the general population could not have happened without this invention. Here is another excerpt from the Minnesota-China Connection website; In almost every respect, the Chinese were at the forefront of developing the printed word. In 105 A. D. Ts’ai Lun invented the process for manufacturing paper, introducing the first use in China. The paper was superior in quality to the baked clay, papyrus and parchment used in other parts of the world. By 593 A. D. , the first printing press was invented in China, and the first printed newspaper was available in Beijing in 700 A. D. It was a woodblock printing. And the Diamond Sutra, the earliest known complete woodblock printed book with illustrations was printed in China in 868 A. D. And Chinese printer Pi Sheng invented movable type in 1041 A. D. Exported to the Western world, it is similar to the technology that German printer Johann Gutenberg used in the 1450s to produce his famous editions of the Bible. And in 1155 A. D. , Liu Ching produces first printed map in China. The impact these inventions had on the educational, political and literary development of the world is simply incalculable. (1994-2011, The Franklin Institute) The third greatest Chinese invention would be the plow, this enabled man too master agriculture. This invention has been modified many times over the years but still maintains its basic function. It is the reason that large metropolitan centers are sustainable today. Without this invention the leap in agricultural production may never have taken place and we would undoubtedly live in a very different environment . Here is another excerpt on this subject from the Minnesota-China Connection website; Around the Third Century B. C. , China produced the moldboard plow for tilling farmland. This ground-buster had a wing-shaped cast-iron blade that turned up the soil more easily and efficiently. Eventually, these plows would revolutionize agriculture in the Western world. Chinese farmers greatly improved the ability of horses to pull wagons or plows with the â€Å"collar harness. † Unlike the â€Å"throat harnesses† used in Europe, the collar harness did not choke the animal. When horses breathed easier, they could pull more weight greater distances. The wheelbarrow is another laborsaving device invented by the Chinese during the First Century B. C. These one-wheeled wonders wouldn’t even exist in Europe before the 11th or 12th Centuries. The forth most important invention would be the compass, without the compass we would not be as effective exploring and mapping out our environments. This is what enabled us to cross the oceans as well as continents with certainty of location. The compass is at the heart of the GPS systems today, we use them every day now. We have them in our phones as well. We don’t have to pick up street maps if we don’t want too. This is without a doubt one of the greatest inventions the Chinese developed. We would be lost without the compass today. Here is another excerpt from the Minnesota-China Connection website on the subject ; By the third century AD, Chinese scientists had studied and learned much about magnetism in nature. For example, they knew that iron ore, called magnetite, tended to align itself in a North/South position. Scientists learned to â€Å"make magnets† by heating pieces of ore to red hot temperatures and then cooling the pieces in a North/South position. The magnet was then placed on a piece of reed and floated in a bowl of water marked with directional bearings. These first navigational compasses were widely used on Chinese ships by the eleventh century AD. The Chinese have invented so many things that go hand in hand with our life styles today. It is safe to say we would in no way be as comfortable or as efficient without those inventions. In addition to those inventions I have listed, here are a few more inventions that compliment the afore mentioned developments. The kite, a wonderful invention that led to the discovery and development of electricity later in history. Cast iron from the fourth century B. C. E. , also used in the development of the plow. The Horse Collar was another invention that enabled horses to be more effective when moving and pulling large loads. (1994-2011, The Franklin Institute) The Chinese developed collar was far more effective than western collars that literally choked the horse under strain from large loads. And lastly but in no way the least is the Wheelbarrow. Developed in the first century B. C. E is one of the most useful tools ever invented. If you have a home with a large amount of land then you will and can appreciate this unassuming tool. It is one of the greatest inventions to me because its powered by me and enables me to keep my property clean, fertilize and mix compounds with potting soil for flower beds. I move leaves, rocks and other debris on my property. (1994-2011, The Franklin Institute) The wheelbarrow is one of the most overlooked inventions the Chinese developed, it is one of those tools that you do not know that you need until you have to move large quantities of material, soil, mix concrete or clean up after a storm. That’s why it is my favorite and the most important invention to me, even though I do very much appreciate all the other inventions as well. (1994-2011, The Franklin Institute)

Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster, genetic cross Research Paper

Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster, genetic cross - Research Paper Example This basic level of research upholds the future of genetic research and leads into exciting new discoveries for the future. Introduction: The insect species known as Drosophila melanogaster, or the fruit fly, is an extremely valuable model for genetic research. Both current and historical discoveries have been made using fruit flies. Research on gene function all the way up to the Nobel Prize-winning level has been performed using these insects (Mummery, Wilmut, Stolpe, & Roelen, 2010). One famous example of historical research is that of Thomas Hunt Morgan of Columbia University in the early 20th century. Morgan had been hoping to study spontaneous mutation, but instead found something far more useful: he was the first to understand sex-linkage in hereditary traits (Kandel, 2000). Fruit flies are so valuable as research models in part because of the peculiarity of animal evolution that resulted in the genetic structure of the fruit fly being similar to much more complex animals such as humans (Mummery et al., 2010). Because of this, developmental and cellular growth activities are very similar, and results learned from Drosophila melanogaster can be extrapolated into research potential for other organisms. Their rapid generation time and small size mean that while other organisms could be extrapolated in the same way, fruit flies are ideal for laboratory work in a way that rodents or larger mammals are not. They are also commonly used because the sequencing of their genome is functionally complete, making research into gene function more efficient. Once a gene sequence is known, it is easier to follow that gene through breeding and determine its function (Celniker et al., 2000). The most basic level of fruit fly genetic studies involves crossing and observing the results of visible phenotypic mutations. The most obvious of these phenotypic mutations involve the wings, as these are easily seen under low levels of magnification. Of these obvious wing mutations, the most easily identified is the apterous phenotype. Flies possessing the apterous phenotype completely lack wings and are flightless. Examples of the various wing mutations can be seen in Figure 1 below. Fig. 1 Drosophila melanogaster wing mutations. 1 = notch, 2 = delta, 3 = vestigial, 4 = antlered, 5 = curled, and 6 = apterous (Shevchenko, 1968) Since this mutation is so easily identified, it reduces the chance of observational error when counting the results, and so the apterous mutation is the one being studied in this experiment. The apterous phenotype is recessive, and a cross between these apterous flies and the wild-type is a simple monohybrid cross. Therefore, using Mendel's laws as a guide, the F2 generation of this cross is hypothesized to produce a ratio of wild-type to apterous flies of 3:1 (Flagg, 1981). This is the null hypothesis. Conversely, the alternate hypothesis is that the ratio will be something other than 3:1. Materials and Methods: The materials used in th is experiment were pure-bred wild-type Drosophila melanogaster, pure-bred apterous Drosophila melanogaster, plastic culture vials and stoppers, food media made from Formula 4-24 Instant Drosophila Medium, used for fly growth, breeding, and storage. For the counting and observation portions of the experiment, the materials needed were an ice water bath, petri

ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Essay Example to their customers by pursuing a cost leadership strategy; this strategy seeks to reduce production and transportation costs as much possible to offer a competitive product (Jaquier 2010). These savings can then be passed onto the customer, who then receives a cheap product. This type of organizational can be used as a short-term measure to increase sales and attract customers, but there is little profit to be made over the long term. Another organizational approach that retailers can use to add value to their customers is a differentiation strategy. In this approach, an organization seeks to make products that are of superior value to competitors’ products. The focus is not so much on price but on offering products that are hard to find and of high quality. Customers who are attracted to this strategy prefer products that are high quality even though the price may be a little more than market average. These types of customers are often loyal to one brand because they place so much emphasis on brand quality. The last approach used by retailers to add value to their customers is a focus approach, which is a combination of the first two strategies. In this approach, retailers attempt to offer quality products at low prices. This approach is one that is very hard to implement during the initial stages of an organization’s entry to the market because of the level of expertise required. Retailers that are already established in the market more often than not have the tools required to implement such an approach. This generally comes about through a well-developed supply chain that can reduce unnecessary costs. One retailer that provides a lot of value to its customers is Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is an established retailer in the American market that pursues a focus strategy; no other retailer can match Wal-Mart’s low prices with the same amount of quality. Wal-Mart’s motto of â€Å"Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything† (DInnocenzio 2011) is one that is attractive to

The strategies of advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The strategies of advertising - Essay Example To come up with the Assessments, you have first to consider the risks and opportunities. Some additional things to consider are the future expectations, expected competitions and the consumer attitudes. The second part: action entails what should be done about the opportunities and issues related to the assessment. For instance, the action that is to be taken with respect to technological trends, media and competition. Precisely, to address all these issues of advertising, you should make use of the product brand, its direct market and social media podia. Now this article is based on the Commercial: Men’s men and Women’s women; Acura Integra. And this is an advertisement that mainly entails the advertisement of gender televisions and commercials for instance a quoted by Steve Craig in pg. 57, â€Å"Large advertisers and their agencies have evolved the pseudo-scientific method of time purchasing based on demographics, with the age and sex of the consumer generally consi dered to be the most important predictors of purchasing behaviour† (Craig, p57). Strategies involve campaigns designed by the business to inspire potential customers to buy a product. These strategies are aimed at targeting the audience perceived to be most probably out of the populace to buy the product. Advertising strategies entail elements like price points, geographic settings, and perceived demographics of the customers, special offers and advertising media like websites, television, or billboards used to display the product. Considering our main Commercial: Men’s men and Women’s women, a gender television and commercial, we relate them to a specific drink for instance beer. It is clear that those particular ads that display beer as a guy drink and associates it’s drinking to only guys who like fishing trips, girls and bars, are missing the point (Barthel, p58). Quite the reverse, both genders can get themselves some weight after drinking this

Recession in Dubai 2008 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Recession in Dubai 2008 - Research Paper Example The average economic growth rate of the UAE economy between 2000 and 2007 was 7%. The economy is heavily reliant on petroleum and property investments (World Economic Forum, par 1). In particular, Dubai of the other emirates of the UAE was hit hardest. This is because the state (emirate) of Dubai is not as much endowed with oil resources as her sister emirates (Prasadjain, par 6). For this reason the state is left to attract foreign investment, partly in banking, construction and the real estate. It is the combination of these economic-supportive structures that the turmoil was founded in Dubai. Overall, Dubai came out heavily bruised by the crisis. Saif and Chucair (pp 3) argue that the UAE was not cautious enough so as to set up a ceiling for speculative investments that would in the end throw its banking system in disarray. In their view, Saif and Choucair (pp 3) this failure to caution the economy from the aforementioned investments led to serious problems in trying to deflate the growing property bubble. The onset of this situation meant a collapse of several foreign investment companies. To further complicate the situation, the UAE government failed in guaranteeing equitable working conditions for both local and foreign workers. The working conditions for foreigners, most of who worked for foreign companies that brought in substantial capital inflow turned for the worse, deplorable in the words of Saif and Churcair (pg 4). This was a major catalyst for an across-market shrug among these companies. A major walk out was imminent at this point, but the government was clever enough to secure the interests of its citizenry by placing them ahead of the foreign investors. This left these companies, which were initially troubled by failing prospects in their home countries, very little space to further influence events in the country. While foreign investment

Green marketing(is it ethical to use green marketing just to convince Essay

Green marketing(is it ethical to use green marketing just to convince customers to buy the companies products) - Essay Example The present essay is based on the book ‘Sign Wars: The cluttered landscape of advertising’ by Goldman and Papson (Goldman et al, 1996). It deals with the meaning and practice of green marketing, its concepts as developed by the advertising industry, its effectiveness both to genuinely care for the environmental concerns and to hoodwink the public etc. It deals with the ‘signs’ attached to the products with a view to promote sales, even as companies defend their record of environmental concerns. Relevant case studies are included to argue that green marketing has been more of a self-promotion gimmick than any real concern for responsible corporate behaviour. 1 (a). Goldman and Papson, trace the evolution of advertising industry from 1920s, when the competitive market forces were compelling industries to entice consumers to buy their products. They point out that in order to sell more and more of the products, advertisers â€Å"†¦created a social world in which (a consumer’s) identity is expressed through consuming commodity signs† (Goldman, 1996, p.187). These commodity signs represented a â€Å"†¦social process of branding goods, that is, endowing goods with value and capacity to fulfill a variety of desires† (p.188). In this process, the advertisers used, â€Å"†¦nature as a referent system from which to derive signifiers for constructing signs† (p.191). â€Å"Commodities like cars and cigarettes are placed in the landscape settings labeled ‘natural’ and juxtaposed with natural objects† (p.192). By 1980s, advertising that started with nature as a referent system, progresse d to ‘green marketing’ to position nature itself as the subject of the ad †¦(only) to hail the viewing subject† (p.192). Thus commodities are positioned as environmentally friendly, and corporations 1 (b). Automation and mass production of the last century, led to severe competition. To compete, it was not enough for the

Immigration Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Immigration - Personal Statement Example I want to help people in the future who may face tribulations the same way she did. I want to be a legal professional who can stand up for the rights of all of the downtrodden, and those in difficult situations. I also want to achieve social change and equality. I ask myself what can I do as one person to change any situation. The answer is that I can do everything as long as I accept the challenge of being an agent of change regarding social progress for families and children, for the continuing pursuit of social justice through law, with a personal focus on divorce law and immigration. In terms of the growth and change I have experienced while vicariously experiencing my mother's divorce as a child, I learned my legal internship that being involved in legal work requires a great deal of leadership and determination; leaders in the field must ensure the success of their clients in every way possible by being effective team players who can make definitive, goal-oriented decisions based on skills and experience I have also learned through experience that it is not only dreams of success that bring people to the field of law. I care deeply about what happened to my mother in her divorce, and what happens to many.