Mathematics Invented or Discovered Essay Example

Mathematics: Invented or Discovered Essay When Newton saw an apple drop from an apple tree he had an epiphany.That epiphany was the concept of gravity.Even though no one before Newton had ever thought of gravity, it had always existed and had always made apples drop from trees.Newton discovered and put a name to the concept of an object being pulled towards the earth; he did not invent gravity.Just as gravity wasnt invented, math wasnt invented.It was discovered. Math describes nature and the events in nature.Rabbits reproduce exponentially, energy is equal to mass multiplied by the speed of light squared, density equals mass divided by volume, etc.Math has been present long before man ever invented thefirst mathematical symbol.As long as there is nature and natural events, there is math. Man has always had a sense of math.This sense of math was his ability to distinguish quantities.For example, a Neanderthal knew that the more deer he killed, the better.He had a sense of math in that he had a sense of the amount (or quant ity) of those deer. That Neanderthal could not realize that killing thirty deer would provide him with more food than killing twenty deer (at least in terms of numerical value).What he would realize is that more deer provide him with more food.Although the Neanderthal did not have the knowledge of numbers, he still had a basic understanding of math when he established that more deer would be better than less deer. Math illustrates the relationship between matter in the universe.Before math was discovered, it existed as relationships in nature.Now that we analyze math and invent symbols and numbers to express it more efficiently, it is still the same math that the Neanderthal experienced, just in a different form.

Mileva Maric and Her Relationship to Albert Einstein and His Work

Mileva Maric and Her Relationship to Albert Einstein and His Work A 2004 PBS documentary (Einstein’s Wife: The Life of Mileva Maric Einstein) highlighted the role that Albert Einsteins first wife, Mileva Maric, may have played in the development of his theory of relativity, quantum physics, and Brownian motion. He doesnt even mention her in his own stories about his life, however. Was she really the brain behind the scenes, his silent collaborator? Mileva Maric and Albert Einstein’s Relationship and Marriage Mileva Maric, from a wealthy Serbian family,  began studies in science and math at a male prep school and got high grades. She then studied at the university in Zurich and then Zurich Polytechnic, where Albert was a young classmate four years younger than she was. She began failing in her studies after their love affair began and around the time she became pregnant with Albert’s child- a child born before their marriage and which Albert may never have visited.  (It is not known if she died in early childhood as she was ill with scarlet fever around the time Albert and Mileva finally married but may have been put up for adoption.) Albert and Mileva married and had two more children, both sons. Albert went to work at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property, then took a position at the University of Zurich in 1909, returning there in 1912 after a year at Prague. The marriage was full of tensions including, in 1912, an affair that Albert began with his cousin Elsa Loewenthal.  In 1913, Maric had the sons baptized as Christians. The couple separated in 1914, and Maric had custody of the boys. Albert divorced Mileva in 1919 at the end of World War I. By that time, he was living with Elsa and had completed his work on General Relativity. He agreed that any money won from a Nobel Prize would be given to Maric to support their sons.  He quickly married Elsa. Maric’s sister Zorka helped care for the children until she had a series of psychiatric breaks and Mileva’s father died.  When Albert won the Nobel Prize, he sent the prize money to Mileva as he had promised.   Her mother died after Albert fled from Europe and the Nazis; one of her sons and her two grandsons moved to America. The other son required psychiatric care- he was diagnosed with schizophrenia- and Mileva and Albert fought over funding his care.  When she died, Albert Einstein was not even mentioned in her obituary.  Maric is barely mentioned if at all in many books about Albert Einstein. The Arguments for This Collaboration Einstein’s letters show that he thought little of his wife’s hopes and dreams to be a scientist.Letters show that she served as an assistant to her husband in writing his papers.Letters also show that she served as a sounding board, that he talked over his ideas with her and she gave him feedback.In some letters Einstein talked of their collaborating, though in general terms: â€Å"we’ll diligently work on science together† for instance.A friend later reported that in 1905 Mileva had said that she and her husband had finished some important work together.Soviet scientist Abram F. Joffe who saw originals of three of Einstein’s key papers said they were signed Einstein Marity, with Marity being a version of the name Maric.Albert Einstein gave his Nobel Prize award money to Mileva Maric. The Arguments Against Being a sounding board and assistant do not equate to collaborating in the creation of Einstein’s revolutionary theories.There’s no hard evidence for any real contribution on the part of Mileva Maric to the content of Einstein’s theories.The statement to a friend in 1905 may be a later legend.The reference to â€Å"Einstein-Marity† likely reflects a Swiss custom of adding a wife’s name to the husband’s, according to some Einstein scholars, and the only reference that can be located to a reference to this dual name by Joffe is a clear reference to Albert Einstein alone.Mileva Maric never claimed publicly to be a collaborator on Albert Einstein’s work, and never asked for credit.Einstein’s giving his Nobel Prize money to his ex-wife was part of a divorce settlement, and was a way of supporting her and his two sons from their marriage. There’s no indication it was done to acknowledge any contribution she made to his scientif ic work. Conclusion The conclusion, despite the documentary’s original strong claims, seems to be that it’s unlikely that Mileva Maric contributed substantially to Albert Einstein’s work- that she was literally his â€Å"silent collaborator.†Ã‚   However, the contributions that she did make- as an unpaid assistant, helping him while pregnant and her own scientific career was falling apart, possibly with the stress of the difficult relationship and her out-of-wedlock pregnancy- demonstrate the difficulties which were peculiar to women of the time and which made their actual success in the sciences far more of a hurdle than what men with equivalent backgrounds and earlier education had to transcend.

Giovanni Baronzio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Giovanni Baronzio - Research Paper Example In particular, these paintings form the first narrative cycle to have been used in teaching human beings about the life of Jesus Christ. The paintings were introduced into programs of church decorations. However, the paintings could not capture the miracles performed by Jesus Christ (Bailey 19). (Bailey 31) Artist: Giovanni Barozio Size: 500x382px Genre: Christian painting Material: panel Date of completion: 1352 The painting of Giovanni, especially the scenes from the life of Christ date back to the time of Constantine. Constantine had devoted more time in building quality buildings in the holy land to honor the life and events that surrounded the life of Jesus Christ. The scenes of Christ represented the nativity at Bethlehem. The mosaic represented the nativity and the adoration of Christianity. It is necessary to note that: â€Å"scenes from the life of Christ† were symbolic rather than being narrative in character (Bailey, P 7). Scenes from the life of Christ paintings ca pture Jesus’ life moments such as annunciation, Joseph’s dream, and the presentation in the temple, the adoration of the magi, the flight into Egypt, and the brutal killing of infants by King Herod. The images of the infancy of Christ illustrated both the canonical gospels and various apocryphal texts (Carvalho 57). In clearly capturing the life of Jesus Christ, Giovanni’s â€Å"scenes from the life of Christ† concentrated on the physicality of Jesus and spiritual elements. The crucification of Jesus Christ on the cross was well captured by Giovanni through paintings. Dark colors have been used to represent the gloomy mood that surrounded the Crucification of Jesus Christ. In addition, after the death of Christ, Darkness in the paintings shows the 6 hour total darkness that followed (Carvalho 57). Historical Context Scenes from the life of Christ show deep devotion into Christ as well as the development of humanism in early 1300s. The carving was made of ivory and was owned by rich members of the society. The paintings of Giovanni Baronzio represented spiritual devotion as well as being used as educational aids. The composition of the â€Å"scene from the life of Christ† painting is structured in various levels. There are panels in the painting that are further subdivided in three horizontal rows. Each row aims at showing and representing the life of Jesus Christ at each stage (Kanter 49). Christ’s early life is captured in the bottom row. The painting represents the annunciation of Jesus Christ. During this period, angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, informing her of Jesus Christ’s birth. Giovanni paintings show the period of Jesus’ birth. In particular, the Holy Spirit has been symbolized by the alighting dove. In showing where the Holy Spirit was meant to be, Giovanni painted the dove top be perching on Mary’s forehead. Mary’s purity was represented by Giovanni through the use of lilies (Kant er 50). The next painting represented nativity in the life of Jesus Christ. The painting has images of Mary looking lovingly at the face of the newly born baby Jesus Christ. In addition, the paintings included the images of donkeys and ox; these animals have been used to represent the humility represented by such animals in the society. The birth of Jesus Christ would be well captured by scenes of humility. Humility could only be captured through painting images of donkeys

Five Secrets of Charismatic Leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Five Secrets of Charismatic Leader - Assignment Example It enables people to go beyond the confines of mediocrity and tread into the realm of existence. In the process, it induces people to define their desires and to pursue them with passion. Ultimately, leadership transforms potential into reality. Charisma has been identified as one of the characteristics of transformational leaders. Tasler indicated that â€Å"displaying charismatic leadership is one of the most effective ways to boost everything from motivation and creativity to productivity and plain old satisfaction† (Tasler, 2010, par. 2). In this regard, leaders who do not seem to possess the charismatic qualities have renewed hope to develop the rudiments for honing this potential. Through a research conducted by Francesca Gino from Harvard Business School and David Hofmann of the University of North Carolina, the secrets of unraveling the charismatic powers in leaders are revealed. As presented by Tasler, there are specifically five steps to assist leaders in developing a more charismatic personae, to wit: (1) through a definition of the main character; (2) identifying the ultimate goal or the happy ending; (3) pinpointing the weakness of the current situation; (4) identifying the alternative courses of action; and (5) encourage outpouring of emotions. Simply put, Tasler’s advice is focused on: â€Å"charisma can be conveyed simply by using emotional words. Incorporate such words as nervous, afraid, and frustrated to heat up your descriptions of the not-so-happy beginning, and then use words like excited, confident, proud, and peaceful to make the happy ending feel happier. The goal is to create a stark contrast between the unpleasant feeling of the place they are currently in and the wonderful place they can go to if they do what you ask† (Tasler, 2010, par. 12).

Responsible luxury business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Responsible luxury business - Research Paper Example For holding their positions in the market the companies design their luxury businesses in sustainable way. This helps the firms to enhance the core values of their business. Sustainable business approaches of luxury businesses benefit the environment and their employees. As a result these companies are able to create strong position in market. This research paper deals with the luxury brand Gucci. Sustainability of this luxury business will be discussed in this paper. Various sustainable approaches of this company will be highlighted here. This research paper will focus on views of different authors regarding sustainability in luxury business. A business incorporates different standards for making its luxury business more sustainable. As per the authors, Crane and Matten, in the modern business environment sustainability has become an important factor for achieving growth and success. Sustainable business creates positive impact on employees, customers and society. With the help of sustainable approaches a company enhances its business activities. The authors state that in the changing business environment the luxury companies are focusing more on their responsibilities towards society, employees and environment. They are performing various activities which help them to portray their corporate social responsibilities. The products of the luxury brands are highly desired by people. These products are of high standards. For this reason the luxury companies maintain their standards by performing good social activities. Brand name or reputation of luxury business plays a vital role in selling their products. When this type of company performs various sustainable activities then its reputation gets enhanced and the po pularity of the brand increases. Therefore sustainable business processes of luxury business help the company to attract more customers (Crane and Matten, 2010). According to the authors, Moore and

Introduction To Electrochemical Sensors Xi Meng Engineering Essay

Introduction To Electrochemical Sensors Xi Meng Engineering Essay This paper is mainly focused on three parts: introduction to electrochemical sensors Simply describe the working principle, main components breathable film, electrode, electrolyte and filter ,influencing factors and selectivity 3)Introduce sensor types (potentiometric sensors, voltammetric sensors and amperometric sensors, review and discuss some examples (Solid-State Reference Electrodes, Ion selective, Carbon Based Materials, Novel Materials/ composites) on the research of electrochemical sensors classified by sensor type for future research. [Key Words] Electrochemical sensor, electrode, potentiometric, Ion selective It can be tracked back to the 1950s, when electrochemical sensor was first used to monitor oxygen. To the mid-1980s, small electrochemical sensor began to be devoted into detecting a variety of different toxic gases within PEL range, and showed great sensitivity and selectivity. Currently, various electrochemical sensors are widely used in many static and mobile applications in order to protect the personal safety. Working principle Electrochemical sensors work by reacting with the gas to be measured, and showing electrical signals reflecting the gas concentration. Typical electrochemical sensor is made up of the sensing electrode( or working electrode) and the counter electrode, separated by a thin electrolytic layer. Firstly, gas reacts with the sensor through tiny capillary-type openings, then reaches the hydrophobic barrier, and ultimately reaches the electrode surface. Using this method allows an appropriate amount of gas reacts with the sensing electrode to form a sufficient electrical signal while preventing electrolyte leaks out the sensor. Gas spreading through the barrier reacts with the sensing electrode, and the sensing electrode can take the oxidation mechanism or reduction mechanism. These reactions are carried out by the design of the electrode material for the gas to be measured and catalysis. Electrical current proportional to the measured gas flows between the positive electrode and the negative electrode through a resistor connected between the electrodes. As this process creates electrical current, the electrochemical sensor is always called current gas sensor or micro fuel cells. In practice, since the electrode surface reacts continuously, the sensing electrode potential cannot be maintained constant, after a longer period of time, it will result in the degradation of sensor performance. In order to improve sensor performance, people introduces reference electrode in the sensor. The reference electrode is mounted in the electrodes nears the sensing electrodes, The fixed stable potentiostatic acting as the sensor electrode. Reference electrode can be maintained on such a fixed voltage value in the sensor electrode. There is no current flows between the reference electrodes. Gas molecules react with the sensing electrode, at the same time, measure the counter electrode. The measurement result is usually directly related to the gas concentration and the voltage value affects on the sensing electrode can be aimed at the target gas. Main components A. Breathable film (also referred as a hydrophobic membrane): breathable membrane is used for covering the sensor (catalytic) electrodes, used in some cases to control the amount of the gas molecular that reaches the surface of electrode. Such barriers are typically made by low-porosity Teflon film and such sensors are called coated sensor. Alternatively, we can also use the high-porosity Teflon membrane covering, using capillary control the amount of the gas molecular reaches the surface of the electrode and such sensors are called capillary type sensor. In addition to providing mechanical protection for the sensor, the film also has the function of filtering out unwanted particles. In order to send the correct amount of the gas molecules, we need to choose the right film and capillary aperture size. Aperture size should be able to allow a sufficient amount of the gas molecules to reach the sensing electrode. The aperture size should also prevent leakage of liquid electrolyte or dry too quickly. B. Electrode: selecting electrode materials is very important. The electrode material should be a kind of catalytic material, to be able to perform the semi-electrolytic reaction in a long period of time. Typically, the electrode is manufactured by noble metal, such as platinum or gold, reacts with gas molecules after catalysis. Depending on the design of the sensor may be, for the completion of the electrolysis reaction, three kinds of different materials of electrodes may be used. C. Electrolyte: The electrolyte must have enough promotion to electrolysis reaction, and transfer the ionic charge to the electrode effectively. It also must be able to form stable reference potential with reference electrode and be suitable to the materials used in the sensor. If the electrolyte evaporates too quickly, the sensor signal will be weakened. D. Filters: Sometimes the front of the sensor will be installed with the washing filter to filter out unwanted gas. There are limited selections for fileters, different filter has different efficiency degree. Most commonly used filter medium is activated carbon, and activated carbon can filter out most of the chemicals, but cannot filter out carbon monoxide. By selecting the correct medium, electrochemical sensors may have a higher selectivity for its target gas. The electrochemical sensor manufactured in many ways, ultimately depends on the gases to detect and manufacturers. However, the main characteristics of the sensor is very similar in essence. Here are some of the common characteristics of the electro-chemical sensors: 1. The three-electrode sensors, usually use a jumper to connect the working electrode and reference electrode. If remove it during storage process and it takes a long time for the sensor to maintain stable and ready for use. Some sensors require a bias voltage exists between the electrodes and in this case, the sensor is manufactured with a nine volt battery powered electronic circuit. The sensor stability requires 30minutes to 24 hours, and requires three weeks time to continue to remain stable. 2. Most of the toxic gas sensors require a small amount of oxygen to maintain the normal function. The sensor equipped with an air vent on the back in order to achieve this object. Our recommendation is to perform a re-examination with manufacturers in the use of non-oxygen background gas applications. 3. The electrolyte of the battery in the sensor is an aqueous solvent to be isolated, the hydrophobic barrier prevents leakage from the aqueous solvent. However, like other gas molecules, water vapor can pass through the hydrophobic barrier. In high humidity conditions, the prolonged exposure may result in the accumulation of excess moisture and cause leaks. Under low humidity conditions, the sensor may dry. Designed for monitoring a high gas concentration sensor having a lower porosity barrier to limit the gas molecules passing through, so that it does not affect by humidity, and like those monitoring low concentration gas, such sensors have a higher porosity barrier and allows gas molecules to flow freely. Pressure and temperature The electrochemical sensor pressure changes with impact minimally. However, due to the differential pressure may damage the sensor, so the entire sensor must maintain the same pressure. Electrochemical sensor is also very sensitive to temperature, and usually takes the internal temperature compensation. So it is best to try to keep the standard temperature. In general, when the temperature is above 25 Â ° C, the sensor readings are higher; below 25 Â ° C, lower readings. The error by temperature effect is usually from 0.5 to 1.0% per degree Celsius, depending on the manufacturer and the sensor type. Selectivity The electrochemical sensor usually has a high selectivity to its objectives. The degree of selectivity is dependent on the sensor type, objective gas, concentration of the target gas to be detected. The best electrochemical sensor is a sensor of the detection of oxygen, it has a good selectivity, reliability and a longer life expectancy. Other electrochemical sensors are susceptible to interference from other gases. Interference data can be drawn by a relatively low concentration of the gas calculated. In practical applications, the interference concentrations may be high to mislead signal make false readings or false alarms. Reference Electrodes Typically, use of reference electrode is to remain at a constant potential, thus behaving independently from the properties of the working electrode and those of the solution being measured. This separation method between reference electrodes and working electrodes is the basis of accurate electrochemical measurements for a great amount of applications, Example: Solid-State Reference Electrodes Reference electrodes have been put in use in a variety of industries, but usually traditional reference electrode composition is not adequately effective and fails to work properly when subjected to harsh industrial processes. Traditional reference electrodes depend upon a liquid solution for appropriate potential measurements. Liquid solution-based reference electrodes are in widespread use; however, successful miniaturization and mass production is severely limited by continual maintenance as well as contamination control. The alternative is a solid-state reference electrode (SSRE), but typically these devices cannot compete adequately with the reproducibility of liquid-based reference electrodes or be mass-produced consistently. Recently, a novel SSRE was developed using a polyelectrolyte junction and was able to fabricate a SSRE and a pH-sensing chip that displayed excellent reproducibility between synthetic batches, instant stabilization time, and superior sensing characteristic s and can be readily miniaturized for affordable mass-production. By using a solid KCl melt in conjunction with an Ag/AgCl component, in order to use in beverage industry applications. This SSRE has a wide range of pH use, stable potentials, and small drift potentials. The reported stability and life time of this reference electrode make it particularly applicable for the food industry. In addition to food industry, engine diagnostics are utilizing SSRE to assess efficiency. Potentiometric sensors Potentiometric sensors have usually been defined as a zero-current technique to measure the potential across an interface, oftentimes a membrane. As now, research has been focused on highlighting the significance of membrane composition using carbon pastes and polyvinyl chloride as well as unique ionophores specifically designed for targeted species. Example:Ion selective Scientists in this field are facing a challenge ranging from medicinal chemistry to environmental toxicity is that novel ion selective electrodes (ISEs). ISEs typically use an ionophore as the sensing platform to ensure selectivity to a specific ion of target. The increasing use of heavy metal and ion in industrial processes makes ion selective sensors important for the appropriate sensing and quantification of potential pollutants. Use and research were divided into cations, anions, and neutral species and got great achievements. Voltammetric sensors Voltammetry provides an electroanalytical method for deriving information about one or more analytes by measuring the current as a function of the potential. Several types of experiments may be performed to gather information from voltammetry including cyclic voltammetry, squarewave voltammetry, and stripping voltammetry to name a few common techniques. Example: Carbon Based Materials Carbon based electrodes have been widely used in voltammetric research because of low cost, availability, stability, and the ability to easily modify the morphology of carbon. There are a number of carbon-based electrodes including glassy carbon. Polycrystalline boron doped diamond, carbon nanotubes, and most recently grapheme. Through the detection of the neurotransmitter serotonin, they found that pristine carbon nanotubes networks exhibited background current densities that were 2 orders of magnitude lower than glassy carbon and 20 times lower than polycrystalline boron doped diamond. Numerous advantages of using carbon as an electrode tip including mechanical strength and inhibition of water electrolysis. Amperometric sensors During an amperometric measurement, the working electrode, or sensor , is held at a constant potential while the current is monitored. The current is then related to the concentration of the analyte present. Example: Novel materials/ composites Use of new materials, especially manomaterials, has become an increase of research in electrochemical sensors. The incorporation of these manomaterials in conjunction with one another to form novel composites is particularly interesting, as many of these materials have been found to have synergistic effects. Electrospun carbon nanofibers provide more edge sites on the outer wall than carbon nanotubes, which may lead to more facile electron transfer, better dispersion, and better wettability. And the low cost, facile construction, high sensitivity, and lack of pretreatment make it appealing for future electrochemical sensing application.

Coral Reefs Essay -- Environment, Global Degradation

Coral reefs have been undergoing global degradation due to increasing natural and anthropogenic impacts for at least the last half-century. The intensity and frequency of stressors, including global climate change, have rapidly increased in number over recent years (Hughes & Connell 1999; Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2007; Pandolfi et al. 2011). Frequent disturbances such as hurricanes/cyclones, predation outbreaks, diseases and mass bleaching events eat-away at the percent of living coral cover and without recovery, the available space is colonized by sponges, soft corals, and macroalgae. These alternative organisms are often competitive dominants in less than ideal conditions (Norstrà ¶m et al. 2009). The transition is termed a phase-shift from a coral-dominated landscape to one that is dominated by other benthic organisms. Phase-shifts are also often associated with low-herbivory (from disease and/or overfishing) and nutrient enrichment (from run-off and coastal eutrophication)(see Re lative Dominance Model in Littler et al. 2006; 2009). The resilience of particular coral species to recover and/or resist disturbance and subsequent phase-shifts may be indicative of which coral reefs are more or less imperiled. Macroalgae are frequently the competitive dominant driving phase-shifts, thus â€Å"coral-macroalgal phase-shifts† is widely used to describe unusually low-levels of coral cover and a persistent state of high macroalgal cover. There have been a number of studies and reviews describing the negative effects of macroalgae and phase-shifts on coral reefs (Done 1992; Hughes & Connell 1999; Hughes et al. 2003; Hughes et al. 2007; McCook et al. 2001; McManus & Polsenberg 2004; Birrell et al. 2008; Bruno et al. 2009). Potential competitive... ...(SML) microbial samples were collected in Belize, the Florida Keys, and St. Thomas U.S.V.I. along interaction gradients between two ubiquitous Caribbean corals (Montastraea faveolata and Porites astreoides), and their interaction with foliose brown macroalgae (Dictyota menstrualis), and calcareous green macroalgae (Halimeda opuntia). These macroalgae were chosen because they are known to reduce coral growth rates, increase coral tissue mortality, and produce potent allelochemicals that are active against coral reef microorganisms (Ballantine et al. 1987; Lirman 2001; Beach et al. 2003; Rashar & Hay 2010; Morrow et al. 2011). We show that macroalgae can shift M. faveolata microbial assemblages more readily than P. astreoides. We also found that coral microbial assemablages of both species were less stable in Florida than at Belize or St. Thomas sampling sites.