Progeria - Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome Essay -- genetic childhood dis

Progeria, otherwise known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is an extremely rare, genetic childhood disorder with a reported incidence of about one in a million. Hutchinson reported the syndrome in 1886 when he found the first patient with Progeria. In 1904 Gilford described a second case of Progeria, thus creating the term to reflect the syndrome’s senile features. There are only about a hundred reported cases since the disorder has been discovered over a century ago. Currently, there are about thirty to forty known cases worldwide of Progeria. Affected children age up to seven times faster, have â€Å"plucked bird† appearance, many health problems and their lifespan is about thirteen years. There is neither known cause nor cure for this disease. It is usually first diagnosed based only on appearance and treatment is given for other conditions associated with the aging process rather the disease it self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Effected children usually appear normal at birth. But within the first year of life severe changes come into accordance. These include: baldness and bodily hair loss, including eyebrows and eyelashes; â€Å"skin wrinkling accompanied by pigmented age spots; [†¦] unusually high pitched voice; undeveloped or underdeveloped sexual maturation; bone lesions, often resulting in fractures and hip dislocation† (Livneh, Antonak and Maron, 1995, p.434). Death usually occurs between the age of twelve and thirteen and it is due to â€Å"cardiovascular deterioration and generally includes arthrosclerosis, myocardial infraction and congestive heart failure (Livneh, Antonak and Maron, 1995, p.434).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cause of Progeria is unknown as of yet. Because of its very rare nature, no definite cause can be pinpointed. However it is determined to be generic. In other words, it is thought that it is due to single mutated gene and each case might represent a single sporadic new mutation, which happens at conception. Therefore, as mentioned above, the diagnosis must be made solely on the appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During my Internet research on this subject, I have found a real story of a thirteen-year-old girl, named Ashley. Her story captured my heart and I would like to use Ashley as an example in helping to understand the disease, its progress and how it affects people involved. Ashley was born on May 23, 1991 as what it seemed a normal and healthy baby girl. In July 1991 doctors disco... ...f the disease and death to help cope and adapt properly. General intervention recommendations can focus on; the child’s needs, other family members and the parents. Other intervention can address social issues such as spirituality, emotionality, coping modes and adaptation techniques. It is very hard to say to a parent of a dying child that any of the above might help a broken heart, however, professional help, understanding and loving environment and family might ease the hardships of loosing one’s child, sibling or a friend. Bibliography DeBusk, F.L. (1972). The Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Jurnal of Pediatrics, 80, 697-724.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Livneh, Hanoch; Antonak, Richard F.; Maron, Sheldon. (1995). Progeria: Medical aspects, psycholosocial perspectives, and intervention guidelines. Death Studies, Vol .19(5), Sep-Oct 1995. pp. 433-452. Lori and Ashley’s Website. http://www.geocities.com/lori_and_ashley/. Visited on April 23, 2003. Mac Michael, R.A. (1996-2003) Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome Network. http://www.hgps.net/about/. Visited on April 23, 2003. Progeria Research Foundation Inc. (1999) http://www.progeriaresearch.org/. Visited on May 2, 2002.

Latino Actors and Resistance Cinema :: Movies Films

Latino Actors and Resistance Cinema During the second half of the twentieth century Latino actors began to resist the previously portrayed stereotypes in American films. "The beginning of this "coming to self"†¦was the desire to expose the terrible conditions under which Puerto Ricans of this generation had been raised; challenge the assumptions under which these conditions thrived; and re-create the institutions and society that had engendered them" (Jimenez, 188). For many years Latinos allowed themselves to be depicted under various stereotypes which they therefore represented in real life to audiences everywhere. By mid-century, Chicanos, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans began to form ways to deviate from the conventions of earlier American cinema. Documentaries were one creation that offset the false stereotypes put forth by many American filmmakers because they identified with the realism and actuality of Latino life. According to Cine-Aztlan, "in a class society, only those who control have the power to interpret the situation of the masses. That is why capitalist documentaries will never trace the source of the problem and the injustices that the world masses experience under a system of exploitation and human oppression (Cine-Aztlan, 278). When Latinos actually took the step towards self-representation and began producing and directing films and documentaries themselves, the truth started seeping through the lines. In "La Operacion", we see how the Puerto Rican government dealt with the issue of population control. The situation is portrayed realistically and the harsh truth is presented by real people who have real stories to share. This type of cinematography is directly political form of filmmaking that is more likely t o stir emotion in the audience. Luis Valdez could be labeled the originator of the resistance movement, stirring much emotion and discussion with his films. Notably, he directed Zoot Suit, a film portraying a young Chicano who must go through great difficulty to clear his name of a murder he did not commit. Joseph Vasquez directed Hangin' With the Homeboys, a movie directly addressing the stereotypes of minorities through comedy and exaggerated characteristics.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 14

I wasn't prepared for Dana to answer Bastien's door the next day. Oh my God, I thought. He finally slept with her. The truth turned out to be far less exciting. Bastien – as Mitch – was covered up to his elbows in flour, his hands busily kneading a medium-sized lump of dough. â€Å"Hey Tabby Cat,† he said upon seeing me and my startled expression. â€Å"Dana's teaching me to bake bread.† â€Å"Wow,† I said. Really, there was no other way to respond to a statement like that. I had personally seen Bastien make bread in far more primitive conditions, but he apparently believed the old teacher-student routine was going to pave the way to Dana's bed for him now. It did have its merits, of course. Human nature liked showing superiority in areas of expertise, and a teaching relationship provided lots of alone time together. I suspected that even with that tactic, Dana might still be out of reach, but hey, maybe it was worth a shot. The fact that she actually made time for this struck me as odd. I figured she'd be too busy bombing abortion clinics and handing out school uniforms. Speaking of alone time, I worried that I'd blundered into some meaningful opportunity for the incubus. I met his eyes. â€Å"I can come back later if it's a bad time,† I told him. â€Å"No, no. Dana's got to go to a meeting soon. You can keep me company once this baby's in the oven.† His tone was genuine. He'd probably already exhausted efforts to get her to stay. Uneasy in her presence, I sat on one of the stools by the counter and sipped the white-chocolate mocha I'd picked up on my way over. Dana sat down beside me. I resisted the urge to move away. Glancing at his kitchen table, I saw stacks of CPFV pamphlets and brochures. â€Å"Why the interest in cooking?† I asked blandly when no one said anything. â€Å"A bachelor can't live on fast food and frozen dinners forever, huh?† He turned up the dial on his smile. â€Å"And hey, I'm always open to new experiences. Next time she's going to teach me to make creme brulee.† I grunted. â€Å"You learn to makecreme brulee, and I might have to move in.† Dana turned to me, elegantly crossing her legs, showing that oh-so-wholesome slip obtained during the infamous shopping trip. I'd given up on slips a while ago. They just delayed the main event. â€Å"I could show you too.† Hell no. I'd gotten roped into yard work by pursuing a similar vein of conversation with Jody. No more domestic vices for me. Besides, I knew Bastien wouldn't welcome my presence. â€Å"Thanks, but I'll just leave it to Mitch. He's the brilliant one in this family anyway.† Bastien gave the bread a final pat. â€Å"Okay, now what?† â€Å"Now we put it in the pan.† She walked over to show him. As she did, he leaned in extra close, supposedly to get a better look. He even reached out his hand to brush hers, following her motions as they transferred the bread. Perhaps it would have been polite to look away, but there was nothing overtly romantic going on, and besides, I felt a professional interest in the matter. Histechniquewas good, I had to admit. Very subtle. Nothing that could be misconstrued as more than a polite accident. Yet, I saw Dana – just as subtly – stiffen and step away once the bread was in its pan. â€Å"Now you just let it rise,† she said, in a somewhat cooler tone. â€Å"Then it goes in the oven.† Interesting. She hadn't liked Bastien's proximity. That didn't bode well for him. I didn't think he noticed, however. I would have expected her to leave, but she sat down next to me again. I could never think of anything interesting to say around her; she unnerved me too much. So I let the two of them talk, answering only when spoken to and otherwise letting Bastien run the show. He positively glowed. Dana tried to draw me in a number of times, again asking me things about my life I really didn't want to answer. When she finally rose to go, she commented, â€Å"I'm off to a board meeting to plan our upcoming rally against gay marriage. You two should join us when it happens.† â€Å"Absolutely,† said Bastien, who probably would have agreed to an anti-incubus rally at this point. She glanced over at me. My tongue suddenly felt thick, words again eluding me. â€Å"Are you for gay marriage?† she asked with surprise. â€Å"I thought when we talked about this at the mall, you had implied you were more in favor of helping them see the error of their ways.† Christ. Had we discussed this on the mall trip? I couldn't remember. The only thing I recalled clearly was the lingerie debacle. I wanted to argue right then that I didn't think homosexuality was a â€Å"choice† for all people, nor did I believe there should be laws about who people loved. Fortunately, my control switch was fully operational. That, combined with Bastien's heavy gaze, made me redirect my answer and evade the question. â€Å"I'd love to go to the rally,† I said flatly. â€Å"It'll depend on my schedule.† She smiled thinly, made a few parting remarks, and then left. I exhaled. â€Å"Sorry about that, Bas. I nearly choked up on you.† â€Å"Not a problem. You recovered. Besides, I think things are turning around. I thought of it the last time she and Jody were over. This cooking thing is going to be what does it.† He peered into the oven at his now-baking bread before sitting at the kitchen table happily. â€Å"Can't you see it? We'll be like, I don't know, baking a cake together, and I'll say, ‘Why Dana, you have chocolate frosting on your cheek.' Then she'll say, ‘Will you get it off for me?' Then I will, only I'll lick it off – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, just stop now, please. I get the picture. I really don't want to hear about you two rolling around in cake batter.† â€Å"You'll have to once it's on the evening news.† I smiled, relieved to see him so cheered up after our last encounter. I couldn't bring myself to tell him I didn't think the cooking lessons were making Dana quite as hot and heavy as he would have liked. If we were going to save Bastien from demonic wrath, I believed we needed a better understanding of what – if anything – turned that woman on. And I had the distasteful feeling that I would be a better agent for that particular piece of reconnaissance than he would be. One more thing to add to my list. â€Å"So what's new with you?† â€Å"Oh, the usual. Another awkward physical encounter with Seth. Not nearly as big a deal as the last one, but still.† Bastien shrugged. â€Å"Alas for mortal weakness.† Dana left my mind as my own personal relations came to the forefront. â€Å"That's the thing. Everyone's been going on and on about how he wouldn't be able to handle our relationship, but it's not his weakness that's the problem. It's me. I'm the faulty piece here. Seth's done exactly what he's supposed to. He handles every horrible thing I tell him about myself, and he never does anything to cross the sexual line. His one moment of weakness was when I initiated things. He's perfect.† â€Å"Nobody's perfect, Fleur .If there's anything I feel certain of in this world, it's that. Even the angels themselves are imperfect.† I thought about Carter's chain-smoking and penchant for hard liquor. â€Å"That's for damned sure. But Seth comes pretty close. At least as mortals go. Whereas me†¦I don't know. I feel so useless in our relationship.† He stood up and drew me to him. â€Å"What is this, your day to feel melodramatic and depressed? Look. No way are you useless – not if you've been with him this long. He's in it for more than sex. He's in it for you. For that delightful wit and charm that manages to cheer even grumpy bastards like me up. What I can't figure out is what the hell you're getting out of it.† â€Å"Plenty,† I said, thinking of Seth's humor and intelligence, his serious and steady nature. â€Å"And I suppose he's happy with what he's got, but he must still, you know, feel unfulfilled. He's a man, right? I see him looking at me sometimes, and I know what he's thinking†¦what he wants.† I thought about my toe-teasing. â€Å"I don't think I really make it easy on him either. I flirt without thinking about it. I wish I could give him, I don't know, something. Something nonlethal to reward his amazing celibate strength – and overall amazingness with everything that's happened so far. â€Å" â€Å"Nonlethal's going to be hard for you. You're the ultimate look-don't-touch girl.† My slumping head shot up. â€Å"That's it.† â€Å"What's it?† â€Å"Looking without touching. You're going to help me.† I felt my natural optimism and vigor seizing me as I flashed the incubus a saucy grin. â€Å"You're going to be my photographer.† His eyebrows rose, but I think he already knew where I was going with this. â€Å"And pray tell, what will I be photographing, my dear?† â€Å"Me. In a bevy of alluring poses and skimpy underwear. Or nothing at all. We'll do a whole spread.† His smile twitched at the word spread. â€Å"And you think this will help him? All it'll do is drive him into the bathroom alone for ten hours.† â€Å"Hey, he can do whatever he wants with them, but it's a great idea. It'll be a treat. A safe way of having me without having me.† I poked the incubus in the arm. â€Å"You'll help, won't you? You're the only person I trust to take these.† â€Å"Of course I'll help you. Why'd you even ask?† I sighed happily, like a great load had been taken off of me. â€Å"Of course, even if this is good for Seth, it doesn't solve the problem of me being a weak-willed strumpet. I'll still be thinking about him all the time. Still wondering what it'd be like to touch – really touch – him. Still breaking down with him in moments of weakness.† I sighed again, this time with frustration. â€Å"There's no helping me, I guess. Pictures of him won't do it.† â€Å"Hey,† said Bastien, touching my chin. â€Å"Smile again. You'll figure out something. And if not, I promise you I will. The brother you never had, remember? We're here for each other, n,est-ce pas ?† I smiled and leaned my head against his chest. â€Å"Oui.† We stayed like that for a few pleasant minutes until I remembered far less sentimental issues. I sat up. â€Å"Oh, hey, you have got to check something out.† I picked up my purse and pulled out the bag of crystals Alec had given me. Bastien recoiled when I held them out to him. â€Å"What the hell are those?† â€Å"That's the million-dollar question. These are what's causing my friend at the bookstore to act so weird.† Regaining his composure, he leaned in to look closer but wouldn't touch the bag. â€Å"They're strange,† he said slowly. â€Å"They give off something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Like an immortal signature,† I agreed. â€Å"But I've never felt an inanimate object that did this. It's not the same as an enchantment.† â€Å"It doesn't feel bad exactly†¦just not right.† â€Å"I asked Seth about it. Mortals don't feel anything, only us. Ever come across anything like this?† â€Å"No, but then I'm the novice next to you, right?† I slid the crystals back into my purse, to the relief of both of us, and then explained what Alec had said about mixing them in liquid. â€Å"Curiouser and curiouser,† mused Bastien. â€Å"Not like any drug I know, but it's not giving off any legitimate potion vibes either. If you want to know what this is, Fleur ,you're going to have to break out the big guns.† I knew he was right. We hung out together a while longer, moving on to less weird subjects. The bread smelled so good cooking that there was no way I could leave until I'd tried a piece. Upon tasting it, I decided that whatever her other faults, Dana knew what she was doing with food. I ended up getting away with a good half loaf of the bread and then drove back downtown to find the â€Å"big guns.† I got a lucky break, and Jerome actually answered his cell phone and gave me his location. Even if he hadn't, it would have been on my list of places to try. The Cellar was an old, dark pub in Pioneer Square, Seattle's historic district. You had to take a flight of stairs down to get to the Cellar, and I always had the feeling the place wouldn't survive the Northwest's next big earthquake. The Cellar was one of Jerome and Carter's favorite haunts. I found them both there in their usual corner. The place was dark, as always, and was starting to pick up a little with happy-hour traffic. Angel and demon watched me enter with their typically amused expressions, both having sensed me before I cleared the door. Jerome always gave the impression over the phone that I was taking up his time, but neither seemed particularly busy now. I ordered a gimlet at the bar, smiling at the two guys who made conversation while I waited, and then moved on to join the dynamic duo. â€Å"A working lunch?† I asked, inclining my head at the empty shot glasses in front of them. The two practically sat side by side, so the only other chair was across from them, like I was at an interview. Carter picked up one of the empty glasses and offered me a mock toast. I clinked my glass with his. â€Å"Don't question the divine workings of the universe, Daughter of Lilith. â€Å" â€Å"The Lord's work is never done,† added Jerome solemnly. They both seemed a little loopy, but I wasn't fooled. Higher immortals like angels and demons could control their levels of intoxication. The other lesser immortals and I had said a number of stupid things in front of them when we thought either Jerome or Carter had been wasted. Their eyes held a shrewd scrutiny even now that told me they were both curious about why I'd sought out my supervisor in the middle of the day. â€Å"Been to see the incubus?† Jerome asked a moment later. I nodded. â€Å"He thinks he's making progress.† â€Å"Thinks?† asked the demon, raising one eyebrow. I wondered if John Cusack could actually do that. â€Å"Is there a doubt?† â€Å"I didn't say that.† â€Å"But you also didn't say that he is making progress.† â€Å"A slip of the tongue. I misspoke.† â€Å"You don't misspeak often, Georgie. And I've come to actually believe you do know something about seduction after all. And maybe even human nature.† â€Å"Something?† Carter laughed at my incredulous tone. â€Å"So,† continued Jerome, â€Å"in your expert opinion, is your friend going to be able to do this or not?† I was about to say â€Å"of course,† but knew Carter would recognize the lie. Hell, even Jerome probably would. â€Å"I don't know. She's hard to read. Very strange woman.† I pursed my lips, thinking. â€Å"If anyone is capable of seducing her, though, it'll be him. With my help.† I hesitated before adding, â€Å"You know about the Barton thing, don't you?† â€Å"Of course. Very foolish on Bastien's part.† â€Å"I guess.† I didn't want to slam one of my best friends in this company. â€Å"But it's not like our side is really known for impulse control. And it seems kind of stupid for Barton to get so worked up over a woman who sleeps around all the time anyway. What's one more person, immortal or not?† â€Å"Because the immortal meant something,† said Carter seriously. â€Å"You of all people should recognize the nuances here. What would Seth think if you slept with me?† â€Å"Are you offering?† I turned to Jerome, feigning excitement. â€Å"I get to retire if I bag an angel, right? Full pension and everything?† â€Å"Depends on the angel,† yawned Jerome. Carter kept his complacent smile, unfazed by jokes about his celibacy or immortal standing. â€Å"You know what I mean. There's a difference between business and choice.† I nodded. I did know what he meant, and he was right – being with Seth made me especially cognizant of the subtleties. â€Å"You know, I didn't come here to discuss this,† I told them. Both had the tendency to steer me off topic into subjects I didn't want to explore. â€Å"Well, do enlighten us then,† said the archdemon indulgently. â€Å"I'm dying to know what would draw you away from suburban conspiracy and mortal intrigue in the middle of the day.† â€Å"Actually, it involves mortal intrigue.† I gave them a debriefing on the Doug situation. Jerome maintained his perpetual look of disinterest. Carter almost did, but snide or not, he was still an angel, and I saw compassion flicker in his eyes as I spoke. He couldn't help it. â€Å"So, I finally managed to get Alec to give me the stuff, and now I need to know what it is. You two seemed like my best shots at identification. â€Å" Jerome's disinterest turned to astonishment. â€Å"This is what we've been reduced to? Drug identification? Do we look like the DEA?† Carter stretched lazily. â€Å"Remember the good old days when succubi used to want our help defending them from nephilim and other lethal creatures? This is a sign of the times, I tell you. â€Å" I let them have a good laugh at my expense, forcing myself to stay calm and not say something that would get me into trouble. â€Å"Are you guys done?† I asked a minute later. â€Å"Because I'd really like to get moving on this.† â€Å"Are you going to share some of it with us if we can tell you what it is?† asked Jerome. Rolling my eyes, I reached into my purse. With a flourish, I tossed the little bag out onto the table so it slid across the surface and came to rest just in front of both of them. Their smiles disappeared. They stared at the bag for a moment and then – in almost perfect synchronization – looked at each other and back to me. When Carter spoke, he was amused, but grimly amused. â€Å"Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to rule out supernatural monsters after all.† â€Å"How,† exclaimed Jerome, nostrils flaring, â€Å"do you always manage to get yourself mixed up in the middle of this shit?† I looked back and forth between the two of them. â€Å"What? What is it?† â€Å"This, Georgina,† announced Carter, tapping the bag with his finger, â€Å"is the Food of the Gods.†

Investigation into wires and resistance Essay

The second two were done using two digital Multimeters so presumably the results on the second two tables are more accurate. Test 1 ammeter/voltmeter: Length of constantan (cm) Potential difference (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms) Ammeter/voltmeter repeat: Length of constantan (cm) Potential difference (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms) Multimeter Test1 Length of constantan (cm) Potential difference (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms)Â   Multimeter repeat: Length of constantan (cm) Potential difference (volts) Current (amps). Resistance (ohms) 1Average resistance over all four tests: Length (cm) Potential Difference (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms). Constantan theory resistances: Using the formula R=E(L/A) I have gathered the exact resistance of a length of SWG24 constantan regardless of any connections or battery faults: Length (m) Resistance (ohms) And this table shows the results of the computer simulation (the computer simulation incorporates the resistance of the connecting wires into the resistance): Length of constantan (cm) Potential difference (volts) Current (amps) Resistance (ohms). We measured the resistance at 0 cm to be 0. 35 ohms. However this cannot possibly be true because the average at 10cm was 0. 2015 and the resistance Analysis This is the average power (IV) plotted against the average resistance: This shows that as the length of the constantan increases more power is required to drive the electricity through the wires and at the same time there is also more opportunity for the power to dissipate as heat and light. This possess is used to good effect in electric fire elements where the wire is coiled to add greater length. My average results of our tests: The results from the preliminary computer tests: Conclusion: From my results and the computer graphs, I can see that the ratio between the length of the wire and its resistance is virtually linear and the theoretical resistance is exactly linier. This makes sense because the constantan wire is of uniform thickness. The resistance on my tests isn’t perfect and this is probably because of the heating effect as explained earlier. Two things that we can see from this graph are that neither the voltage nor the current are linear. This is because the capacity of the batteries are finite and therefore, as the resistance increases to infinity; the current and voltage will level to the capacity of the battery, curving the graph. Still, you wouldn’t expect the voltage or to be linier in a circuit like this because of the internal properties of the batteries and the heating effect of the circuit. Another thing we can see is that as the resistance decreases to zero the current and voltage will decrease to zero. However because the circuit will have it’s own fixed internal resistance including: The battery, the meters, the circuit wires, the contacts etc a theoretical zero resistance is not possible in this circuit. Also as the length of wire decreases to zero the results will become less accurate as the external resistances (mentioned above) become more significant and the temperature rises in the wire are more significant. For example if the internal resistance of the circuit we used totaled 3 ohms and we were testing 0. 001 cm of constantan equaling 0.001958 (if R=E*(L/A) is true) then the total resistance is 3. 001958 ohms, which is way off the actual total. And as you make the circuit smaller there is less resistance so the current is higher meaning that more heat is generated. My resistance results on my hand drawn graph are very nearly linear and that supports my prediction that if you increase the length of wire then the resistance increases. As shown, the line of R=E*(L/A) is linear and if you add the internal resistance of the rest of the circuit to that, it is still linear, but appears lower on the graph. If you take a point on the linear theory line and double its values then those values are true, meaning that in the lines formula X is directly proportionate to Y (this is safe to assume as there are no outside interferences i. e. battery, wires etc only the length and diameter of the constantan). The same is almost true (although shouldn’t be) for my total resistance average line. However, you cannot take the values of a point on the computer line, double them and expect them to be true. This shows that for this line X isn’t directly proportionate to Y but is R=E*(L/A)+the internal resistance of the rest of the circuit. Evaluation Comparing my results to the computer generated ones; I’d say that the experiment went quite well. Although some off connections in our circuit were slightly rusty and damaged the results show that it wasn’t too much of a problem. The range of results obtained was sufficient to form good averages which were comparable to the results obtained from the computer and the results generated by R=E*(L/A), and the results supported my prediction. I believe the results to be accurate because they are fairly consistent with each other. For example on the multimeter test at 50cm the resistance was 0. 9375 ohms and on the repeat I got 0. 88 ohms. This means that there was only a 0. 0575 ohm difference between them. However the results obtained from the voltmeter/ammeter tests were less accurate as it is very hard to read off them to more that 2dp. One strange thing with the results I obtained was that the resistance was much lower than I expected. This is shown by the graph. I would have expected the line to be closer to the computer simulation than the R=E*L/A line because R=E*L/A doesn’t account for resistance where as the computer simulation does. My experiment certainly had resistance in the circuit and yet my experiments line falls almost on top of the one that doesn’t. There are a few ways to explain this. The current in the simulation was lower than the current in real life, the internal resistance of the circuit was very low (which I find hard to believe) or the measurements weren’t accurate enough, either way there is no definite answer. Also on my hand drawn graph there are 3 obvious anomalous results, which didn’t fall on the line of best fit. They are likely to have been caused by poorer measurement, kinks in the wire or a bad connection (more sources of error have already been stated in the plan). However, I think that the evidence is still sufficient to support the conclusion. The way we set up and conducted the experiment was the standard however if I was to do repeat he investigation I would use much shorter circuit wires and use better connections to minimise circuit resistance. It might also be a good idea to use a rectifier instead of batteries so that draining power isn’t an issue. You could also extend the investigation by measuring other variables such as temperature and wire diameter. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Edward Snowden Essay

Does anybody like to be watched? At face value, nobody wants other people to know their secrets and possibly use those secrets against them and surely nobody want all their online information recorded and their phone call wired. So why is the National Security Agency (NSA) carefully taking down everything we do with their giant yeottabyte-computers deep in the Utah Desert? We know about this NSA scheme because of the leaker Edward Snowden who has been recently granted a one-year temporary asylum by the Russian government. Why Russia granted the asylum and why Snowden is even there can be tied to three basic concepts of intercultural communication, those of culture & social group, perspective, and cultural relativism. Edward Snowden was a â€Å"security contractor at the NSA for the last four year, employed by several private contractors† (Economist 8840, 23). After announcing that he leaked the information that the NSA is using a program code-named PRISM, which collects an unknown quantity of e-mails, internet phone-calls, photos, videos, file transfer, and social-networking data from the technology giants such as Google and Facebook, Snowden boarded a plane flight to Hong Kong. According to his followers, Snowden first fled into the arms of the Chinese and then the Russian because of the harsh treatments Private Bradley Manning, the leaker of military secrets to WikiLeaks, received. On August 1, Snowden â€Å"finally managed to break free of his confinement at the transit zone of Moscow’s international airport† after he received his asylum on Thursday. In theory, this event is deeply connected to three concepts of communication: culture & social group, perspective, and cultural relativism. The three concepts are all concepts that are based on an intercultural point of view, because they all represent our culture and the dif ferences it has with other cultures. Our culture is as distinct from other cultures as two different people, they think differently, and interpret and act in accordance only to their own maxims and perspectives. The government’s perspective is very different from Snowden’s perspective, without their perspective being different, Snowden would not have done what he did, or the U.S. would not be chasing him around the globe. In addition, if the Russian Government did not recognize cultural relativism, Snowden could never dream of getting an asylum from Russia. Our culture is a key factor of why the Snowden affair even began. Because our culture can be considered quite a zealous security culture, we impose such rules that social communities and  other culture may not approve. After â€Å"September 11th 2001, George Bush tipped the balance too far from liberty toward security† and the balance stayed off ever since (Economist 8847, 11). Due to the common American way of life, people prefer a way of living in which they receive the most amount of comfort. If you walk up to an American and ask him what he thinks is important in life, one of his many answers will be the enjoyment of life. Snowden is no exception, and thought that doing something that would potentially stop the government from watching us and make himself feel more comfortable when he use a phone is totally acceptable. While the government is thinking about tracking down potential criminals, Snowden is thinking about why he is being watched and record and wired every second of his life except when he is asleep. Snowden’s perspective is the same as the government in that they both want the best for the people, but they differ widely on how that is to be achieved. Snowden believes that in order for the people to be free and genuinely happy, they must be given the right of doing what they want without certain constrains such as having their telephone record collected when they are not suspected of crimes. On the other hand, the government believed that the more America knows, the better it is at defending itself. Due to the fact that Snowden had a different perspective from the government, he â€Å"handed over ‘thousands’ of classified documents† and showed Americans what the government is doing behind their backs and in front of their faces (Economist 8840, 23). Even though there has been questions regarding why Russia granted Snowden the asylum, it can be explained easily by the communication concept of cultural relativism. Cultural relativism recognizes that cultures vary in how they think and behave as well as in what they believe and value. This clarified the point that Russians do not think as Americans and their gover nment functions differently. If Russia were to think like the American government, it would have never looked for â€Å"trouble† with Snowden. Americans consider their own welfare above all other things; due to that, when the American government grants asylums to â€Å"criminals† desperately wanted elsewhere, the government rarely think about how it is affecting the other countries. Now, when the American government is put in this situation, it automatically assumes that all action done for Snowden’s benefit is for American’s detriment. On the Russian point of view, what they are doing may actually be a way to keep the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Security-Prioritized Americans† from going to war with others for no good reason. It is posisble that Russia thinks that it is wrong for a country to be a hypocrite, and that the American government should â€Å"learn a little lesson† from Russia’s asylum grant. Edward Snowden would not have done what he did without his culture, his social group, and his perspective. On the other hand, Russia would not grant an asylum if they did not recognize cultural relativism. Over all, the Snowden affair has been a controversy between the people and the government. The people have to apply all the communication concepts to use in order to make the future of America the best possible, and the government has to make its best judgments based on the people’s decisions. Therefore, people should all learn be better communicators, thus become better citizens, and help their country at such times of need as this.

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