Monday, December 30, 2019

Engineering law - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2672 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Narrative essay Tags: Act Essay Did you like this example? The Area of Law The area of common law relevant to tort of negligence will be discussed to determine whether Terry Fagan Mining Pty Ltd is liable to Brendan Yze. Principle of Law Negligence is a tort, which can be dictated as a conduct that are not caused deliberately by defendants to result in another person suffer from damage or injury in term of physical, emotional, financial or property. It often happens when a person is departed from a conduct and expected another reasonable person is acting under a similar circumstance. Failure to do something that a reasonable person would do or would not do, will increase the chances of the plaintiff to suffer from damage. In short, negligence can be defined as the defendant at fault due to careless acts (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). In order to established negligence, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant had a duty of care to plaintiff but the defendant has also breached the duty by failing to conform to the required s tandard of conduct. As a result, the plaintiff was suffering from damage or injury, which are reasonably foreseeable due to negligent act of the defendant. In brief, the existence of these three elements is crucial to establish the tort of negligence (Gibson Fraser, 2007). Duty of care is defined as an individual is to obligation impose a standard of reasonable care for avoiding any foreseeably harm to other. Historically, a duty of care can be claimed only if the plaintiff and defendant have a sufficient relationship of proximity (direct relationship), which belong to one of the recognized categories such as manufacturers, authorities, builder and occupiers of premises. In modern law, Lord Atkinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s has redefined the existence of duty of care between the plaintiff and defendant from absolute need of proximity to no pre-existing relationship by satisfying two elements. The first element being the concept of proximity, that a duty of care is owed to a person when a n individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s action could be closely or directly affecting the other. The second element is whether the defendant has fulfil his duty of care to prevent foreseeably damage or injury from happening to another due to his or her omission or careless. The defendant should not put the plaintiff on risk that may lead him or her to suffer from damage. For example in Donoghue v Stevenson (1932), Ms Donoghue sued Mr Stevenson for breaching the duty of care to his customer due to a snail found in the ginger beer drink consumed by her despite it was purchase by her friend. Lord Atkin held that sufficient proximity has been established between the plaintiff and defendant as the manufacturer and consumer. Hence, Mr Stevenson should be liable to Ms Donoghue (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). The breach of duty of care is explained as the defendant fails to comply with the standard of care required by law. The standard of care is objective and examined based on the fact tha t reasonable person will react under similar circumstance. When deciding the breach of duty, the court will consider foreseeable harm or damage to the plaintiff and reasonableness of the defendant in response to the risk. In addition, the court will take account to the elements that can affect the act of reasonable person. The first element is the seriousness of consequences. For instance in Paris v Stepney Borough council [1951] AC 367, Paris has only one eyes, became blind due to metal chip flew into another eye during work. The defendant claimed that there was not a practice standard to provide worker with a safety googles. The court held that the defendant was negligent because of the seriousness of harm to plaintiff was greater than other normal worker with both vision. Another element is the likelihood of risk. As example in Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850, Stone took action against the cricket club because she was struck by a cricket ball that flew over 17 foot high fence. The c ourt judged that the cricket club did not breach of duty because they had fulfilled all the required practical precautions for the circumstance and the risk was low. The last element being the reasonableness of precaution against the chances of getting harm. This could be illustrated in Haley v London Electrical Board [1964] 3 All ER 185. The defendant argued that they had taken necessary precaution by installing visual warning sign. However, the judge held that the defendant was at fault because the plaintiff was blind. The risk should be foreseen by the defendant and the barrier should be presented (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). Damage can be explained as personal, monetary or property loss suffered by plaintiff due to the omission acts by the defendant. Two elements must be taken into consideration in defining damage. The first element is causation, which can be illustrated as the careless act of defendant that directly causing damage to the plaintiff. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…â €œBut Forà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  test is used to determine the source of harm. If the injury would not have happened, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“but forà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  a particular fault. The particular fault is then the source of damage. As example in Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis [2010] HCA 5, the lung cancer of Ellis was determined with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“but forà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  test, either caused by long term smoking or exposure to asbestos during work. The court held that the exposure to small amount of asbestos was insufficient to cause lung cancer. However, smoking for over 25 years has greater chances to cause his dead. The second element being the damage can be recoverable only if it is reasonably foreseen and not remote from the causation. For instance, in Wogon Mound (No.1), the defendantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ship leaked furnace oil onto the surface of harbour and spark from the welding work has ignited the oil. The fire destroyed the wharf and ships. The court held that the damage was not reasonable fo reseen because furnace oil was hard to ignite in the water. In Wogon Mound (No.2), the judge held that the furnace oil is able to ignite in the water because it was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“realà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  happening and not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“far-fetchedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Hence, the damage was foreseeable. The plaintiff was successful in the second case (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). Apply the Law of the Fact Liability between Terry Fagan Mining Pty Ltd to Brendan Yze can be determined by analysing three elements in the tort of negligence. Duty of care between the plaintiff and the defendant can be examined by the concept of proximity and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“reasonable foreseeability of injuryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  test defined by Lord Atkin. The concept of proximity was established as Brendan was sent by Newborn to conduct maintenance of the coking oven for Fagan. The relationship of Fagan and Brendan was recognised as that of employer and employee. Additionally, the reckless action of Fagan of reconditioning the telescopic duct without obeying the recommended standards directly affected the safety of Brendan. During the work, Brendan was struck by the malfunctioning telescopic duct and suffered an injury, resulting in disability. Fagan should have reasonably foreseen the risk from the reconditioned telescopic duct. He should have taken reasonable safety precautions by switching off the machinery or warning Brendan about the reconditioned telescopic duct, before the maintenance work was performed. This case was similar to Donoghue v Stevenson where the judge held that the defendant had to take reasonable care to avoid any acts or omissions which could potentially cause injury to his neighbour. The neighbour refers to a person who is closely or directly affected by the defendant acts or omissions. Hence, the duty of care exists between Fagan and Brendan. Fagan has breached the duty of care by failing to comply with the recommended standard of the telescopic d uct. He had reconditioned instead of replaced the part of the telescopic duct as proposed in the requirement. In addition, he does not consider the seriousness of the consequences by using the counterfeit part for reconditioning. His selfish action has gave rise to likelihood of risk, which was contrary to the case of Bolton v Stone. As result, Brendan was confined to a wheelchair and suffered from blurred vision with occasional headaches as the reasonable precaution was not taken by Fagan. The causation of real damage suffered by Brendan can be analysed through à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“but forà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  test as described in Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis. According to Brendan, he could better assess the integrity of the hydraulic fitting while the machine was operating. Hence, he did not switch off the machinery. However, Brendan was an experienced officer, who was familiar with the extraction system. The sudden extend of telescope duct from the machine was not expected by him unless an arti ficial part was used in that machine. Hence, Fagan was the greater cause of the damage due to he had violated the recommendation standard. In fact, there is no precaution was taken for the foreseeably damage, which can be discovered by normal intelligent person. As a result, Brendan has authority to claim his damage in the court. Conclusion It appears that Terry Fagan Pty Ltd was liable to Brendan Yze under Tort of Negligence because Fagan has a duty of care to Brendan. However, he breached the duty by violating the standard of care. As a result, Fagan suffered from injuries, which resulting he cannot longer work in mining industry. The Area of Law The area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“common law defendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  possibility applied by Terry Fagan Mining Pty Ltd against Brendan Yzeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s action will be discussed as following. It is assumed that Brendan was successful providing negligence against Fagan. Principle of Law Two of the common doctrines are volunt ary assumption of risk and contributory negligence, which can be issued against claim of negligence (Gibson Fraser, 2007). Voluntarily assumption of risk is a complete defence to negligence. It is described as the plaintiff volunteers to fully accept and assume the risk of harm caused by the defenderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s act. In order words, the plaintiff being fully aware of the danger that caused by the defendant, and deciding to proceed to engage in the activity. As a result, the defendant may be escaped from the legal liability for their negligent conduct. For instance, in Insurance Commissioner v Joyce (1948) 77 CLR 39, the plaintiff decided to get into a car with a drunk driver and eventually suffered from injury in a car accident. The court held that the plaintiff was not entitled to compensation because the plaintiff had voluntarily assumed the inherent risk that the drunk driver would drive carelessly (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). Contributory negligence is a pa rtial defence to negligence, where the liability will be apportioned between plaintiff and defendant. In this case, the plaintiff is also liable for the damage that are imposed on themselves. This is because the plaintiff breach the duty by failing to take reasonable care for their own safety. In general, the damage suffered by plaintiff is partly due to their own negligence, in addition to the defendantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fault. Hence, the damage is awarded based on amount of plaintiff contribution to their own injury. In short, the plaintiff could not fully claim their loss against the defendant. For instance, in March v Stramare Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 506, a drunk driven collided a truck parked in the middle of the road at early hours in the morning. The drunk driver suffered from injury and sued the defendant for illegal parking. However, the court ruled that both parties were guilty. Because, a normal driver was unlikely to collide a truck with its hazard light on. Additionally , the road was well lit by the road lights. Hence, the drunk driver was held guilty for causing greater damage in the tragedy due to his intoxication. The court apportioned that 70 percent damage should be bared by the plaintiff and 30 percent damage should be compensated by defendant (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). In employment context, vicarious Liability is an indirect liability imposed on an employer for the wrongful acts of their employee. The reason is the employer should pay for the cost of damage in their business operation. The employer is capable to afford the damage and has authority to pass the liability to the insurance company. Vicarious liability did not implied to the independent contractor. Only the relationship of employer and employee defined by the control test or organisation test can be claimed for vicarious liability. The control test defines the employee as a person who works based on the instruction and command of the employer; whereas the organisat ion test defines the employee as a person who is part of the employerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s organisation. For example, in Henson v Perth Hospital Board of Management (1938) 4 WALR 15, the nurse had provided different ear drops as prescribed by the doctor to the outpatient. As the result, the patient suffered from ear damage. The court decided that the hospital was vicariously liable for the negligence because the doctors and nurses were the employees of the hospital. Furthermore, vicarious liability can be claimed only if the tort committed by employee was under scope of employment. The scope of employment outlines and describes the employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s responsibility and scope of work. It also includes work that is incidental to the employment, such as staff party. If the act is outside the scope of employment, then the employer will not be held vicariously liability as illustrated in Twine v Beanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Express Ltd [1946] 1 All ER 202 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" The court h eld that the employer was not vicariously liable to the hitchhikerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dead. The fault was because the employee violated the rule of the company by giving a lift to hitchhiker with his employerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s van. The employee had act outside of the scope of his employment. He was responsible for his negligent driving (Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015). Apply the Law of the Fact The possibility of Terry Fagan Mining Pty Ltd defending against the claim of Brendan Yze can be analysed by the three elements aforementioned in the principle of law. It is improbable that voluntarily assumption of risk can be applied in this case, unlike Insurance Commissioner v Joyce. This is because Brendan was an experienced officer, who was familiar with the extraction system. He did not have an idea about the risk caused by the defendant before the maintenance work was performed. Therefore, the risk was not foreseen by Brendan. As a result Brendan was unlikely to consent an d assume the risk of harm for the negligent act caused by the defendant. Contribution negligence can be implemented to mitigate the legal liability of Fagan to Brendan in this case. The reason is Brendan failed to take good care of his own safety by violating the safety rule, by not switching off the machine before the inspection was carried out. Thus, the plaintiff and the defendant were at fault which is similar to the case of March v Stramare Pty Ltd. The award of damage should then be deducted based on the amount the defendant contributed to their injuries. Hence, the legal liability will be apportioned accordingly between the plaintiff and the defendant. Vicarious liability should be given to Jeff Newbold Co. The reason is Newbold employed Brendan to conduct the maintenance service of the coking oven for Fagan. During work, Brendan was injured due to Fagan and his negligent act. Hence, Newbold should themselves consider the injury of their employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and the resulting damage as the part of their business operations. As a result, Newbold should be partly liable to Brendan because it is unfair for Fagan to be fully liable for the damage. Conclusion It appears that contributory negligence is the most favourable defence for Terry Fagan Pty Ltd against Brendan Yze because it is the most likely to be successful. Additionally, vicarious liability is worth mentioning in supporting the contributory negligence. Therefore, the legal liability will be apportioned between Terry Fagan Mining Pty Ltd and Jeff Newbold Co dependant on the contribution of damage between Fagan and Brendan. Reference Gibson, A. Fraser, D. 2007. Business law. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Prentice Hall. Squelch, Bowyer Monterosso, 2015. Laws for Engineers 202 Lecture notes.Topic6. Curtin University. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Engineering law" essay for you Create order

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Teen Suicide Essay - 866 Words

Nydria Daniel Leslie Campos Enc1101 31 October 2017 Emotional Suicide amongst Teens Suicide has become an extremely important social issue in our society. Did you know that suicide rate is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States according to the A.F.S.P (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)? Teen suicide rates continue to increase every year according to statistics. Today, teens are having mental struggles that can affect their everyday lifestyle and they can’t seem to find anyone to tell their problems to. They find that committing suicide is the answer to their problems because majority of teens suffer from drug abuse, relationship problems, and the biggest issue; depression. Suicide is a major issue, but has so many†¦show more content†¦Bully victims have the highest risk for suicide- related behavior of any groups that report involvement in bullying. When a teen is bullied it makes them feel like they are worthless and no one cares about them. For example, if a child is smarter than the other students they will call them name s such as â€Å"nerd† and â€Å"geek†. Depending on the teen he or she may feel belittled by them. Schools should supply more training to students to help them with communication skills and have counselors who can be there for the student who is in need of sitting down and talking with them. Not everyone can handle a bully so when to help them with communication skills and have counselors who can be there for the student who is in need of sitting down and talking with them. Not everyone can handle a bully so when you see someone in need of help with one you should try your best to step in to defuse the situation at hand. It is great to take action in any way or form because you could have just given the victim to stand up against them and get them out of their suicidal mindset. Additionally, what is teen depression? Teen depression is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. It is one of the main reasons why the suicide rate in teens has been skyrocketing besides relationship problems, and drug abuse. Medication, psychotherapy, and shock therapy are the mostShow MoreRelatedAn Essay on Teen Suicide798 Words   |  4 PagesTeen suicide My essay is on teen suicide there are a lot of suicides that happen in the U.S they are caused from being bullied also it can caused by being depressed. There is also a high increase of suicides for people who take antidepressants. All this information is true based on the sites below. 1) http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/September-October-08/Teen-Suicide-Rate-Worries-Mental-Health-Experts.html 2) http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/20/nation/la-na-nn-funeral-illinois-teen-suicide-bullying-20131020Read MoreTeen Suicide Essay605 Words   |  3 PagesDaneshia Alberty Campbell EnglishIII-7 11 February, 2011 Teen Suicide Essay Teen suicide is one of the fastest killers for young teenagers. Every year thousands of teens die in the United States. There are many different reasons of why young teens commit suicide. Family issues, low self-esteem, and bullying are three of the many leading factors towards suicide for teens. Problems at home can cause a teenager to take their lives. Abuse in the home of the teenager can most often establish aRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesTeen Suicide Suicide is a growing problem in American culture. Sadly, teens are affected the most. Teen suicide is increasing rapidly. â€Å"About 5,000 teens in the United States kill themselves each year† (Peacock, 4). Suicide among teens is a serious and devastating crisis. More teens are taking their lives today than ever before. Teen suicide does not affect one specific type of teen; it affects any type of teen. There are a variety of reasons teens resort to committing suicide. Many people are workingRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay891 Words   |  4 Pagesanother man without Clementi’s knowledge, Clementi committed suicide. The actual definition of suicide is â€Å"the action of killing oneself intentionally†. The act of suicide is a serious matter, and is particularly prevalent among teens and young adults. The best way to prevent teen suicide is through informing people of its existence, and educating them on the warning signs and prevention methods. In this essay I will explain why suicide is a major public health problem through statistics, show theRead MoreEssay On Teen Suicide1235 Words   |  5 Pages† offer little comfort, and even less hope to those considering suicide. Amongst U.S teens, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death more so than cancer, AIDS, chronic drug use, and heart disease combined. Common risk factors are bullying in school, history of sexual abuse, alcohol, and drug addiction, along with a history of mental illness in the family. There is also a direct correlation between socioeconomic status and suicide in urban, and remote areas. Factors such as social deprivation,Read MoreEssay On Teen Suicide1332 Words   |  6 Pagesbut if that s true then why is there an increase in teenagers committing suicide. We all know that the rate of teenage suicide has been on the rise just as fast as the rise of social media use. Teenage suicide is never a good thing and is heartbreaking to those it affects. As social media become s more intertwined in young people s lives there has been an increase in teen suicide from cyber bullying. Often times young teens don t know the dangers and consequences social media can cause and makesRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay1080 Words   |  5 PagesTeen Suicide â€Å"Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people between eleven and eighteen years of age† (â€Å"Introduction to Teen Suicide†). According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: suicide is the act or an instance of taking ones own life voluntarily and intentionally. Meaning that when someone takes their life they are fully aware of their decisions. These decisions are clouded by the rational part of the brain not maturing until the age of twenty five. Looking at thisRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pages The rates of suicides in teens have been rising more and more over the past few years; with an increase of over 300% in adolescents since the 1950s. (Miller 2009) Teens are basically crying out for our helps, but it seems that we are ignoring them. But why? Do we not care? Or do we even know what signs to be looking for? ANd average of 1,800 young people take their own lives and almost 85,000 are hospitalized for attempts (CDC, 2008). With the statistics being this high we need to take some actionRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish Language Arts 09 November 2017 Teen/Adult Suicides Suicides in the United States have increased in the last year has increased by 9%. The Problems With Suicide/ Percent of Deaths With Suicide In 1980 nearly 27,000 people took their own lives, making suicide the 10th most common cause of death. 57 percent of the cases of suicide in the United States involved firearms. In 2015 Suicide had been marked the second leading cause of death from ages 10-24. Suicide has been a major health problem in theRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Suicide of any kind is an act in which a person takes his or her own life. FACT: Suicide is a prevalent cause of death among America’s youth today.Each and every day almost 1000 teenagers think about suicide and about 0.018% of them will be successful in committing it.† It is an ongoing problem that is often described as uncalled for immature and unnecessary. But having a deeper understanding and better knowledge are some key factors for preventing teenage suicide. This â€Å"problem† most likely start

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Describe How and Why the Fertility Rate in Brazil Is Changing Free Essays

Describe how and why the fertility rate in Brazil is changing Brazil, along with Russia, India and China (known collectively as the BRIC countries) is industrialising rapidly and going through dramatic demographic change. Its rate of growth has far exceeded that of current MEDCs, experiencing in 25 years the kind of change that would be expected in 100 years. The changes range from the economy, the industry and agriculture to the population and trends associated with it. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe How and Why the Fertility Rate in Brazil Is Changing or any similar topic only for you Order Now As of 2011 the fertility rate in Brazil is a mere 1. 83, far lower than the other BRIC countries. For example the fertility rate of India is currently 2. 62. Brazil’s story is abnormal as its fertility rate is below the replacement rate (2. 1), especially when considering that much of the working population is still involved in agriculture and industry. The reasons for the sharp decline in fertility are similar to those associated with development, albeit Brazil has experienced these over a much shorter period of time. Education has improved drastically in the past 50 years in brazil; state-funded education is now compulsory for children aged 6-14 with most children continuing their studies beyond this. By the 1980s education reached a level of equality for boys and girls, but perhaps surprisingly females on average continued their studies for 1. 3 years longer than males (as of 2000). This shows that women are much more career driven than they used to be in the 1960s, when women were a small part of the total workforce. As of 2000 this has completely turned on its head, with women making up 54% of the working population. In the past if a woman did have a job it tended to be low-responsibility with mediocre career prospects and pay, but now many women occupy important roles in society and earn large salaries. With women now working more they have less desire to start a family. This means that they put off marriage until a lot later in life, meaning that when they do settle down they have less time to have children. Television has played a surprisingly large role in this change, and has a large influence on the lives of many Brazilians. ‘Novelas’ (soap operas) are extremely popular and have altered the way many people live. The people in these novelas always have small families (3-4 people) and the children are usually well stocked with the latest gadgets such as mobile phones. It is assumed that many Brazilians aspire to live this kind of life and many will take note that this is partly down to small families. The female characters are often particularly strong-willed, successful business omen who focus on their career over their love life. President Dilma Rousseff reinforces this statement and has one child, a daughter, and has proved that women can lead extremely successful lives in Brazil. President Rousseff, along with other women’s rights campaigners, helped take down the problem of ‘machismo’ in Brazil. An example of their protection of women is separate à ¢â‚¬Ëœwomen only’ carriages on night trains to prevent rape. Advertisements on tv and bill boards promoting contraception and family planning are also omnipresent. The incredibly high accessibility to contraception, abortions and family planning services is an incredibly significant reason for changing fertility rates in Brazil. It is surprising considering the country’s catholic beliefs which rejects all forms of contraception and birth-prevention. As a result of this abortions are still only allowed in the case of rape or threat to the mother. Despite this illegal abortions are commonplace and over-the-counter drugs that initiate termination are easy to come by. Despite being strictly illegal little is done to stop this. Whilst abortion does remain a sensitive subject (as it does in most countries) contraception is freely available. In fact a 2011 survey showed that 85% of Brazilians were against amendments to the abortion law. Many doctor’s surgeries go so far as to give out condoms for free especially in cities and favelas where fertility is at its highest. Urbanisation in Brazil has been very rapid due to the increased industry. Many live in favelas, and much of the rest of the urban population lives in cheap high-rise apartments. These homes are small by design and having a family of more than 4 could lead to lack of space. The favelas are so common in Brazil that a drop in fertility should be a huge relief to many. Rochina, a favela next to Rio de Janeiro, has a population of somewhere between 150,000 and 300,000 although this is difficult to accurately measure. Small cars are popular, and shops sell food in serving sizes suited for 4 people. This appears to show a shift towards products being suited to small families. As families get smaller, parents have more money to spend on each child, so gadgets and expensive toys are becoming more popular, with their advertisement on television increasing too. In the 1800s the death of a child was common so families were large to ensure that at least some survived, but nowadays this is less likely and Brazilian families are now starting to illustrate this change. The value of a child is significantly higher and families often don’t recover from the loss of an offspring. Parents are spending more on their children not only because they can now afford to, but also because they want to give the few children that they have the best shot at success. Economic and industrial development of Brazil has increased the standard of living as a whole. Since 2000, life expectancy has jumped from 54 to 72, and infant mortality rates have nearly halved from 38 to 20/1000 live births. Sanitation improving enormously has helped, and people who move in to cities now often find clean, fresh water and sanitation facilities (e. g. clean toilets and sinks). Even favelas are improving in this case, with communal development projects becoming increasingly common. Healthcare has improved dramatically too (as shown by the shockingly sharp decline in infant mortality) and even the poor can access healthcare as basic care is free. Brazil can be considered an anomaly; however there does appear to be a growing trend in rapid development in the LEDW. Falling fertility rates has reduced the pressure on healthcare and education allowing more money to be spent per person equalling a better overall experience and service. Female empowerment is very important too, in both the economic output of the nation and the fall in fertility rates. However Brazil must be wary of the potential pitfalls of this rapid growth – e. g. an elderly population. How to cite Describe How and Why the Fertility Rate in Brazil Is Changing, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Organizing Events and Entertainment Functions

Question: Describe the scenario for organizing events and entertainment functions. Answer: Introduction The task of organizing events and entertainment functions is a tedious task and needs professional approach on the part of the event management companies, which focuses on both the business part of the events and the creative side of it (Londonlaunch.com. 2016).Venue management refers to the managing of the activities of the live music concerts, sports events or movie festivals. The event management company looks after all the operations of the events starting from the fund raising, arranging for sponsors, marketing of the events and selling of the tickets (Rojek 2014). London held many festivals across different genres, which falls in the categories of the entertainment events or venue events. Festivals of music, movies, design, sports and others are lined up all through the year (Jones 2014). Arranging the events requires professional expertise and the government and the event management companies are doing that for a long period. London has gained the goodwill for organizing the festivals in an effective manner and that too consistently. The ways the different festivals are organized are analyzed, and focus is put on the overall operations of the festivals. Scope of entertainment and venue industry The city of London held many events and festivals like screen festivals, canvas festivals and stage festivals. The festivals that are organized come under the venue, entertainment industry, this industry is expected to have a total turnover of 66.6 billion in 2019, and the industry is poised to have a compounded annual growth rate by 3.2% from 2014-19 (Merkel 2014). The entertainment industry can be divided in different categories like movie, music, games events and food festivals. Food plays an important role in the culture of London and various types of cuisine options are available in this country, which draws food lovers from across the globe (Staff 2016). Different events are organized in places like Alexandra Palace, Chelsea Football Club and different concert halls like Union Chapel, The Lexington and Bush hall. Famous events of this country include Easter festival, St Patricks Day and music festivals like Junction 2, Born Red and Raw Power and attract millions of visitors. Managing such mega events is a tedious task and professional event management professionals are hired to manage the events. Each of the festivals has a different significance and attracts different types of crowds with different tastes, different culture and across various age groups (Yeoman 2014). The event management companies and the government departments organize the festivals and they do a remarkable job in conducting the festivals as well as managing millions of people. A great deal of tasks are done in managing the festivals like lighting, electric set up, organizing for securities and general managers to overlook the overall operations and make the work process smooth and the events successful (Brigden 2014). They generate revenues, arrange for sponsors, manage the whole events for the organizer, and make it successful. They work according to the demands of the clients and proceed with their work accordingly. The music festivals in London started happening at a bigger scale from the end of 1960s. Festivals at Woodstock, Reading and Leeds festival and Glastonbury Festivalstarted in the 1960s and 70s. Glastonbury Festivalis considered one of the largest music festivals and attended by close to 175,000 people, while on an average 100000 people attend the Woodstock and the same number of people attend the Reading and Leeds festival. St. Patrics Day is celebrated in London with much fanfare and about 100000 people attend this festival on an average (Rojek 2013). The square meal review of Chelsea club boasts of a 1500 capacity auditorium, 60 syndicate suites and 25 function suites and has 281 bedrooms with a spa facility. The facility has the capacity from organize gala dinners to simple reception and it has already earned a brand name (Jones 2014). Segregation of the entertainment activities according to different profiles Music Festivals The main music festivals in London include Raw Power, Junction 2, Meltdown and We Are FSTVL. Raw Power is a three-day musical extravaganza consisting of loud music including Psychedelic music and the performance is made by artists like Sly The Family Drone, Teeth of the Sea, Melt- Banana and other artists (Merkel 2013). We Are FSTVL is a new generation dance festival with amazing performances by the top Disk jockeys of the world like DJ Snake, DJ Fresh ,Sigma nad other artists and hard core partying is the theme of this festival. Junction 2 is a one-day music festival happening in the bucolic location of Zone 4 and focuses on the techno music. The artists line up include The Hydra, London Warehouse effects and Drumcode Label and all the techno music enthusiasts flock to this place to enjoy the music scene. Young people mostly attend the music festivals and the festivals happen in Boston Manor Park, Zone 4 and Hampton Court (Brigden et al. 2014). Movie Festivals According to Iordanova (2016), London is known for its movie festivals, many festivals remain lined up throughout the year, and few of the festivals include International Short Film Feastival, Sundane Film Festival, Sci-Fi London Film Festival and others. International Short Film Festival shows short films across all categories and the duration of the films ranges from 10 seconds to 15 minutes. The festival happens in the Rangers Office on Windmill road and movie enthusiasts attend the festival across all age groups. Sci-Fi Film festival focuses on the documentaries, sci-fiction movies and other top rated movies. Sundance Film Festival shows movies of independent directors and is a top rated movie show and the festival is organized in the Piccadilly square. London Design Festival The London Design Festival started in the year 2003 and is successfully running since then. This festival promotes the creativity and design of the landscape to create a sense of awareness among the educators, retailers and practioners of this profession. Easter Festival Easter festival is one of the most popular events in the city of London and the festival started in the 18th century. Millions of people attend this festival and the events are organized in different locations according to the schedule. Different events include Championship Pairs, Really Easy Afternoon and Flighted Swiss tournaments and people across all ages attend this festival (Yeoman 2014) Festival Age groups Venues Music Festival Mostly people in the younger age bracket attend the festival. Boston Manor Park, Zone 4, Hampton Court Movie Festival Movie enthusiasts across all age categories attend the festival. Windmill road, Piccadilly square London Design Festival Design enthusiast, employers, educators and retailers attend this festival and the fest is attended by mostly middle aged persons Easter Festival People of all age groups The location depends upon the activities of the festival. Table 1: showing the segregation of the festivals according to the age groups and venue (Source: Ferdinand and William 2013) Conclusion London conducts many festivals and some of them are century year old. Professional event management companies manage the festivals and they are managing the events with professionalism. Different festivals need different expertise and that the authorities and event companies are doing consistently. Reference Brigden, S., 2014.London and the Reformation. Faber Faber. de Valck, M., Kredell, B. and Loist, S. eds., 2016.Film Festivals: History, Theory, Method, Practice. Routledge. Ferdinand, N. and Williams, N.L., 2013. International festivals as experience production systems.Tourism Management,34, pp.202-210. Iordanova, D., 2016. The film festival and film cultures transnational essence.Film Festivals: History, Theory, Method, Practice. Jones, M., 2014.Sustainable event management: A practical guide. Routledge. Londonlaunch.com. (2016).About Us | londonlaunch.com. [online] Available at: https://www.londonlaunch.com/about-us/ [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016]. Merkel, U., 2013.Power, politics and international events: Socio-cultural analyses of festivals and spectacles. Routledge. Rojek, C., 2014. Global event management: A critique.Leisure Studies,33(1), pp.32-47. Staff, S. (2016).London UK Restaurants Venues Guide | Square Meal. [online] Squaremeal.co.uk. Available at: https://www.squaremeal.co.uk/ [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016]. Yeoman, I., Robertson, M., McMahon-Beattie, U. and Musarurwa, N., 2014. 4 Scenarios for the future of events and festivals.The Future of Events Festivals, p.36.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Brave New World By Aldus Huxley Essays - Utopian Novels

A Brave New World By Aldus Huxley The novel Brave New World is like no other in fantasy and satire. It predicts a future overpowered by technology where the people have no religion. Has Huxley written about a degrading way of life or has he discovered the key to a perfect world that should be called Utopia? This essay will show that upon close analysis the way of life in the novel is justifiable and all the precautions that are taken are needed to preserve their lifestyle. This essay will also show that however different and easily looked upon, as horrible as their lives seem to be, in actuality it is better than ours. The first argument that would contradict the fact that Brave New World is a Utopia is the government overpowering the world, causing the loss of freedom and liberty in the people. Before judging their lives the reader must ask himself one simple question: Is it really that bad? Obviously no it's not. In the novel, the people don't have to worry about having a job. One must remember that being born and raised in Utopia, one does not know what freedom is and therefore does not know what is missing. Freedom leads to happiness, and if one already possesses happiness, then there is no need for freedom, especially if your government is making sure that all your needs are satisfied. Religion plays an important role in people's lives. It represents our principles and values. Religion guides us, gives us something to believe in and a set of rules to live by. However, who is to say that one hundred years from now people will still believe and practice religion? Mustapha Mond when referring to the Holy Bible says that they're old; they're about God hundreds of years ago. Not about God Now (Huxley, p.237). Mustapha Mond is saying that with the evolution of time the need for religion has disappeared and has been replaced by the worship of another God who is Ford. They basically live a fulfilled life and then they die. Also thanks to their conditioning they do not fear death but accept it as a way of life. That alone is a task that our world still has not been able to accomplish. In our world we must go through the ritual of the funeral. After one has died, his family must go through an enormous task of planning, organizing and dealing with the death of their now gone loved one. In utopian civilization, the people are isolated from one another, divided into five different classes. The classes range from the Alphas, the Betas, the Gammas, the Deltas and finally, the Epsilons. The members of each class are ranked according to their mental capacity and physical appearance. During the D.H.C.'s lecture to his students he tells them how by depriving certain embryos of oxygen will affect their stature. The lower the cast, the shorter the oxygen. (Huxley, p.13) It seems unfair that even before you are born, your future is already written out for you. However upon further study, one will realize that this sort of precaution is necessary. In our world, one has to face racism and stereotypes because people feel threatened by what is different. This conditioning is how the utopian society eliminated the problem. First of all, each class is conditioned to love their ranking and to realize that everyone is important and is indispensable to the society. The i! mportant thing here is that the lower classes are not jealous of the superior classes but even believe that their work is too tiring for them. The mental inferiority is very important for the survival of the utopian society. If the lower classes got too smart they would want to move up in life and that would ruin the stability of the society. Another precaution taken to prevent chaos to the society is the restraint of history, culture and art to the utopian civilization. According to our views, these things are unquestionably important and we would go as far as saying that we could not live without them. But for these people, they are insignificant. Education to us leads to knowledge and for us knowledge is power

Monday, November 25, 2019

Racism in American History X Essays

Racism in American History X Essays Racism in American History X Paper Racism in American History X Paper Racism in American History X â€Å"Get the fuck out of my house! † exclaims Derek as he pulls down his wife-beater to reveal a swastika tattoo, â€Å"See this? That means not welcome. † American History X, directed by Tony Kaye, is a movie about the transformation of Derek Vinyard: a young neo-Nazi skinhead. Derek’s father, Dennis Vinyard, was a middle-class fireman who disagreed with many of the ideological changes–such as affirmative â€Å"black† action–happening in America at the time. His father died while trying to put out a fire in a minority community. Derek essentially put the blame on the minorities for his father’s death as he says in the news interview: â€Å"Decent hard working Americans like my dad are getting rubbed out by these social parasites†. The death of a loved one is never an easy thing to go through. Derek felt that somebody else was responsible for the death other than his father. From then on this racist ideology stuck with Derek until his eventual murder of two black thugs, which got him sent to jail for three years. During the second dinner scene before the murder, the family argues about the recent Rodney King incident. In the argument, Derek’s close-minded ideology and oversimplification of the issue leads him to commit several logical fallacies, such as double standard, false dilemma, and red herring. Derek uses the double standard fallacy extensively throughout this scene. His ideology plays a major role in his reasoning: â€Å"That’s crap. I don’t buy that for a minute†¦ the fact that these people ripped off the stores in their own communities–all that reflects is that these people absolutely have no respect for the law at all and certainly no concept of community or civic responsibility† Derek begins by poisoning the well. He exclaims that the previous point made by Murray was â€Å"crap†. Derek sees minorities as having no respect because they ripped off their own kind and seemingly explains that the reason these people commit these crimes is because they have no concept of community or responsibility. Now wait a minute. Murray makes a good point that, â€Å"white people commit crimes against white people, too. † And that is where the double standard comes in. Earlier in the movie Derek convinces his gang to loot the local grocery store in his community because â€Å"now some fucking Korean owns it†. Instead of just telling the gang to hate black, hispanic, asian people because they are of that race, he makes speeches, telling them charismatically and passionately how these people are stealing their jobs, causing Americans to suffer a poor standard of living. Although his act wasn’t a crime between people of the same race, it was still obviously committed with no concept of community because it was fueled by racist ideology. Derek justifies this act of civil disobedience by blaming the government for allowing so many illegal immigrants across the border. In summary, Derek labels this same act of rioting differently depending on the race of people who commit the act. Subsequent to the previous fallacy, Derek presents the family with a false dilemma as to why black people tend to commit crime. â€Å"Look at the statistics for Christ’s sake. One in every three black males is in some phase of the correctional system. Is that a coincidence, or do these people have like a racial commitment to crime? † Derek’s first reason is that it may just be a coincidence, while his second reason is pretty much an accusation against the African American race. Derek proposes two and only two alternatives for consideration when many more underlying factors exist. For example Davina Vinyard makes a point that there could be social inequalities–like poverty or education level–that may differ between races. And Murray also adds that the statistic could also be due to a large amount of prejudice in the justice system towards race. For instance Derek’s black friend in jail was accused of assault and sentenced to six years because he dropped a stolen TV on the policeman’s foot. Derek oversimplifies the issue by presenting two reasons and fails to acknowledge any of the underlying factors that may be in play to produce the statistic. Finally, near the end of the conversation Derek uses the red herring fallacy to further support his radical view. If Rodney King had been driving along, hopped up on Chivas Regal and PCP and had killed Danny, you’d be singing a very different tune about the force of those cops. † In order to prove his point that King deserved the beating for what he had done, Derek presents the situation in a totally different light. Derek immediately shifts the discussion to something emotional (the death of his brother Danny) and the possibility of King hitting into someone during his high-speed chase is totally off topic because he didn’t in fact hit anybody. In doing so he uses appeal to fear to commit the fallacy of red herring. Derek’s blatant racism against the â€Å"struggling black man† is shown throughout this scene. Derek refers to King as a â€Å"monkey† twice, which displays his obvious lack of respect towards other races. Derek’s strong racial prejudice is obvious towards the end when he screams anti-Semitic insults at Murray and tells him to get out of the house. But what we’re all wondering (including Davina), â€Å"What is your point, Derek? Derek struggles to make a point that the white cops in the incident were doing their job and being persecuted for it, while Rodney King was no longer the focus of the incident. However, Derek’s arguments contained double standard, false dilemma, and red herring fallacies, which discredit and oversimplify the issue at hand. After Derek returns from jail he realizes that the beliefs that were instilled in him were what caused him to think so irrat ionally and one-sided. The film makes excellent use of a cunning depiction of racists to convey how evil and destructive Derek’s attitude and ideas really were.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How To Lose Weight Without Feeling Deprived Article

How To Lose Weight Without Feeling Deprived - Article Example With this said, I would like to set a different kind of sustainable weight loss program that would last and even motivate me to do more without having to feel deprived. My game plan would be best laid down through the use of the S.M.A.R.T strategy. Specific: I would like to set a program that will make me reach my ideal weight which is 115 pounds as proportionate to my height and at the same time feel stronger, increase my agility, and develop a leaner body. I would start making this happen by talking to a professional gym trainer to assess my body and develop a customized program considering my fitness goals. The gym that I would choose to enroll in would be one that offers different classes as well, as I am inclined to dancing, zumba, and yoga. This I believe would not only be a strong motivational factor to go to the gym but at the same time would exercise all parts of my body. Measureable: Based on my experience in going to the gym, one would need to look forward to something or encouraged along the journey for one to want to keep going. One of the techniques to do so would be to measure the success one is making to get one excited and to keep the routine going. In my case, I would want to measure the body fat that I am losing instead of measuring my weight. This is because of the fact that some people may weight more than others but does not necessarily mean they are healthier. Since ultimate health is my utmost goal it would be best to measure how much fat I lost. Aside from that, I would also like to measure the level of commitment I give to working out by simply counting how many days I would miss in my MWF workout schedule. I would be able to know if I have already reached my fitness goals by constantly checking with the weighing scale and using the BMI calculator. Â  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Expansion of Airport and Health Issues Case Study

Expansion of Airport and Health Issues - Case Study Example Air emissions are generally defined as "The release of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary sources and vehicles" (Business Dictionary). This indicates that the multi-source context should include air emissions from the expansion of the airport, the existing airport, local industries, homes, and vehicular exhaust. In order to be in the proper context it must also consider other exposure risks of asthma within the communities of concern. The Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports these risks to include animal dander, pollen, cigarette smoke, weather changes, scented products, food products, medications and emotional stress to name a few (Topic; January 2007). It is my belief that the airport acted properly by responding to concerns that the citizens put forth. The Federal Aviation Administration order titled Prevention, Control and Abatement of Environmental Pollution at FAA Facilities specifically requires the establishment of policies pertaining to environmental pollution at all of its facilities (1). These concerns are required to be addressed according to the National Environmental Policy Act: Implementing Instructions for Airport Projects at a very early stage and must be prepared to address the concerns of the community to avoid just such a conflict (Chapter 5). It is my belief that the proper multi-source context was established by the airport. That context requires them to include the air emissions of the existing airport to allow them to establish the risk of exposure due to the expansion. However, to consider the exposure risks of the existing airport as part of the exposure risks of the expansion is out of context. In this case it appears that the proper context has not been clearly defined and established between the concerned parties. The citizen groups maintain that their source of asthma is attributed solely to the air emissions as a result of the operations of the airport, and have thus failed to approach to problem in proper context. Clearly the citizen groups will benefit from the expertise of health care and risk professionals for help with their concerns. It is commonly accepted that citizens expect experts and officials to get involved in making decisions that affect communities; they do not think they should be left to the desires of corporate decisions without proper investigation and monitoring by local and national agencies designed to protect them. For this reason it is important that the airport planning staff recruit expert help from both local and national levels. The Framework for Environmental Health Risk Management (FEHRM) indicates that the inclusion of experts in environment, health, risk management, regulatory agencies and related industries allows for collaboration toward an acceptable conclusion for all concerned (17). The FEHRM goes on to report that collaboration of this nature is necessary to engage, interpret and deal with the variety of perspectives that each stakeholder brings to the table (17). The FEHRM clearly states that identification of problems and stakeholder involvement should occur in synchronicity early in the process and continue throughout the stages of developing a risk management assessment (13). The FERHM clearly states recommended guidelines for stakeholder invol

Monday, November 18, 2019

Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Ethics - Research Paper Example Employees mostly follow the actions of the leaders such that if an employee knows that a leader is dishonest in business dealings, there is the likelihood that he or she will conduct business ignoring the laid down rules and procedures. Ethical climate can best be defined as part of an organisations culture. Organisation is like a tribe where the members have their own way of communicating, beliefs and assumptions as well as power structure. The elements combine to form an organisation’s culture. Different organisations are faced with are faced with different sets of ethical challenges and there is established moral values and norms which serve as guidelines for establishing ethical standards. Ethical climate as such determines what members of an organisation see as right or wrong shaping their ethical decision making and behaviour. Ethical climate is of paramount importance since it boosts the morale of employees, enriches organisational commitment and fosters an involved workforce and improves employee retention (Gilliland, 2007). Biases that affect moral decision making are antisocial actions that harm others in the organisation and by extension affect the productivity of business in such an organisation. Such biases include discrimination due to gender, age, disability, level of education or job definition in the work place. Such ill treatment is guided by existing stereo types and prejudice. These stereotypes for example are the notion that old people cannot learn new skills or the belief that some races are lazy such as the Hispanic. Discrimination in the work place is generally expressed subtly through behaviours such as disregarding the achievements of people due to the colour of their skin, women, and low class status. Hiring and promotion is also done on the same basis such that some organisations will promote men despite having lesser qualifications and experience than the women (Giacalone, 2003). Nepotism is another form of bias that can affect

Friday, November 15, 2019

Looking At Wireless Power Transmission Information Technology Essay

Looking At Wireless Power Transmission Information Technology Essay Wireless power transmission is the process of transmitting electrical energy to an electrical load, from a source emitting power without interconnecting wires. The wireless transfer of electromagnetic energy as in different forms like audio format, video format and data format is common nowadays but wireless power transfer technology is still years ahead. Even though the idea was developed 100s of years ago and scientists are still working on the topic an efficient way for wireless transfer of power is yet to be developed. The development of highly efficient WPT technology will be a breakthrough in the history of wireless transmission as it allows lots of portable devices to be charged without plugging on to a socket or docked to a charging station. The development of WPT serves to be useful in many ways, as transmission of power in hazardous environment is inefficient and dangerous. The WPT differs from the wireless transmission of telecommunication signals as the WPT takes into consideration the efficiency parameter where as in the latter the energy parameter is significant only if the signal is distorted in such away that it cannot be distinguished. The WPT is economical if and only if the receiver receives the same amount of energy transmitted by the source. The direct induction method is the most common method used for the WPT and is being used for short distance WPT, but it had disadvantages and was overcome by later technologies developed like the resonant magnetic induction method, electromagnetic radiation methods like microwaves and lasers. The modern era where the ideology of high efficiency in practical circuits comes to existence, the WPT technology proves wrong due to the low efficiency of the developed technologies. The WPT technology in industries by electromagnetic radiation is possibly only remote in the design and most of the industries are looking forward for better designs for better efficiency in power transfer. Most of such design lags the property of safe human environment for living and the economical barriers. A design of WPT system which overcomes these factors is still to be worked out and is being experimented throughout the world. Why Wireless Power Transmission (WPT)? The studies throughout the world has proven that most of the electrical energy transfer is done through the interconnection wires and lots of energy is lost during the transmission due to various internal and external factors like the resistance of the wires the material of the conduction wires, the size of the wires, the atmospheric conditions like temperature, humidity etc. On an average basis the loss of power due to transmission through wires is calculated to exceed to be more than 30%. This is where the WPT comes into action , the WPT is highly reliable, fast , low cost for the maintenance and can also be used for short range and long range distance transmissions. These factors pop-in the idea for WPT. History of WPT The WPT history can be traced from the early 19th century. The first electromagnet was developed in the year 1825 by William Sturgeon which paved the way for the discovery of principles of magnetic induction in the year 1831. This was followed by the demonstration of transmission and reception of electrical energy without wires to connect the point of origin and termination by Nicholas Joseph Callan using the above two developments. These experiments even though demonstrated was successful but in practical cases was always kept under suspicion which was due to the interpretance that it was not possible for long distance transmission and fear of safety. The invention of transmission of very and ultra high frequency radio waves dedicated to Heinrich Hertz followed the revolutionary development of the wireless electricity transfer by Nikola Tesla in the year 1891, on which he took the patent-ship for illuminating the bulbs wirelessly. Nikola Tesla is called as the pioneer of the induction techniques as his technique was based on induction method. His vision of WORLD WIRELESS SYSTEM which inculcated the idea of people accessing the free energy. He even planned to set working a 187 feet tall tower for broadcasting energy but was put down due to lack of funds. The experimentation in early 20th century was successful in transmitting power over a distance wirelessly but was not able solve the problem of power loss due to hindrances. In the 19th century WPT passed through various phases of technological developments. Even after 100 years the idea of Tesla is being used by the MIT scientists led by Soljacic for their project named WiTricity. Different technologies of WPT Near-field techniques: The techniques for short distance transmission of power wirelessly. Mostly the induction methods are used for near-fields. These techniques are as follows. (1)Inductive coupling Electromagnetic induction is a process whereby a conductor placed in a changing magnetic field results in the production of voltage across a conducting plate. This voltage in-turn generates an electrical current called the induced current because the current on the second conductor is induced by the first. In the inductive coupling technique the primary and the secondary are not connected by wires but the energy is transferred by mutual induction. Mutual induction refers to the generation of EMF in circuit due to a change of current in nearby circuit. Electromagnetic increases with the increase in current, the voltage in the conducting plate responsible for the magnetic fields and also the increase in the frequency. The energy is transmitted from the conducting plates which is responsible for the fields to another conductor termed the secondary where the fields impinge on. A part of the energy on the primary is passed inductively through space decreasing the energy in the primary and imparting energy into the secondary. High frequency currents are not liable to pass the current for long distances but transfers energy by induction rapidly to the adjacent or neighboring conductors. Lower the frequency of the current less preponderant becomes the effects of induction. The phenomenon is classified more local, if the energy decreases rapidly in the circuit causing the current in the circuit to die-out. In the space outside the conductor the phenomena results in dielectric stress and steady magnetic condition for continuous current and alternating for alternating current input. For the telecommunication channels the magnetic and electric fields outside conductor is only considered for the transmitting and receiving of messages. Transformer working is the simplest example for WPT. A current which is varying in the primary generates a varying magnetic flux in the core of the transformer which results in the varying magnetic field in the secondary. This field induces a varying voltage or EMF(electromotive force) in the secondary. This is termed as mutual induction. It should be noted that most of the energy transferring devices are usually air-cored. There are many examples of air-cored devices, such as the wireless charging pads, electric brushes etc. Induction coupling is the underlying principle of charging of an electric toothbrush. The input current through the primary winding creates a magnetic flux thus a magnetic field. When the toothbrush is placed in the charger, a current is induced in the secondary by the magnetic field, which is connected to the batter of the brush and thus recharges the battery. The wireless charging of the portable devices of great advantage as it is comfortable to use, shock proof and less usage of wires which is more economical. The figure() shows the picture of an wirelessly charged toothbrush. The principle to recharge several devices at a time is similar to that of the charging of electric brush. The Splashpower recharging mat and Edisions Electric PowerDesk are few examples. The WCP (wireless charging pads) are devices that are devised for the charging the battery automatically when placed on it. There is no connection with the wires between the charging pad and the device battery to be charged. The technique of induction to transfer energy is utilized in this and air acts as core. Resonance Inductive Coupling It is the combination of resonance principles along with the inductive coupling principles. When a relatively low frequency close to the same frequency of vibration as the natural frequency of system being resonated produces large amplitude of vibration it is called resonance. Two objects or bodies are made to strongly interact with each other during the time of resonance. It is also noted that an objects physical structure determines the natural frequency of vibration of the object. Objects vibrate more easily at resonant frequency than at other frequencies. We know that magnetic flux developed due to the passage of current in the primary creates a magnetic field which induces an EMF in the secondary and thus current was the principle of inductive coupling. Working principles of Resonance Inductive Coupling. The coil in the fig() provides the inductance when the circuit is supplied with voltage. The induction takes place in a slight different manner when the electromagnetic fields surrounding the coils start to resonate in the similar frequencies. The inductor used here is a curved coil wire. We also see a capacitance plate attached to each end of the coil to hold the charge, that is a capacitance, is connected in parallel to the coil on both sides that is the primary and the secondary coil. When electricity is passed through the coil the coil begins to resonate. The resonating frequency is the product of the capacitance of the plates and the inductance of the coil. Electricity which travels alongside the electromagnetic wave tunnels from the source coil to the target coil, if both of the resonant frequencies are the same, where resonance is a function of the product of the capacitance connected in parallel and the inductance of the coil. Loss of energy or power due to radiation is negligible in this case. If the two coils to be linked are out of range of one another, there occurs no transmission of power as the fields are not strong enough to affect the surroundings. This is the same affect when two coils which are resonating at different frequencies exists. Considering two coils resonating at the same frequency to be in the same range, energy streams moves from the transmitting to the recipetant. This theory also provides the functionality of more than one receiving coil in the same range operating at the same resonant frequency to function. This type of energy is termed as NON-RADIATIVE ENERGY TRANSFER as it involves the static fields surrounding the coils more than the fields spreading in all directions. Advantages of Resonance Inductive Coupling (RIC) over Inductive Coupling Compared to inductive coupling the efficiency of RIC is very high. The range of RIC is much greater than compared to the inductive coupling, range for inductive coupling is below 5 cm whereas for the RIC it in the range of few meters. The directivity of the RIC is larger compared to the inductive coupling. RIC can implemented in one-to-many format, but the implementation of inductive coupling is generally one-on-one format. The devices implemented using RIC are easily portable compared to that of the inductive coupling gadgets. This is because of the small size of the component structure and the ease to use. Air Ionization Ionization of air refers to the process of imparting charges that is negative or positive charge to the air molecules by the application of high voltage. In this method of transferring the electricity, the charged particles that are the anions or cations move from the source to the target terminal through the atmosphere, by imparting charges to the air molecules. This technique even though seems to be simple in construction, it is the most toughest and un-economical method of transfer of power in the near field techniques. The disadvantages are really more in this technique because minimum field strength of 2.11 Megavolt is required to transfer the electricity over a distance of 1 meter, which is very high potential difference to be created. There should be a static atmospheric condition for this technique to be implemented and mostly the dust particles in the atmosphere can also affect the transfer of electric power, from one terminal to the other terminal. The natural example is the lightening which occurs. So taking into consideration all the negative points which overcome the advantages, it can be concluded that Air ionization method for wireless energy transfer is not feasible for implementation. Advantages of near-field techniques The absence of wires is being considered as the greatest advantage. There is no presence of e-waste. The need for battery is suppressed to a certain extent. Efficient energy transfer using the RIC up-to a distance of few meters is possible. The methods are harmless, if the strength of the fields used are under safety levels prescribed by the standards prescribed. The maintenance cost is considerably low for the devices in the near field techniques. Disadvantages of near-field techniques One of the main disadvantages of the near-field techniques is the distance. This technique implies the wireless transfer of energy only for a short distance. It has to be taken care of that, the strength of the fields developed should be below the safety level so that it does not affect the human safety. The initial capital for setting the circuit is considerably high. The tuning of the RIC circuit is a difficult task and consumes more time. The signals to the supply should be having high frequency because the induction is proportional to the frequency of the signal supply. The air ionization process for the near-field technique is not a feasible technique that can be implemented for the wireless transmission of energy. Far-field techniques for wireless power transmission Far-field techniques for WPT refer to transfer of power from one terminal to another terminal which is kept far apart. The techniques used for near-field transfer are not viable because the efficiency will be tending to zero or almost zero if implemented by those techniques. That is the power received at the receiving terminal will be zero. There are mainly two types of techniques used for the energy transfer in far-field techniques they are as follows Microwave wireless power transfer The electromagnetic waves that are arranged in between the infrared spectrum and the radio wave spectrum are termed as microwave. Their frequency ranges in from 300 Mega hertz to 300 Giga hertz. They are used for a wide range of applications such as Bluetooth, wifi, microwave Owen etc. The frequency range of microwave is in between 1 and 40 GHz which is generally used for applications. For long distance transfer of power, microwave is one of the best medium used. The microwave band is generally used because antennas of convenient sizes that are able to transmit and receive the microwave signals and also the metal waveguides for carrying the radio power works are available. Besides this the technologies in electronics where millimeter waveband is required the microwave proves to be helpful. This is because in millimeter wavelengths the radio waves are attenuated while the microwaves are not. The microwave was used for transmission of power for various applications such as running of the unmanned helicopter developed by Americans, powering the outer space vehicles etc. There are mainly three steps involved in the transmission and reception of power by MPT. Step1: The conversion of electrical energy into microwave. After this process the microwave is emitted with very-high power emitters called the cavity magnetrons. Step2: The microwave is then captured using a rectenna. The rectenna is a combinational circuit consisting of rectifier and an antenna. Step3: Microwave energy is converted to electrical by the rectenna. In the process of transmitting microwave, the AC supply needs to be converted to DC as it is not possible to convert the AC directly to microwave. The process of conversion of DC to microwave is done by magnetron. The magnetron is a highly powered vacuum tube structure that is responsible for the production of coherent microwaves. The rectenna can also be called as rectifying antennae as it converts the microwave directly into DC electricity. Rectenna consists of elements that are sorted in multi element array and consists of pattern reflector element mesh to give directionality. It is easily constructed by placing Schottky diode in between the antennae dipoles. The DC is converted back in the next process using an inverter circuit. Considering the receiver to be a photovoltaic cell, the microwave system for earthbound applications exceeding an area limit of diameter size 10 Km the arrays in the receiving station has large power levels in total , limiting the exposure of electromagne tic radiations which is considered for human safety. A density of power equals to or less than 1mW/cm2 is considered safe for human environment, and with this density of power for a diameter of 10 km 750 megawatts of power can be generated. This standard value is utilized by several modern power plants in the world. Laser transmission of power A device emitting electromagnetic radiation by the process of optical amplification on the basis of stimulated emission is termed as laser. Laser has high directivity and high degree of temporal and spatial coherence which is a unique property of laser that cannot be attained by any other technologies. The laser beams does not get dispersed for long during the time of transmission. The disadvantage of the laser is that it gets attenuated while propagating through the atmosphere because of hindrance due to the dust particles prevailing in the atmosphere. The receiver designed for the laser power transmitter and receiver is simple in design and construction. The laser system is a cost efficient system due to the simple design and structure. These points form positive side for the implementation of the laser system. The receiver in the case of laser system is a photovoltaic cell. The laser system is mainly used when electromagnetic radiation in the spectrum near to visible region that is 10s of nm or microns are to be transmitted, power is transmitted changing electricity in the form of laser beams and then projected onto a photo-voltaic cell which acts as the receiver. The receiver then turns it back to electricity. This is called the power beaming mechanism. This is so called because power is forced or beamed at the receiving end to convert the power into useful electric energy. The fig() shows the concept how laser is used for transferring the power to an object in the sky. Here it represents flying objects battery being charged by controlled transmission of laser beams, tracking the object with the help of the radar, and powering the target with the help of laser generating source. Comparison of Laser and Microwave techniques Laser method requires antennae of smaller sizes compared to that of the microwave technique of power transfer. Microwaves interferes with each other where as laser is highly monochromatic and does not interfere (two frequencies used for microwave power transfer are 2.45GHz and 5.4 GHz). Laser gets attenuated and also diffracted due to the particles present in the atmosphere, but microwave is resistant to this. Transmission of energy over a long range is possible due to property of collimated monochromatic propagation of wave-front in lasers but the range of microwave is small considered to lasers. The receiver size of the laser technique is small considered to the microwave method because of the compact size of the photovoltaic components. The laser beams does not affect or interfere the normal radio communication due to the large difference in their wavelengths, but microwave as it has wavelengths closer to that of the radio communication channel wavelength the possibility of interference is more. The photovoltaic cells in the laser receiver is not as efficient as in the microwave receiver as in laser, only 40%-50% efficiency is only acquired. Advantages of far-field energy transfer Far-field energy transfer is more efficient. The need for setting substations, grids etc are eliminated due to the large distance transfer ability. These systems require less maintenance cost compared to the wired system of energy transfer. The systems become more and more effective if the transmitter and the receiver are along the line of sight. This system can be implemented in remote locations where access is difficult. Disadvantages of far-field energy transfer techniques This is radiative in nature so the losses are prevalent due to the radiations. In order to be more effective in working the transmitting and receiving stations must be in line of sight. When lasers are used: (1) conversion to electrical energy is inefficient at the receiver. (2)absorption loss is high due to the atmospheric particles which causes attenuation and diffraction in lasers(3) difficult to use in human environment. When microwaves are used (1) interference of two power signals (2) standards should considered for the sake of healthy living environment. Applications Near-field energy transfer Electric automobile charging The automobiles running on electricity are more common nowadays as it more environmental friendly, but the storage capacity of these vehicles are limited as it cannot afford huge batteries, so similar to the petroleum bunks, rises the concept of recharging stations. But these recharging stations cannot afford large number of plug-ins, as the density of vehicles increases besides it is a waste of time working with plug-ins in this busy and fast world, so wireless recharging of the vehicles is done in these situations to avoid waste of time and energy by near-field techniques, besides all these many vehicles can be recharged at a time using resonance inductive coupling. Consumer electronics In the world of consumer electronics, the technology changes are really fast. Each technology brings in more compacability and introduces more functionality into the products being manufactured. Such a world essentially requires the introduction of the wireless charging, because it reduces the cost of the wires plugged on to it, increases the reliability of use of the equipment, reduces the total size of the equipment and increases the ease of portability etc. Inductive coupling or resonance Inductive coupling techniques prove to be useful in these cases. Example is electronic toothbrush charger, splash power recharging mat etc. Industrial applications In industries there are processes involving high temperature, hazardous environment created by chemical reactions etc. In such an environment if wires are used for the transfer of electricity if required, it is highly inefficient and at times dangerous, so in such cases only the wireless transfer of electricity is possible, the methods of inductive coupling and resonance inductive coupling proves to be efficient because the hazardous environment or the high temperature does not affect the transfer of energy wirelessly. Far-field energy transfer Solar power satellites In this era of growing need of energy, our mother earth with all its resources may not be able to supply enough energy for the utilization for mankind, besides the energy earned from coal, oil etc are causing pollution besides this, these non renewable sources of energy. So in order to satisfy human needs one of the latest technologies for energy harvesting is the solar power satellites. These are machineries working on the basis of the microwave and laser power transmission methods. These helps to efficiently make use of the solar energy, and are placed in geostationary orbits for the efficient working. Solar energy is captured using the solar cells on the satellite; where in 400 million photocells are present in each solar power satellite. The energy is converted to microwaves or laser and transmitted to the earth and received at the earth station using the rectenna or photovoltaic cell converts it into electrical energy. The efficiency of the microwave system is more than 95% usually, but for the laser power transfer system the efficiency is around 40% to 50%. The diagram in the fig() shows the working of the solar power satellite and how it transfers power from the supply terminal to the receiver terminal by microwave method of power transfer. This is also called BEAMING DOWN process. Energy to remote areas In remote location that is places that cannot be accessed easily by people, the transfer of energy by using grids are considered to be waste of money, time and energy. In such cases the transfer of energy through wireless media is only possible. Certain factories which produce hazardous wastes, confidential or secret services offices and plants of nations etc are sometimes located in remote locations are the examples. There are villages to be supplied with electricity located in remote locations government of nations are planning and implementing far-field techniques of power transfer to meet these tasks. Energy broadcasting globally The concept of energy broadcasting globally had bought in nations to work together in projects dealing with more efficiently trapping of solar energy to power up their resources. As solar energy is renewable source and available in plenty the only step left behind is more efficient way of trapping the solar energy. The achievement of this would certainly result in reducing the crisis of energy, and to broadcast the energy globally. One of the famous projects undertaken is based on Kalams (former Indian president) vision which calls in the program for space-farming to contribute substantially for the global energy broadcasting. One such proposal is Pan African e- network. Projects established on the basis of wireless power transfer. Wi-Tricity This was a project done in Massachusetts Institute of Technology on wireless transfer of energy based on the resonance inductive coupling method. The team was led by Marin Soljacic. The team was able to transfer energy wirelessly for a distance of 2m. The coils used for the experiment was helical in shape and they never used any capacitor in the experiment. The energy received at the receiving terminal was almost 40% of the total input power from the supply. The frequencies used for the transmission of power were 1MHz and 10MHz. The field strengths were safer at 1 MHz frequency for the human environment. The usage of 10MHz frequency, created fields of strength above the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) standards. Rectenna in US The rectenna build in USA worked on the microwave method of wireless energy transfer. The rectenna which was spread over one and half mile in was diameter was able to generate electric power of 5000MW. The range of frequency of microwave used is compactable to the ICNIRP standards. Alaska 21 WPT can be used for supplying power to rural areas. Alaska 21 project was presented in the year 1993, for supplying power to villages in Alaska. The other sources of energy were not possible to be used because of the limited infrastructure. The price estimate of $40/kWh was done for energy produced by other sources, which is too high to accommodate. Even cabling to this area was not possible due to extremes of climatic conditions. So a pilot project was conducted which was passed on WPT, not only to supply energy but also to avoid pollution. The system consisted of 2.45 GHz design array and could bridge around 1 to 15 miles. Present status is unknown. Grand Basin project This project aims in supplying electricity to an isolated mountain village in the remote area of the La Reunion Island. This project was developed for making Grand Basin to a tourist village. The project was given complete support by CNES, which is the French space centre. WPT was used as the underlying basis of the project. Planning to build a microwave link which operates at 2.45GHz frequency working over a distance of 700 meters delivers 10kW and had an efficiency of 57%. The whole system worked in combination with the photovoltaic panels and the batteries. Capital of 1 million dollars for 10 kW was proposed and the project was put down. WPT Demonstration in Hawaii In the year 2008 on moth of May a demonstration based on WPT was held on the islands of Hawaii. The demonstration was organized by one of the US based companies named Managed Energy Technologies. They were able to demonstrate wireless power transfer up to a distance of 148 km. They were only able to transfer 20 watts of power, which would barely light a fluorescent lamp, because most of the energy were lost during the time of transmission. The limitation of this demonstration was not the science but the capital involved. This project involved less than a million dollar. If the company could have afforded more number of solar panels and more phased transmitter array and receivers more than 60% of efficiency could have been acquired. Munich electronica exploration The Munich ELECTRONICA exhibition organized by the automotive, embedded, electronica and the ZEVI forums in the month of November from 9th to 12th in Germany was a real trade off for the electronics products. There were 2595 companies participating in the exchange and almost 70000 visitors took part in the exhibition. The exhibition is being conducted every two years alternatively to the Productronica. There were participation of various companies dealing with different types of electronic goods like the displays, connectors and interconnects, semiconductors, automotive, sensors, passive components, assemblies and sub-systems, wireless, embedded systems, power supplies, test and measurement etc. It is one of the best places where we come to know about different technologies, products and even test the new product to confirm our expectation. The fair also is business area where companies come for advertising and selling their products. I was able to visit stalls of 37 companies dealin g with power supply devices and gathered informations which I was able to present on the topic wireless transfer of power. Certain companies were doing research works on this topic but were not able to introduce their products because certain defects were yet to be cleared before manufacturing. Companies visited RRC Solutions The company was established in the year 1989, with the excellent management has become one of the leading companies in the supplier of power supplies and battery chargers. It has a good platform for the professional applications in medical, industrial, military and consumer products. The company has good wealth of expertise engineers creating new and innovative ideas. The company has its branches in various locations of the world with its headquarters in south west Germany. Its branches are located in USA, Japan, China, Hong Kong etc The companys products involve battery chargers, power supplies, integrated system solutions, products

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Bean Trees Essay -- Character Analysis, Taylor

The Bean Trees is a novel which shows Taylor’s maturation; it is a bildungsroman story. Taylor is a developing or dynamic character. Her moral qualities and outlook undergo a permanent change. When the novel begins, Taylor is an independent-minded young woman embarking on an adventure to a new world. She has no cares or worries. She is confident in her abilities, and is determined to make it through life on her own. As she discovers new things and meets new people, Taylor is exposed to the realities of the world. She learns about the plight of abandoned children and of illegal immigrants. She learns how to give help and how to depend upon the help of others. As she interacts with others, those people are likewise affected by Taylor. The other developing characters are Lou Ann Ruiz, Turtle, and Esperanza. Together they learn the importance of interdependence and find their confidence. At the beginning of the novel, Taylor is intensely independent. She stands apart from the other high school girls at Pittman County. She is the only girl not wearing â€Å"beige or pink Bobbie Brooks matching sweater-and-skirt outfits† (5). She is determined to avoid teenage pregnancy, which is so common in her high school. She is the only girl brave enough to ask the science teacher for a job. Taylor believes that she can survive on her own. She finds herself a rickety car. It is a ’55 Volkswagen bug â€Å"with no windows to speak of, and no seat and no starter† (11-12). She learns how to push start it all by herself. Her mother helps her to be independent and to conquer her fears. Mrs. Greer lets the air out of one of the tires and also the spare, forcing Taylor to pump the tire herself despite her fear of exploding tires. Taylor learns that â€Å"nobody was goi... ...ope. Taylor, Turtle, Lou Ann, and Esperanza all develop because of their relationship with and to others. An iron is sharpened when it rubs against another piece of iron. Similarly, it is through contact and relationships that character is developed. The characters discover that they need each other to survive, just like the symbiotic relationship between the wisteria and the rhizobia. Taylor learns to depend upon the help of her friends. Turtle overcomes her emotional shock through Taylor’s love and care. Lou Ann finds her self-confidence through Taylor’s encouragement. Esperanza finds hope through her love for Turtle. All the characters learn how to be like the people in heaven. They are â€Å"well-fed† because they help and serve each other. The interaction among the characters provides nourishment and life. They develop into better people through this interaction.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 100-101

CHAPTER 100 Bishop Manuel Aringarosa's body had endured many kinds of pain, and yet the searing heat of the bullet wound in his chest felt profoundly foreign to him. Deep and grave. Not a wound of the flesh†¦ but closer to the soul. He opened his eyes, trying to see, but the rain on his face blurred his vision. Where am I? He could feel powerful arms holding him, carrying his limp body like a rag doll, his black cassock flapping. Lifting a weary arm, he mopped his eyes and saw the man holding him was Silas. The great albino was struggling down a misty sidewalk, shouting for a hospital, his voice a heartrending wail of agony. His red eyes were focused dead ahead, tears streaming down his pale, blood-spattered face. â€Å"My son,† Aringarosa whispered,† you're hurt.† Silas glanced down, his visage contorted in anguish. â€Å"I am so very sorry, Father.† He seemed almost too pained to speak. â€Å"No, Silas,† Aringarosa replied. â€Å"It is I who am sorry. This is my fault.† The Teacher promised me there would be no killing, and I told you to obey him fully. â€Å"I was too eager. Too fearful. You and I were deceived.† The Teacher was never going to deliver us the Holy Grail. Cradled in the arms of the man he had taken in all those years ago, Bishop Aringarosa felt himself reel back in time. To Spain. To his modest beginnings, building a small Catholic church in Oviedo with Silas. And later, to New York City, where he had proclaimed the glory of God with the towering Opus Dei Center on Lexington Avenue. Five months ago, Aringarosa had received devastating news. His life's work was in jeopardy. He recalled, with vivid detail, the meeting inside Castel Gandolfo that had changed his life†¦ the news that had set this entire calamity into motion. Aringarosa had entered Gandolfo's Astronomy Library with his head held high, fully expecting to be lauded by throngs of welcoming hands, all eager to pat him on the back for his superior work representing Catholicism in America. But only three people were present. The Vatican secretariat. Obese. Dour. Two high-ranking Italian cardinals. Sanctimonious. Smug. â€Å"Secretariat?† Aringarosa said, puzzled. The rotund overseer of legal affairs shook Aringarosa's hand and motioned to the chair opposite him. â€Å"Please, make yourself comfortable.† Aringarosa sat, sensing something was wrong. â€Å"I am not skilled in small talk, Bishop,† the secretariat said,† so let me be direct about the reason for your visit.† â€Å"Please. Speak openly.† Aringarosa glanced at the two cardinals, who seemed to be measuring him with self-righteous anticipation. â€Å"As you are well aware,† the secretariat said,† His Holiness and others in Rome have been concerned lately with the political fallout from Opus Dei's more controversial practices.† Aringarosa felt himself bristle instantly. He already had been through this on numerous occasions with the new pontiff, who, to Aringarosa's great dismay, had turned out to be a distressingly fervent voice for liberal change in the Church. â€Å"I want to assure you,† the secretariat added quickly,† that His Holiness does not seek to change anything about the way you run your ministry.† I should hope not!† Then why am I here?† The enormous man sighed. â€Å"Bishop, I am not sure how to say this delicately, so I will state it directly. Two days ago, the Secretariat Council voted unanimously to revoke the Vatican's sanction of Opus Dei.† Aringarosa was certain he had heard incorrectly. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Plainly stated, six months from today, Opus Dei will no longer be considered a prelature of the Vatican. You will be a church unto yourself. The Holy See will be disassociating itself from you. His Holiness agrees and we are already drawing up the legal papers.† â€Å"But†¦ that is impossible!† â€Å"On the contrary, it is quite possible. And necessary. His Holiness has become uneasy with your aggressive recruiting policies and your practices of corporal mortification.† He paused. â€Å"Also your policies regarding women. Quite frankly, Opus Dei has become a liability and an embarrassment.† Bishop Aringarosa was stupefied. â€Å"An embarrassment?† â€Å"Certainly you cannot be surprised it has come to this.† â€Å"Opus Dei is the only Catholic organization whose numbers are growing! We now have over eleven hundred priests!† â€Å"True. A troubling issue for us all.† Aringarosa shot to his feet. â€Å"Ask His Holiness if Opus Dei was an embarrassment in 1982 when we helped the Vatican Bank!† â€Å"The Vatican will always be grateful for that,† the secretariat said, his tone appeasing,† and yet there are those who still believe your financial munificence in 1982 is the only reason you were granted prelature status in the first place.† â€Å"That is not true!† The insinuation offended Aringarosa deeply. â€Å"Whatever the case, we plan to act in good faith. We are drawing up severance terms that will include a reimbursement of those monies. It will be paid in five installments.† â€Å"You are buying me off?† Aringarosa demanded. â€Å"Paying me to go quietly? When Opus Dei is the only remaining voice of reason!† One of the cardinals glanced up. â€Å"I'm sorry, did you say reason?† Aringarosa leaned across the table, sharpening his tone to a point. â€Å"Do you really wonder why Catholics are leaving the Church? Look around you, Cardinal. People have lost respect. The rigors of faith are gone. The doctrine has become a buffet line. Abstinence, confession, communion, baptism, mass – take your pick – choose whatever combination pleases you and ignore the rest. What kind of spiritual guidance is the Church offering?† â€Å"Third-century laws,† the second cardinal said,† cannot be applied to the modern followers of Christ. The rules are not workable in today's society.† â€Å"Well, they seem to be working for Opus Dei!† â€Å"Bishop Aringarosa,† the secretariat said, his voice conclusive. â€Å"Out of respect for your organization's relationship with the previous Pope, His Holiness will be giving Opus Dei six months to voluntarily break away from the Vatican. I suggest you cite your differences of opinion with the Holy See and establish yourself as your own Christian organization.† â€Å"I refuse!† Aringarosa declared. â€Å"And I'll tell him that in person!† â€Å"I'm afraid His Holiness no longer cares to meet with you.† Aringarosa stood up. â€Å"He would not dare abolish a personal prelature established by a previous Pope!† â€Å"I'm sorry.† The secretariat's eyes did not flinch. â€Å"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.† Aringarosa had staggered from that meeting in bewilderment and panic. Returning to New York, he stared out at the skyline in disillusionment for days, overwhelmed with sadness for the future of Christianity. It was several weeks later that he received the phone call that changed all that. The caller sounded French and identified himself as the Teacher – a title common in the prelature. He said he knew of the Vatican's plans to pull support from Opus Dei. How could he know that? Aringarosa wondered. He had hoped only a handful of Vatican power brokers knew of Opus Dei's impending annulment. Apparently the word was out. When it came to containing gossip, no walls in the world were as porous as those surrounding Vatican City. â€Å"I have ears everywhere, Bishop,† the Teacher whispered,† and with these ears I have gained certain knowledge. With your help, I can uncover the hiding place of a sacred relic that will bring you enormous power†¦ enough power to make the Vatican bow before you. Enough power to save the Faith.† He paused. â€Å"Not just for Opus Dei. But for all of us.† The Lord taketh away†¦and the Lord giveth.Aringarosa felt a glorious ray of hope. â€Å"Tell me your plan.† Bishop Aringarosa was unconscious when the doors of St. Mary's Hospital hissed open. Silas lurched into the entryway delirious with exhaustion. Dropping to his knees on the tile floor, he cried out for help. Everyone in the reception area gaped in wonderment at the half-naked albino offering forth a bleeding clergyman. The doctor who helped Silas heave the delirious bishop onto a gurney looked gloomy as he felt Aringarosa's pulse. â€Å"He's lost a lot of blood. I am not hopeful.† Aringarosa's eyes flickered, and he returned for a moment, his gaze locating Silas. â€Å"My child†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Silas's soul thundered with remorse and rage. â€Å"Father, if it takes my lifetime, I will find the one who deceived us, and I will kill him.† Aringarosa shook his head, looking sad as they prepared to wheel him away. â€Å"Silas†¦ if you have learned nothing from me, please†¦ learn this.† He took Silas's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. â€Å"Forgiveness is God's greatest gift.† â€Å"But Father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Aringarosa closed his eyes. â€Å"Silas, you must pray.† CHAPTER 101 Robert Langdon stood beneath the lofty cupola of the deserted Chapter House and stared into the barrel of Leigh Teabing's gun. Robert, are you with me, or against me? The Royal Historian's words echoed in the silence of Langdon's mind. There was no viable response, Langdon knew. Answer yes, and he would be selling out Sophie. Answer no, and Teabing would have no choice but to kill them both. Langdon's years in the classroom had not imbued him with any skills relevant to handling confrontations at gunpoint, but the classroom had taught him something about answering paradoxical questions. When a question has no correct answer, there is only one honest response. The gray area between yes and no. Silence. Staring at the cryptex in his hands, Langdon chose simply to walk away. Without ever lifting his eyes, he stepped backward, out into the room's vast empty spaces. Neutral ground.He hoped his focus on the cryptex signaled Teabing that collaboration might be an option, and that his silence signaled Sophie he had not abandoned her. All the while buying time to think. The act of thinking, Langdon suspected, was exactly what Teabing wanted him to do. That's whyhe handed me the cryptex.So I could feel the weight of my decision.The British historian hoped the touch of the Grand Master's cryptex would make Langdon fully grasp the magnitude of its contents, coaxing his academic curiosity to overwhelm all else, forcing him to realize that failure to unlock the keystone would mean the loss of history itself. With Sophie at gunpoint across the room, Langdon feared that discovering the cryptex's elusive password would be his only remaining hope of bartering her release. If I can free the map, Teabingwill negotiate.Forcing his mind to this critical task, Langdon moved slowly toward the far windows†¦ allowing his mind to fill with the numerous astronomical images on Newton's tomb. You seek the orb that ought be on his tomb. It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb. Turning his back to the others, he walked toward the towering windows, searching for any inspiration in their stained-glass mosaics. There was none. Place yourself in Sauniere's mind, he urged, gazing outward now into College Garden. What wouldhe believe is the orb that ought be on Newton's tomb? Images of stars, comets, and planets twinkled in the falling rain, but Langdon ignored them. Sauniere was not a man of science. He was a man of humanity, of art, of history. The sacred feminine†¦the chalice†¦the Rose†¦the banishedMary Magdalene†¦the decline of the goddess†¦the Holy Grail. Legend had always portrayed the Grail as a cruel mistress, dancing in the shadows just out of sight, whispering in your ear, luring you one more step and then evaporating into the mist. Gazing out at the rustling trees of College Garden, Langdon sensed her playful presence. The signs were everywhere. Like a taunting silhouette emerging from the fog, the branches of Britain's oldest apple tree burgeoned with five-petaled blossoms, all glistening like Venus. The goddess was in the garden now. She was dancing in the rain, singing songs of the ages, peeking out from behind the bud-filled branches as if to remind Langdon that the fruit of knowledge was growing just beyond his reach. Across the room, Sir Leigh Teabing watched with confidence as Langdon gazed out the window as if under a spell. Exactly as I hoped, Teabing thought. He will come around. For some time now, Teabing had suspected Langdon might hold the key to the Grail. It was no coincidence that Teabing launched his plan into action on the same night Langdon was scheduled to meet Jacques Sauniere. Listening in on the curator, Teabing was certain the man's eagerness to meet privately with Langdon could mean only one thing. Langdon's mysterious manuscript has touched a nerve with the Priory. Langdon has stumbled onto a truth, and Sauniere fears its release.Teabing felt certain the Grand Master was summoning Langdon to silence him. The Truth has been silenced long enough! Teabing knew he had to act quickly. Silas's attack would accomplish two goals. It would prevent Sauniere from persuading Langdon to keep quiet, and it would ensure that once the keystone was in Teabing's hands, Langdon would be in Paris for recruitment should Teabing need him. Arranging the fatal meeting between Sauniere and Silas had been almost too easy. I had inside information about Sauniere's deepest fears.Yesterday afternoon, Silas had phoned the curator and posed as a distraught priest. â€Å"Monsieur Sauniere, forgive me, I must speak to you at once. I should never breach the sanctity of the confessional, but in this case, I feel I must. I just took confession from a man who claimed to have murdered members of your family.† Sauniere's response was startled but wary. â€Å"My family died in an accident. The police report was conclusive.† â€Å"Yes, a car accident,† Silas said, baiting the hook. â€Å"The man I spoke to said he forced their car off the road into a river.† Sauniere fell silent.† Monsieur Sauniere, I would never have phoned you directly except this man made a comment which makes me now fear for your safety.† He paused. â€Å"The man also mentioned your granddaughter, Sophie.† The mention of Sophie's name had been the catalyst. The curator leapt into action. He ordered Silasto come see him immediately in the safest location Sauniere knew – his Louvre office. Then he phoned Sophie to warn her she might be in danger. Drinks with Robert Langdon were instantly abandoned. Now, with Langdon separated from Sophie on the far side of the room, Teabing sensed he had successfully alienated the two companions from one another. Sophie Neveu remained defiant, but Langdon clearly saw the larger picture. He was trying to figure out the password. He understands the importance of finding the Grail and releasing her from bondage. â€Å"He won't open it for you,† Sophie said coldly. â€Å"Even if he can.† Teabing was glancing at Langdon as he held the gun on Sophie. He was fairly certain now he was going to have to use the weapon. Although the idea troubled him, he knew he would not hesitate if it came to that. I have given her every opportunity to do the right thing.The Grail is bigger than any one of us. At that moment, Langdon turned from the window. â€Å"The tomb†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said suddenly, facing them with a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. â€Å"I know where to look on Newton's tomb. Yes, I think I can find the password!† Teabing's heart soared. â€Å"Where, Robert? Tell me!† Sophie sounded horrified. â€Å"Robert, no! You're not going to help him, are you?† Langdon approached with a resolute stride, holding the cryptex before him. â€Å"No,† he said, his eyes hardening as he turned to Leigh. â€Å"Not until he lets you go.† Teabing's optimism darkened. â€Å"We are so close, Robert. Don't you dare start playing games with me!† â€Å"No games,† Langdon said. â€Å"Let her go. Then I'll take you to Newton's tomb. We'll open the cryptex together.† â€Å"I'm not going anywhere,† Sophie declared, her eyes narrowing with rage. â€Å"That cryptex was given to me by my grandfather. It is not yours to open.† Langdon wheeled, looking fearful. â€Å"Sophie, please! You're in danger. I'm trying to help you!† â€Å"How? By unveiling the secret my grandfather died trying to protect? He trusted you, Robert. Itrusted you!† Langdon's blue eyes showed panic now, and Teabing could not help but smile to see the two of them working against one another. Langdon's attempts to be gallant were more pathetic than anything. On the verge of unveiling one of history's greatest secrets, and he troubles himself with a woman who has proven herself unworthy of the quest. â€Å"Sophie,† Langdon pleaded. â€Å"Please†¦ you must leave.† She shook her head. â€Å"Not unless you either hand me the cryptex or smash it on the floor.† â€Å"What?† Langdon gasped.† Robert, my grandfather would prefer his secret lost forever than see it in the hands of his murderer.† Sophie's eyes looked as if they would well with tears, but they did not. She stared directly back at Teabing. â€Å"Shoot me if you have to. I am not leaving my grandfather's legacy in your hands.† Very well.Teabing aimed the weapon. â€Å"No!† Langdon shouted, raising his arm and suspending the cryptex precariously over the hard stone floor. â€Å"Leigh, if you even think about it, I will drop this.† Teabing laughed. â€Å"That bluff worked on Remy. Not on me. I know you better than that.† â€Å"Do you, Leigh?† Yes I do. Your poker face needs work, my friend. It took me several seconds, but I can see now that you are lying. You have no idea where on Newton's tomb the answer lies. â€Å"Truly, Robert? You know where on the tomb to look?† â€Å"I do.† The falter in Langdon's eyes was fleeting but Leigh caught it. There was a lie there. A desperate, pathetic ploy to save Sophie. Teabing felt a profound disappointment in Robert Langdon. I am a lone knight, surrounded by unworthy souls. And I will have to decipher the keystone on my own. Langdon and Neveu were nothing but a threat to Teabing now†¦ and to the Grail. As painful as the solution was going to be, he knew he could carry it out with a clean conscience. The only challenge would be to persuade Langdon to set down the keystone so Teabing could safely end this charade. â€Å"A show of faith,† Teabing said, lowering the gun from Sophie. â€Å"Set down the keystone, and we'll talk.† Langdon knew his lie had failed. He could see the dark resolve in Teabing's face and knew the moment was upon them. When I setthis down, he will kill us both.Even without looking at Sophie, he could hear her heart beseeching him in silent desperation. Robert, this man is not worthy of the Grail.Please do not place it in his hands.No matter what the cost. Langdon had already made his decision several minutes ago, while standing alone at the window overlooking College Garden. Protect Sophie. Protect the Grail. Langdon had almost shouted out in desperation. But I cannot see how! The stark moments of disillusionment had brought with them a clarity unlike any he had ever felt. The Truth is right before your eyes, Robert.He knew not from where the epiphany came. The Grailis not mocking you, she is calling out to a worthy soul. Now, bowing down like a subject several yards in front of Leigh Teabing, Langdon lowered the cryptex to within inches of the stone floor. â€Å"Yes, Robert,† Teabing whispered, aiming the gun at him. â€Å"Set it down.† Langdon's eyes moved heavenward, up into the gaping void of the Chapter House cupola. Crouching lower, Langdon lowered his gaze to Teabing's gun, aimed directly at him. â€Å"I'm sorry, Leigh.† In one fluid motion, Langdon leapt up, swinging his arm skyward, launching the cryptex straight up toward the dome above. Leigh Teabing did not feel his finger pull the trigger, but the Medusa discharged with a thundering crash. Langdon's crouched form was now vertical, almost airborne, and the bullet exploded in the floor near Langdon's feet. Half of Teabing's brain attempted to adjust his aim and fire again in rage, but the more powerful half dragged his eyes upward into the cupola. The keystone! Time seemed to freeze, morphing into a slow-motion dream as Teabing's entire world became the airborne keystone. He watched it rise to the apex of its climb†¦ hovering for a moment in the void†¦ and then tumbling downward, end over end, back toward the stone floor. All of Teabing's hopes and dreams were plummeting toward earth. It cannot strike the floor! I can reach it! Teabing's body reacted on instinct. He released the gun and heaved himself forward, dropping his crutches as he reached out with his soft, manicured hands. Stretching his arms and fingers, he snatched the keystone from midair. Falling forward with the keystone victoriously clutched in his hand, Teabing knew he was falling too fast. With nothing to break his fall, his outstretched arms hit first, and the cryptex collided hard with the floor. There was a sickening crunch of glass within. For a full second, Teabing did not breathe. Lying there outstretched on the cold floor, staring the length of his outstretched arms at the marble cylinder in his bare palms, he implored the glass vial inside to hold. Then the acrid tang of vinegar cut the air, and Teabing felt the cool liquid flowing out through the dials onto his palm. Wild panic gripped him. NO! The vinegar was streaming now, and Teabing pictured the papyrus dissolving within. Robert, you fool! The secret is lost! Teabing felt himself sobbing uncontrollably. The Grail is gone.Everything destroyed.Shuddering in disbelief over Langdon's actions, Teabing tried to force the cylinder apart, longing to catch a fleeting glimpse of history before it dissolved forever. To his shock, as he pulled the ends of the keystone, the cylinder separated. He gasped and peered inside. It was empty except for shards of wet glass. No dissolving papyrus. Teabing rolled over and looked up at Langdon. Sophie stood beside him, aiming the gun down at Teabing. Bewildered, Teabing looked back at the keystone and saw it. The dials were no longer at random. They spelled a five-letter word: APPLE. â€Å"The orb from which Eve partook,† Langdon said coolly,† incurring the Holy wrath of God. Original sin. The symbol of the fall of the sacred feminine.† Teabing felt the truth come crashing down on him in excruciating austerity. The orb that ought be on Newton's tomb could be none other than the Rosy apple that fell from heaven, struck Newton on the head, and inspired his life's work. His labor's fruit! The Rosy flesh with a seeded womb! â€Å"Robert,† Teabing stammered, overwhelmed. â€Å"You opened it. Where†¦ is the map?† Without blinking, Langdon reached into the breast pocket of his tweed coat and carefully extracted a delicate rolled papyrus. Only a few yards from where Teabing lay, Langdon unrolled the scroll and looked at it. After a long moment, a knowing smile crossed Langdon's face. He knows! Teabing's heart craved that knowledge. His life's dream was right in front of him. â€Å"Tell me!† Teabing demanded. â€Å"Please! Oh God, please! It's not too late!† As the sound of heavy footsteps thundered down the hall toward the Chapter House, Langdon quietly rolled the papyrus and slipped it back in his pocket. â€Å"No!† Teabing cried out, trying in vain to stand. When the doors burst open, Bezu Fache entered like a bull into a ring, his feral eyes scanning, finding his target – Leigh Teabing – helpless on the floor. Exhaling in relief, Fache holstered his Manurhin sidearm and turned to Sophie. â€Å"Agent Neveu, I am relieved you and Mr. Langdon are safe. You should have come in when I asked.† The British police entered on Fache's heels, seizing the anguished prisoner and placing him in handcuffs. Sophie seemed stunned to see Fache. â€Å"How did you find us?† Fache pointed to Teabing. â€Å"He made the mistake of showing his ID when he entered the abbey. The guards heard a police broadcast about our search for him.† â€Å"It's in Langdon's pocket!† Teabing was screaming like a madman. â€Å"The map to the Holy Grail!† As they hoisted Teabing and carried him out, he threw back his head and howled. â€Å"Robert! Tell me where it's hidden!† As Teabing passed, Langdon looked him in the eye. â€Å"Only the worthy find the Grail, Leigh. You taught me that.†