A Look At The Main Goals Of Terrorism Essay - 1715 Words

Kristen Resh War and Peace Henderson A Look at the Main Goals of Terrorism While terrorism dates back to around 1 BCE, it has become much more prominent in our everyday lives within the past few decades. We are constantly worried about the next attack, when it is going to happen, and where it will be. Whether it is physical or cyber, terrorism is one of the top concerns for the United States. Although it is extremely difficult to define, the U.S. Department of Defense describes it as â€Å"the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological objectives† (Hoffman, 31). While it is hard for us to understand why someone would cause something as horrific as 9/11 or the Paris bombing, terrorists believe that they are doing good and helping the world. They are very methodical, have missions, rules and regulations, followers, and goals that they want to achieve. The goals of terrorism are to evoke fear, fight for religious, ideological, or political change, and to obtain worldwide recognition for what they have done. We all know that terrorism is one of the scariest parts of society today. There is always the chance of another attack happening and we often live in fear because of that. Just as the name states, the primary goal of terrorism is to create terror and get a reaction from the public. It is all aboutShow MoreRelatedTerrorism And The Global Terrorism Database Essay819 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) through the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) through the University of Maryland from 1970 through 1999 there were on average six terror attacks per day across the globe for this thirty year period resulting in about a 70,000 total attacks. Now if we look at the twenty-first century we have a similar story. From 2000 through 2014 the world experienced about 72,000 total attacks. However, this is concerning because this is aRead MoreThe Construction Of The War On Terrorism1103 Words   |  5 Pagessociety is characterized as â€Å"terrorism.† In the context of international relations, terrorism is one of the most challenged definitions. The term â€Å"terrorism† is politically and emotionally charged, which has made it difficult for the international community to develop a universally agreed upon definition. In a general sense, terrorism can be expressed as the use or threatened use of force against civilians to provoke political or social change. Shared elements of terrorism also include that it is politicalRead MoreThe Strategic Logic Of Suicide Terrorism1694 Words   |  7 PagesSuicide Terrorism Robert Pape examines the Western misconceptions of suicide terrorism and the failures of foreign policy towards addressing this trans-national issue. Failures to recognize the issue of policy towards Suicide Terrorism worsens the issue and making this issue only larger. This paper will analyze Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism and refute the unrealistic Western perception of suicide terrorism. Pape’s book examines the fallacies of suicide terrorism. He claimsRead MoreTerrorists Attacks And Warfare.Recently, The Number Of1239 Words   |  5 Pagesis the difference of political standpoint. As Paul Wilkinson addresses in his book â€Å"Terrorism and the Liberal State†, the use of killing and murdering from terrorism perspective, â€Å"the systematic use of murder and destruction, and the threat of murder and destruction in order to terrorize individuals, groups, communities or governments into conceding to the terrorists’ political demands.† The purpose of terrorism organization to organize one attacks, is to attract public’s attention on their politicalRead More Motivations Of Terrorists Essays710 Words   |  3 Pages Discussing terrorism and motivations leading to terrorism brings up thoughts of random acts of violence. These acts are mostly considered to be methods of insane men. Most of these modern terrorists follow their own politic al agenda with each group trying to achieve a particular goal. There are three types of terrorists in today’s society: the single individual, a certain group, and government funded organization. These terrorists all resemble criminals with one major difference; they are dedicatedRead MoreThe Strategic Logic Of Suicide Terrorism Summary840 Words   |  4 PagesStrategic Logic and Suicide Terrorism Suicide terrorism is frequently associated with irrational behavior. In the article â€Å"The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism† written by Robert A. Pape, he asserts that suicide terrorism are strategies of rational thinking. Furthermore, he claims that leaders of terrorist organizations utilize suicide terrorism, as a form of coercion. Thus, he characterizes suicide terrorism as a rational and strategic act amongst the leaders of terrorist organizations to achieveRead MoreThe Legal Definition Of Terrorism960 Words   |  4 Pagescitizens would define terrorism as using force to influence or change a political decision, â€Å"the legal definition of terrorism has very high importance† (Hodgson). This is because it determines which actions count as acts of terrorism, and hence who is regarded as a terrorist, but also because the definition of terrorism opens up a range of controversy of police and prosecutorial powers. Terrorism has always been an iffy subject to ta lk about and define. In its original text, terrorism was closely associatedRead MoreHumanities Oral Speech Assignment : Olivia Pease1293 Words   |  6 PagesHUMANITIES ORAL SPEECH ASSIGNMENT – OLIVIA PEASE Protagonists, the main characters within any story that we all admire and aspire to be. These valiant and honourable freedom-fighters are the ones who slay the evil dragons, rescue the beautiful princesses, fuel rebellions and overthrow an oppressive monarchy all in time for dinner at eight. But every hero has their dark side, being formed from the aftermath of a traumatic childhood experience, be it from a death in the family or a loyal friend. TheseRead MoreSimilarities Between Terrorism and Organized Crime:1630 Words   |  7 PagesSimilarities between terrorism and organized crime: Today’s terrorism and organized crime groups are so similar that their differences are starting to blur and the commonalities are becoming clearer. Terrorism and organized crime is a perfect match, that may have different objectives, but they can accomplish their goals through one another. The underground network, tactics they share and utilize to accomplish a task in support of one another, recruiting methods, financial institutions, and theRead MoreWar in Iraq Essay1159 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment has said that it is to fight terrorism or to bring democracy to the Middle Eastern nations. There happens to be a barrier that stands in the way of both those goals and that would be Islamic Fundamentalism. Islamic Fundamentalism is the term used to describe the religious ideologies of advocating a return to the â€Å"fundamentals† of Islam. Through this return to the Islamic fundamentals, the rights of women have been violated while acts of terrorism and suicides i ncrease. Also, there has been

The Death of Marat, a Comparison. - 1151 Words

The two pieces of art I have chosen are â€Å"The Death of Marat â€Å"by Jacques Louis David, painted in 1793 and Vik Muniz’ modern recreation of the same painting from his series of works â€Å"Pictures of Garbage† 2008. â€Å"The Death of Marat† by David http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/neocl_dav_marat.html Vik Muniz’ â€Å"Marat† http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440004575548581385394008.html The most obvious comparison between these two works is the subject matter as one is a recreation of the other, though a recreation for a completely different reason to that which the original painting was created, and where one is a masterful oil painting from the eighteenth century the other is a powerful piece of photographic†¦show more content†¦Upon gaining entry to his apartments under false pretences she stabbed him to death whilst he was in his bath tub. Following his death Marat was commissioned to paint the scene in honour of his friend and fellow revolutionary. Although Marat was disfigured from illness and believed to be quick to take offence and also to violence, David paints him as a young healthy man and â€Å"the face is marked by suffering but at the same time is also gentle and suffused by a growing peacefulness†. Through his clever use of imagery such as the knife, the writing desk, the petition from Corday â€Å"David discreetly bears witness to his admiration and indignation, in perfect harmony with the drawing, the blending of outrage and compassion David felt at the sight of his victim† Although often described as an opportunist because of the ways David made use of the political unrest with his paintings showing constant parallels with the successive regimes of the period. With works from â€Å"The Oath of The Horatii†, to later works such as â€Å"Bonaparte Crossing the St. Bernard Pass†, David in a way can be described as a social artist because many of his paintings documented and expressed the political and emotional feeling of the times. This brings me onto Vik Muniz’ portrayal of David’s â€Å"Marat†. Vik Muniz is a contemporary artist and photographer. He often recreates well known works of art and images from popular culture. By using unconventional materials to make hugeShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Death Of Marat 1504 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of a painting Heather McPherson terms Jacques-Louis David’s ‘Death of Marat’ (see Figure-1) a work of historical fiction; something of a hybrid between portraiture and historical paintings . In the eighteenth century, portraiture was viewed as less prestigious than history paintings, being based on ‘imitation rather than invention’ . We can see that many elements of ‘Death of Marat’, like a historical painting, are ‘invented’, they do not accurately reflect the reality of Jean-Paul Marat’sRead MoreCharles Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities1573 Words   |  7 Pagessuggesting that the prisons be opened and the guillotines taken down. While political factions did exist as such, there were even major differences within the factions when it came to radicalism. Revolutionaries such as Marat proved a staunch comparison to those created by Dickens. Marat called for an endless stream of heads in order to both maintain the revolution as well as a blatant thirst for blood. â€Å"The precautions taken to maintain tranquility were imposing, without a doubt; they were dictatedRead MoreCharles Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities1573 Words   |  7 Pagessuggesting that the prisons be opened and the guillotines taken down. While political factions did exist as such, there were even major differences within the factions when it came to radicalism. Revolutionaries such as Marat proved a staunch comparison to those created by Dickens. Marat called for an endless stream of heads in order to both maintain the revolution as well as a blatant thirst for blood. â€Å"The precautions taken to maintain tranquility were imposing, without a doubt; they were dictatedRead More Jean Paul Marat: Target and Martyr of Liberty Essay4001 Words   |  17 PagesJean Paul Marat: Target and Martyr of Liberty The French Revolution produced countless influential politicians throughout its tumultuous course. As a political figure in the French Revolution, Jean Paul Marat began as a nonentity and became a martyr to the revolutionary patriots of France. His influence is often misconstrued, and sometimes overlooked. Although he was not a political leader like Robespierre, his influence was substantial in that he motivated many people through his writingsRead MoreFight Club Film Analysis1551 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough dedication to studies for example, Shakespeare. Fincher makes both ‘high’ and ‘low’ cultural references because in a postmodern text. Fincher removes the cultural hierarchy. Fincher drew a comparison to Jacques-Louis David’s (1793) The death of Marat painting [the Royal Museum of Fine arts of Belgium. Marat was the leader in the French revolution. The scene where Tyler is laying down in the bath with a towel over his head. This was done by h aving similar composition and low-key lighting and a blueRead MoreThe Classical Style Of The Ancient Greece And The United States1141 Words   |  5 Pageshistory of ancient Greece or Rome.† The neo- classical style became very popular in the 17th and 18th century in France and became linked to the French revolution in the work of Jacques-Louis David, a painter who focused on politics. He painted the Death of Marat and Oath of the Horatii. These works epitomized the ideas of basic human rights, rationalism, modern scientific investigation, and moral rectitude. Over time, French artist and architects began to bring the idea of classical art through some ofRead More The American and French Revolutions Essay2788 Words   |  12 Pagesand Louis XVI had even made plans to destroy it. That made little difference to the mob, which were actually looking for weapons. Promising the guards safe-conduct if they would surrender, the leaders of the mob broke their word and hacked them to death. It would be the first of many broken promises. Soon the heads, torsos, and hands of the Bastilles former guardians were bobbing along the street on pikes. In all, as historian Otto Scott put it, a glorious victory of unarmed citizens over theRead MoreCase Study on Adidas Supply Chain7726 Words   |  31 Pagessometimes considered the origin of the adidas name, was applied retroactively. The name is actually a portmanteau word formed from Adi (a nickname for Adolf) and Das (from Dassler).[1] [edit] The Tapie affair After a period of trouble following the death of Adolf Dasslers son Horst Dassler in 1987, the company was bought in 1989 by French industrialist Bernard Tapie, for 1.6 billion French francs (now â‚ ¬243.918 million), which Tapie borrowed. Tapie was at the time a famous specialist of rescuing bankruptRead MoreMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 Pagesstories: accounts of historical occurrences (the assassination of Marat), accounts of daily life (I tell a friend what I have done the evening before), accounts to oneself (my memories as I recall them), and the news accounts of film, radio, the press, etc. Now, these true accounts are characterized, just as much as the imaginary accounts, by the form of unreality that we are examining here: The reader of a history book knows that Marat is not actually being assassinated now; the friend to whom I am

Stefan’s Diaries Origins Chapter 33 Free Essays

Pale moonlight danced over Alice’s bright hair as I rushed toward the shack. I ran my tongue over my still-sharp fangs, reliving the sensation of my teeth pressing into her pliant, yielding neck. â€Å"You’re a monster,† a voice somewhere in my mind whispered. We will write a custom essay sample on Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 33 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But in the cloak of darkness, with Alice’s blood coursing through my veins, the words held no meaning and were accompanied by no sting of guilt. I burst into the shack. It was quiet, but the fire was well-tended and burned brightly. I watched the flames, momentarily entranced by the violets, blacks, blues, and even greens within. Then I heard a faint breath in the corner of the room. â€Å"Damon?† I called, my voice echoing so loudly against the rough-hewn beams that I winced. I was still in hunting mode. â€Å"Brother?† I made out a figure hunched under a blanket. I observed Damon from a distance, as if I were a stranger. His dark hair was matted to his neck, and he had streaks of grime along his face. His lips were chapped, his eyes bloodshot. The air around him smelled acrid–like death. â€Å"Get up!† I said roughly, dropping Alice to the ground. Her almost-lifeless body fell heavily. Her red hair was matted with blood, and her eyes were half closed. Blood pooled around the two neat holes where I’d bitten her. I licked my lips but forced myself to leave the rest of her for Damon. â€Å"What? What have you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon’s gaze shifted from Alice to me, then back to Alice. â€Å"Y ou fed?† he asked, shrinking even farther into the corner and covering his eyes with his hands, as if he could somehow erase the image. â€Å"I brought her for you. Damon, you need to drink,† I urged, kneeling down next to him. Damon shook his head. â€Å"No. No,† he rasped, his breath labored as he drew nearer to death. â€Å"Just put your lips to her neck. It’s easy,† I coaxed. â€Å"I won’t do it, brother. Take her away,† he said, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. I shook my head, already feeling a gnawing hunger in my belly. â€Å"Damon, listen to me. Katherine is gone, but you’re alive. Watch me. Watch how simple it is,† I said as I carefully found the original wound I had made on Alice’s neck. I sunk my teeth back into the holes and drank. The blood was cold, but still it sated me. I looked up toward Damon, not bothering to wipe the blood away from my mouth. â€Å"Drink,† I urged, pulling Alice’s body along the floor so it was lying next to Damon. I grabbed Damon’s back and forced him toward her body. He started to fight, then stopped, his eyes transfixed on the wound. I smiled, knowing how badly he wanted it, how he could smell the overpowering scent of desire. â€Å"Don’t fight it.† I pushed his back so that his lips were mere inches from the blood and held him there. I felt him take a deep breath, and I knew he was already regaining strength, just from seeing the red richness, the possibility of the blood. â€Å"It’s just us now. Forever. Brothers. There will be other Katherines, forever, for eternity. We can take on the world as we are.† I stopped, following Damon’s gaze toward Alice’s neck. Then he lunged and took a long, deep drink. How to cite Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 33, Essay examples

Critiques On Wall Street Essay Example For Students

Critiques On Wall Street Essay The article, Greenspan gets another Fed term, in the New York Times discussed Alan Greenspans success and failures during his term. The article was fairly easy reading. I found some statements to be quite amusing however, there were some issues discussed that was a little ambiguous. Reading this article, I learned that President Clinton nominated Alan Greenspan to a fourth term as chairman of the nations central bank. I had no clue as to what the title of chairman of the nations central bank did. However, after reading this article, I had some ideas as to what role chairman of the nations central bank plays. Alan Greenspan makes decisions in the S P, NASDAQ, and DOW Jones markets. Alan Greenspan also approves interest rates, evaluate US currency against all other countries, makes sure the value of the dollar is at the best interest of the economy, decides on economic policies, and among many other things that I have yet to learn. The third paragraph into the article talks about fear of rising interest rates will negatively affect corporate profits. I do not understand how rising interest rates will negatively affect corporate profits. One guess might be due to the increase in interest rates, the percentage earned on stocks will decrease. This to me means that the taxes on the stocks will increase. Stockholders will have to pay more taxes on their stocks. Stockholders will not like this, therefore they will end up selling their stocks. This will negatively affect corporate profits. The article mentioned, Greenspan this year rank among the most formidable he has had to meet over his tenure at the Fe. Although he is adored at the moment, all of his fine work could be forgotten if he is unable to walk the tightrope of maintaining economic growth while keeping inflation low, sounds very threatening. It sounds like Greenspan better not screw up or else all his success, hard work, and accomplishments will be well forgotten. In a sense, it is true. Once Alan Greenspan makes a wrong turn, all hell will break loose and no-one will give him the benefit of the doubt. I found this statement real amusing. Clearly, the economy is strong and the financial markets have been exceedingly robust. But the pace that both the economy and the market are moving in are not sustainable long-term, is another statement I found quite amusing, but at the same time a little troubling. My question is, does this statement boil down to the cliche, too much of a good thing is too good to be true.? The economy and financial markets are at the best it has ever been, which means a downfall is somewhere in the future. One paragraph mentioned that the Fed is expected to raise the bench mark federal funds rate, currently at 5.5%, by one quarter of one percentage point in what would be its fourth interest rate increase since June 1999. I was really confused with the content of this statement. I found the wording really hard to comprehend. Finally, I figured out that what this statement was really trying to say is that interest rate is currently at 5.5%. Interest rate is expected to rise one quarter of one percentage point. This rise in interest rate will be the fourth time that it has risen. The article basically reviews Alan Greenspans work. There were ups and downs throughout Alan Greenspans term. The article mentioned when Alan Greenspan took command of the Fed, the stock market crashed. However, Alan Greenspan saved his reputation by flooding the banking system with funds, making sure that credit was readily available to everyone who needed it. This prevented the economy from going into a recession. Alan Greenspan recovered the recession in the early 1990 and was recognized for that. Although there were some downfall during Alan Greenspans term, but he cleared them up quickly and has done many great things for the economy.

Bernard Arnault Essay Example

Bernard Arnault Essay Example Bernard Arnault Paper Bernard Arnault Paper Bernard Arnault (born 5 March 1949) is a French businessman. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of LVMH, a large luxury goods conglomerate consisting of over fifty luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Fendi. According to Forbes Magazine, Arnault is the worlds 4th and Europes richest person, with a 2011 net worth of US$41 billion. Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer and the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as the diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs. Jacobs is currently the Creative Director of the French design house Louis Vuitton. In 1997, Jacobs was appointed Creative Director of luxury French fashion house, Louis Vuitton, where he created the companys first ready-to-wear line. Jacobs has collaborated with many popular artists for his Louis Vuitton collections. Vuitton has worked in conjunction with Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami and most recently American artist Richard Prince and rapper Kanye West. As of 2011, Jacobs remains the Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. Marc Jacobs has the midas touch and an innate ability to design clothes that people want to wear. Whether he designs a satchel or a shoe its always something everyone wants. From grunge to prom, from private jet to Tokyo nightclub, he has an outfit that suits. His workload includes Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc and Louis Vuitton a titanic selection of back to back collections but he still has time to build a world class contemporary art collection and dress in pigeon costumes at his annual fancy dress party. He has caught the fitness bug like so many male fashion designers. His muses include Sofia Coppola, Charlotte Rampling, Winona Ryder, Dakota Fanning, Victoria Beckham all have been photographed by Juergen Teller for Marc Jacobs ad campaigns (Mrs Beckham was hidden inside a Marc Jacobs shop bag after Juergen persuaded her that she was just a product). John Stuart, former CEO of Quaker, once said, if this company were split up, I would give you the property, plant and equipment and I would take the brands and trademarks and I would fare better. This commonly held belief illustrates the immense value of the brand today, but how do you create and manage a star brand? Perhaps this question is relatively easy for marketing and brand managers, but what about at board level, where the buck really stops? Bernard Arnault, Chairman of LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Moi t Hennessy , the worlds largest maker of luxury goods), appears to have some of the answers. LVMH is a paradox in itself. A company that makes and sells products that nobody actually needs. A recipe for disaster? A managers nightmare? Far from it LVMHs combined revenue was estimated at $11 billion in 2001, with a market capitalization of $27 billion. With Arnault at the helm, this organization has gone from a small clothing manufacturer on the verge of ruin to a conglomerate of nearly 50 star brands including Dom Perignon, TAG Heuer and Christian Dior. According to Arnault, one key to success is his management technique. The process of creating a star brand begins with radical innovation and, for that, artists must be totally free from financial or marketing concerns. He firmly believes that If you think and act like a typical manager around creative people with rules, policies, data on customer preferences, and so forth you will quickly kill their talent. It is only later, when the product is being manufactured, that he introduces the strict, almost militant processes that ensure profitability. Take, for example, John Galliano and his dresses made out of newspaper surely the most impractical product imaginable. But when they were sent down the cat-walk, Arnault did not bat an eyelid. Consequently, when Dior sold dresses in newspaper-printed fabric for a considerable profit, Arnault was proved right. Star brands, in his opinion, are in themselves a paradox. They must simultaneously be timeless, modern, fast-growing and highly profitable. Arnault is keenly aware of the crucial role he plays in creating such an entity. He observes how many brands have the potential to be stars but they are poorly managed, and by this we are not talking of the marketing manager alone the problem often runs through the heart of most major organizations. If you continually pose these questions to consumers and analyze the findings, it becomes increasingly simple to pick up on small irritations or concerns that, in the future, could present massive problems for your brand. (2) See the brand as both an object and a person. Viewing the brand as an object increases the value of analysis and plays a fundamental and consistent role you are selling something to people. On the other hand, the brand as a person enables you to understand the delivery of this role and how well it fits into your corporate culture. This way you can become involved with the projection and promotion of the brand without ever losing sight of the bigger picture. (3) Look at brand promise to enable successful advertising.

Radiation in Space and Astronomy - Definition

Radiation in Space and Astronomy - Definition Astronomy is the study of objects in the universe that radiate (or reflect) energy from across the electromagnetic spectrum. Astronomers study radiation from all objects in the universe. Lets take an in-depth look at the forms of radiation out there. Artwork of a planet orbiting a pulsar. Pulsars are very rapidly spinning neutron stars are the dead cores of massive stars and rotating on their axes often hundreds of times every second. They radiate radio waves and in optical light. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library (Getty Images) Importance to Astronomy In order to completely understand the universe, scientists must look at it across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. This includes the high-energy particles such as cosmic rays. Some objects and processes are actually completely invisible in certain wavelengths (even optical), which is why astronomers look at them in many wavelengths. Something invisible at one wavelength or frequency may be very bright in another, and that tells scientists something very important about it. Types of Radiation Radiation describes elementary particles, nuclei, and electromagnetic waves as they propagate through space. Scientists typically reference radiation in two ways:  ionizing and non-ionizing. Ionizing Radiation Ionization is the process by which electrons are removed from an atom. This happens all the time in nature, and it merely requires the atom to collide with a photon or a particle with enough energy to excite the election(s). When this happens, the atom can no longer maintain its bond to the particle. Certain forms of radiation carry enough energy to ionize various atoms or molecules. They can cause significant harm to biological entities by causing cancer or other significant health problems. The extent of the radiation damage is a matter of how much radiation was absorbed by the organism. The electromagnetic spectrum show as a function of frequence/wavelength and temperature. Chandra X-Ray Observatory The minimum threshold energy needed for radiation to be considered ionizing is about 10 electron volts (10 eV). There are several forms of radiation that naturally exist above this threshold: Gamma-rays: Gamma rays (usually designated by the Greek letter ÃŽ ³) are a form of electromagnetic radiation. They represent the highest energy forms of light in the universe. Gamma rays occur from a variety of processes, ranging from activity inside nuclear reactors to stellar explosions called  supernovae and highly energetic events known as gamma-ray bursters. Since gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation, they do not readily interact with atoms unless a head-on collision occurs. In this case the gamma ray will decay into an electron-positron pair. However, should a gamma ray be absorbed by a biological entity (e.g. a person), then significant harm can be done as it takes a considerable amount of energy to stop such radiation. In this sense, gamma rays are perhaps the most dangerous form of radiation to humans. Luckily, while they can penetrate several miles into our atmosphere before they interact with an atom, our atmosphere is thick enough that most gamma rays are absorbed b efore they reach the ground. However, astronauts in space lack protection from them, and are limited to the amount of time that they can spend outside a spacecraft or space station. While very high doses of gamma radiation can be fatal, the most likely outcome to repeated exposures to above-average doses of gamma-rays (like those experienced by astronauts, for instance) is an increased risk of cancer. This is something that life sciences experts in the worlds space agencies study closely. X-rays: x-rays are, like gamma rays, a form of electromagnetic waves (light). They are usually broken up into two classes: soft x-rays (those with the longer wavelengths) and hard x-rays (those with the shorter wavelengths). The shorter the wavelength (i.e. the harder the x-ray) the more dangerous it is. This is why lower energy x-rays are used in medical imaging. The x-rays will typically ionize smaller atoms, while larger atoms can absorb the radiation as they have larger gaps in their ionization energies. This is why x-ray machines will image things like bones very well (they are composed of heavier elements) while they are poor imagers of soft tissue (lighter elements). It is estimated that x-ray machines, and other derivative devices, account for between 35-50% of the ionizing radiation experienced by people in the United States.Alpha Particles: An alpha particle (designated by the Greek letter ÃŽ ±) consists of two protons and two neutrons; exactly the same composition as a hel ium nucleus. Focusing on the alpha decay process that creates them, heres what happens: the alpha particle is ejected from the parent nucleus with very high speed (therefore high energy), usually in excess of 5% of the speed of light. Some alpha particles come to Earth in the form of cosmic rays  and  may achieve speeds in excess of 10% of the speed of light. Generally, however, alpha particles interact over very short distances, so here on Earth, alpha particle radiation is not a direct threat to life. It is simply absorbed by our outer atmosphere. However, it is a danger for astronauts.   Beta Particles: The result of beta decay, beta particles (usually described by the Greek letter Î’) are energetic electrons that escape when a neutron decays into a proton, electron, and anti-neutrino. These electrons are more energetic than alpha particles but less so than high energy gamma rays. Normally, beta particles are not of concern to human health as they are easily shielded. Artificially created beta particles (like in accelerators) can penetrate the skin more readily as they have considerably higher energy. Some places use these particle beams to treat various kinds of cancer because of their ability to target very specific regions. However, the tumor needs to be near the surface as not to damage significant amounts of interspersed tissue.Neutron Radiation: Very high-energy neutrons are created during nuclear fusion or nuclear fission processes. They can then be absorbed by an atomic nucleus, causing the atom to go into an excited state and it can emit gamma-rays. These photons will then excite the atoms around them, creating a chain-reaction, leading to the area to become radioactive. This is one of the primary ways humans are injured while working around nuclear reactors without proper protective gear. Non-ionizing Radiation While ionizing radiation (above) gets all the press about being harmful to humans, non-ionizing radiation can also have significant biological effects. For instance, non-ionizing radiation can cause things like sunburns. Yet, it is what we use to cook food in microwave ovens.  Non-ionizing radiation can also come in the form of thermal radiation, which can heat material (and hence atoms) to high enough temperatures to cause ionization. However, this process is considered different than kinetic or photon ionization processes. The Karl Jansky Very Large Array of radio telescopes is located near Socorro, New Mexico. This array focuses on radio emissions from a variety of objects and processes in the sky. NRAO/AUI Radio Waves: Radio waves are the longest wavelength form of electromagnetic radiation (light). They span 1 millimeter to 100 kilometers. This range, however, overlaps with the microwave band (see below). Radio waves are produced naturally by active galaxies (specifically from the area around their supermassive black holes), pulsars and in supernova remnants. But they are also created artificially for the purposes of radio and television transmission.Microwaves: Defined as wavelengths of light between 1 millimeter and 1 meter (1,000 millimeters), microwaves are sometimes considered to be a subset of radio waves. In fact, radio astronomy is generally the study of the microwave band, as longer wavelength radiation is very difficult to detect as it would require detectors of immense size; hence only a few peer beyond the 1-meter wavelength. While non-ionizing, microwaves can still be dangerous to humans as it can impart a large amount of thermal energy to an item due to its interactions with water and water vapor. (This is also why microwave observatories are typically placed in high, dry places on Earth, as to lessen the amount of interference that water vapor in our atmosphere can cause to the experiment. Infrared Radiation: Infrared radiation is the band of electromagnetic radiation that occupies wavelengths between 0.74 micrometers up to 300 micrometers. (There are 1 million micrometers in one meter.) Infrared radiation is very close to optical light, and therefore very similar techniques are used to study it. However, there are some difficulties to overcome; namely infrared light is produced by objects comparable to room temperature. Since electronics used to power and control infrared telescopes will run at such temperatures, the instruments themselves will give off infrared light, interfering with data acquisition. Therefore the instruments are cooled using liquid helium, so as to lessen extraneous infrared photons from entering the detector. Most of what the Sun emits that reaches Earths surface is actually infrared light, with the visible radiation not far behind (and ultraviolet a distant third). An infrared view of a cloud of gas and dust made by Spitzer Space Telescope. The Spider and Fly Nebula is a star-forming region and Spitzers infrared view shows structures in the cloud affected by a cluster of newborn stars. Spitzer Space Telescope/NASA Visible (Optical) Light: The range of wavelengths of visible light is 380 nanometers (nm) and 740 nm. This is the electromagnetic radiation that we are able to detect with our own eyes, all other forms are invisible to us without electronic aids. Visible light is actually only a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is why it is important to study all other wavelengths in astronomy as to get a complete picture of the universe and to understand the physical mechanisms that govern the heavenly bodies.Blackbody Radiation: A blackbody is an object that emits electromagnetic radiation when it is heated, the peak wavelength of light produced will be proportional to the temperature (this is known as Wiens Law). There is no such thing as a perfect blackbody, but many objects like our Sun, the Earth and the coils on your electric stove are pretty good approximations.Thermal Radiation: As particles inside of a material move due to their temperature the resulting kinetic energy can be described as the total thermal energy of the system. In the case of a blackbody object (see above) the thermal energy can be released from the system in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Radiation, as we can see, is one of the fundamental aspects of the universe. Without it, we would not have light, heat, energy, or life. Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Homelessness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Homelessness - Essay Example The sociological perspective applied to the research paper is social constructionism. This approach allows a researcher to examine and analyze development of homelessness in particular social contexts. This sociological perspective is chosen for analysis because the constructionist position emphasizes that the activities through which social problems like homelessness are constructed are both implicitly and intentionally. Social constructionism accounts for maintenance of social activities which lead to such problems as homelessness. Sociologists use the assumptions as a warrant for defining problems as real and observable social conditions, portraying their studies as objective analyses, and describing themselves as experts on social problems. The notion of homeless is difficult to define because it involves diverse social groups and diverse populations. Researchers propose different definitions which take into account different age groups and different social causes of homelessness, location and neighborhoods environment. For instance, Chamberlain and Johnson (2001) state that: "the literal definition equates homelessness with rooflessness', implying that homeless people are literally under the stars', or illegally occupying deserted premises" (p. 35). Traditional definitions of homelessness (Arden et al 2006) involve such groups as children, women, veterans, racial minorities, young mothers and drug users. Homeless are considered children who have been separated from their homeless parents and are in foster care or are living with relatives; a young mother and her children who have lived for two or three months at a time with different relatives during the past year or so, and who expect that, within the next few months , they will have to leave where they now live; a family or single person who migrated to a new town looking for work, lives with relatives, does not pay rent, cannot find work, and does not know how long the present arrangement will last or where to go if it terminates. A person can be defined as homeless if: there s no accommodation available for him/her, together with any other person who normally resides with him/her or who might reasonably expect to reside with him/her, which he/she can reasonably occupy or remain in occupation of" (Homeless n.d.). Homeless are considered people living in stable but physically inadequate housing (having no plumbing, no heating, or major structural damage, for example). The remainder is considered "at imminent risk" of literal homelessness, that is, if their current precarious housing arrangements fail, or if an institutional stay comes to a predictable end, they have neither prospects nor resources to keep themselves from literal homelessness (Luba and Davies 2006). A more expansive definition of homelessness includes the institutionalized who have no usual home elsewhere, the most unstable group among the precariously housed, or both. In terms of social constructionism, homelessness is caused by social conditions and circumstances which influence a person. Pervasive and rising homelessness is caused by social factors; that is, that it is a function of the way society's resources are organized and distributed. Luba and Davies (2006) emphasize a dramatically