Tribulations of a Naturalist Essays - Knowledge, Epistemology

Tribulations of a Naturalist No matter; was not my splendid income supposed to cover everything, food for the mind as well as food for the body? Jean Henri Fabre writes this line in his Tribulations of a Naturalist, discussing the matter of knowledge being necessary for human life. Man has an innate desire to understand his surroundings and is the only creature who feels the need to obtain knowledge. Throughout time, humankind has constantly strived to expand its knowledge, always reading and writing on what we know and do not know. From caveman to scientist, humans have gained a world of knowledge through their thirst for information and are still far from knowing everything. People spend entire lifetimes trying to understand the inner workings of nature and are constantly discovering new information on it. Knowledge is limitless, and mankind will always try to understand everything, even though it is impossible. As humans, we will never be content with what is already known; we are forever filled with curiosity. No other animal feels the need to study the world around them; every creature is at peace with following the orde r set out for them and cannot be found questioning the meaning of their surroundings. We are always looking for new ways to do things, and for the meaning behind nature. All the knowledge we seek after is infinite, and can never be fully known, no matter how many lifetimes are spent trying to obtain it. Mankind will always be questioning what is known, and trying to answer what is not.

Free Essays on Dads Home

Dad’s home The house slowly rumbled as the garage door opened and I started to think to myself â€Å" Dad’s home.† So, I casually walked up the stairs of our secluded home in the middle woods. As I reached the top of the steps, I heard the beep of a very annoying alarm system. â€Å"Hey dad!† I muttered nerveously, thinking that he was going to get after me again about something being wrong with the way something looks inside the house. Unexpectedly my dad said, â€Å"Hey chief. How are you?† the same thing that he usually says to people that he knows, but forgets their names. Trying to keep things as short as possible I said, â€Å" I’m good, but I need to take out the trash though.† So, I bagged up the smelly trash and walked outside in what seemed a mile to put the smelly trash into an even smellier trash. After that, I came back inside a â€Å" dear OL’ dad,† was inspecting the entire house. â€Å"Well, you kind have been keeping up with the cleaning,† he told me as he tilted his head to the side to look out the window into the woods as if something was staring back at him†¦ it was most likely the reflection of the sun off a leaf of a tree. I replied with a quick â€Å" yeah, I suppose.† Then slowly tried to hurry down the stairs to return to what I was doing before he came home, which was nothing. Just as I approached the third step he gestured a quick â€Å" leaving so soon?† Thinking on my toes I said, â€Å" I have quite a bit of homework I had to do and I was planning on going out later tonight so, I was going to do it so I won’t have to think about it later.† I got downstairs and lay on my bed. Just as I started to get comfortable he yelled â€Å" Court!† I said to myself â€Å" aw†¦here we go again.† I quickly bolted up the stairs as if I was that comic character, Flash; just to see him about ten feet away from the phone that was sitting on a chair. â€Å" Can you hand me the phone?† he said. As much as I wanted to... Free Essays on Dad's Home Free Essays on Dad's Home Dad’s home The house slowly rumbled as the garage door opened and I started to think to myself â€Å" Dad’s home.† So, I casually walked up the stairs of our secluded home in the middle woods. As I reached the top of the steps, I heard the beep of a very annoying alarm system. â€Å"Hey dad!† I muttered nerveously, thinking that he was going to get after me again about something being wrong with the way something looks inside the house. Unexpectedly my dad said, â€Å"Hey chief. How are you?† the same thing that he usually says to people that he knows, but forgets their names. Trying to keep things as short as possible I said, â€Å" I’m good, but I need to take out the trash though.† So, I bagged up the smelly trash and walked outside in what seemed a mile to put the smelly trash into an even smellier trash. After that, I came back inside a â€Å" dear OL’ dad,† was inspecting the entire house. â€Å"Well, you kind have been keeping up with the cleaning,† he told me as he tilted his head to the side to look out the window into the woods as if something was staring back at him†¦ it was most likely the reflection of the sun off a leaf of a tree. I replied with a quick â€Å" yeah, I suppose.† Then slowly tried to hurry down the stairs to return to what I was doing before he came home, which was nothing. Just as I approached the third step he gestured a quick â€Å" leaving so soon?† Thinking on my toes I said, â€Å" I have quite a bit of homework I had to do and I was planning on going out later tonight so, I was going to do it so I won’t have to think about it later.† I got downstairs and lay on my bed. Just as I started to get comfortable he yelled â€Å" Court!† I said to myself â€Å" aw†¦here we go again.† I quickly bolted up the stairs as if I was that comic character, Flash; just to see him about ten feet away from the phone that was sitting on a chair. â€Å" Can you hand me the phone?† he said. As much as I wanted to...

DefaultTableModel Class in Java Stores Data for the JTable

DefaultTableModel Class in Java Stores Data for the JTable TheDefaultTableModel class is a subclass of the AbstractTableModel. As the name suggests it is the table model that is used by a JTable when no table model is specifically defined by the programmer. The DefaultTableModel stores the data for the JTable in a Vector of Vectors. Although theVector is a legacy Java collection it is still supported and there is no issue with using it unless the additional overhead caused by using a synchronized collection is a problem for your Java application. The advantage of using theDefaultTableModel over a custom AbstractTableModel is you dont have to code the methods like add, insert or delete rows and columns. They already exist to change the data held in the Vector of Vectors. This makes it a quick and easy table model to implement. Import Statement import javax.swing.table.DefaultTableModel; Constructors TheDefaultTableModel class has six constructors. Each can be used to populate of the DefaultTableModel in different ways. The first constructor takes no arguments and creates aDefaultTableModel which has no data, zero columns and zero rows: DefaultTableModel defTableModel DefaultTableModel(); The next constructor can be used to specify the number of rows and columns of aDefaultTableModel with no data: DefaultTableModel defTableModel DefaultTableModel(10, 10); There are two constructors that can be used to create aDefaultTableModel with column names and a specified number of rows (all containing null values). One uses an ​Object array to hold the column names, the other ​a Vector: String[] columnNames {Column 1,Column 2,Column 3}; DefaultTableModel defTableModel DefaultTableModel(columnNames, 10); or DefaultTableModel defTableModel DefaultTableModel(columnNames, 10); Finally there are two constructors used to populate theDefaultTableModel with row data along with column names. One used Object arrays, the other Vectors: Object[][] data {{1,1,1},{2,2,2},{3,3,3},{4,4,4}}; String[] columnNames {Column 1,Column 2,Column 3}; DefaultTableModel defTableModel DefaultTableModel(data, columnNames); or Vector rowData new Vector(); rowData.add(1); Vector data new Vector(); data.add(0, rowData); Vector columnNames new Vector(); columnNames.add(Column 1); DefaultTableModel defTableModel DefaultTableModel(data, columnNames); Useful Methods To add a row to theDefaultTableModel use the addRow method along with the row data to add: Object[] newRowData {5,5,5,5}; defTableModel.addRow(newRowData); To insert a row use theinsertRow method, specifying the row index to insert and the row data: Object[] insertRowData {2.5,2.5,2.5,2.5}; defTableModel.insertRow(2,insertRowData); To delete a row use theremoveRow method, specifying the row index to delete: defTableModel.removeRow(0); To get a value in a table cell use thegetValueAt method. For example, if the data at row 2, column 2 contains an int: int value tabModel.getValueAt(2, 2); To set a value in a table cellsetValueAt method with the value to set along with the row and column index: defTableModel.setValueAt(8888, 3, 2); Usage Tips If aJTable is created using the constructor that is passed a two-dimensional array containing the row data and an array containing the column names: Object[][] data {{1,1,1},{2,2,2},{3,3,3},{4,4,4}}; String[] columnNames {Column 1,Column 2,Column 3}; JTable exampleJTable new JTable(data, columnNames); then the following cast will not work: DefaultTableModel dft (DefaultTableModel)exampleJTable.getModel(); A runtimeClassCastException will be thrown because in this instance the DefaultTableModel is declared as an anonymous inner class in the JTable object and cannot be cast. It can only be cast to the TableModel interface. A way around this is to create your own DefaultTableModel and set it to be the model of the JTable: JTable exampleJTable new JTable(); DefaultTableModel defTableModel new DefaultTableModel(data, columnNames); exampleJTable.setModel(defTableModel); Then theDefaultTableModel defTableModel can be used to manipulate the data in the JTable. To see theDefaultTableModel in action have a look at the DefaultTableModel Example Program.

NASA Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NASA Project - Essay Example Multiple measurements and models have been put in place to improve and create an understanding hence improving on precision. Sea surface temperature comprises a three grid map in the western part of Atlantic is 2500 lines and 3900 samples. Mediterranean Sea is 2048 lines and 4096 samples and Mediterranean area which are 220 lines and 1350 samples. It is considered to be the most known sources of NO2 are in the combustion engines, pulp mills and thermal power stations. Its consequences include rivers are loaded with excess of this nutrient, excess deposits will pollute large water bodies. On the human consequences, the eyes, throat, nose and repertory system irritates when one come in contact with it. If a person gets exposed more often, it will lead to a chronic bronchitis which may lead to asthma disease. Children are at the high risk of being infected with respiratory infections. The intention of Giovanni interface is to provide an introduction to learners on environmental issues globally, regionally and also touches on local climatic changes. It is normally used by teachers and learners. This has been set on the DICCE-G basic portal to create relevance in detail thus enabling the user to come up with local climate change and thus expanding the idea into a global perspective. Giovanni is an application used alongside with the web in order to investigate the earth’s scientific data. It collects and analyzes data without necessarily downloading the data. It is also an interactive online infrastructure. Giovanni is used by researchers, teachers, policy makers, modelers, proposal writers and students. In order to use a Giovanni a web browser is required. The procedures are self explanatory and thus easy to

UNIT 2 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT 2 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 2 - Essay Example rt from the external short and long-term creditors of the company, the investors and lender’s interested in a company consider ratios as an important indicator for decision making. The investors look to measure the capacity of the firm to provide them with adequate return on their investment. Similarly banker’s who look to lend money or advance money to any firm would use the below ratios to assess the capacity of the borrower firm to repay the debt. As we know the primary purpose of every firm is to maximize shareholder’s wealth. The bottom line of the company is the prime focus for both the management and the external investors / lenders of the company. Thus, the net profit ratio helps us understand the percentage of net profit after all expenses to the total revenue of the company. It is an indicator of how well the company’s management has worked not only towards accelerating revenues, optimizing costs including cost of borrowed funds but also providers the owners an understanding that there would be adequate return on their capital employed. A higher net profit would mean adequate returns to the shareholders and the lenders. â€Å"Debt-Service Coverage Ratio† is an important ratio for every banker or lender who is looking to finance or provide funds as borrowings to the company. This ratio is indicative of the capacity of the company to make enough earnings before tax to ensure that the loan is being serviced. In other words, the ratio (if above 1.5) indicates that the organization makes enough earnings to repay interest and principle payments of the funds borrowed on a monthly basis. Indeed, the banker or the lender considers this ratio as a prime indicator of the capacity of the firm to repay back the debt that they fund. ROCE is one of the important ratios used to understand the return on investment or capital employed. The term capital employed means long term funds supplied by creditors and owners of the firm. This ratio helps in measuring or

Are Governments Controlling The Internet Essay Example for Free

Are Governments Controlling The Internet Essay Prior to the 21st century society greatest inventions were the automobile, the telephone, the airplane as a means of communication and transportation. Now individuals are blessed with the Internet. It is commonly regarded that the Internet is a manifesto of technology that allows human beings to interact with one another using networking services. The Internet has broken down the barriers and means of traditional communication. In cyberspace, people can talk with each other regardless of location. It can be defined as a â€Å"unique medium† with no geographical location but available to anyone (p. 21). It is not only used for communication but information searching, listings of products and services, advertising of large/small businesses, and much more. In essence, the Internet can be regarded as a separate entity from our own physical world – a digital utopia. The question being raised is, with the large scale of the internet, how is it maintained or even controlled? Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu’s book Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World gives a perfect example of how the Internet is being directly (and indirectly) controlled by territorial government. As each section of the book is uncovered, it is clearly pointed out that national governments through control of local and global intermediaries and coercion exercise dominate control over the digital empire. The book is subdivided into three large sections. In the first section Wu and Goldsmith marks the impression to the readers that the Internet is in fact a â€Å"libertarian state† where users can freely express themselves. The authors argue at the commencement of the Internet there are no actual â€Å"rulers† or â€Å"governors† of the Internet rather it was the upheaval of a Digital American Revolution, that’s built on â€Å"language and reason and our fail in each other† (p. 22). The authors later indicate that it was open because it was willing to â€Å"accept almost any kind of computer or network†. Thus it is a society that is ruled by the humanity that resides within the Internet. â€Å"Humanity united might do better than our lousy systems of government, throw away the constructs of the nation-state, and live in some different but better way† (p. 7). Section two establishes that users from different geographical regions want their information presented in their local language. As the author pointed that language is one of the most important aspects on the internet. It gives the example that people in Brazil, Korea and France do not want English versions of Microsoft products but rather want a version they can fully understand (p. 50). As the next section unravels we start to notice how digital humanity needs rulers and starts to get involved how national governments are governing the borders of the internet. It proves that government uses coercion and local intermediaries to restrict and even block content that is on the internet. An example would be Nazi merchandise and hate sites appearing on French networks and even an incident in China where a 15 year old girl Liu Di was punished by the Chinese government when she was making an argument comparing the Chinese government and a prostitute. It also points out how controlling Governments can be a beneficial factor in regulating illegal activities such as file sharing and copyrighting. The final section of the book shows how the government aims to make the borders of the Internet a haven that protects its citizens from harm. This section explores the aspect of globalization and competing countries in controlling the Internet. Europe, U. S. and China all wishes to have a centralized power over the Internet. If two out of three countries that are in favour of online gambling while the one third is not, how can a borderless digital society solve this problem? The sections encourages decentralized governments to work together to adapt to people’s needs and respond in a more positive manner (p. 53). For the struggle of ultimate control lies within national governments – and a problem of clashing government interests and priorities can be a serious concern for the future of the Internet (p. 171). Wu and Goldsmith both agreed that this is the â€Å"beginning of a technological version of the cold war, with each side pushing its own vision of the Internet’s future† (p. 184). In order for the book to draw readers closer into fully understanding the Internet the authors must not only make a compelling argument but the style and construction of the book is also important. This essay will discuss four areas in which the book was successful or non-successful into helping readers understand the importance of national governments and their role on the Internet. The notable points in creating a compelling argument lie within the thesis, the method(s) of research, the evidence that supports the thesis and the overall evaluation/recommendation. The first point that’s important in this book is the thesis. The thesis is the main point the authors are trying to make throughout the entire book. In the book Who Controls the Internet Wu and Goldsmith stated their thesis in the conclusion rather than the introduction. Instead they decided to allure readers by telling a short story in the introduction to foreshadow readers into the overall point of the book. In my opinion the thesis of the book can found on page 180 where it reads â€Å"Beneath of fog of modern technology, we have seen the effects of coercive governmental force on local persons, firms and equipment† (p. 180). Ironically, this is not the thesis that users anticipated on hearing when they decide to read the book. On the back cover of the book it reads â€Å"a book about the fate of one idea – that the Internet might liberate us forever from government, borders and even our physical selves†. (Wu and Goldsmith) Wu and Goldsmith prompted readers with a general idea then throughout the book used examples and heated evidence to prove that idea wrong. It gives readers the perception that the Internet is in fact a challenge to governmental rule rather than the idealistic entity of freedom and liberty. The thesis was not always stated at the end of the book rather the author hinted their thesis throughout chapters to reinforce their main point along the way. For instance in chapter 5, Wu and Goldsmith talk about how local intermediaries are present and how government uses coercion to control these intermediaries, thus â€Å"ruling the internet† (p. 65). The authors stated that it would be extremely easy for individuals to â€Å"overlook how often governments control behavior not individually, but collectively, through intermediaries† (p. 68). The authors use the example of HavenCo to reinforce their thesis. In the book HavenCo was described as â€Å"the first place on earth where people are free to conduct business without someone looking over their shoulder† (p. 65). Shortly after, HavenCo became the object of negativity where porn and other offensive content were being hosted. Due to their business model they would not seek out cooperative intermediaries. However falling into a downward spiral, HavenCo became desperate so they looked towards national governments for assistance. However the government would not oblige since it was hosting offensive content and demanded that HavenCo remove the material. Of course, without this aspect â€Å"HavenCo was nothing†. And now without the support of powerful government officials and intermediaries HavenCo is now a â€Å"jumbled pile of network equipment, rotting and obsolete† (p. p. 84-85). The authors presents the readers with a clear and indirect thesis in each chapter, and as each chapter passes they are vividly trying to reinforce their thesis by providing real life evidence that happens in the midst of the digital society. Other notable examples that are highlighted in the book that supports the thesis would be the Chinese government sometimes with help from Yahoo, seize political dissidents and put them in prison (p. 181). Next, the government that are threatening Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and search engines and credit card companies with fines so that they can filter out offensive net communications. And, it is clear that Jon Postel and the Internet’s founders give up control over their creation under implied threats of governmental force. And finally, under the aspect of file sharing (where it was debated it would be hardest to control) governments have executed hidden but important ways to fuel coercion on the economy of file-sharing and â€Å"tilts the playing field to favour law-abiding companies like Apple† (p. 181). The authors have a very climatic way to communicate their thesis to the reader, By presenting support evidence and a strong conclusion they are in fact proving to readers that the government does control the internet. The next section uncovers the methodology that the authors used to present their topic. In order to prove their thesis they need an abundant amount of information. Not only does this information provide historical insight in the topic but it grants validity in the matter. In the book the authors have presented much needed evidence that governments control the internet, as each chapter is unraveled the readers are engulfed with powerful side stories of the lives of specific individuals that resided in the digital age. The book uses a combination of statistical information and encoded facts, personal biographies and appealing stories. If we direct our attention to the sources at the end of the book we notice that the authors use a hefty number of secondary sources. The only notable errors that are present in their methodology were that the sources they used were a little out of date. Old sources will lead to skewed results and that might cause a misinterpretation of the research. The book was written and published in 2006 but the majority of sources they used were within the 1998-2001 timeframe. Although they did use several sources that were recent (2005) it still does not change the fact that the Internet and technology are always changing in real time. With this change it’s rather hard to keep up and readers can be misinformed of with irrelevant information rather than significant information. Although with these slight flaws in the book, the methods were applied correctly in the sense that it is very easy to understand. They have broken the entire book into three parts; each part builds up information for that peak ending (or thesis). The methods were appropriate in the sense that the authors had a balance of evidence to support their claim. For example, the information gathered was not all focused on the government’s point of view but rather an equal split between government, organizations and individuals. It would be naive to think that a proper thesis can be proved without the support of evidence. Methodically the authors predominately still influence the readers with horror stories and statistics of government coercion on digital societies to prove their thesis. For example, the chapter on China outlines President Bill Clinton’s visit to the foreign land. Clinton observed that users required national ID cards before logging on. Regulated cafes also featured cameras pointed directly at the computer screen and police officers would occasionally monitor users right behind their back (p. 97). In China the Internet is far from being a liberating force but rather it is the major attraction for government surveillance. As previously mentioned Liu Di was arrested on personally insulting the government over the Internet, shortly after Liu Di’s story was printed in the press as a warming to all other civilians using the Internet. Throughout the book we see many stories that mimic the true horrors of the Internet, presented in a non-fictitious way to leaves readers shunned into believing the overall message of the book. Other factual occurrences that are displayed in Wu and Goldsmith’s methodology are the Kazaa/Napster case where digital piracy was at its initial state. Napster, a company located in the United States was battling with court officials to stay alive. With no luck, a simple U. S. ourt order was easily enforced and that led â€Å"to a total system collapse† (p. 108). Another factor that stands out with the evidence was that it’s very diverse in the geographical sense. The authors not only present their ideas from the American standpoint but tackles on other regions of the world. In the introduction the authors commences a deep discussion on global borders of the internet, the evidence and support was from a simply disgruntled individual that didn’t like seeing Nazi merc handise on the French site of Yahoo (p. p. 1-10). By using this intrinsic method of communicating the thesis they are successful in the sense of drawing readers. This chapter rather than supporting the thesis, they argue against it saying that the Internet â€Å"cannot be regulated†. Using factual data, they are offering both sides of the story in a very objective manner. This helps readers understand the thesis a little better and perhaps even raise serious questions on a political, global and technological standpoint. Who Controls the Internet is a very accurate portrayal of the digital society. It tells readers the important message that originally the Internet was designed to liberate individuals and it was designed to escape government and borders, but without the government mingling in affairs the Internet as we know it today wouldn’t flourish. One of the few appealing factors of this book is that it speaks out in a very clear and engaging style. Within each chapter the author conveniently uses sub-headings to divide important topics and that each chapter features several compelling stories. The two authors, who are both lawyers does an excellent job of communicating the legal issues to the readers without heavy use of legal jargon. Despite the many praises the book gets, it still has some flaws. In my opinion the flaws are contained within the unnecessary pictures and images that are included. Many (if not all) of the pictures are unneeded. For instance on page 4 it shows a rather large photo of the Palais de Justice, where the Yahoo case was litigated and similarly on page 66 shows a picture of Sealand where HavenCo was initiated. Although visualizations are nice they have no purpose in proving the thesis. How can a picture of Jon Postel who is described as â€Å"a rambling, ragged look, living in sandals, and a large, unkempt beard† help readers understand the dominate government forces on the Internet. In another part of the book Wu and Goldsmith dedicated half a page to Steve Jobs and as a background; shows a skull and sword insignia and was labeled â€Å"Piracy†. In retrospect the authors should have gotten rid of filler photography and replaced it with diagrams, which brings up the next flaw, the limited use of diagrams within the book. A diagram can help readers understand the point the author is trying to prove in either a passage or chapter. Back to the Steve Jobs example, if the authors showed using a diagram how Apple and national governments were combating internet piracy it would strengthen their thesis in proving that government controls most sides of the Internet. Or even a timeline that showed how government intervened with such programs such as Napster, Kazaa and then taking on Apple. This book appeals to a large audience of graduate, undergraduate students and professors teaching either politics or information technology. The benefits include that readers of this book can raise important questions and use these questions as the foundation for political debates. The content is not the only contributing factor in a well rounded book, Wu and Goldsmith does an excellent job in constructing the book that’s easily presentable to the reader. Even an individual with very little prior knowledge of the Internet can understand the book. Each term is defined when it is firstly introduced. Next, at the end on page 187 the authors implemented a â€Å"frequency used abbreviations† section and the definition in case the reader is having a hard time following due to the technological jargon. In conclusion, there are four areas that were used to critically analyze the book. They are the thesis, the methodology, the evidence used to construct the book and the personal evaluation. This book presents many important topics that relate to past, presents and futures of the technological era. It is telling a story where digital democracies suffer at the ends of coercive governments. It is not just powerful nations have the power to reshape the Internet’s architecture, more specifically it is the United States, China and Europe using their dominate power to reestablish their own version of the Internet.

Political Economy Essay -- Mass Media News Mediated Messages

Political Economy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our society is strongly influenced by all sources of media. The media shows us what is going on in the world news, fashion and much more. The media is our connection to the world and what goes on all around us. The political economy approach looks at the influence that ownership control, advertising and audience spending has over the mass media and the mediated messages we receive on a daily basis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Political economy believes that everything about media products is created through structural features (ownership, advertising and audience spending). The industries and businesses that the media works for and out of are organized through the economic and political factors of our economy. Political economy stresses that private ownership has a major influence on the content and structure of the media.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three viewpoints on ownership control Kevin Williams discusses in Understanding Media Theory. First, Marxist political economy believes that there is a direct link between ownership and control. An owner determines who, what facts and what ideas the public actually sees. Second, Structuralists say it is impossible to have a direct relationship between ownership and control. Structuralists believe that an owner is not physically able to keep up with the operations of mediated messages made on a daily basis. There are too many messages made for an owner to look over and ok before production. Instead Structuralists believe to have alloc...