Emergent Properties Essay

Emergent Properties Emergent properties are properties that come about when smaller components combine together to form a large unit that works together for a common purpose. The idea of emergent properties is based on the fact that the whole combined unit is more efficient than the sum of all of the units. These properties cannot be seen when the organisms are separated from one another, the organisms must be together for the properties to take effect. Emergent properties have come about for the fact that when combined, these organisms can perform much more complex and advanced tasks that the organisms would not be able to complete on their own. In nature we see many emergent properties arise from evolution. When birds branched off from reptiles during their evolution, they developed feathers instead of scales. These feathers do not enable flight on their own, however when combined to form a wing they become much more efficient. When these two wings come together to form a pair of wings the result is an extremely efficient form of transportation that is not only light but also water resistant. Another example of emergent properties would be evident in our brain. Which each brain cell does not possess much computing power, however when billions of them are combined together, the result is a very efficient computing unit that can provide us with such things as thoughts emotions and character. Each brain cell alone would not be able to do these things. Emergent properties exist all around us and we even display some of these properties. One example of emergent properties would be the collaboration of many human beings. Separated, our minds are powerful, but nearly limited. Once combined we can collaborate with each other and perform many tasks efficiently, such as running a county, for example. It is not a coincidence that dictatorships are notoriously unsuccessful. There are also many emergent properties that exist beyond living things. For example when you have a hurricane, essentially all you have is air and water at various different temperatures. The randomness of this collection of air produces a large air mass that has a specific circular motion which is very powerful and devastating to anything that comes into contact with it. The air itself and the water vapor would not be able to cause this force on their own. It is the random order that makes this hurricane so powerful and hard to predict. Another example of emergence away from biology is currency. Currency or money came about as people wanted to trade with one another, but had no medium to do so. Alone, a single person would not need money. It is only useful and evident as many people come together to form a group. Without this group the money would have no value because it’s value is determined by people who are willing to trade with it. In conclusion emergence is evident throughout nature and even past it. It is the way  complex systems  and patterns arise out of a  multiplicity  of relatively simple interactions. Emergence is central to the understanding of communities and ecosystems where it be in living organisms or beyond biology.

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Metal

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Metal The United States recycles 150 million metric tons of scrap materials annually, including 85 million tons of iron and steel, 5.5 million tons of aluminum, 1.8 million tons of copper, 2 million tons of stainless steel, 1.2 million tons of lead and 420,000 tons of zinc, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Other metals such as chrome, brass, bronze, magnesium, and tin are recycled as well. What Are the Benefits of Recycling All That Metal? By definition, mining metal ores and refining them into usable metals is unsustainable; the amount of metals present on earth is fixed when considering (at least when considering any useful geological time scale). However, metals are easily recycled and reused, providing renewed opportunities for their use without having to mine and refine more of it. Thus, issues associated with mining like can be avoided, like  acid mine drainage.  By recycling, we reduce the need to manage extensive and potential dangerous piles of mine tailings.   U.S. Exports Recycled Metal In 2008, the scrap recycling industry generated $86 billion and supported 85,000 jobs. The recycled materials that the industry processes into raw material feedstock every year are used for industrial manufacturing around the world. For example, 25% of the steel used in production car panels (doors, hood, etc.) is obtained from recycled materials. For copper, used in the home building industry for electric wires and plumbing pipes, that proportion surpasses 50%. Each year, the United States exports staggering amounts of scrap metals - called scrap commodities  -  contributing significantly to U.S. trade balances. For example, in 2012 the U.S. exported $3 billion worth of aluminum, $4 billion of copper, and $7.5 billion of iron and steel. Metal Recycling Saves Energy and Natural Resources Recycling scrap metal reduces the substantial amounts of  greenhouse gas emissions  produced during the various smelting and processing operations used when making metal from virgin ore. At the same time, the amount of energy used is also much smaller. Energy  savings using various recycled metals compared to virgin ore is up to: 92 percent for aluminum 90 percent for copper 56 percent for steel These savings are significant, especially when scaled up to large production capacities. Indeed, according to the U.S.Geological Survey, 60% of steel production comes directly from recycled iron and steel scrap. For copper, the proportion coming from recycled materials reaches 50%. Recycled copper is almost as valuable as new copper, making it a common target for scrap metal thieves. Metal recycling also conserves natural resources. Recycling one ton of steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone. Water is also used in great quantities in the manufacturing of many metals. According to an industry source, through recycling steel the amount of energy conserved would be enough to power 18 million homes for an entire year.  Recycling a ton of aluminum conserves up to 8 tons of bauxite ore and 14-megawatt hours of electricity.That figure does not even account for shipping the bauxite from where it is mined, generally in South America.  The total amount of energy saved in 2012 by making aluminum from recycled material added up to 76 million megawatt hours of electricity.​ Edited by Frederic Beaudry.

A HISTORIOGRAPHY OF essays

A HISTORIOGRAPHY OF essays The tales of the Arthurian legend are some of the most popular from medieval times, and the reason for this is primarily due to their fabulous nature. In them are the exploits of heroes and the machinations of villains, the workings of sorcerers and the existence of magical objects. They embody the noble themes of chivalry and sacrifice, as well as those of revenge and evil. Action, violence, and sex are all included, and as shall be seen, there are many religious connotations as well. There are probably few people who are not familiar with the Quest for the Holy Grail, even if it is from exposure to the movie by Monty Python. The tales as most people know them, however, are the end result of centuries of change, both by the wandering minstrels and the serious authors of the medieval period. There exist numerous versions of each tale, and these versions are often contradictory. Roger Sherman Loomis was a noted medieval scholar, and a large part of the body of his work is an attempt to trace these tales to their origin. In going back to the roots of these tales, it is possible to see how and where variations took place. In Arthurian research, there are two main schools of thought. The first asserts that these tales have as their basis actual figures who lived in the towns and castles described in the tales and took part in the actions described, though obviously with some embellishment. The second school posits that these tales represent the evolution of even more ancient legends, the towns and castles (which are often factual) being inserted into the tales to lend them credibility. Loomis is a member of the latter. This historiography examines several of the works of Roger Sherman Loomis, which span the years from 1926 to 1964. In doing so, the nature of the origination of these tales will become evident, at least according to Loomis. First, however, some biographical information is in order. It may strike the read...

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Assignment - Essay Example The interest of the law is at the society at large and not on the individual who has committed a crime. Criminals are dangerous people in the society who threaten the social life of the community. These teenagers who are convicted of murder crimes are dangerous members of the society who are a threat to the community. The courts in their rulings will put the interest of the large community at hand and jail these criminals for life. These minors who commit these crimes are criminals in the making and can not be left free to disturb the public. These minors who commit these crimes can be pardoned for the charges, but this will encourage the other minors to commit such crimes since they know they can always get away with it. In regard to the same, other mature people can use the minors to commit murder crimes (Siegel & Senna, 147). The majority of the criminals in the world started their criminal activities when were young people. The earlier these criminal characteristics are noticed the better. The constitution is meant to protect the society at large and should be inclined towards the interest of an individual. These minor criminals, if pardoned and let to join the society they will become a bother to the society and a threat. Some human rights will argue that these are still children and should be given an opportunity to rejoin the society and become productive members of the same society. They argue that punishing these minors should be a process of rehabilitating them and making them law abiding citizens. They argue that these minors are in the process of development, and should be given a chance to contribute to the society and develop fully. They believe that some of these children’s behaviors will change at a later age. Some of these minors became violent as a result of how they were raised and the environment. However, these

Immigration And The Uk Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Immigration And The Uk Economy - Essay Example The only requirement one must have so that they can enjoy the jobseekers allowance is that one must be living in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland for three months immediately before making a claim for Jobseeker’s allowance (Ciupijus, 2011). Considering this, more than 30,000 people from Slovakia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Lithuania claim unemployment benefits in the UK, the research revealed. After a person satisfies the test in the UK, then that person can claim Jobseekers Allowance of up to  £ 72.41 ($116) weekly for a single person,  £113.70 for a couple (Hatton & Tani, 2005). The immigrant ends up costing the British taxpayers  £5B a year in tax credits. New figures show almost  £100 million a week is spent on the 415,000 people and cases of unemployed immigrants. Accordingly, there are foreign nationals who work in Britain who are benefitting from the payments a new analysis has revealed. We also have unemployment as anoth er effect of immigration as stipulated above herein. High unemployment rates Most of the immigrants who go to the UK have low skills or professional training while others are skilled (Freeman, 2015). Those that are skilled end up taking jobs of the UK natives who would have taken the jobs but due to lower skills or professional training they were avoided for the jobs. The semi-skilled immigrants are also willing to work at a much lesser pay as compared to their counterparts (Dustmann, Frattini & Preston, 2013).

Artificial Intelligence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Artificial Intelligence - Assignment Example Alternatively, the simulated mind could be assumed to reside in a computer or connected to a robot or a biological body, replacing its brain. The following paragraphs will discuss various characteristics of this concept: A human brain consists of about 100 billion nerve cells called neurons, each individually linked to other neurons by way of connection called axons and dendrites. The signals of these connections are transmitted by the release and detection of chemicals known as neurotransmitters. This is established by neuroscience that the human mind is an information processing network with the help of neurons (Kurzweil, 2000). Neuroscientists have also stated that essential functions performed by the mind, such as learning, memorizing, and consciousness, are due to purely physical and electrochemical processes in the brain which are governed by applicable laws. If the information and processes of the mind can be separated from the biological body, then there will be no individual limits and lifespan of that body. Other than that information within a brain could be partly or wholly copied or transferred to one or more other subjects, which includes digital storage or another brain, thereby minimizing or eliminating mortality risk (Tonnoni & Koch, 2008). A computer-based intelligence program could potentially think much faster than a human. Human neurons transfer’s electrochemical signals with a maximum speed of about 150 meters per second, whereas the speed of light is about 300 million meters per second, it is about two million times faster. Also, neurons can generate a maximum of about 200 to 1000 "spikes" per second, whereas the number of signals per second in modern computer chips is about 3 GHz (Matthew, 2005). This is almost two million times greater and expected to increase by at least a factor of 100. In theory it could run about 1 million times faster than a real brain, experiencing about a year of subjective time in only 31 seconds of real

The State of Affirmative Action in Michigan Essay Example for Free

The State of Affirmative Action in Michigan Essay The term affirmative action refers to positive steps taken for the purpose of giving members of minority groups (including women) increased representation in the workplace, education, and in business opportunities. The term was first used in Executive Order (EO) 11246 issued by then President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 to ensure that federal contractors were not discriminating against minority groups pursuant to the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it took another five years before the Secretary of Labor came out with Order #4 which contained the implementing guidelines for EO # 11246. In 1972, Revised Order #4 was issued by the Secretary of Labor to amend Order #4 and fully implement EO 11246. In order to carry out the revised order, directives were issued by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to bring colleges and universities under its coverage. Because the revised order already included women among the minority groups that should be â€Å"fully utilized,† the different institutions in the country, including colleges and universities, were required to set their â€Å"goals† and â€Å"timetables† for such full utilization of the so-called â€Å"protected classes† which by then included women (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Controversy followed the implementation of the revised order not only because of the inclusion of women under the minority groups but particularly when it came to the interpretation of the terms â€Å"goals† and â€Å"timetables.† Some quarters insisted that â€Å"goals† and â€Å"timetables† meant â€Å"quotas† which required institutions to employ gender and/or racial preferences in their employee selection. Others believed otherwise. They argued that a correct interpretation of EO 11246 would show that affirmative action did not actually mean using racial or gender preferences in the selection processes but merely increasing representation. In an essay entitled â€Å"Preferential Hiring,† Judith Jarvis Thomson supported the idea of preferences as a way of compensating for the discrimination that minorities suffered in the past. Thomas Nagel, on the other hand, in his â€Å"Equal Treatment and Compensatory Justice,† claimed that preferences could be a manner of achieving social good without necessarily being unfair and unjust to anybody. Their arguments were immediately contradicted by Lisa Newton who argued that if schools give preference to women and minorities, the â€Å"reverse discrimination [that inevitably results] violates the public equality which defines citizenship† (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). As the debate raged on how to go about giving more teaching posts to women and members of the minority groups, some colleges and universities took the initiative of increasing the presence of minority students in their student population. Unfortunately, one problem became immediately apparent: not enough minority students could obtain sufficient test scores or high school grades that would enable them to gain eligibility for college admission. To overcome the problem, some colleges and universities decided to change their criteria for admissions if only to accommodate minority students and achieve a better representation ratio in the process. This practice resulted to some white applicants being bumped off despite getting higher test scores than some minority students who were admitted. Consequently, charges of reverse discrimination were raised in many campuses nationwide, culminating to cases being filed in court (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). The University of Michigan was not spared from this chaotic situation. One such case was filed by Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher on October 14, 1977. They took the university to court for allegedly granting illegal preference to minority students in the undergraduate admissions. The case, which was ruled later by the District Court as a â€Å"class action lawsuit† in December of 1998, was initially scheduled for trial in May 1999 but was later postponed at a later date. The Center for Individual Rights represented the plaintiffs (York). The case filed by Gratz and Hamacher stemmed from their failure to obtain admission to the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). Gratz applied in 1995 while Hamacher filed his application in 1997. According to the complaint, although the college considered Hamacher as â€Å"within the qualified range† and Gratz as â€Å"well qualified,† they were denied admission in favor of minority students. Gratz and Hamacher claimed that the university used racial preference in its undergraduate admissions and violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (York). On October 16, 2000, twenty Fortune 500 companies which included 3M, Abbott Laboratories, Microsoft Corporation, and The Procter Gamble Company filed a joint amicus brief supporting the University of Michigan. In their brief, they stated that ethnic and racial diversity in institutions like the University of Michigan is vital not only in their efforts to put together a diverse workforce but also in their desire to hire workers from all backgrounds who have obtained their education in diverse environments. On January 15, 2003, President Bush made known his opinion on the case. According to his statement which was released by the Office of the Press Secretary, although he was supportive of racial diversity in colleges and universities, he did not approve of the method employed by the University of Michigan. He not only described its method as flawed but pronounced it a â€Å"quota system that unfairly rewards or penalizes perspective students, based solely on their race.† He further said that the university’s practice of granting minority students extra points (20 out of the needed 100 points for admission) is unconstitutional since under the system being observed in Michigan, a student gets only 12 points for obtaining a perfect score in SAT (York). In response, university president Mary Sue Coleman explained the university’s admission criteria which, according to her, were simply misunderstood by the president. She said that the university only allocated 12 points for the SAT score because the high school grades were given more value. Race and socioeconomic status were also among the factors considered, explaining that only one of these factors could get 20 points for a student. Another 16 points could be obtained by a student coming from the upper peninsula of Michigan, in consideration of geographic diversity. She continued on to state that other factors included in the criteria were â€Å"leadership, service, and life experiences† (York). On December 13, 2000, Honorable Patrick Duggan of the District Court of Michigan, ruled that the admissions policies adopted by the university during the years in question was indeed unconstitutional. However, he granted no remedy to the complainants. On June 23, 2003, the United States Supreme Court, after reviewing the case, ruled that the university policy violated the Equal Protection Clause because its use of race was â€Å"not narrowly tailored to achieve [its] asserted interest in diversity† (York). After the Supreme Court came out with its ruling, Ward Connerly, a black who formerly served as regent of the University of California immediately announced his intention to place a voter’s initiative on the ballot. Connerly also spearheaded the campaigns for the earlier ballot initiatives that ended minority preferences in the states of California (1997) and Washington (1998). He convinced Jennifer Gratz to spearhead the effort. Gratz organized the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative and by January 2005 was able to come up with more than 500,000 signatures. That number exceeded the 317,757 signatures needed to get the initiative on the ballot in 2006. After much controversy involving accusations of fraud, proposition 2 was finally placed on the ballot with election scheduled for November 7, 2006 (Vu). Proposition 2 won by a majority of 58% of the votes cast. As a result of that victory, 45 days after the election proposition 2 would take effect to bar affirmative action in employment, public education, and contracting. A CNN exit poll showed that in a state whose population is 14% black and 81% white, one out of every seven black voters and about 67% of the white voters signified their intention to put an end to affirmative action in Michigan. Opponents of the initiative, however, immediately filed a federal lawsuit which challenged the constitutionality of the measure. For her part, University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman expressed her intention to continue the fight for a diversified campus. Her exact words were: â€Å"I believe there are serious questions as to whether this initiative is lawful, particularly as it pertains to higher education. I have asked our attorneys for their full and undivided support in defending diversity at the University of Michigan† (Lewin). Unfortunately, on December 29, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit decided against any delay in the implementation of Proposition 2. The result was a considerable drop in the admissions of minority students at the University of Michigan.             Works Cited Cinti, Dylan. â€Å"Leveling the Playing Field.† The Communicator. 11 September 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   14 March 2008. http://the-communicator.org/index.php/site/article/leveling_the_playing_field/   Lewin, Tamar. â€Å"Michigan Rejects Affirmative Action, and Backers Sue.† The New York   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Times. 9 November 2006. 14 March 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/09/us/politics/09michigan.html?_r=2oref=slogin). oref=slogin Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. â€Å"Affirmative Action.† 4 March 2005. 14 March 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/ Vu, Pauline. â€Å"Affirmative action in Michigan ballot.† Stateline.org. 29 August 2006.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   14 March 2008. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=137542 York, Grace. â€Å"Affirmative Action In College Admission: Gratz and Hamacher/Grutter v.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Regents of the University of Michigan.† The University of Michigan Documents   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Center. 18 January 2008. 14 March 2008. http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/affirm.html