Essay on The Political Thinking and Influence of Henry...

The Political Thinking and Influence of Henry David Thoreau The extent and nature of Henry David Thoreau’s commitment to social reform has long been a matter of debate among scholars. Drawing on his well-know disdain for organized politics and his focus of self-reform, some have observed that Thoreau was no social reformer (Goodwin 157). On the other hand, such major anti-slavery statements as Civil Disobedience, Slavery in Massachusetts, and A Plea for Captain John Brown, have been seen as evidence that Thoreau was deeply engaged in the most important moral and political issues or his time (Harding 418). How can Thoreau the solipsistic hermit for whom the government is best which governs not at all, (Thoreau 1792) be†¦show more content†¦Recognizing that the slave power had now become aggressively active and threatened to dominate the entire Union (Gougeon 201), Thoreau decided to withdraw his support from a government which allowed this to happen, stating: I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my g overnment which is the slaves government also (1794). As a result of not paying his poll tax, Thoreau was arrested on July 25th, 1846 (Rosenwald 154). His essay, Civil Disobedience, originally delivered before the Concord Lyceum in January of 1848 as a speech entitled The Rights and Duties of the Individual in Relation to Government (Gougeon 201), expresses the various political circumstances and convictions which culminated in Thoreaus now famous, and very influential, one night sojourn in the Concord Jail. In order to better understand Thoreaus stance towards the State in Civil Disobedience, it is important to understand something of his universal view: As Richard Drinnon observes, The kernel of Thoreaus politics was his belief in a natural or higher law (127). Transcendentalism, to which Thoreau subscribed, is characterized by a belief in moral and other universal truths, and a faith in the individuals ability to intuit those truths (Abrams 326). Thoreau, in particular, believed that the individual discerned those truths or moral laws throughShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience1432 Words   |  6 Pages Civil Disobedience or originally known as â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† is one of the most known essay written by Henry David Thoreau. Published in 1866, it was written shortly after Thoreau spent one night in jail due to not paying a poll tax. Outraged by been imprisoned Thoreau wrote the essay to slam the government on m any of the issues that were occurring at the time, some events like the Mexican-American war and slavery were the two major targets he bashed as he was opposed in goingRead MoreHenry David Thoreau And Ralph Waldo Emerson1604 Words   |  7 Pagescomes from and unemployed writer who lived alone in the woods and refused to pay his taxes.† (The School of Life, par. 1) Henry David Thoreau reminds us about the importance of simplicity, authenticity, and downright disobedience. Born July 12, 1817, just west of Boston in Concord, Massachusetts, his father operated a pencil factory and his mother rented rooms out to boarders. Thoreau graduated in 1837 from Harvard College, but did not take on assumed careers in law or medicine, he went on into educationRead MoreHenry David Thoreau Was An American Author, Philosopher,928 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau was an American author, philosopher, poet, and abolitionist. He was well known for his essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience†. His essay criticized the American government for starting the war against Mexico. In fact, his essay demonstrated that Thoreau was an individual who opposed against the government’s influence over the citizens of the United States. Thoreau thought that the United States would benefit without the government getting involved. In fact, the author expressedRead MoreRomanticism Vs Transcendentalism795 Words   |  4 Pagescontrast, and some that may complement. Within the era of the growing movement, many arose to challenge the norms, bringing controversy with them. Transcendentalism, a theory that characterized by spiritual thinking, protected intuition from societal pressures in a time period that valued logical thinking. Politics in the Transcendental era were often disregarded, the Transcendentalists believed that if one were to allow themselves to focus on the current politics, their path of development may falter.Read MoreTranscendentalism in Civil Disobedience3710 Words   |  15 PagesRe(dis)covering America: Emerson, Thoreau, and American Democracy 10 April 2012 Transcendentalism in Civil Disobedience Thoreaus Politics of Individuality and Nature Dannheisig 2 Contents Introduction 1. Transcendentalism a. Nature b. Introspective Conscience and Politics 2. Political Individualism a. Ethical and Political (In)justice b. Critique of Democracy Conclusion Bibliography 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dannheisig 3 Introduction Henry David Thoreau was part of a movement calledRead MoreComparison of Civil Disobedience Essay3692 Words   |  15 PagesComparing the Civil Disobedience of Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau, and Mohandas Gandhi   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the onset of man fighting for freedom or his beliefs, the question has always been whether one person can make a difference using words rather than wars. Philosophically, the concept of civil disobedience would appear to be an ineffective weapon against political injustice; history however has proven it to repeatedly be one of the most powerful weapons of the common man. Martin LutherRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1886 Words   |  8 PagesVolatile Times In the 1800s, shortly before Congress passed the second Fugitive Slave Act, an abolitionist named Henry David Thoreau published â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† Being an opponent of the Polk administration, and more specifically the Mexican War, Thoreau wrote â€Å"Civil Disobedience† as a way to persuade his fellow citizens to follow their morals and values rather than falling victim to the Federal government’s ideologies and beliefs. Furthermore, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† challenged its readers to â€Å"defyRead MoreAmerican Renaissance (Literature)1541 Words   |  7 Pagesthe other hand, declared that slavery was responsible of the Souths comparative backwardness. From the middle of the 1840s the question of slavery was the gravest problem in America. The South, from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River, was a political unit which agreed on all fundamental policies in connection with cotton culture and slavery. The professional classes and most of the clergy now no longer apologized for slavery but defended it. They insisted that the relations of capital and labourRead MoreMaslow s Theory Of Hierarchy2417 Words   |  10 Pages As human beings, we struggle to better ourselves in an attempt to live fulfilling lives. Central to this fulfillment is getting as close as one can get to a situation of freedom. For Thoreau, freedom equates to living with the bare necessities of life: food, water, shelter etc. Furthermore, an individual is free when he/she is self-reliant, authoring a world of their making with little to no dependence on external institutions to direct their actions. How is this possible? Under Maslow’s theoryRead MoreReligion and Individualism3105 Words   |  13 Pageslives. We can see how various writers, politics and painters talk about religion and express it in their works. In this paper such values as religion and individualism will be analyzed, through the words of Emily Dickinson, Abraham Lincoln, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emily Dickinson, an American poet, was brought up in a prominent family, which raised Dickinson to be a cultured Christian woman who would one day be responsible for a family of her own. Her father attempted to protect

Budget Free Essays

What are the macroeconomic effects of the budget proposal Movements and shifts of the curve 7. Conclusion 9 8. References O 5. We will write a custom essay sample on Budget or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2 . 6. 2 The first part of the assignment discusses the economic principles and criteria for a assessing a good budget proposal for any country. Section 3 discusses macroeconomic objectives of a budget, role of government and how it intervenes, tools available to government and the practical considerations (lags in the effects of fiscal policy) The next part of the assignment the team selected the 2009 South African budget proposal and listed all revenue and expenditure proposal 2. What is a budget proposal Bedpan describes a budget as a â€Å"blueprint† for the nation, expressing the objectives and aspirations for the present and future for by the party in power. Mohr describes the budget is an instrument of the fiscal policy and determines the level and composition of government spending(G) and taxation(T). The Keynesian school of thought proposes that fiscal policy to be the most instrumental policy to influence total spending or aggregate demand (AD). He lists the four functions of the budget as: Used to decide priorities Serves to evaluate specific public programmed, reviewing the state’s activities annually used to increase economic growth and impact on development A system of accountability and controls over government officials and agencies, setting limits on their activities and safeguarding against corruption Obedient four groups of people involved in the national budget of South Africa and their roles in brief with regard to the budget are listed in the table below: The cabinet Controls the most critical decisions on the allocation of public funds Civil servants Play supporting roles by providing information to politicians responsible for decision making Members of parliament Acts as the defender of the public interest through its constitutional right to question reasons and feasibility Of each aspect Of the budget The public Through organizations like Noose, interest groups, community based organizations and other bodies provide the voice of all members not directly involved in the budget process 3. Assessing government budget proposal 3. 1 Economic principles and criteria of good budgets The first step in determining economic principle and criteria for good budgets involves identifying what the budget proposal should achieve in terms of macroeconomic objectives. Mohr et al lists the following as the main macroeconomic objectives that can be used to judge a good performance of the economy: Economic growth Full employment Price stability Balance of payments (or external stability) Equitable distribution of income Efficiency T. Manuel in delivering his 2009 South African Budget speech , emphasized the following five principles: Protecting the poor Sustaining employment growth and expanding training opportunities Building economic capacity and promoting investment Addressing the barriers to competitiveness that limit an equitable sharing of opportunities And maintaining a sustainable debt level that would not constrain our development tomorrow Mohr recognizes that the free market system allocates resources in the best possible way. However he also acknowledges that at times market failure occurs where the market system does not achieve efficient allocation Of resources. The market systems failures occurs in the following cases: Monopoly and imperfect competition Public goods Externalities Asymmetric information Common property resources Moor’s summary of government’s role is summarized on the table below: Role Aim Allocation function Correcting market failure and achieving a more efficient allocation of resources Distributive function Achieving more acceptable distribution of income Stabilization Promoting macroeconomic stability 3. 2. 1 How does government intervene The table below shows the five intervention options and examples of each that the government can use to achieve the above roles: Intervention Examples Public provision of goods and services through ownership or financing National Defense, hospitals, Eskimo, prisons Becoming a market participant Through price stability, income redistribution, Government spending Transfer payments to change income distribution Taxation Personal Income Tax Regulation Labor laws, competition policy, anti-tobacco laws 3. Practical considerations: Lags in the effects of fiscal policy Recognition lags Implementation lags Response lags (603,608) Therefore a good budget takes into cognoscente the macroeconomic objectives, address issues relating to market failures and takes steps address the needs of society and the scarce available resources. A good budget should also take into considerations the effects of lags in typefaces policy. 4. 2009 South African Budget proposal The group selected the 2009 South African Budget proposal. The budget speech was delivered by the Finance minister Mr.. Tremor Manuel on the 1 lath February 2009. The table below is a list the budget revenue and expenditure proposals: Budget revenue proposals Budget expenditure proposals Taxes on income and profits Source: National Treasury 2009 Budget Review Statistical Table 2 and Table 3 5. Theory on economic principle of equity As stated in the preceding section, tax is one Of the instrumental tool available to government to achieve its roles of allocation and distributive unction’s mainly through taxation. The criteria for a good tax proposal is that it must meet the following conditions: Neutrality Equity Administrative simplicity We now focus our attention and evaluate tax relief with reference to the criteria of equity. Case and Fair refers to equity as fairness. Under this principle tax burden is distributed fairly. Two theories of equity or fairness exists. These are : 15, 16, 17 Benefits-received principles Ability-to pay principle 381 Under the benefits-received principle, taxpayers should contribute to overborne in proportion to the benefits they receive from public expenditures. This theory of fairness does not receive popular support as it is not possible to determine the value that taxpayers receive from public expenditures. The other theory of taxation, ability-to pay principle states that taxpayers should bear tax burdens in line with their ability to pay taxes. 5. 1. Discuss vertical and horizontal equity. 17 In terms of tax revenue collected by government, horizontal equity relates to the concept of tax neutrality. It defines that the tax system should not criminate between similar things or people, or unduly distort behavior . Len other words, the people with a similar ability to pay taxes should pay the same or similar amounts. Vertical equity usually refers to the idea that people with a greater ability to pay taxes should pay more. However, to those that believe in a flat tax, the idea of vertical equity could mean that the rich should not be punished for their success by paying higher taxes than others. How to cite Budget, Papers

It seems so long ago now, since the mischievous days of mid

It seems so long ago now, since the mischievous days of mid-primary school Essay It seems so long ago now, since the mischievous days of mid-primary school. Since the days I never did homework, and was ever so surreptitious to avoid getting caught à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" well trying to anyway. And the days when my little ploys of forgetting to have done homework, were discovered in the most humiliating of ways. There was on specific day this happened, I can vividly remember. It was grade 3, half way through primary school, a time I never contemplated high school or my future, a time when the concept of homework was a joke. Like the facetious Hyena, I was in hysterical laughter at peoples earnestness toward school. But life is not without karma, as I now understand the importance of homework and schooling. Today school is about ENTER scores and getting A+. Back then it was about staying away from the Goodie, Goodies, who would always have the homework completed for question time the next day. Goodie, Goodies to us little blokes, were usually girls in the class, or a boy we considered to be a girl à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a pussy. Why is it that the majority of human beings have a lackadaisical approach to school? All those cliched comments like I hate homework or school sucks big time man, reinforce a wide spread inclination to not do homework. Is that what it is, or is it all about image and ego to us blokes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" earnestly trying to avoid the dreaded label: Goodie, Goodie. It is therefore not half-obvious why schools such as Camberwell Grammar experience horrific cases of school bullying. Occupied with maintaining our tough image, we little tackers never took heed to these important issues. Nor did we take heed to doing homework. During grade 3, our Math homework became accustomed to rotting away at the depths of our school bags, along with the mould ridden sandwiches and three-year-old bananas. One day judge dread the teacher, was going through the homework question by questionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Math books open at least nights homework in what sounded like a vultures screech. I opened at some pretend page and stayed low key, whilst the teacher mercilessly pointed her finger around the room. It was terrifying as she always seemed to sense an evader in the room à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" her eyes a radar, and her finger a laser, ready to embarrass her victim at any moment. All the Goodie, Goodies held their fingers in the air back at the teacher, which seemed like some tribal link between teacher and Goodie, Goodie à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" it was the Kripendorfs Tribe of St. Josephs primary school. This shanadigens of putting your hand up, always seemed to advantage the Goodie, Goodies, in some way my little mind could never seem to define. Now the folly of a large portion of humans seems clear: in this instance, that I to wanted to have this advantage, but did not want to do the hard work in order to achieve it. And once again Karma prevails: what you put  in, you get out. In juxtaposition between the Goodie, Goodies and the Blokes of the outside world, ironically, it is the Goodie, Goodies who reach the intrinsic happiness that the Blokes always thought they had. Which leads me to the intrinsic question, relating not only to my personal development, but all those who perceive/d themselves to be the elite of their own social spheres as children. Were we little blokes really the coolest group in our class? I am not sure now, those so-called Goodie, Goodies were elite indeed, as they actually worked hard. What was it that made us so hostile toward them? Why did we resent the label, Goodie, Goodie, they seemed to bear so proudly? Was there jealousy within this resentment? Behind the faÃÆ' §ade of being a tough bloke, we seemed to be afraid of the reality, afraid of having to do work, and afraid of the consequences of not doing work. When we got caught, all was exposed for a brief moment of embarrassment for the blokes and satisfaction for the Goodie, Goodies. .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 , .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .postImageUrl , .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 , .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:hover , .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:visited , .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:active { border:0!important; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:active , .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2 .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubdcfb49a121720d0335753df8ce705f2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Mughal Empire EssayThirty questions that day seemed like thirty years. Julian, question 28, these three damned words, did not quite register at the beginning. Damn, two to go and I was up, not a clue as to what the answer was or how to avoid getting egg on my face. Convulsive nervousness had shut down half of my brain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Oh no, my image of toughness raced through my head à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" I wasnt thinking straight à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" lost for words. Pre-occupied, little did I know that my face resembled those of the English when defeated by Joan of Arc. Nor was I aware that the teacher was behind me staring at some irrelevant work from my English book. I was history, I wished it were History. Consequences, why are we humans are afraid of them? Our folly as human beings seems to be to avoid having to face consequences. We are told never to lie, to tell the truth and it will be much easier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Good boy, good girl. Is it consequences, or the embarrassment of being caught that we are afraid of? All this seems clearer now: that we must accept consequences as apart of life, and work hard rather than trying to take shortcuts. This was a significant part of growing up: coming to terms with the reality of having to work hard, and the futility of maintaining image amidst the threat of embarrassment.

Suicide Solution Essay Example For Students

Suicide Solution Essay Im about to take up a position which is going to be deamed by some,if not all, as a terrible stand to take. As a matter of fact, if anyone wereto agree with me on ths subject, Id be surprsed. For you see, rather thanarguing from the postion of suicide being an unjustified and inane way todie, I shall argue the other point. That being suicide does have its merits. Before you people start screaming, hear my case out. Most peopleargue that nothing justifies the taking of someones life. Yet what makeslife so valuable? Why do people cling to it so? All we consist of is a bunchof carbon atoms, bound together to form an exoskeleton, organs, and tissue. In this light, there really is not much to life. Out of the 5 billion whoinhabit the planet, very few of them shall emerge to be true world leaders. We will write a custom essay on Suicide Solution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The rest will just lead a mediocre life of work and little play. The taking of ones life can be argued from a populistic view as well. It makes little sense to preserve life in an over populated world. True, oneless person here on there will not make a large dent. Yet if everyone whoattempts or had attempted suicide were not stopped, the impact would benoticed. Another popular argument for stoppers, people who want to preventsuicide, is that nothing can be bad enough. Yet how do they know this? Theydo not have to put up with the same stuff the suicide victim does everyday. How could they possibly know what the potential suicide victim feels. Justas a severely burned victim may wish to be allowed to die in peace, thesuicide victim wishes the same. To die in peace with no argument fromothers. The argument of look at the people you will hurt also does nothold. Imidiate family members will be the only ones to suffer any great pain. Friends will go on with thier lives and in time forget about the death. Imidiate family too will forget the loss in time. Although it will take mostconsiderably longer for them than it will for friends. Finaly, the argument of suicide being selfish is hard to grasp. Selfish in whose eyes? Certainly not the eyes of the victim. To them, theyconsider it selfish of others to try and preserve their life. Again, theargument of the stoppers dont know what the victim has to go through. Theyare not the ones enduring the pain. Religious people also crop up into the debate. Catholics claim thatfor someone to committ suicide sneds their soul straight to Hell. In manyreligions, suicide is considered taboo. However why is this so? Why should itbe looked upon as disgracefull, when some religions claim death the be thereward for people after their time on earth is done. Suicide is an issue which should be examined at by all angles. Notjust from the angle that it is wrong. End of debate. Rather it should belooked at from the point of view that yes for some people, they should beallowed to die in peace.

Legalization Against Marijuana essays

Legalization Against Marijuana essays -1914 marked the year that the States first began to strictly prohibit substance use. - 1915 to 1937: Early state laws. In this time period, there was no strict tax of prohibition on marijuana. Fear of Mexicans: a large immigration of Mexicans to the southwest prompted white officials to question the culture and customs of the newcomers. One habit that the Mexicans brought over the border was their taste for herbs. Common white folk everywhere latched on the idea that Mexicans are crazy because they smoke pot. Thusly many states passed anti-Marijuana laws in order to curb the influx of strange Mexicans and their funky plants. The cause is clearly a derivative of racism and fear. This accounts for anti-Marijuana laws throughout the southwest in the -Fear of Polygamous Mormons: the one state in the southwest that did not experience much of the Mexican influx was Utah. -Fear of Substitution: few eastern states paid much attention to dope. Caution was used as deemed necessary by the interested public-many thought that since many drugs were becoming illegal in the 20s, weed might be used in place of other drugs. The problem of hard substance addiction would have only been sidestepped. -1937: Marijuana becomes illegal. Many seem to assume that pot has always been considered a bad drug. Not in the states until such a late date was it strictly criminal. In order to get the Marijuana Tax Act passed the Senate held a hearing to determine the legitimacy of the claim that pot should be illegal. The representative of the Government on this bill was a man named Mr. Aslinger. -The history of cannabis products and their use has been very varied. To the agriculturist, marijuana is a fiber crop; to a doctor it is an enigma, to the user a euphoriant to the police, a menace, and to the convict or parolee and family a source of sorrow. Marijuana has been used therapeutically nearly 500 ...

Campaign Advertising Essay -- Advertising

(Local monthly glossy magazine): This magazine targets 31% of the local population making it an ideal media outlet for a local event like the Fitness-Challenge kick off. Since the Fitness Challenge focuses on eliminating childhood obesity, parents will be the main target audience. According to the U.S. census bureau 32% of American families with a child under the age of 12 have a stay at home mother. Only 3% of American families with an elementary age child have a stay at home dad. Taking these statistics into account our campaign will cater towards behaviors and needs of the â€Å"stay at home mom†. Out of the local population that reads â€Å"Our community†, 70 percent are women ages 31-60 years old. This age range and gender covers our target audience therefore making advertisements through this media outlet very effective. A half page ad would cost the campaign 4,000 dollars, a small price for so much exposure. Since the magazine only prints every month, readers tend to flip through the pages mul tiple times, maximizing frequency. $4000 KABC (NBC affiliate) With 40 percent of the local population as regular viewers, advertisements on this program will significantly increase awareness of the Fitness Challenge. Women ages 35-55 represent an astounding 72 percent of viewers. Awareness of the challenge requires introduction of the event concept and benefits. Running at least 30 non-primetime ads two months before the Challenge will familiarize the target audience with the event without bombarding them with information. Thirty prime-time ads will run the month before the event to maximize advertising exposure of the Fitness Challenge Kick off. Cost: Non-primetime-$3750\ Prime-time- $9000 WPTG (urban ra... ... middle of paper ... ...as targeted stay at home moms, dads also hold decision power when it comes to their children’s health. Billboards displaying advertisements for the Fitness Challenge kick off, offer an enormous amount of exposure for the event. Boards strategically placed a long high traffic roadways catch the eyes of interested fathers on their way home from the workplace. Most working individuals drive the same route to and from work meaning that they encounter the same billboard messages twice daily. Therefore the frequency that one individual encounters the ad on a daily basis must equal or surpass two. Multiply this by 2 months and the number of impressions falls well over 100. Cost: 2 months- $ 5000 Total Cost: $31,205 Even after creating a campaign media plan that encompasses multiplatform advertising our budget of $50,000 remains $18795 higher than required funds.

Diversity in employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Diversity in employment - Essay Example 13). Diversity in the work place has generally been thought of as purely an employment equity issue. However, diversity is coming to be recognized as an asset which can, like any other asset that is well managed, contribute to the bottom line. Diversity is growing almost as quickly as the number of software vendors at an accounting convention (Talbot-Allen, 2001, p. 3) One of the best definitions for diversity I have come across says, "Diversity is the mosaic of people who bring a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, values, and beliefs as assets to the groups and organisations with which they interact" (Rasmussen, 2000, p. 274). A mosaic enables people to retain their individuality while contributing collectively to the bigger picture. Second, this definition of diversity applies to and includes everyone; it does not rule out anyone. Finally, this definition describes diversity as an asset, as something desirable and beneficial! This change represents a move away from dominance by the white-Anglo male toward an increasingly diverse and segmented population. This workplace will include growing numbers of women, people of color, people of different ethnic backgrounds, aging workers, workers with a variety of physical handicaps, and people with alternative lifestyles. Only companies that have cultures that support diversity will be able to retain the best talent necessary to remain competitive. Diversity is not the same thing as employment equity. Diversity Pros and Cons Managing diversity is both a challenge and an opportunity for management. It is a challenge because it requires organisational change; it means fostering a cultural environment that values differences and maximizes the potential of all employees. It is an opportunity because organisations that proactively address diversity have a competitive advantage. They are able to attract, motivate and retain high potential employees. We must begin by recognizing the unique cultures of different racial, gender, ethnicities, abilities, differing lifestyles, etc., provide the basis for new perspectives on understanding organisational behavior. This perspective starts with the assumption that each cultural group organizes and defines experience within its own set of cultural systems. Research has suggested that men, women, and the various minorities do not share a common culture of organisational life. The implication is that each group identifies, defines, and organizes its experience in the organ isation in unique ways (Fine, Johnson, & Ryan, 2002, p.306, 317). A number of factors account for these differing experiences. For instance, women hold lower level positions at lower salaries than men; therefore, they tend to see the organisation from the bottom. Minority employees are fewer in number, so, they view the organisation in an isolation perspective. Second, each group appears most comfortable communicating within their own group. Third, the cultures of gender and race give unique perspectives on organizing experiences. Women and minorities identify interpersonal barriers as obstacles to their success, while white men see formal structures and policies as eliminating any obstacles. Women define moral order in terms of interpersonal relationships (as cited in Fine, Johnson, &am

Research Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research - Article Example The purpose of this research is to explore the efficacy and sustainability of instructional coaching for teachers of diverse learners. The research question for the study was are teachers, of an institution designed for students from low-income areas, multilingual, and multicultural located in a large district with high economic disparities, efficient when providing instructional coaching intervention. Data was collected using mixed methods, whereby qualitative data was used to explore quantitative data collected from a quasi-experimental study with 36 urban elementary teachers participating. The results showed that teachers were positive about the benefits of instructional coaching to students from low income and multicultural societies (Teemant, 2014). The purpose of this research is to explore the implications for the development of supportive multicultural programs of learning at universities. The question that the research sought to answer was how learning institutions emphasize diversity enough in a multicultural society. Data was collected from 19 new GTA instructors, who completed the training. However, only 12 provided feedbacks. The results showed that instructors preferred removing barriers to integrating diversity issues into the educational experience of all students (Elicker, 2009). The purpose of this study is to develop necessary competencies to implement successfully culturally responsive teaching amongst teachers in their classrooms.

Food Irradiation Essay Example for Free

Food Irradiation Essay Food irradiation has the longest history, more than 40 years, of scientific research and testing of any food technology before approval. Research has been comprehensive, and has included wholesomeness, toxicological, and microbiological evaluation. Worldwide, 38 countries permit irradiation of food, and more than 28 billion lb of food is irradiated annually in Europe. It is important to note that food irradiation has a pretty remarkable list of national and international endorsements: ADA, American Council on Science and Health, American Medical Association, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, International Atomic Energy Agency, Institute of Food Technologists, Scientific Committee of the European Union, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the US food supply has achieved a high level of safety, microbiological hazards exist. Because foods may contain pathogens, mishandling, including improper cooking, can result in food-born illness. Irradiation has been identified as one solution that enhances food safety through the reduction of potential pathogens and has been recommended as part of a comprehensive program to enhance food safety. However, food irradiation does not replace proper food handling. So the handling of foods processed by irradiation should be governed by the same food safety precautions as all other foods. Food irradiation cannot enhance the quality of a food that is not fresh, or prevent contamination that occurs after irradiation during storage or preparation. But, treating foods with the irradiation of gamma rays offers benefits to consumers, retailers, and food manufacturers such as improved microbiological quality, replacement of chemical treatments, and extended shelf life. The spices and fumigant sprays used on fruits can be limited and eliminated through the use of irradiation. This improves the quality of the fruit. Pathogens in raw poultry or meat can be reduced by a dose of radiation. Also, smaller doses can disinfest grain and produce and can slow down the natural aging of fruit and vegetables. This all results in the reduced use or elimination of chemical treatments and proves that irradiated foods closely resemble foods in their fresh state. Irradiation has been compared with pasteurization because it destroys pathogenic bacteria. Because irradiation does not greatly raise the temperature of the food being processed, nutrient losses are small and are often much less than nutrient losses associated with other methods of preservation, such as canning, drying, and heat pasteurization and sterilization. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are not notably affected by irradiation. But certain vitamins are sensitive to food irradiation. Yet, nutrient losses can be minimized by irradiating food in an oxygen-free environment or in a frozen state. According to the Ames, Iowa Council for Agriculture Science and Technology Task Force Report No. 115, consumers consistently rate irradiated fruit as equal or better than non-irradiated fruits in appearance, freshness, and taste. With all of the facts listed above, it is obvious that irradiated foods are the best option instead of harmful chemical products. These chemicals usage and harm are a result of not using food irradiation to benefit consumers. And in an era of increasing concern about food safety, consumers must understand that irradiation is one method of enhancing an already safe food supply.

personal essay- The Girl In Pink :: essays research papers

It's seven o'clock and Megan's alarm has just gone off. Up out of bed and into the closet she goes to find her wardrobe for the morning. The closet door opens to sunlight shining through the open blinds inside the large walk-in closet. To the left and right are haning masses of pink clothes, dresses, jeans, and, in one corner, a couple of employee tee shirts for the movie theare and some black work pants. Se carefully selects her favorite pink halter top, a lighter pink jacket, and a denim skirt. "Time to meet my public," she says to herself. She treks down the stairs, passing me. I just woke up. "Why are you up so early sister?" "Class," I reply. "Oh." Time for breakfast. "Mom, will you make me some eggs? Sunny side up?," Megan asks with a toss of her hair. "Sure hon." The family computer is turned on and Megan thinks to herself, "Which cute boys have emailed me today?" "Seth wrote to me, mom!" Mom smiles, "are you going to write back?" "Are you crazy! If I write back this soon, Ill look desterate and needy. I'll do it this weekend." She starts responding to some of her girlfriends' emails, a quick one or two lines each, and then moves on. A plate of eggs and toast and a glass of orange juice is set at her seat at the dining room table. Without closing anything on the computer, she prances over to pick at her breakfast. Half way through, she stops eating and goes toweigh herself. I pass her again in the hallway. "Are you going in the bathroom?" E ask. "Yes." Great. Well, I guess I'm done inthere now. She doesn't run any water or anything. It just seems to have slipped her mind that she has a huge murror in her room, too. Half an hour later, Megan emerges from the bathrom with perfect hair and flawless make up to compliment her outfit.

The Green Revolution in Iran

On June 12, 2009, a series of protests broke out after the results of the presidential election in Iran. The riots started in the capital city of Tehran, and quickly spread throughout the Islamic Republic. Protestors gathered in other major cities around the world, including New York City (Mackey). Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Iranians were protesting against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection, which was allegedly the result of electoral fraud. These allegations have been investigated by parties in and outside of Iran, including London’s Chatham House and the Institute of Iranian Studies, University of St. Andrews in Scotland, which co-published a report after the election. The report was written by Chatham House's Daniel Berman and Thomas Rintoul, and edited by St. Andrews' Professor Ali Ansari. The following is an excerpt from that report’s summary: In two conservative provinces, Mazandaran and Yazd, a turnout of more than 100% was recorded. In a third of all provinces, the official results would require that Ahmadinejad took not only all former conservative voters, all former centrist voters, and all new voters, but also up to 44% of former reformist voters, despite a decade of conflict between these two groups. 2) The people of Iran are demanding change and a freer government. Now is the time for the United States to recognize a potential new ally. America should support the Green Revolution—named after opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi's campaign color—because a regime change in Iran would strongly promote world peace by removing the Abadgaran[1] regime and its nuclear ambitions; it would remove a regime with a history o f violating the basic human rights of its citizens and foreigners; and it would open up the potential for a new ally and trading partner in the Middle East. Iran’s nuclear policy has changed dramatically since the Ahmadinejad presidency took control of it in August 2005. It has shifted from being open to compromise with the global community to increasing its power and imposing Iran on the region (Chubin 32-33). Paralleling Iran’s nuclear program is a troubling missile program. The Shahab-4, a variant of Iran’s favorite missile, the Shahab-3, has a range of 1,200 miles (FAS). This coupling highly suggests a nuclear weapons program. The Abadgaran regime’s history of violating the human rights of its citizens ranges from harassment to wrongful imprisonment or execution to murder. Women have been harassed by police since the Islamic Revolution for allegedly wearing their hijab[2] improperly. Several hundred women were arrested in Tehran in April of 2007 for their â€Å"bad hijab† (Harrison). The persecution of Baha’is in Iran erupted after the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. Despite being Iran’s largest religious minority group at that time, the rights of the Baha’i community are not mentioned in the Republic’s constitution. It is legal for Iranians to assault, even murder Baha’is because they are left legally unprotected, and labeled â€Å"infidels† (BIC). Another example of Iran’s discrimination is its so-called â€Å"solution† to homosexuality. The government pushes homosexuals to undergo gender reassignment surgeries to conform to its theocratic views on sexuality. These procedures are paid for by the government, and for many poor gays and lesbians in Iran, especially those living in the Republic’s rural areas, it is the only option to â€Å"be like others† (Hays). To conclude assessing the human rights violations of Iran’s theocratic government is the case of 27-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan. Neda was an average young woman in Iran, except that she was taking singing lessons, which is illegal for women in Iran. On June 20th, Neda and her singing instructor got out of her car to get a breath of fresh air near the protests, and she was shot by a Basiji[3] in Tehran (Fathi). She was defenseless, and public attempts to mourn her were broken up by the government. â€Å"Her name means voice in Persian, and many are now calling her the voice of Iran,† said Nazila Fathi in her report of Neda’s death for The New York Times. President George W. Bush’s â€Å"axis of evil† speech undermined support of Iranians who argued for better relations with the United States. When Bush made that speech in 2002, Mohammad Khatami, a reformer, was the president of Iran (Freedman 473). The United States sanctions against Iran have helped to further the Abadgaran regime’s agenda by giving justification to a group that is desperate for it; the sanctions have allowed them to consolidate their power and further oppress Iranians who go against the government’s policies. Iran’s current state is best described in Lawrence Freeman’s A Choice of Enemies: The [Bush] administration found it consistently difficult to get the measure of Tehran. Bush depicted it as a â€Å"nation held hostage by a small clerical elite that is repressing and isolating its people,† but the reality was far more complex . (482) A regime change in Iran could see the lifting of American trade sanctions against Iran; U. S. sanctions have had an impact on Iran’s oil economy. Mohammed Akacem, a petroleum expert at Metropolitan State College of Denver said, â€Å"U. S. oil companies would love to go to Iran, so sanctions have retarded a little bit of Iran’s ability to improve its oil sector (qtd. in Beehner). † Securing another efficient source of oil would help to ease the American economy as alternative energy sources are developed, and workers are trained to perform the tasks necessary to operate these new facilities. The Iranian government's response to this movement is violent and choking. In late July, a mass trial was conducted against over 100 reformist figures, accused of—as reported by Robert F. Worth and Nazila Fathi—â€Å"conspiring with foreign powers to stage a revolution through terrorism . . . (1)†. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went so far as to say questioning the election was â€Å"the biggest crime (qtd. in Dareini). † The people of Iran are now rising up and demanding their emancipation, and they need support from the global community. The United States needs to support the Green Revolution if it seeks to make a friend of Iran. The proper support could see a regime change and the establishment of an Iran open to cooperation with America, enriching both Iranian and American societies. The average American can help as well if there are organizations set up to aid the opposition movement in Iran by donating and volunteering, and corporate America can set up the aforementioned organizations, and increase the media’s focus on the movement in Iran. All this can be done without any military involvement by the United States. The American Revolution freed us from oppression; let us help the Iranian people free themselves as well.

Catherine Malasa Essay

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. Psychology is a multifaceted discipline and includes many sub-fields of study areas such as human development, sports, health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes.  Because psychology is new a social science, it attempts to investigate the causes of behavior using systematic and objective procedures for observation, measurement and analysis, backed-up by theoretical interpretations, generalizations, explanations and predictions Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors[1] with the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases,[3][4] and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie certain cognitive functions and behaviors. Question: What Is Cognitive Psychology? Answer: Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think, acquire knowledge, perceive, learn, remember or store information and then apply it. As part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy and linguistics. Cognitive psychology studies in areas of research such as, Perception, attention, reasoning, thinking, problem solving, memory, learning, language, and emotion are areas of research. Classical cognitive psychology is associated with a school of thought known as cognitivism, whose adherents argue for an information processing model of mental function, informed by functionalism and experimental psychology. On a broader level, cognitive science is an interdisciplinary enterprise of cognitive psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, researchers in artificial intelligence, linguists, human–computer interaction, computational neuroscience, logicians and social scientists. Computational models are sometimes used to simulate phenomena of interest. Computational models provide a tool for studying the functional organization of the mind whereas neuroscience provides measures of brain activity. The core focus of cognitive psychology is on how people acquire, process and store information. There are numerous practical applications for cognitive research, such as improving memory, increasing decision-making accuracy and structuring educational curricula to enhance learning. Until the 1950s, behaviorism was the dominant school of thought in psychology. Between 1950 and 1970, the tide began to shift against behavioral psychology to focus on topics such as attention, memory and problem-solving. Often referred to as the cognitive revolution, this period generated considerable research on topics including processing models, cognitive research methods and the first use of the term â€Å"cognitive psychology. The term â€Å"cognitive psychology† was first used in 1967 by American psychologist Ulric Neisser in his book Cognitive Psychology. According to Neisser, cognition involves â€Å"all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used. It is concerned with these processes even when they operate in the absence of relevant stimulation, as in images and hallucinations†¦ Given such a sweeping definition, it is apparent that cognition is involved in everything a human being might possibly do; that every psychological phenomenon is a ognitive phenomenon. † Noam Chomsky helped to launch a â€Å"cognitive revolution† in psychology when he criticized the behaviorists’ notions of â€Å"stimulus†, â€Å"response†, and â€Å"reinforcement†. Chomsky argued that such ideas—which Skinner had borrowed from animal experiments in the laboratory—could be applied to complex human behavior, most notably language acquisition, in only a superficial and vague manner. The postulation that humans are born with the instinct or â€Å"innate facility† for acquiring lan [pic] [pic] The Muller-Lyer illusion. Psychologists make inferences about mental processes from shared phenomena such as optical illusions. helped to renew interest and belief in the mental states and representations—i. e. , the cognition—that had fallen out of favor with behaviorists. English neuroscientist Charles Sherrington and Canadian psychologist Donald O. Hebb used experimental methods to link psychological phenomena with the structure and function of the brain. With the rise of computer science and artificial intelligence, analogies were drawn between the processing of information by humans and information processing by machines. Research in cognition had proven practical since World War II, when it aided in the understanding of weapons operation. [47] By the late 20th century, though, cognitivism had become the dominant paradigm of psychology, and cognitive psychology emerged as a popular branch. Assuming both that the covert mind should be studied, and that the scientific method should be used to study it, cognitive psychologists set such concepts as subliminal processing and implicit memory in place of the psychoanalytic unconscious mind or the behavioristic contingency-shaped behaviors. Elements of behaviorism and cognitive psychology were synthesized to form the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of psychotherapy modified from techniques developed by American psychologist Albert Ellis and American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. Cognitive psychology was subsumed along with other disciplines, such as philosophy of mind, computer science, and neuroscience, under the cover discipline of cognitive science. Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy and linguistics. The core focus of cognitive psychology is on how people acquire, process and store information. There are numerous practical applications for cognitive research, such as improving memory, increasing decision-making accuracy and structuring educational curricula to enhance learning. Until the 1950s, behaviorism was the dominant school of thought in psychology. Between 1950 and 1970, the tide began to shift against behavioral psychology to focus on topics such as attention, memory and problem-solving. Often referred to as the cognitive revolution, this period generated considerable research on topics including processing models, cognitive research methods and the first use of the term â€Å"cognitive psychology. † The term â€Å"cognitive psychology† was first used in 1967 by American psychologist Ulric Neisser in his book Cognitive Psychology. According to Neisser, cognition involves â€Å"all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used. It is concerned with these processes even when they operate in the absence of relevant stimulation, as in images and hallucinations†¦ Given such a sweeping definition, it is apparent that cognition is involved in everything a human being might possibly do; that every psychological phenomenon is a cognitive phenomenon. † How is Cognitive Psychology Different? †¢ Unlike behaviorism, which focuses only on observable behaviors, cognitive psychology is concerned with internal mental states. Unlike psychoanalysis, which relies heavily on subjective perceptions, cognitive psychology uses scientific research methods to study mental processes. Who Should Study Cognitive Psychology? Because cognitive psychology touches on many other disciplines, this branch of psychology is frequently studied by people in a number of different fields. The following are just a few of those who may benefit from studying cognitive psychology a web site that should be useful if you are studying psychology †¢ PsychBLOG †¢ Course Content †¢ Themes †¢ Investigations Core Studies †¢ Home Top of Form [pic][pic][pic][pic] Bottom of Form Search Holah Top of Form [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic] Bottom of Form [pic]Core Studies †¢ Cognitive Psychology †¢ Developmental Psychology †¢ Individual Differences †¢ Physiological Psychology †¢ Social Psychology Exam Help †¢ Course Structure †¢ Exam Questions †¢ Exam Technique A Bit More Stuff †¢ About †¢ Links †¢ Further Reading [pic][pic] [pic][pic]Home ;gt; Cognitive Psychology Cognitive Psychology masters in psychology Cognitive psychology studies our mental processes or cognitions. These mental processes that cognitive psychologists focus on include memory, perception, thinking and language. The main assumption of the cognitive approach is that information received from our senses is processed by the brain and that this processing directs how we behave or at least justifies how we behave the way that we do. Cognitive processes are examples of hypothetical constructs. That is, we cannot directly see processes such as thinking but we can infer what a person is thinking based on how they act. Cognitive psychology has been influenced by developments in computer science and analogies are often made between how a computer works and how we process information. Based on this computer analogy cognitive psychology is interested in how the brain inputs, stores and outputs information. However we are much more sophisticated than computer systems and an important criticism directed at the cognitive approach is that it often ignores the way in which other factors, such as past experiences and culture influence how we process information. Loftus and Palmer’s (1974) study of eyewitness testimony demonstrates how the cognitive process of memory can be distorted by other information supplied after an event. This highlights that memory is not merely a tape recording but is a dynamic process which can be influenced by many events such as leading questions. The study also shows that memory is a dynamic process and changes to make sense of experiences. When we behave in a particular way towards another person it is likely that we attempt to understand how the other person is thinking and feeling. Baron-Cohen’s (1997) study shows that our behaviour can be influenced by a cognitive process called a theory of mind. Having a theory of mind enables a person to appreciate that other people have thoughts and beliefs that are different from their own. Baron-Cohen’s study attempts to demonstrate that the central deficit of autism is a failure to fully develop this cognitive process of a theory of mind. It has been argued that humans are unique in possessing the ability to communicate with language which involves very sophisticated cognitive skills. However this argument is challenged by the study from Savage-Rumbaugh et al. (1986) who studied the language capabilities in pygmy chimpanzees. A main strength of cognitive psychology is that this approach has tended to use a scientific approach through the use of laboratory experiments. A strength of using laboratory experiments is that they are high in control therefore researchers are able to establish cause and effect. For example Loftus and Palmer were able to control the age of the participants, the use of video and the location of the experiment. All participants were asked the same questions (apart from changes in the critical words), and the position of the key question in the second was randomised. Furthermore, such standardised experiments are easy to test for reliability. However, as many cognitive studies are carried out in laboratory settings they can lack ecological validity. When cognitive processes such as memory and theory of mind are studied in artificial situations it may be difficult to generalise the findings to everyday life. A further strength of the cognitive approach is the useful contributions that have arisen from this approach. For example, many modern types of therapy are based on the cognitive approach. Understanding cognitive processes allows us to help people to improve their cognitive processes such as memory and language. The Baron-Cohen et al. study enables us to better understand the behaviour of people with autism, Loftus and Palmers’ study highlights the limitations of eye-witness testimonies and the ape research may offer strategies to help children with language difficulties to develop language or to use strategies such as the lexigram system. Furthermore the cognitive approach has become the dominant approach in psychology particularly since it has become allied with neurology. The cognitive approach nowadays is often called cognitive science and is able to provide a very sophisticated understanding of how the brain processes information. A weakness of the cognitive approach relates to the validity of measuring cognitive processes. We can only infer what a person is thinking and therefore the cognitive approach relies heavily on self report measures and observation. There are a number of reasons why we have to question the validity of self report measures and observation. For example we can only infer that adults with autism have theory of mind difficulties from the results of the Eyes Task or that pygmy chimps are really using language when they communicate through a Lexigram. However, because of the developments of brain scanning techniques we are able to record the active parts of the brain more accurately nowadays and cognitive science is providing a more and more detailed description of how cognitive processes work. For example, brain scanning techniques are giving great insights about how memory works. It has been argued that a weakness of the cognitive approaches reliance on the computer analogy leads to a reductionist and mechanistic description of experiences and behaviour. Reductionism is the idea that complex phenomena can be explained by simpler things. The cognitive approach often takes this narrow focus and ignores social and emotional factors which may impact on cognition. For example, the autism study investigated just one central cognitive deficit as an explanation for autism. However the reductionist approach does have strengths. An advantage of the reductionist view is that by breaking down a phenomenon to its constituent parts it may be possible to understand the whole. This type of single mindedness has lead to some great discoveries in psychology as it has in the ‘natural’ sciences.

Free Essays on Environment Affecting Behavior

A person's character is distinguished by the features that make up and identify an individual. This is what sets a person aside from everyone else. A person's character and the way a person behaves can be greatly influenced by their surroundings. Behavior is a learning process that begins at birth. A person reacts to what is happening around them; the way a person responds to a situation derives from their character. An environment with complexity, mystery, legibility, and coherence is the type of environment a person will seek. Providing a person with this type of environment will allow the person to feel comfortable, and the person will want to be involved in what is going on around him/her. In this environment, the person will want to learn and will want to experience new things that are around him/her. Comfortable atmospheres increase a person’s well being and improve a person’s behavior. Once a person learns what is comfortable, the person will be able to deal rationally with problems that come about. According to Carl Jung, the personalities of parents are a major influence on a child. Providing a child with enough love, guidance and attention surrounds a child with a stable and beneficial atmosphere allowing the child to grow and learn for him/herself what life is about. For example, comparing a baby who grows up with his/her biological parents would be the same as a baby growing up with adoptive parents, both can provide the same care. A parent is someone who brings up and provides care for another. No matter who the child grows up with, if provided the same care, â€Å"even children who grow up with their biological parents resemble their parents in personality on to a moderate degree (Bratko & MaruÃ… ¡ià ¦, 1997).† According to Sigmund Freud a personâ⠂¬â„¢s ideas of right and wrong are learned from parents, teachers, and other people in authority. So in reality no matter if the person is a parent, teacher or other person in ... Free Essays on Environment Affecting Behavior Free Essays on Environment Affecting Behavior A person's character is distinguished by the features that make up and identify an individual. This is what sets a person aside from everyone else. A person's character and the way a person behaves can be greatly influenced by their surroundings. Behavior is a learning process that begins at birth. A person reacts to what is happening around them; the way a person responds to a situation derives from their character. An environment with complexity, mystery, legibility, and coherence is the type of environment a person will seek. Providing a person with this type of environment will allow the person to feel comfortable, and the person will want to be involved in what is going on around him/her. In this environment, the person will want to learn and will want to experience new things that are around him/her. Comfortable atmospheres increase a person’s well being and improve a person’s behavior. Once a person learns what is comfortable, the person will be able to deal rationally with problems that come about. According to Carl Jung, the personalities of parents are a major influence on a child. Providing a child with enough love, guidance and attention surrounds a child with a stable and beneficial atmosphere allowing the child to grow and learn for him/herself what life is about. For example, comparing a baby who grows up with his/her biological parents would be the same as a baby growing up with adoptive parents, both can provide the same care. A parent is someone who brings up and provides care for another. No matter who the child grows up with, if provided the same care, â€Å"even children who grow up with their biological parents resemble their parents in personality on to a moderate degree (Bratko & MaruÃ… ¡ià ¦, 1997).† According to Sigmund Freud a personâ⠂¬â„¢s ideas of right and wrong are learned from parents, teachers, and other people in authority. So in reality no matter if the person is a parent, teacher or other person in ...

PROJECT MANGGMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PROJECT MANGGMENT - Essay Example Within the Project team, teams are formed based on the interdependence of tasks to be performed. The composition of groups is to ensure that time is not lost in processing of information and consequently the decision-making process (Chapin & Huber-Sannwald 2001). The current project team performance has been enhanced by creating a scenario where each member of the group has sufficient understanding of the tasks expected concerning performance. Such is the clarity in task assignment that the team members can self-monitor their performance and daily progress. Another feature of the group is the communication channels that exist and must strictly be adhered to. These channels are developed to ensure the shortest time lapse between the sender, the receiver, the feedback and the implementation of available information. The channels ensure that the departmental heads get a periodic briefing on the progress of their groups and can be prompt in their responses and effectively manage situations before they get out of hand. Under communications and information processing, the project management team has a program design that demands regular meetings with the primary objective being performance evaluation and charting the way forward. With short term goals being the norm, these impromptu meetings serve to ensure that the activities are on track as per procedure requirements. For those activities not at par with their projections, necessary steps are taken to ensure that any disruption erupts in relation to the progress of the organization (Project Management Institute 2013) The limits of authority are currently clear such that team member is aware of the boundaries of their authority. Such limits are set to ensure that there are no overlapping duties that may raise conflicts of interests among the team members. Additionally, to ensure accountability, each level

Marketing and brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing and brand Management - Essay Example The report recommends what Wii must do in order to sustain its current market share of 45% with Sony and Microsoft catching up. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 2 Introduction 3 Nintendo Wii: Marketing Analysis 3 Conclusion and Recommendations 7 References 7 Introduction Nintendo’s Wii was once the market leader in the gaming industry of the United States. Positioned as a sole gaming console for the whole family, Wii held a market share of massive 75% (Matthews 2011). Unlike its competitors Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox which were positioned as a game console for only hardcore gamers aged from 19 to 35 predominantly males; Nintendo went down in the mass markets of families and realized that there was no such thing as a casual gamer. It brought the ex-gamers and casual gamers on the same platform of Wii with low prices and a tagline of â€Å"Wii like to play!† (O'Gorman, 2008; Anthony, 2008). In the short-run, Wii did experience a boost in i ts sales. So much that it outsold its competitors with huge margins. Especially during Christmas, where more importance was placed to family values, Wii managed to attract families and hence, won the 75% market share of the industry (Matthews, 2011). Nintendo Wii: Marketing Analysis In order to analyze the branding strategies of Wii, it is compulsory to understand the concept of the ‘Blue Ocean Strategy†. This concept entails the brand to keep a pulse check on the market as to where in the market are the competitors positioned as. This concept rightly depicts that it is not advisable for a brand to be in direct and head on competition with other players but a better option would be to search for space and gaps in the market and position the brand in that space which is untargeted by the competitors (Anthony, 2008). Likewise, when all the players in the market (Xbox and Play Station including Wii) were focusing on the hardcore gamers’ market, Wii repositioned itsel f to the wider market of families. With this move, Wii was able to build a sounder customer base as compared to its competitors as Xbox and Play Station were still stuck on the hardcore gamers’ market. Now, even those who did not give preference to game consoles as such, were buying Wii consoles either because at their own pleasure or as a gift for the family (O’Gorman, 2008). Provided that Nintendo kept Wii’s design user friendly and simpler to use, its unique make was found to be easily used and controlled by both beginners and expert and adept players (Nintendo, Inc. 2007). Other brands namely Sony Play Station and Xbox have complex controls with non-intuitive or illogical buttons that are shapes and require time for the players to get used to them. Nintendo’s Wii on the other hand is uniquely designed to cater to the needs of non-gamers and soft-core players who find it more user-friendly (Nintendo, Inc. 2007). As far as the pricing is concerned, Wii was targeted to the wider household markets in the game console industry. This meant that Nintendo had to push the prices down in order to attract more consumers. Its advertising and promotional strategies helped Wii to become the most selling brand during Christmas time and especially amongst families who preferred to own only one of all

Hamlet's antic disposition. Is his madness feigned or real Research Paper

Hamlet's antic disposition. Is his madness feigned or real - Research Paper Example The spontaneity of the act that he puts on seems, at a later stage, to have led commentators on the play to have thought that his was not an act in the first place. His disavowal of what later we realize was a true love for Ophelia, is one of the incidents in the play that are cited to damn Hamlet as insane. The vision of the ghost, some say, seems to be a vision of a madman, who has been deranged by the death of his father and what seems to him a betrayal by his mother. These, for some critics are also validated by his musings on the very nature of death during the graveyard scene. Coupled with a suicidal tendency, these musings of one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters leads not an insignificant number of critics to believe that his state of mind is not one of sanity. All of these, however, can be refuted if one is to look at the play from another perspective. Hamlet, G. Wilson Knight says, presents an antithesis to what the Danish court stands for, life. Whether this i s a result of his direct encounter with death is unclear. However, his musing on death and his rejection of Ophelia are instances where he rejects the vital activities of life. He contemplates suicide, another instance of his revulsion for the life and vitality that are represented by the other members of the court. Knight affirms the essential righteousness of the aims of Hamlet. Deprived of his rights and parental love, Hamlet is morally superior to Claudius who has murdered his own brother out of love for the throne and for Gertrude. However, Hamlet remains in Knight’s words, a â€Å"negation of life† (Knight 187). It is this distance from vitality that places Hamlet in a position where he appears to be insane. To make my point clearer, I shall make a reference to Michel Foucault’s theories of insanity. Foucault saw insanity as a deviation from the normal codes of society. It is, according to him, a means employed by the so-called ‘sane’ society to define itself, that is, it serves as a kind of touchstone for mainstream society (Foucault). Hamlet, here is such a severe contrast to the life-affirming but wicked Claudius and the majority of the other characters that are faithful to him, that he appears to be an aberration. This has been construed as insanity by many. However, this would be to state that in some way or the other, Hamlet can be seen as a mad person. This does not present the facts in a true light. The standard, against which Hamlet’s behavior seems to be a deviation from the norm, is that of the Danish court. However, the moral values that Hamlet employs are those of Renaissance humanism (Kettle 238). Hamlet is a highly educated person. His values are shaped by the dominant ideology of the time, humanism, which talked about the ability of man to rise to infinite heights which were unthought-of before. Seen in this context, the very pessimism that we had attributed to Hamlet seems to be an optimistic atti tude that has seen through the facade of the Danish court. The baseness of the king and his followers rankles Hamlet, one who has recognized the infinite potential of man. What Marcellus unwittingly says about the condition of Denmark , Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (1.4. 90) is exactly what Hamlet feels about the state of his homeland. It is against this backdrop that Hamlet appears to be ins

Girlhood in19th Century American Art Research Paper - 1

Girlhood in19th Century American Art - Research Paper Example al backgrounds, ages, and other demographic variables who illustrate different features and aspects of girlhood that condenses the aspect of beauty in the context of the nineteenth century America. Beauty, culture, and history are presented in multiple dimensions that effectively portray the subtle aesthetics and meanings as understood within the specific context. A huge travelling exhibition, â€Å"Angels and Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th century American art† includes eighty prints, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and texts depicting the concepts of 19th century girlhood. The exhibitions interprets the countless ways that artists at this time delineated, artistically, the perception of people of how girls were and ought to be and how the artist aided in the modeling the social and artistic perception of being a female at that time. It also intended to show what adults hoped for the future of their daughters and what they feared most. Indeed, it includes the works of an era when females were just beginning to appear in art, featuring the works of Winslow Homer, Thomas Wakins, William Merritt Chase, Cecilia Beaux and much more. The artwork portrays economic and social class and race. It is apparent how the civil war affects the artwork which is shown later in the exhibition. It expresses how perceptions of women were changing along with the education and work conditions. Throughout the 19th century, when thinking about a young woman or girl, the first thoughts would be angelic, sweet, innocent and domestic. This exhibition at The Newark Museum had a different take on this issue. It displays significantly different views than the â€Å"norm† just previously describes of girlhood. The first text you would see entering the exhibit is a quote from James’s novella Daisy Miller (1878), where Daisy is portrayed as an †inscrutable combination of audacity and innocence†. This is evident in the name of the exhibit. It is evident how much our perceptions have changed

Hobbes Locke And Rousseau And The Social Contract Philosophy Essay

Hobbes Locke And Rousseau And The Social Contract Philosophy Essay All the above three quotes are from three of the most influential and glorified philosophers. All three of them, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau are famous for their works in the field of political philosophy. These three philosophers dominated the political thoughts of the 17th and 18th century. Thomas Hobbes Born on 5 April 1588 in Malmesbury , Wiltshire , England , formed the base for western political thought through his various books, one of which was highly influential in the field of political philosophy was the book Leviathan .Apart from political philosophy he also contributed in the field of history , geometry , ethics and political science. John Locke Born on 29 august 1632 in Wrington , Somerset, England, mostly known as the father of Liberalism. His   work had a large impact upon the establishment of the concept of   epistemology and political philosophy.one of his most famous writings is the Two treaties of government . Jean Jacques Rousseau Born on 28 June 1712 in Geneva, Republic of Geneva.his work influenced the French and the American revolution. His major works were in the field of political philosophy , literature ,education and his famous books are Emile and the social contract and discourses. To begin with I would like to inform that the social contract from the eyes of these three philosophers is based on one fundamental philosophy that is the state of nature, which is different for each one of them as all three have different dimensions and dynamics to it Hobbes considers the state of nature an horrific one .he simply calls the state of nature a s a state of war that is constant war. This state of war or state of nature is derived from human nature , human beings tendency to desire and to fulfill these desires in order to remain happy and satisfied in life . Hobbes expresses that the state of nature provides full freedom , everyone has the freedom to do what they want . thus there is complete equality too as each one is capable of desiring what they want and to do anything to achieve the desires always trying to gain more than the other person resulting in conflict and hence a state of war. No person can be inferior to another by the virtue of nature. Hobbes wrote that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man .due to the constant dispute and battle between human beings there is constant fear. According to Hobbes people in the state of nature are free to do anything they feel like doing in order to protect their interests hence there is no injustice as there no law . According to Locke state of nature is a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions , and persons as they think fit, within the bounds of law of nature.it is a state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another. He defines the state of nature as that state that is present before the the society develops. Its a state of complete freedom and equality and everyone is equally free. there is this concept of law of nature which both Hobbes and Locke follow . the law of nature governs the state of nature , it is the law derived from human reasoning. But according to Locke the law of reason suggests to avoid harm to self and others well being , property and liberty. This is where Locke opposes Hobbes as he say if the law of nature is followed then there will be complete peace and harmony which prevents the state of nature from entering a state of war .Locke mainly speaks of political equality , he says that one person can not be a victim of authority and oppression of another. Rousseau too disagreed with Hobbes with regard to the state of nature .he too felt that the state of nature was not a state of war. He presents the state of nature as a primitive one . Where human beings live like savages, whose desires are very basic and simple. There interaction with others is done for no social cause but to fulfill their own basic desires like sex , food and sleep. He said that in a state of nature human beings have only a few natural sentiments of self-love and pity. Humans live on basic instincts and can make use of nature hence giving them way more choices than other animals even though they seem like brute animals but they are not. This state is a very peaceful one as there is no vice, and no sentiments like greed, jealousy, envy as there is no civilized society. How and why should the state exit the State of Nature and enter into a social contract? Hobbes says; In a state of War, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.no commodious Building; no Knowledge of the face of the earth; no Account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short Hobbes says that the only way that the state of war in the state of nature can end is with the entering of the social contract. It can prevent chaos which is prevailing in the state of war. Hobbes says that there are laws present in the state of nature but no one to implement them, hence to have an authority or a body which can enforce these laws we need to enter into a contract. Hobbesian social contract demands the human beings in the state of nature to give up all their rights to the supreme authority apart from their right to life, which in the case of Hobbes is the sovereign, according to Hobbes the sovereign is absolute authority. The contract is void one the aim of the contract is not fulfilled that is the citizens of the state are not secure. According to Locke the reason behind leaving the state of nature are three inconveniences in the law of nature that there wants an established known law, there wants a known and impartial judge, and there wants the power to back and support the sentence when right and to give it due execution he says that humans have to transfer from the state of nature to the social contract in order to create a political society. According to Locke the social contract is entered only once there is consent of the people. This social contract forms a civil society with a government; the purpose of this was the protection of life, property and liberty. Rousseau claims moving out from the state of nature because as the population increased the resources were strained as a result of which humans started living in groups,there were personal comparisons, which led to pride and vanity, with time passing there there were innovations resulting in leisure hence causing greed, all this created division between the rich and the poor.the social unrest caused by all this showed a need of a government hence Rousseau explains the need for exit from the state of nature. He states that the government should be formed on the basis of a general will. For the general will to be truly general, it must be general in its origin, in its form and when there is economic equality he says that there must be a say of each and every person of the society, that a group should not represent the mass but each person should have the ability to vote and chose their sovereign. From the above text we realize that all three of them agreed to having a contract for the greater good of society. Hobbes and Rousseau want a absolute sovereign whereas Locke places various limitations to the sovereign. I feel all even though the three theorists differ in a few fundamental points their aims and purposes are mostly similar. -SHIVEN VARMA

Democracy :: Politics Democratic Republic

Democracy I. Meaning of Democracy II. Summary of Places and Dates III. Features of Democracy IV. Types of Democracy V. Early Democracy A. Athens B. Rome VI. Middle Ages and England VII. The Renaissance A. United States of America B. France VIII. Modern Times IX. Important People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Demos Kratia, or democracy, as it is used today, means â€Å" the people rule.† A democracy is a form of government is run by the people of that country through elections and representation. A democracy is really a form of a republic known as a democratic republic. A republic is a government where officials, elected by a small group of people, make the important decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Democracy has been around for almost 2500 years since Athens, Greece became the first democracy. The Romans also experimented with democracy, however it was more a republic, and not a democracy. Around 1200 England laid the groundwork to become a republic. Later, in the 1700's, United States of America, became a democracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many features of democracy. Most of these features are the same, but individual countries use varations of the main ideas. The main feature of democracy, which determines a true democracy, is free, competitive elections. Sometimes however, women or minorities don't have the right to vote. Some of these other features, such as checks on power, help to limit the strength of any one person or party. Other features like free elections, and majority/ minority rule, help to make elections fair, since the judgment of many people is generally better then the judgment of a few people. Political parties keep one government, or idea of government form holding all power. These features let the people to govern themselves without the country being torn apart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two true types of democracies, direct democracies, and representative democracies. In a direct democracy all the people meet to discuss problems and creat laws. A direct decision consults all the people for the decisions.. Since that is unpractical in todays world, a new form of democracy, the representative democracy has arisen. This form of democracy has elected representatives making most of the day to day decisions, while the main groups of citizens consulted for only the most important decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the earliest known democracies was in Athens, a city-state in southern, ancient Greece. Around 620BC, Athens became the first true democracy. In Athens the ruler Draco tried to make many reforms in the city state. Draco organized laws by putting them in a written code, letting everyone know what the laws were and how they applied to everyone. He also gave the people the right to a trial. The next ruler Solon, the next Athenian ruler also helped Athens become

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 12 Aerie

ROBOT-†¦ A term used in the ancient legends of several worlds for what are more usually called â€Å"automata.† Robots are described as generally human in shape and made of metal, although some are supposed to have been pseudo-organic in nature. Hari Seldon, in the course of The Flight, is popularly supposed to have seen an actual robot, but that story is of dubious origin. Nowhere in Seldon's voluminous writings does he mention robots at all, although†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 56. They were not noticed. Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili repeated the trip of the day before and this time no one gave them a second look. Hardly anyone even gave them a first look. On several occasions, they had to tuck their knees to one side to allow someone sitting on an inner seat to get past them and out. When someone got in, they quickly realized they had to move over if there was an inner empty seat. This time they quickly grew tired of the smell of kirtles that were not freshly laundered because they were not so easily diverted by what went on outside. But eventually they were there. â€Å"That's the library,† said Seldon in a low voice. â€Å"I suppose so,† said Dors. â€Å"At least that's the building that Mycelium Seventy-Two pointed out yesterday.† They sauntered toward it leisurely. â€Å"Take a deep breath,† said Seldon. â€Å"This is the first hurdle.† The door ahead was open, the light within subdued. There were five broad stone steps leading upward. They stepped onto the lowermost one and waited several moments before they realized that their weight did not cause the steps to move upward. Dors grimaced very slightly and gestured Seldon upward. Together they walked up the stairs, feeling embarrassed on behalf of Mycogen for its backwardness. Then, through a door, where, at a desk immediately inside was a man bent over the simplest and clumsiest computer Seldon had ever seen. The man did not look up at them. No need, Seldon supposed. White kirtle, bald head-all Mycogenians looked so nearly the same that one's eyes slid off them and that was to the tribespeople's advantage at the moment. The man, who still seemed to be studying something on the desk, said, â€Å"Scholars?† â€Å"Scholars,† said Seldon. The man jerked his head toward a door. â€Å"Go in. Enjoy.† They moved inward and, as nearly as they could see, they were the only ones in this section of the library. Either the library was not a popular resort or the scholars were few or-most likely-both. Seldon whispered, â€Å"I thought surely we would have to present some sort of license or permission form and I would have to plead having forgotten it.† â€Å"He probably welcomes our presence under any terms. Did you ever see a place like this? If a place, like a person, could be dead, we would be inside a corpse.† Most of the books in this section were print-books like the Book in Seldon's inner pocket. Dors drifted along the shelves, studying them. She said, â€Å"Old books, for the most part. Part classic. Part worthless.† â€Å"Outside books? Non-Mycogen, I mean?† â€Å"Oh yes. If they have their own books, they must be kept in another section. This one is for outside research for poor little self-styled scholars like yesterday's.-This is the reference department and here's an Imperial Encyclopedia†¦ must be fifty years old if a day†¦ and a computer.† She reached for the keys and Seldon stopped her. â€Å"Wait. Something could go wrong and we'll be delayed.† He pointed to a discreet sign above a free-standing set of shelves that glowed with the letters TO THE SACR TORIUM. The second A in SACRATORIUM was dead, possibly recently or possibly because no one cared. (The Empire, thought Seldon, was in decay. All parts of it. Mycogen too.) He looked about. The poor library, so necessary to Mycogenian pride, perhaps so useful to the Elders who could use it to find crumbs to shore up their own beliefs and present them as being those of sophisticated tribespeople, seemed to be completely empty. No one had entered after them. Seldon said, â€Å"Let's step in here, out of eyeshot of the man at the door, and put on our sashes.† And then, at the door, aware suddenly there would be no turning back if they passed this second hurdle, he said, â€Å"Dors, don't come in with me.† She frowned. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"It's not safe and I don't want you to be at risk.† â€Å"I am here to protect you,† she said with soft firmness. â€Å"What kind of protection can you be? I can protect myself, though you may not think it. And I'd be handicapped by having to protect you. Don't you see that?† â€Å"You mustn't be concerned about me, Hari,† said Dors. â€Å"Concern is my part.† She tapped her sash where it crossed in the space between her obscured breasts. â€Å"Because Hummin asked you to?† â€Å"Because those are my orders.† She seized Seldon's arms just above his elbow and, as always, he was surprised by her firm grip. She said, â€Å"I'm against this, Hari, but if you feel you must go in, then I must go in too.† â€Å"All right, then. But if anything happens and you can wriggle out of it, run. Don't worry about me.† â€Å"You're wasting your breath, Hari. And you're insulting me.† Seldon touched the entrance panel and the portal slid open. Together, almost in unison, they walked through. 57. A large room, all the larger because it was empty of anything resembling furniture. No chairs, no benches, no seats of any kind. No stage, no drapery, no decorations. No lights, merely a uniform illumination of mild, unfocused light. The walls were not entirely blank. Periodically, arranged in spaced fashion at various heights and in no easy repetitive order, there were small, primitive, two-dimensional television screens, all of which were operating. From where Dors and Seldon stood, there was not even the illusion of a third dimension, not a breath of true holovision. There were people present. Not many and nowhere together. They stood singly and, like the television monitors, in no easy repetitive order. All were white-kirtled, all sashed. For the most part, there was silence. No one talked in the usual sense. Some moved their lips, murmuring softly. Those who walked did so stealthily, eyes downcast. The atmosphere was absolutely funereal. Seldon leaned toward Dors, who instantly put a finger to her lips, then pointed to one of the television monitors. The screen showed an idyllic garden bursting with blooms, the camera panning over it slowly. They walked toward the monitor in a fashion that imitated the others-slow steps, putting each foot down softly. When they were within half a meter of the screen, a soft insinuating voice made itself heard: â€Å"The garden of Antennin, as reproduced from ancient guidebooks and photographs, located in the outskirts of Eos. Note the-â€Å" Dors said in a whisper Seldon had trouble catching over the sound of the set, â€Å"It turns on when someone is close and it will turn off if we step away. If we're close enough, we can talk under cover, but don't look at me and stop speaking if anyone approaches.† Seldon, his head bent, his hands clasped before him (he had noted that this was a preferred posture), said, â€Å"Any moment I expect someone to start wailing.† â€Å"Someone might. They're mourning their Lost World,† said Dors. â€Å"I hope they change the films every once in a while. It would be deadly to always see the same ones.† â€Å"They're all different,† said Dors, her eyes sliding this way and that. â€Å"They may change periodically. I don't know.† â€Å"Wait!† said Seldon just a hair's breadth too loud. He lowered his voice and said, â€Å"Come this way.† Dors frowned, failing to make out the words, but Seldon gestured slightly with his head. Again the stealthy walk, but Seldon's footsteps increased in length as he felt the need for greater speed and Dors, catching up, pulled sharply-if very briefly-at his kirtle. He slowed. â€Å"Robots here,† he said under the cover of the sound as it came on. The picture showed the corner of a dwelling place with a rolling lawn and a line of hedges in the foreground and three of what could only be described as robots. They were metallic, apparently, and vaguely human in shape. The recording said, â€Å"This is a view, recently constructed, of the establishment of the famous Wendome estate of the third century. The robot you see near the center was, according to tradition, named Bendar and served twenty-two years, according to the ancient records, before being replaced.† Dors said, † ‘Recently constructed,' so they must change views.† â€Å"Unless they've been saying ‘recently constructed' for the last thousand years.† Another Mycogenian stepped into the sound pattern of the scene and said in a low voice, though not as low as the whisperings of Seldon and Dors, â€Å"Greetings, Brothers.† He did not look at Seldon and Dors as he spoke and after one involuntary and startled glance, Seldon kept his head averted. Dors had ignored it all. Seldon hesitated. Mycelium Seventy-Two had said that there was no talking in the Sacratorium. Perhaps he had exaggerated. Then too he had not been in the Sacratorium since he was a child. Desperately, Seldon decided he must speak. He said in a whisper, â€Å"And to you, Brother, greetings.† He had no idea whether that was the correct formula of reply or if there was a formula, but the Mycogenian seemed to find nothing amiss in it. â€Å"To you in Aurora,† he said. â€Å"And to you,† said Seldon and because it seemed to him that the other expected more, he added, â€Å"in Aurora,† and there was an impalpable release of tension. Seldon felt his forehead growing moist. The Mycogenian said, â€Å"Beautiful! I haven't seen this before.† â€Å"Skillfully done,† said Seldon. Then, in a burst of daring, he added, â€Å"A loss never to be forgotten.† The other seemed startled, then said, â€Å"Indeed, indeed,† and moved away. Dors hissed, â€Å"Take no chances. Don't say what you don't have to.† â€Å"It seemed natural. Anyway, this it recent. But those are disappointing robots. They are what I would expect automata to be. I want to see the organic ones-the humanoids.† â€Å"If they existed,† said Dors with some hesitation, â€Å"it seems to me they wouldn't be used for gardening jobs.† â€Å"True,† said Seldon. â€Å"We must find the Elders' aerie.† â€Å"If that exists. It seems to me there is nothing in this hollow cave but a hollow cave.† â€Å"Let's look.† They paced along the wall, passing from screen to screen, trying to wait at each for irregular intervals until Dors clutched Seldon's arms. Between two screens were lines marking out a faint rectangle. â€Å"A door,† Dors said. Then she weakened the assertion by adding, â€Å"Do you think?† Seldon looked about surreptitiously. It was in the highest degree convenient that, in keeping with the mourning atmosphere, every face, when not fixed on a television monitor, was bent in sad concentration on the floor. Seldon said, â€Å"How do you suppose it would open?† â€Å"An entrance patch.† â€Å"I can't make out any.† â€Å"It's just not marked out, but there's a slight discoloration there. Do you see it? How many palms? How many times?† â€Å"I'll try. Keep an eye out and kick me if anyone looks in this direction.† He held his breath casually, touched the discolored spot to no avail, and then placed his palm full upon it and pressed. The door opened silently-not a creak, not a scrape. Seldon stepped through as rapidly as he could and Dors followed him. The door closed behind them. â€Å"The question is,† said Dors, â€Å"did anyone see us?† Seldon said, â€Å"Elders must go through this door frequently.† â€Å"Yes, but will anyone think we are Elders?† Seldon waited, then said, â€Å"If we were observed and if anyone thought something was wrong, this door would have been flung open again within fifteen seconds of our entering.† â€Å"Possibly,† said Dors dryly, â€Å"or possibly there is nothing to be seen or done on this side of the door and no one cares if we enter.† â€Å"That remains to be seen,† muttered Seldon. The rather narrow room they had entered was somewhat dark, but as they stepped farther into it, the light brightened. There were chairs, wide and comfortable, small tables, several davenports, a deep and tall refrigerator, cupboards. â€Å"If this is the Elders' aerie,† said Seldon, â€Å"the Elders seem to do themselves comfortably, despite the austerity of the Sacratorium itself.† â€Å"As would be expected,† said Dors. â€Å"Asceticism among a ruling class-except for public show-is very rare. Put that down in your notebook for psychohistorical aphorisms.† She looked about. â€Å"And there is no robot.† Seldon said, â€Å"An aerie is a high position, remember, and this ceiling is not. There must be upper storeys and that must be the way.† He pointed to a well-carpeted stairway. He did not advance toward it, however, but looked about vaguely. Dors guessed what he was seeking. She said, â€Å"Forget about elevators. There's a cult of primitivism in Mycogen. Surely, you haven't forgotten that, have you? There would be no elevators and, what's more, if we place our weight at the foot of the stairs, I am quite certain it will not begin moving upward. We're going to have to climb it. Several flights, perhaps.† â€Å"Climb it?† â€Å"It must, in the nature of things, lead to the aerie-if it leads anywhere. Do you want to see the aerie or don't you?† Together they stepped toward the staircase and began the climb. They went up three flights and, as they did, the light level decreased perceptibly and in steady increments. Seldon took a deep breath and whispered, â€Å"I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, but I hate this.† â€Å"You're not used to this precise type of physical exertion.† She showed no signs of physical distress whatever. At the top of the third flight the stairs ended and before them was another door. â€Å"And if it's locked?† said Seldon, more to himself than to Dors. â€Å"Do we try to break it down?† But Dors said, â€Å"Why should it be locked when the lower door was not? If this is the Elders' aerie, I imagine there's a taboo on anyone but Elders coming here and a taboo is much stronger than any lock.† â€Å"As far as those who accept the taboo are concerned,† said Seldon, but he made no move toward the door. â€Å"There's still time to turn back, since you hesitate,† said Dors. â€Å"In fact, I would advise you to rum back.† â€Å"I only hesitate because I don't know what we'll find inside. If it's empty-† And then he added in a rather louder voice, â€Å"Then it's empty,† and he strode forward and pushed against the entry panel. The door retracted with silent speed and Seldon took a step back at the surprising flood of light from within. And there, facing him, eyes alive with light, arms half-upraised, one foot slightly advanced before the other, gleaming with a faintly yellow metallic shine, was a human figure. For a few moments, it seemed to be wearing a tight-fitting tunic, but on closer inspection it became apparent that the tunic was part of the structure of the object. â€Å"It's the robot,† said Seldon in awe, â€Å"but it's metallic.† â€Å"Worse than that,† said Dors, who had stepped quickly to one side and then to the other. â€Å"Its eyes don't follow me. Its arms don't as much as tremble. It's not alive-if one can speak of robots as being alive.† And a man-unmistakably a man-stepped out from behind the robot and said, â€Å"Perhaps not. But I am alive.† And almost automatically, Dors stepped forward and took her place between Seldon and the man who had suddenly appeared. 58. Seldon pushed Dors to one side, perhaps a shade more roughly than he intended. â€Å"I don't need protection. This is our old friend Sunmaster Fourteen.† The man who faced them, wearing a double sash that was perhaps his right as High Elder, said, â€Å"And you are Tribesman Seldon.† â€Å"Of course,† said Seldon. â€Å"And this, despite her masculine dress, is Tribeswoman Venabili.† Dors said nothing. Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"You are right, of course, tribesman. You are in no danger of physical harm from me. Please sit down. Both of you. Since you are not a Sister, tribeswoman, you need not retire. There is a seat for you which, if you value such a distinction, you will be the first woman ever to have used.† â€Å"I do not value such a distinction,† said Dors, spacing her words for emphasis. Sunmaster Fourteen nodded. â€Å"That is as you wish. I too will sit down, for I must ask you questions and I do not care to do it standing.† They were sitting now in a corner of the room. Seldon's eyes wandered to the metal robot. Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"It is a robot.† â€Å"I know,† said Seldon briefly. â€Å"I know you do,† said Sunmaster Fourteen with similar curtness. â€Å"But now that we have settled that matter, why are you here?† Seldon gazed steadily at Sunmaster Fourteen and said, â€Å"To see the robot.† â€Å"Do you know that no one but an Elder is allowed in the aerie?† â€Å"I did not know that, but I suspected it.† â€Å"Do you know that no tribesperson is allowed in the Sacratorium?† â€Å"I was told that.† â€Å"And you ignored the fact, is that it?† â€Å"As I said, we wanted to see the robot.† â€Å"Do you know that no woman, even a Sister, is allowed in the Sacratorium except at certain stated-and rare-occasions?† â€Å"I was told that.† â€Å"And do you know that no woman is at any time-or for any reason-allowed to dress in masculine garb? That holds, within the borders of Mycogen, for tribeswomen as well as for Sisters.† â€Å"I was not told that, but I am not surprised.† â€Å"Good. I want you to understand all this. Now, why did you want to see the robot?† Seldon said with a shrug, â€Å"Curiosity. I had never seen a robot or even known that such a thing existed.† â€Å"And how did you come to know that it did exist and, specifically, that it existed here?† Seldon was silent, then said, â€Å"I do not wish to answer that question.† â€Å"Is that why you were brought to Mycogen by Tribesman Hummin? To investigate robots?† â€Å"No. Tribesman Hummin brought us here that we might be secure. However, we are scholars, Dr. Venabili and I. Knowledge is our province and to gain knowledge is our purpose. Mycogen is little understood outside its borders and we wish to know more about your ways and your methods of thought. It is a natural desire and, it seems to us, a harmless-even praiseworthy-one.† â€Å"Ah, but we do not wish the outer tribes and worlds to know about us. That is our natural desire and we are the judge of what is harmless to us and what harmful. So I ask you again, tribesman: How did you know that a robot existed in Mycogen and that it existed in this room?† â€Å"General rumor,† said Seldon at length. â€Å"Do you insist on that?† â€Å"General rumor. I insist on it.† Sunmaster Fourteen's keen blue eyes seemed to sharpen and he said without raising his voice, â€Å"Tribesman Seldon, we have long cooperated with Tribesman Hummin. For a tribesman, he has seemed a decent and trustworthy individual. For a tribesman! When he brought you two to us and commended you to our protection, we granted it. But Tribesman Hummin, whatever his virtues, is still a tribesman and we had misgivings. We were not at all sure what your-or his-real purpose might be.† â€Å"Our purpose was knowledge,† said Seldon. â€Å"Academic knowledge. Tribeswoman Venabili is a historian and I too have an interest in history. Why should we not be interested in Mycogenian history?† â€Å"For one thing, because we do not wish you to be.-In any case, two of our trusted Sisters were sent to you. They were to cooperate with you, try to find out what it was you wanted, and-what is the expression you tribesmen use?-play along with you. Yet not in such a way that you would be too aware as to what was happening.† Sunmaster Fourteen smiled, but it was a grim smile. â€Å"Raindrop Forty-Five,† Sunmaster Fourteen went on, â€Å"went shopping with Tribeswoman Venabili, but there seemed nothing out of the way in what happened on those trips. Naturally, we had a full report. Raindrop Forty-Three showed you, Tribesman Seldon, our microfarms. You might have been suspicious of her willingness to accompany you alone, something that is utterly out of the question for us, but you reasoned that what applied to Brothers did not apply to tribesmen and you flattered yourself that that flimsy bit of reasoning won her over. She complied with your desire, though at considerable cost to her peace of mind. And, eventually, you asked for the Book. To have handed it over too easily might have roused your suspicion, so she pretended to a perverse desire only you could satisfy. Her self-sacrifice will not be forgotten.-I take it, tribesman, you still have the Book and I suspect you have it with you now. May I have it?† Seldon sat in bitter silence. Sunmaster Fourteen's wrinkled hand remained obtrusively outstretched and he said, â€Å"How much better it would be than to wrest it from you by force.† And Seldon handed it over. Sunmaster Fourteen leafed through its pages briefly, as though to reassure himself it was unharmed. He said with a small sigh, â€Å"It will have to be carefully destroyed in the approved manner. Sad.-But once you had this Book, we were, of course, not surprised when you made your way out to the Sacratorium. You were watched at all times, for you cannot think that any Brother or Sister, not totally absorbed, would not recognize you for tribespeople at a glance. We know a skincap when we see one and there are less than seventy of them in Mycogen†¦ almost all belonging to tribesmen on official business who remain entirely in secular governmental buildings during the time they are here. So you were not only seen but unmistakably identified, over and over. â€Å"The elderly Brother who met you was careful to tell you about the library as well as about the Sacratorium, but he was also careful to tell you what you were forbidden to do, for we did not wish to entrap you. Skystrip Two also warned you†¦ and quite forcibly. Nevertheless, you did not turn away. â€Å"The shop at which you bought the white kirtle and the two sashes informed us at once and from that we knew well what you intended. The library was kept empty, the librarian was warned to keep his eyes to himself, the Sacratorium was kept under-utilized. The one Brother who inadvertently spoke to you almost gave it away, but hastened off when he realized with whom he was dealing. And then you came up here. â€Å"You see, then, that it was your intention to come up here and that we in no way lured you here. You came as a result of your own action, your own desire, and what I want to ask you-yet once again-is: Why?† It was Dors who answered this time, her voice firm, her eyes hard. â€Å"We will tell you yet once again, Mycogenian. We are scholars, who consider knowledge sacred and it is only knowledge that we seek. You did not lure us here, but you did not stop us either, as you might have done before ever we approached this building. You smoothed our way and made it easy for us and even that might be considered a lure. And what harm have we done? We have in no way disturbed the building, or this room, or you, or that.† She pointed to the robot. â€Å"It is a dead lump of metal that you hide here and we now know that it is dead and that is all the knowledge we sought. We thought it would be more significant and we are disappointed, but now that we know it is merely what it is, we will leave-and, if you wish, we will leave Mycogen as well.† Sunmaster Fourteen listened with no trace of expression on his face, but when she was done, he addressed Seldon, saying, â€Å"This robot, as you see it, is a symbol, a symbol of all we have lost and of all we no longer have, of all that, through thousands of years, we have not forgotten and what we intend someday to return to. Because it is all that remains to us that is both material and authentic, it is dear to us-yet to your woman it is only ‘a dead lump of metal.' Do you associate yourself with that judgment, Tribesman Seldon?† Seldon said, â€Å"We are members of societies that do not tie ourselves to a past that is thousands of years old, making no contact at all with what has existed between that past and ourselves. We live in the present, which we recognize as the product of all the past and not of one long-gone moment of time that we hug to our chests. We realize, intellectually, what the robot may mean to you and we are willing to let it continue to mean that to you. But we can only see it with our own eyes, as you can only see it with yours. To us, it is a dead lump of metal.† â€Å"And now,† said Dors, â€Å"we will leave.† â€Å"You will not,† said Sunmaster Fourteen. â€Å"By coming here, you have committed a crime. It is a crime only in our eyes, as you will hasten to point out†-his lips curved in a wintry smile-â€Å"but this is our territory and, within it, we make the definitions. And this crime, as we define it, is punishable by death.† â€Å"And you are going to shoot us down?† said Dors haughtily. Sunmaster Fourteen's expression was one of contempt and he continued to speak only to Seldon. â€Å"What do you think we are, Tribesman Seldon? Our culture is as old as yours, as complex, as civilized, as humane. I am not armed. You will be tried and, since you are manifestly guilty, executed according to law, quickly and painlessly. â€Å"If you were to try to leave now, I would not stop you, but there are many Brothers below, many more than there appeared to be when you entered the Sacratorium and, in their rage at your action, they may lay rough and forceful hands on you. It has happened in our history that tribespeople have even died so and it is not a pleasant death-certainly not a painless one.† â€Å"We were warned of this,† said Dors, â€Å"by Skystrip Two. So much for your complex, civilized, and humane culture.† â€Å"People can be moved to violence at moments of emotion, Tribesman Seldon,† said Sunmaster Fourteen calmly, â€Å"whatever their humanity in moments of calm. This is true in every culture, as your woman, who is said to be a historian, must surely know.† Seldon said, â€Å"Let us remain reasonable, Sunmaster Fourteen. You may be the law in Mycogen over local affairs, but you are not the law over us and you know it. We are both non-Mycogenian citizens of the Empire and it is the Emperor and his designated legal officers who must remain in charge of any capital offense.† Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"That may be so in statutes and on papers and on holovision screens, but we are not talking theory now. The High Elder has long had the power to punish crimes of sacrilege without interference from the Imperial throne.† â€Å"If the criminals are your own people,† said Seldon. â€Å"It would be quite different if they were outsiders.† â€Å"I doubt it in this case. Tribesman Hummin brought you here as fugitives and we are not so yeast-headed in Mycogen that we don't strongly suspect that you are fugitives from the Emperor's laws. Why should he object if we do his work for him?† â€Å"Because,† said Seldon, â€Å"he would. Even if we were fugitives from the Imperial authorities and even if he wanted us only to punish us, he would still want us. To allow you to kill, by whatever means and for whatever reason, non-Mycogenians without due Imperial process would be to defy his authority and no Emperor could allow such a precedent. No matter how eager he might be to see that the microfood trade not be interrupted, he would still feel it necessary to re-establish the Imperial prerogative. Do you wish, in your eagerness to kill us, to have a division of Imperial soldiery loot your farms and your dwellings, desecrate your Sacratorium, and take liberties with the Sisters: Consider.† Sunmaster Fourteen smiled once again, but displayed no softness. â€Å"Actually, I have considered and there is an alternative. After we condemn you, we could delay your execution to allow you to appeal to the Emperor for a review of your case. The Emperor might be grateful at this evidence of our ready submission to his authority and grateful too to lay his hands on you two-for some reason of his own-and Mycogen might profit. Is that what you want, then? To appeal to the Emperor in due course and to be delivered to him?† Seldon and Dors looked at each other briefly and were silent. Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"I feel you would rather be delivered to the Emperor than die, but why do I get the impression that the preference is only by a slight margin?† â€Å"Actually,† said a new voice, â€Å"I think neither alternative is acceptable and that we must search for a third.† 59. It was Dors who identified the newcomer first, perhaps because it was she who expected him. â€Å"Hummin,† she said, â€Å"thank goodness you found us. I got in touch with you the moment I realized I was not going to deflect Hari from†-she held up her hands in a wide gesture â€Å"this.† Hummin's smile was a small one that did not alter the natural gravity of his face. There was a subtle weariness about him. â€Å"My dear,† he said, â€Å"I was engaged in other things. I cannot always pull away at a moment's notice. And when I got here, I had, like you two, to supply myself with a kirtle and sash, to say nothing of a skincap, and make my way out here. Had I been here earlier, I might have stopped this, but I believe I'm not too late.† Sunmaster Fourteen had recovered from what had seemed to be a painful shock. He said in a voice that lacked its customary severe depth, â€Å"How did you get in here, Tribesman Hummin?† â€Å"It was not easy, High Elder, but as Tribeswoman Venabili likes to say, I am a very persuasive person. Some of the citizens here remember who I was and what I have done for Mycogen in the past, that I am even an honorary Brother. Have you forgotten, Sunmaster Fourteen?† The Elder replied, â€Å"I have not forgotten, but even the most favorable memory can not survive certain actions. A tribesman here and a tribeswoman. There is no greater crime. All you have done is not great enough to balance that. My people are not unmindful. We will make it up to you some other way. But these two must die or be handed over to the Emperor.† â€Å"I am also here,† said Hummin calmly. â€Å"Is that not a crime as well?† â€Å"For you,† said Sunmaster Fourteen, â€Å"for you personally, as a kind of honorary Brother, I can†¦ overlook it†¦ once. Not these two.† â€Å"Because you expect a reward from the Emperor? Some favor? Some concession? Have you already been in touch with him or with his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, more likely?† â€Å"That is not a subject for discussion.† â€Å"Which is itself an admission. Come on, I don't ask what the Emperor promised, but it cannot be much. He does not have much to give in these degenerate days. Let me make you an offer. Have these two told you they are scholars?† â€Å"They have.† â€Å"And they are. They are not lying. The tribeswoman is a historian and the tribesman is a mathematician. The two together are trying to combine their talents to make a mathematics of history and they call the combined subject ‘psychohistory.' â€Å" Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"I know nothing about this psychohistory, nor do I care to know. Neither it nor any other facet of your tribal learning interests me.† â€Å"Nevertheless,† said Hummin, â€Å"I suggest that you listen to me.† It took Hummin some fifteen minutes, speaking concisely, to describe the possibility of organizing the natural laws of society (something he always mentioned with audible quotation marks in the tone of his voice) in such a way as to make it possible to anticipate the future with a substantial degree of probability. And when he was done, Sunmaster Fourteen, who had listened expressionlessly, said, â€Å"A highly unlikely piece of speculation, I should say.† Seldon, with a rueful expression, seemed about to speak, undoubtedly to agree, but Hummin's hand, resting lightly on the other's knee, tightened unmistakably. Hummin said, â€Å"Possibly, High Elder, but the Emperor doesn't think so. And by the Emperor, who is himself an amiable enough personage, I really mean Demerzel, concerning whose ambitions you need no instruction. They would like very much to have these two scholars, which is why I've brought them here for safekeeping. I had little expectation that you would do Demerzel's work for him by delivering the scholars to him.† â€Å"They have committed a crime that-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, we know, High Elder, but it is only a crime because you choose to call it so. No real harm has been done.† â€Å"It has been done to our belief, to our deepest felt-â€Å" â€Å"But imagine what harm will be done if psychohistory falls into the hands of Demerzel. Yes, I grant that nothing may come of it, but suppose for a moment that something does and that the Imperial government has the use of it-can foretell what is to come-can take measures with that foreknowledge which no one else would have-can take measures, in fact, designed to bring about an alternate future more to the Imperial liking.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Is there any doubt, High Elder, that the alternate future more to the Imperial liking would be one of tightened centralization? For centuries now, as you very well know, the Empire has been undergoing a steady decentralization. Many worlds now acknowledge only lip service to the Emperor and virtually rule themselves. Even here on Trantor, there is decentralization. Mycogen, as only one example, is free of Imperial interference for the most part. You rule its High Elder and there is no Imperial officer at your side overseeing your actions and decisions. How long do you think that will last with men like Demerzel adjusting the future to their liking?† â€Å"Still the flimsiest of speculation,† said Sunmaster Fourteen, â€Å"but a disturbing one, I admit.† â€Å"On the other hand, if these scholars can complete their task, an unlikely if, you might say, but an if-then they are sure to remember that you spared them when you might have chosen not to. And it would then be conceivable that they would learn to arrange a future, for instance, that would allow Mycogen to be given a world of its own, a world that could be terraformed into a close replica of the Lost World. And even if these two forget your kindness, I will be here to remind them.† â€Å"Well-† said Sunmaster Fourteen. â€Å"Come on,† said Hummin, â€Å"it is not hard to decide what must be going through your mind. Of all tribespeople, you must trust Demerzel the least. And though the chance of psychohistory might be small (if I was not being honest with you, I would not admit that) it is not zero; and if it will bring about a restoration of the Lost World, what can you want more than that? What would you not risk for even a tiny chance of that? Come now-I promise you and my promises are not lightly given. Release these two and choose a tiny chance of your heart's desire over no chance at all.† There was silence and then Sunmaster Fourteen sighed. â€Å"I don't know how it is, Tribesman Hummin, but on every occasion that we meet, you persuade me into something I do not really want to do.† â€Å"Have I ever misled you, High Elder?† â€Å"You have never offered me so small a chance?† â€Å"And so high a possible reward. The one balances the other.† And Sunmaster Fourteen nodded his head. â€Å"You are right. Take these two and take them out of Mycogen and never let me see them again unless there comes a time when-But surely it will not be in my lifetime.† â€Å"Perhaps not, High Elder. But your people have been waiting patiently for nearly twenty thousand years. Would you then object to waiting another-perhaps-two hundred?† â€Å"I would not willingly wait one moment, but my people will wait as long as they must.† And standing up, he said, â€Å"I will clear the path. Take them and go.† 60. They were finally back in a tunnel. Hummin and Seldon had traveled through one when they went from the Imperial Sector to Streeling University in the air-taxi. Now they were in another tunnel, going from Mycogen to†¦ Seldon did not know where. He hesitated to ask. Hummin's face seemed as if it was carved out of granite and it didn't welcome conversation. Hummin sat in the front of the four-seater, with no one to his right. Seldon and Dors shared the backseat. Seldon chanced a smile at Dors, who looked glum. â€Å"It's nice to be in real clothes again, isn't it?† â€Å"I will never,† said Dors with enormous sincerity, â€Å"wear or look at anything that resembles a kirtle. And I will never, under any circumstances, wear a skincap. In fact, I'm going to feel odd if I ever see a normally bald man.† And it was Dors who finally asked the question that Seldon had been reluctant to advance. â€Å"Chetter,† she said rather petulantly, â€Å"why won't you tell us where we're going?† Hummin hitched himself into a sideways position and he looked back at Dors and Seldon gravely. â€Å"Somewhere,† he said, â€Å"where it may be difficult for you to get into trouble-although I'm not sure such a place exists.† Dors was at once crestfallen. â€Å"Actually, Chetter, it's my fault. At Streeling, I let Hari go Upperside without accompanying him. In Mycogen, I at least accompanied him, but I suppose I ought not to have let him enter the Sacratorium at all.† â€Å"I was determined,† said Seldon warmly. â€Å"It was in no way Dors's fault.† Hummin made no effort to apportion blame. He simply said, â€Å"I gather you wanted to see the robot. Was there a reason for that? Can you tell me?† Seldon could feel himself redden. â€Å"I was wrong in that respect, Hummin. I did not see what I expected to see or what I hoped to see. If I had known the content of the aerie, I would never have bothered going there. Call it a complete fiasco.† â€Å"But then, Seldon, what was it you hoped to see? Please tell me. Take your time if you wish. This is a long trip and I am willing to listen.† â€Å"The thing is, Hummin, that I had the idea that there were humaniform robots, that they were long-lived, that at least one might still be alive, and that it might be in the aerie. There was a robot there, but it was metallic, it was dead, and it was merely a symbol. Had I but known-â€Å" â€Å"Yes. Did we all but know, there would be no need for questions or for research of any kind. Where did you get your information about humaniform robots? Since no Mycogenian would have discussed that with you, I can think of only one source. The Mycogenian Book-a powered print-book in ancient Auroran and modern Galactic. Am I right?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And how did you get a copy?† Seldon paused, then muttered, â€Å"Its somewhat embarrassing.† â€Å"I am not easily embarrassed, Seldon.† Seldon told him and Hummin allowed a very small smile to twitch across his face. Hummin said, â€Å"Didn't it occur to you that what occurred had to be a charade? No Sister would do a thing like that-except under instruction and with a great deal of persuading.† Seldon frowned and said with asperity, â€Å"That was not at all obvious. People are perverted now and then. And its easy for you to grin. I didn't have the information you had and neither did Dors. If you did not wish me to fall into traps, you might have warned me of those that existed.† â€Å"I agree. I withdraw my remark. In any case, you don't have the Book any longer, I'm sure.† â€Å"No. Sunmaster Fourteen took it from me.† â€Å"How much of it did you read?† â€Å"Only a small fraction. I didn't have time. It's a huge book and I must tell you, Hummin, it is dreadfully dull.† â€Å"Yes, I know that, for I think I have read more of it than you have. It is not only dull, it is totally unreliable. It is a one-sided, official Mycogenian view of history that is more intent on presenting that view than a reasoned objectivity. It is even deliberately unclear in spots so that outsiders-even if they were to read the Book-would never know entirely what they read. What was it, for instance, that you thought you read about robots that interested you?† â€Å"I've already told you. They speak of humaniform robots, robots that could not be distinguished from human beings in outward appearance.† â€Å"How many of these would exist?† asked Hummin. â€Å"They don't say.-At least, I didn't come across a passage in which they gave numbers. There may have been only a handful, but one of them, the Book refers to as ‘Renegade.' It seems to have an unpleasant significance, but I couldn't make out what.† â€Å"You didn't tell me anything about that,† interposed Dors. â€Å"If you had, I would have told you that it's not a proper name. It's another archaic word and it means, roughly, what ‘traitor' would mean in Galactic. The older word has a greater aura of fear about it. A traitor, somehow, sneaks to his treason, but a renegade flaunts it.† Hummin said, â€Å"I'll leave the fine points of archaic language to you, Dors, but, in any case, if the Renegade actually existed and if it was a humaniform robot, then, clearly, as a traitor and enemy, it would not be preserved and venerated in the Elders' aerie.† Seldon said, â€Å"I didn't know the meaning of ‘Renegade,' but, as I said, I did get the impression that it was an enemy. I thought it might have been defeated and preserved as a reminder of the Mycogenian triumph.† â€Å"Was there any indication in the Book that the Renegade was defeated?† â€Å"No, but I might have missed that portion-â€Å" â€Å"Not likely. Any Mycogenian victory would be announced in the Book unmistakably and referred to over and over again.† â€Å"There was another point the Book made about the Renegade,† said Seldon, hesitating, â€Å"but I can't be at all sure I understood it.† Hummin said, â€Å"As I told you†¦ They are deliberately obscure at times.† â€Å"Nevertheless, they seemed to say that the Renegade could somehow tap human emotions†¦ influence them-â€Å" â€Å"Any politician can,† said Hummin with a shrug. â€Å"It's called charisma-when it works.† Seldon sighed. â€Å"Well, I wanted to believe. That was it. I would have given a great deal to find an ancient humaniform robot that was still alive and that I could question.† â€Å"For what purpose?† asked Hummin. â€Å"To learn the details of the primordial Galactic society when it still consisted of only a handful of worlds. From so small a Galaxy psychohistory could be deduced more easily.† Hummin said, â€Å"Are you sure you could trust what you heard? After many thousands of years, would you be willing to rely on the robot's early memories? How much distortion would have entered into them?† â€Å"That's right,† said Dors suddenly. â€Å"It would be like the computerized records I told you of, Hari. Slowly, those robot memories would be discarded, lost, erased, distorted. You can only go back so far and the farther you go back, the less reliable the information becomes-no matter what you do.† Hummin nodded. â€Å"I've heard it referred to as a kind of uncertainty principle in information.† â€Å"But wouldn't it be possible,† said Seldon thoughtfully, â€Å"that some information, for special reasons, would be preserved? Parts of the Mycogenian Book may well refer to events of twenty thousand years ago and yet be very largely as it had been originally. The more valued and the more carefully preserved particular information is, the more long-lasting and accurate it may be.† â€Å"The key word is ‘particular.' What the Book may care to preserve may not be what you wish to have preserved and what a robot may remember best may be what you wish him to remember least.† Seldon said in despair, â€Å"In whatever direction I turn to seek a way of working out psychohistory, matters so arrange themselves as to make it impossible. Why bother trying?† â€Å"It might seem hopeless now,† said Hummin unemotionally, â€Å"but given the necessary genius, a route to psychohistory may be found that none of us would at this moment expect. Give yourself more time.-But we're coming to a rest area. Let us pull off and have dinner.† Over the lamb patties on rather tasteless bread (most unpalatable after the fare at Mycogen), Seldon said, â€Å"You seem to assume, Hummin, that I am the possessor of ‘the necessary genius.' I may not be, you know.† Hummin said, â€Å"That's true. You may not be. However, I know of no alternate candidate for the post, so I must cling to you.† And Seldon sighed and said, â€Å"Well, I'll try, but I'm out of any spark of hope. Possible but not practical, I said to begin with, and I'm more convinced of that now than I ever was before.†