Complexity of Poetry Essay Example for Free

Complexity of Poetry Essay Poetry is a way for the reader to openly interpret a poem in almost any way they see fit. Because there is so much freedom of interpretation with poetry, there leaves a lot of room for discussion and opposition. Billy Collin’s poem, â€Å"Introduction to Poetry†, breaks down the basic ways for interpreting and understanding a poem. In summary, he explains that the reader cannot focus on trying to figure out one specific meaning of a poem, but instead, try to piece together small parts to understand a deeper meaning. Collin’s rules on how to interpret a poem can be applied to Hughes’s poem about a young student writing a poem for homework. Instead of looking at Hughes’s poem as a whole, the reader can better understand it by breaking it down and figuring out why each line is important and how it ties together with the poem as a whole. Understanding Collins rules to interpret a poem, help the reader decipher Hughes poem on a deeper, more academic level. Langston Hughes’s poem explains how a black, twenty two year old man and the rest of his white classmates are given an assignment to write a paper. The narrator, who is also the student, explains his thoughts about the assignment and how him being the only colored one in his class might be reflected on his grade on the assignment. At the beginning of the poem, he explains how he has to get to class everyday by traveling across some of the â€Å"better† parts of town. The student goes on to explain how even though he is colored, he likes the same things and has the same wants as everyone else. He states that he is no different than the rest of his class and that he too has knowledge to share. By stating this, the student is expressing to the reader how he thinks him and the instructor are equal. In the last few lines the student writes, â€Å"As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me† (37-38). This explains how even though their skin color and age is different they are still able to learn from each other. The student has a somewhat optimistic and confident tone throughout the poem. He is aware of his capabilities and knows that he can be just as successful as anyone else. Billy Collins â€Å"Introduction to Poetry† explains how whenever people analyze a poem they do not try to find the true message of it. By writing, â€Å"But all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it,† explains how the majority of people are lazy and want everything handed to them effortlessly (12-14). This last stanza explains how some people look at poems from one point of view and expect the meaning of the poem to be written out for them. The author is stating that people should look at the poem from different angles just as one would look at the world from a color slide. He tries to explain to the reader that if one were to interpret the poem from a whole new approach, then they could find a deeper meaning than just the surface meaning. After reading Collins â€Å"Introduction to Poetry†, the reader should have a better sense of how to interpret Hughes’s poem. Throughout the first part of Hughes’s poem the reader may think all of the characters background information including his address, age, and hometown is pointless. After reading an entire stanza about this â€Å"pointless† information the reader may try to stop understanding the poem before they even finish it. If the reader uses Collins instructions about analyzing a poem, they may find that all of this â€Å"pointless† information is actually important and helps contribute to the characters feelings of insecurity. Collins poem explains that not all poems have one specific answer or meaning the writer is trying to get across. Keeping this idea in mind, the reader may realize that Hughes’s poem, in fact, does not state an answer or solution to the characters mixed feelings. Although both of these poems leave room the readers own special interpretation, there is a basic meaning and idea to each one. Both of these poems fit well together because Collin’s thoughts and ideas can be directly applied when reading Hughes’s poem. The poems are an effective example of how even though a poem may seem short and simple, there is usually a deeper and greater meaning beneath the surface.

Blaming External Pressure for the Tragic Decline of Tess in Tess of the

Blaming External Pressure for the Tragic Decline of Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles From the beginning of the novel 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy, it is clear that the main character, Tess, is not going to have an easy life. She is deliberately targeted by cruel "Immortals" as their sadistic plaything. This is symbolized during the club dance, where Tess is "one of the white company" but is the only one to have a bright "red ribbon" in her hair. The mark of blood is on her from the start. Whilst Tess is going to market she accidentally kills the family's horse. Her own guilt for this accidental death is the first stage in a long series of incidents leading to Tess's tragic death at the end of the novel. Social and environmental pressures rank high on the list of causes of Tess's tragedy. In the late 19th century there were many changes taking place in rural England. The advances achieved as a result of the Industrial Revolution meant that even in the countryside farming was becoming mechanized and there were fewer manual labour jobs for the simple peasant people to do. This meant many people had to leave their town where they had spent most of their lives to go and find work. So, for example, the Durbeyfields' departing from Marlott after the death of "Sir John", was only part of a greater rural upheaval. Tess's search for work to make up for the loss of her family's horse led her to the sinister and blatantly predatory Alec d'Urberville who she initially thought was a relative. The sexual double standards typical of late Victorian society were also clear at this point. Females who sinned paid a much higher social price for their mistakes. But Tess did not want to sin - she was pres... ... reach Stonehenge it is obvious that Tess's life of never ending pain and suffering will soon be over. Stonehenge is significant as it was a place for sacrifices in pagan times. The cruel "Immortals" have at last brought Tess to the place of sacrifice - they will soon end their sadistic "sport". I conclude that Hardy wrote this book to show that "individuals have no control over their lives, but are at the mercy of impersonal and inexorable forces", as stated in the resource notes to the Cambridge edition of the novel. From the beginning Tess's destiny was mapped out. She was born to suffer and eventually die. Tess was in the end a victim of the circumstances of late Victorian rural society, with all its cruel discrimination against erring females, but even more so of cruel supernatural forces who had marked her out as their victim from the beginning.

Mathematical in India Past, Present, Future

Mathematics in India Past, Present and Future What is mathematics? â€Å"mathematics is a science of space, numbers and quantity† Past: Indian mathematics emerged in the Indian subcontinent from 1200 BC until the end of the 18th century. In the classical period of Indian mathematics (400 AD to 1200 AD), important contributions were made by scholars like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, and Bhaskara II. The decimal number system in use today was first recorded in Indian mathematics.Indian mathematicians made early contributions to the study of the concept of zero as a number, negative numbers, arithmaticm and algebra. In addition, trigonometry was further advanced in India, and, in particular, the modern definitions of sine and cosine were developed there. These mathematical concepts were transmitted to the Middle East, China, and Europe and led to further developments that now form the foundations of many areas of mathematics. Present: 20th century The 20th century saw mathematics beco me a mojor profession.Every year, thousands of new Ph. D. s in mathematics are awarded, and jobs are availablein teaching, research and industry. Mathematical collaborations of unprecedented size and scope took place in India. One of the more colorful figures in 20th – century mathematics was Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan (1887-1920), an Indian autodidact who conjectured or proved over 3000 theorems, including properties of highly composite nimbers, the partition function and its asymptotic, and mock theta functions.He also made major investigations in the areas of gamma functions, modular forms, divergent series, hyper geometric series and prime number theory. 21st century In 1980, Shakuntala Devi gave the product of two, thirteen digit nimbers within 28 seconds; many countries have invited her to demonstrate her extraordinary talent. In Dallas she competed with a computer with a computer to see who give the cube root of 188138517 faster, she won. At university of USA she was asked to give the 23rd root, she answered in 50 seconds. The answer is 546372891.It took a UNIVAC 1108 computer, full one minute (10 seconds more) to confirm that she was right after it was fed with 13000 instructions. Now she is known to be Human computer. FUTURE: There are many observable trends in mathematics, the most notable being that the subject is growing ever larger, computers are ever more important and powerful, the application of mathematics to bioinformatics is rapidly expanding, the volume of data to be analyzed being produced by science and industry, facilitated by computers, is explosively expanding.The field of mathematics has become so large that it has become impossible to have an overview of all relevant mathematics. A formalized library should enable the search for relevant results. When designing new high-tech systems, like software for an automatic pilot super computer etc. , one uses complicated mathematical models. Indian mathematician, engineers and scient ist ar eone of the top leading in this trend. CONCLUSION: Mathematics is a science of all sciences and art of all arts. Without the proper foundation of mathematics, any science or subject will be a failure, Mathematics is a creation of human mind, concerned cheifly with the ideas, processes and reasoning the modern world of technology, tools such as computer requires the basic mathematics and calculations. Matehmatics is the instrument of education found to be in conformity with the human mind. If we sincerely give our time in the subject of mathematics, we can also come up with innovative ideas and thoughts that can shape the entire universe as our ancestors do in past. We look forward to what the future will bring.

A Comparative Analysis: Juvenile and Adult Courts

For many years, people have believed that the juvenile justice system was meant to serve as a way to protect the community. Juveniles who commit crimes are different from adults because many do not understand the complexity of the crime committed. In order to respond to these differences, many states have established a way to treat these adolescents through juvenile courts and youth-based recovery systems. While most states recognize that juveniles who commit crimes should not be treated as an adult there are still some that are skeptic that the juvenile justice system works.The juvenile justice system began in 1899, in Chicago, Illinois where the nation’s first juvenile system was established. In the beginning the system was informal and often times it was nothing more than a conversation between the juvenile and a judge (Juvenile Law Center, 2013). Over the years the system has changed significantly where juvenile courts have created a probation system which provided a diffe rent method to provide juveniles with guidance, supervision, and education.By the 1920s all but two states had followed the suit but it was not until the 1960s where the juvenile justice system was given several of the same legal rights as the adult court. There are many differences between the juvenile and adult criminal systems but they also share their similarities. While their differences vary depending on the state, the similarities can be said to be our natural born rights. One of the main similarities is the right to an attorney (LaMance, 2013). The defendant has the choice of either choosing a public defender to represent them or to hire a paid attorney.Both courts not only give their defendants the right to cross-examine witnesses but also the privilege against self-incrimination. The prosecution must also provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before either of the two can be charged and convicted (LaMance, 2013). The two also share the right to receive a transcript of the proceedings and the rights to have an appellate court review the lower court’s decision. One of the main differences is the overall goal for both courts.While the goal for the adult court is to  punish and convict, the juvenile justice system prefers the method of rehabilitation and reformation, thus giving the juvenile a chance to become a productive citizen (LaMance, 2013). Unlike adults, juveniles do not have the right to a public trial and an adjudication hearing is required in order for the judge to determine if the minor is a delinquent. If considered a delinquent, the court then decides which steps should be taken where the best interest for the juvenile is taken into consideration.The juvenile court is still more informal than that of the adult court (LaMance, 2013). An example of their informality is the rule for admissibility of evidence which is much more lenient in the juvenile court. Lastly juveniles are usually not prosecuted for the delinquent acts that he o r she has committed. However depending on the severity of the crime and state laws, juveniles can be transferred and tried in the adult system (LaMance, 2013). The adjudication process in which juveniles are transferred to the adult system varies by state.While some states enable the transfer of certain juveniles with a waiver, depending on their age and offense criteria, other states consider the juvenile to be an â€Å"automatic adult† (OJJDP National Report Series: Juvenile in Court, 2013). Although all states allow juveniles to be tried as adults in criminal court there are a few circumstances that follow. All states except for Nebraska, New Mexico, and New York provide a judicial waiver where the juvenile court judge has the authority to waive juvenile court jurisdiction and transfer cases to the adult court.Other states have a concurrent jurisdiction where the original jurisdiction for certain cases is shared by both juvenile and adult courts. The discretion under the c oncurrent jurisdiction is left to the prosecutor. Statutory exclusion is the legislative method, which mandates juvenile prosecution in adult court. Youths charged with certain crimes can be placed in the adult system automatically, thus removing any kind of decision making process from judges or prosecutors (OJJDP National Report Series: Juvenile in Court, 2013).In recent years states have significantly expanded legislation for allowing the use of judicial waivers. This trend has increased the number of juveniles incarcerated throughout the United States and has expectations to rise. Having a juvenile treated as an adult gives them the possibility of life or death sentences and incarceration in state of federal prisons which can have a tremendous impact on the life and future of a juvenile (Find Law, 2013).Although it may be served as a deterrent to some, sending juveniles directly to the adult criminal court gives the juvenile the impression that there is no room for rehabilitatio n or second chances, thus paving the way for a life of crime for others. Since the late 1970s, critics of the juvenile justice courts have pursued to abolish this system with the assumption that this system has failed its purpose, to rehabilitate juveniles (LaMance, 2013). Abolishing juvenile courts holds ramifications for not only juveniles but also the community.Eliminating these courts would mean that all juveniles, no matter the age or crime, would be treated as an adult. Many jobs and careers would be lost for those who have committed their lives to making a difference in the juvenile justice system, jobs such as social workers, juvenile detention guards, and juvenile probation officers. An argument can be made to abolish this system but the idea that young offenders whom are not mentally competent to understand their behavior still stands (LaMance, 2013).Therefore juveniles should be handled in a different court system. The juvenile justice system has grown and changed substan tially since 1899. The justifications of the juvenile court system are that youth are developmentally different from adults and should not be treated the same. Having a system that focuses on the needs of children, who are maturing into adulthood, not only gives the community hope but also gives the juvenile a real chance to rehabilitation and recovery.

How To Ditch Your Boring Brand With Ken Moskowitz From Ad Zombies

How To Ditch Your Boring Brand With Ken Moskowitz From Ad Zombies Who’s on your short list of marketing influencers for thought leadership and mentorship? Which company brands do you gravitate toward because of their unique value propositions and authentic connection with customers? Today, my guest is Ken Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Ad Zombies. Ken shares insights on brand creation and challenges marketers to bring entertainment, humor, and storytelling into their content. Passion for Production: From creating commercials as a child and dreaming of being the best disc jockey to turning into a zombie Conversions and Reconstruction: Ad Zombies came to life by accident after discovering need to rewrite ad copy to connect with specific customers Origin and Evolution: Ad Zombies’ brand positioning of world’s best flat-fee ad copywriting service changes to writing words that sell anything More than 103,000 Ad Zombies followers on Facebook attributed to mix of wordsmithing skills and engaging audience to evoke emotional responses Missing mark to make memorable ads: Stories and visual noise connect and convert consumers through brand awareness Where to start: Consistent messaging peppered through channels; view consumer’s perspective, and take the plunge to try something new Links: Ad Zombies Ad Zombies on Facebook Howard Stern Bob Ross The Lion King Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men The Walking Dead Game of Thrones If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Ken Moskowitz: â€Å"I was probably the AV-Squad King. I was definitely a nerd. I spent my free time making my own commercials and storytelling. It was fun for me.† â€Å"Strategically, you want to always think about what your business is: What do you do for a living? What does your business really do? What business should you be in?† â€Å"We are not afraid to take chances and to put stuff out there. Ad Zombies is a brand that at its corewe write ads. What we really do is entertain and we engage our audience.† Don’t ever be afraid to try new things and don’t go with, â€Å"I don’t like this ad.† How do you know 100 million people won’t?

Mollusk Facts

Mollusk Facts Mollusks may be the most difficult animal group  for the average person to wrap their arms around: this family of  invertebrates  includes creatures as widely divergent in appearance and behavior as snails,  clams, and cuttlefish. Fast Facts: Mollusks Scientific Name: Mollusca (Caudofoveates, Solanogastres, Chitons, Monoplacophorans, Scaphopods, Bivalves, Gastropods, Cephalopods)Common Name: Mollusks or molluscsBasic Animal Group: Invertebrate  Ã‚  Size: Microscopic to 45 feet in lengthWeight: Up to 1,650 poundsLifespan: Hours to centuries- the oldest is known to have lived over 500 yearsDiet:  Mostly herbivore, except for cephalopods who are omnivoresHabitat: Terrestrial and aquatic habitats on every continent and ocean in the worldConservation Status: Several species are threatened or endangered; one is extinct Description Any group that embraces  squids, clams, and slugs present a challenge when it comes to formulating a general description. There are only three characteristics shared by all living mollusks: the presence of a mantle (the rear covering of the body) that secretes calcareous (e.g., calcium-containing) structures; the genitals and anus opening into the mantle cavity; and paired nerve cords. If youre willing to make some exceptions, most mollusks can also be characterized by their broad, muscular feet which correspond to the tentacles of cephalopods, and their shells (if you exclude cephalopods, some gastropods, and the most primitive mollusks). One type of mollusk, the aplacophorans, are cylindrical worms with neither shell nor foot. Getty Images Habitat Most mollusks are marine animals that live in habitats from shallow coastal areas to deep waters. Most stay within the sediments at the bottom of water bodies, although a few- such as cephalopods- are free swimming. Species There are eight different broad categories of mollusks on our planet. Caudofoveates  are small, deep-sea mollusks that burrow into soft bottom sediments. These worm-like animals lack the shells and muscular feet characteristic of other mollusks, and their bodies are covered with scale-like, calcareous spicules.Solanogastres, like caudofoveata, are worm-like mollusks that lack shells. These small, ocean-dwelling animals are mostly blind, and either flattened or cylindrical.Chitons, also known as polyplacophorans, are flat, slug-like mollusks with calcareous plates covering the upper surfaces of their bodies; they live in intertidal waters along rocky coastlines worldwide.Monoplacophorans are deep-sea mollusks equipped with cap-like shells.  They were long believed to be extinct, but in 1952, zoologists discovered a handful of living species.Tusk shells, also known as scaphopods,  have long, cylindrical shells with tentacles extending from one end, which these mollusks use to rope in  prey from the surrounding water.Bivalves are characterized by their hinged shells and live in both marine and freshwater habitats. These mollusks have no heads, and their bodies consist entirely  of a wedge-shaped foot. Gastropods  are  the most diverse family of mollusks,  including over 60,000 species of  snails and slugs that live in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats.  Cephalopods, the most advanced mollusks, include  octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. Most of the members of this group either lack shells, or have small internal shells. A tusk shell. Getty Images Gastropods or Bivalves Of the roughly 100,000 known mollusk species, about 70,000 are gastropods, and 20,000 are bivalves or 90 percent of the total. It is from these two families that most people derive their general perception of mollusks as small, slimy creatures equipped with calcareous shells. While the snails and slugs of the gastropod family are eaten the world over (including as escargot in a French restaurant), bivalves are more important as a human food source, including clams, mussels, oysters, and other undersea delicacies. The largest bivalve is the giant clam (Tridacna gigas), which reaches a length of four feet and weighs 500 pounds. The oldest mollusk is a bivalve, the ocean quahog (Arctica islandica), native to the northern Atlantic and known to live at least 500 years; it is also the oldest known animal. Bright yellow banana slug. Alice Cahill/Getty Images Octopuses, Squids, and Cuttlefish Gastropods and bivalves may be the most common mollusks, but cephalopods (the family that includes octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish) are by far the most advanced. These marine invertebrates have astonishingly complex nervous systems, which allows them to engage in elaborate camouflage and even display problem-solving behavior- for example, octopuses have been known to escape from their tanks in laboratories, squish along the cold floor, and climb up into another tank containing tasty bivalves. If human beings ever go extinct, it may well be the distant, intelligent descendants of octopuses that wind up ruling the earth- or at least the oceans! The largest mollusk in the world is a cephalopod, the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), known to grow to between 39 and 45 feet and weigh up to 1,650 pounds.   548901005677/Getty Images Diet With the exception of cephalopods, mollusks are by and large gentle vegetarians. Terrestrial gastropods like snails and slugs eat plants, fungi, and algae, while the vast majority of marine mollusks (including bivalves and other ocean-dwelling species) subsist on plant matter dissolved in the water, which they ingest by filter feeding. The most advanced cephalopod mollusks- octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish- feast on everything from fish to crabs to their fellow invertebrates; octopuses, in particular, have gruesome table manners, injecting their soft-bodied prey with venom or drilling holes in the shells of bivalves and sucking out their tasty contents. Behavior The nervous systems of invertebrates in general (and mollusks in particular) are very different from those of vertebrate animals like fish, birds, and mammals. Some mollusks, like tusk shells and bivalves, possess clusters of neurons (called ganglions) rather than true brains, while the brains of more advanced mollusks like cephalopods and gastropods are wrapped around their esophagi rather than isolated in hard skulls. Even more weirdly, most of the neurons of an octopus are located not in its brains, but in its arms, which can function autonomously even when separated from its body. The mouth of a limpet. Getty Images Reproduction and Offspring Mollusks generally reproduce sexually, although some (slugs and snails) are hermaphrodites, they still must mate to fertilize their eggs. Eggs are laid singly or in groups within jelly masses or leathery capsules. The eggs hatch into veliger larva- small, free-swimming larvae- and metamorphose into different stages, depending on the species.   Evolutionary History Because modern mollusks vary so widely in anatomy and behavior, sorting out their exact evolutionary relationships is a major challenge. In order to simplify matters, naturalists have proposed a hypothetical ancestral mollusk that displays most, if not all, of the characteristics of modern mollusks, including a shell, a muscular foot, and tentacles, among other things. We dont have any fossil evidence that this particular animal ever existed; the most any expert will venture is that mollusks descended hundreds of millions of years ago from tiny marine invertebrates known as lophotrochozoans (and even that is a matter of dispute). Extinct Fossil Families Examining the fossil evidence, paleontologists have established the existence of two now-extinct classes of mollusk. Rostroconchians lived in the worlds oceans from about 530 to 250 million years ago, and seem to have been ancestral to modern bivalves; helcionelloidans lived from about 530 to 410 million years ago, and shared many characteristics with modern gastropods. Somewhat surprisingly, cephalopods have existed on earth ever since the Cambrian period; paleontologists have identified over two dozen (much smaller and much less intelligent) genera that plied the worlds oceans over 500 million years ago. Mollusks and Humans Wayne Barrett Anne MacKay / Getty Images Over and above their historical importance as a food source- especially in the far east and the Mediterranean- mollusks have contributed in numerous ways to human civilization. The shells of cowries (a type of small gastropod) were used as money by Native Americans, and the pearls that grow in oysters, as the result of irritation by sand grains, have been treasured since time immemorial. Another type of gastropod, the murex, was cultured by the  ancient Greeks for its  dye, known as imperial purple, and the cloaks of some rulers were woven from long threads secreted by the bivalve species Pinna nobilis. Conservation Status There are over 8,600 species listed in the ICUN, of which 161 are considered Critically Endangered, 140 are Endangered, 86 are Vulnerable, and 57 are Near Threatened. One, the Ohridohauffenia drimica was last seen in 1983 in springs feeding the River Drim in Macedonia, Greece and was listed as extinct in 1996. Additional surveys have failed to find it again. Threats The vast majority of mollusks live in the deep ocean and are relatively safe from the  destruction of their habitat and depredation by humans, but thats not the case for freshwater mollusks (i.e., those that live in lakes and rivers) and terrestrial (land-dwelling) species. Perhaps not surprisingly from the perspective of human gardeners, snails and slugs are most vulnerable to extinction today, as they are systematically eradicated by agriculture concerns and picked off by invasive species carelessly introduced into their habitats. Just imagine how easily the average house cat, used to picking off skittering mice, can devastate a near-motionless colony of snails. Lakes and rivers are also prone to the introduction of invasive species, particularly mollusks which travel attached to international seagoing ships. Sources Sturm, Charles F., Timothy A. Pearce, ngel Valdà ©s (eds.). The Mollusks: A Guide to Their Study, Collection, and Preservation. Boca Raton: Universal Publishers for the American Malacological Society, 2006.  Fyodorov, Averkii, and Havrila Yakovlev. Mollusks: Morphology, Behavior, and Ecology. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2012. Mollusk Facts Mollusks (Mollusca) is a taxonomic phylum that contains a diverse array of organisms, including snails, sea slugs, octopuses, squid, and bivalves such as clams, mussels, and oysters. Between 50,000 and 200,000 species are estimated to belong to this phylum. Imagine the obvious differences between an octopus and a clam, and youll get an idea of the diversity among mollusks. Fast Facts: Mollusks Scientific Name: Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Monoplacophora, Scaphopoda, Aplacophora, PolyplacophoraCommon Names: Snails, sea slugs, octopuses, squid, and bivalvesBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateSize: Varies from 0.04 inch (solenogasters and gastropods) to 4 feet (giant clam)  Lifespan: 3 years to over 500Diet:  Carnivore or herbivoreHabitat: Oceans and coastal waterways worldwidePopulation: UnknownConservation Status: Most are classified as Least Concern; mollusks make up nearly one-fourth of all marine animals on Earth.   Description Mollusks have a shell and soft body and usually have a distinguishable head and foot region. Some may have a hard covering, or exoskeleton. Mollusks also have a heart that pumps blood through their blood vessels, digestive system, and a nervous system. In addition to a shell, most mollusks have a muscular foot for creeping or burrowing, and some have a head with sense organs. Their soft body includes lungs or gills for breathing and digestive and reproductive parts. These are surrounded by a skin-like organ called the mantle. Mollusks also have bilateral symmetry- one side is a mirror image of the other- and can have one or two shells. Their organs are in a fluid-filled cavity; indeed, the very word mollusk in Latin means soft. The upper body, or the mantle, is a thin, muscular sheet that covers the internal organs. Most mollusks, particularly those with shells, also have gills in the central part of their body cavity. Despite looking fragile, mollusk shells are quite hard. Scientists are even studying nacre, a material found in mollusk shells, to develop materials that are stronger and lighter than steel. Puneet Vikram Singh, Nature and Concept photographer/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Mollusks- snails, sea slugs, octopuses, squid, and bivalves- are found in habitats ranging from freshwater lakes and rivers to shallow coastal waters to the deepest parts of the oceans, worldwide. Most live in the bottom sediments, though cephalopods are primarily free-swimming species; some snails and clams are terrestrial. Species Mollusks belong to the kingdom Animalia and there are tens of thousands of invertebrates that fit into the Mollusca phylum. New ones are still being discovered, and researchers continue to modify the number and grouping classifications. One common schema used by researchers includes seven classes: Gastropoda (snails and slugs)  Bivalvia (clams, scallops, oysters, mussels)  Cephalopoda (squid, octopi, nautilus)Monoplacophora (limpets)  Scaphopoda (tusk shells)  Aplacophora (shell-less, worm-like animals)  Polyplacophora (chitons)  Ã‚   Diet and Behavior Many mollusks feed using a radula, essentially a series of teeth on a cartilage base. The radula can be used for complex tasks, from grazing on marine algae or drilling a hole in another animals shell. The radula scrapes tiny plants and animals off rocks or tears food into chunks. The adoption of different feeding habits appears to have had a major influence on molluscan evolution, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology: The change from grazing to other forms of food acquisition is one of the major features in the radiation of the group. Based on our current understanding of relationships, the earliest mollusks grazed on encrusting animals and detritus. Since mollusks are such a wide-ranging phylum, its helpful to look at how one of the organisms that belong to this group feeds and how it captures its prey. Consider the deadly blue-ringed octopus. This mollusk hunts small crabs and shrimp during the day, but it will eat bivalves and small fish if it can catch them. The octopus pounces upon its prey, using its tentacles to pull its catch toward its mouth. Then, its beak pierces the crustaceans exoskeleton and delivers the paralyzing venom. The venom is produced by bacteria in octopus saliva, a combination of tetrodotoxin, histamine, taurine, octopamine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. Once the prey is immobilized, this mollusk uses its beak to tear off chunks of the animal to eat. The saliva also contains enzymes that partially digest flesh, so that the octopus can suck it out of the shell. The blue-ringed octopus is immune to its own venom. Reproduction and Offspring Some mollusks have separate genders, with males and females represented in the species. Others are hermaphroditic, which means they have both male and female reproductive organs. The mollusk life cycle varies greatly among different classes of mollusks and among species within classifications. Squids reproduce sexually: The females lay fertilized eggs in the water which hatch into larvae and then develop on their own. Octopuses do the same, except the females carry the eggs with her until they hatch. Clams, mussels, and oysters produce larvae that drop through the sea water and attach to a host to grow to maturity on. The hosts are usually fish, but oysters prefer the shell of an adult oyster. Land snails are hermaphrodites that mate and both partners produce fertilized eggs. The eggs are deposited in the soil; they hatch with a shell but most consume calcium to make it harden.   Mollusks and Humans The primary use that humans have for mollusks and the rest of ocean-living animals is their ability to filter large quantities of water, up to 10 gallons each. Mollusks are also important to humans as a food source- especially in the Far East and the Mediterranean- and have contributed in numerous ways to human civilization. The shells of cowries (a type of small mollusk that belongs to the gastropod family) were used as money by Native Americans, and the pearls that grow in oysters, as the result of irritation by sand grains, have been treasured for centuries. Another type of mollusk, the murex, was cultured by the  ancient Greeks for its  dye, known as imperial purple, and the cloaks of some rulers were woven from long threads secreted by the bivalve species (twin-shelled mollusks)  called Pinna nobilis. Culturing Tahitian pearls. CampPhoto/Getty Images Conservation Status Over 8,600 molluscs are listed in the IUCN Red List, most classified as Least Concern or Data Deficient, although many are threatened or endangered. The phylum represents nearly one-fourth of all the species on the planet. Threats Increasing levels of carbon dioxide are raising the pH level of the worlds oceans, which in turn, increases the acidity of these bodies of water. This greatly weakens mollusks otherwise strong shells and even makes it difficult for them to produce shells in the first place, threatening their survival. If mollusks begin to die out in mass, then fish and other animals that feed off of them may suffer. Northeastern University marine biologist Brian Helmuth gives the example of the common mussel, a member of the family of bivalve mollusks. In addition to the problem of increased acidity in the oceans, which, as noted, makes it harder for these mollusks to produce shells, the increasing temperatures of the oceans and even the sand and air on the surrounding beaches can mean a death sentence for mussels. â€Å"You are sitting there in the blazing sun, you’re not going to be able to move,† Helmuth says. â€Å"You can’t escape the heat, you can’t escape the sun, you can’t go into a crevice like ... a crab.† Mussels can literally start to cook on the rocks if they get too hot. Helmuth adds that global warming is shrinking the habitat in which mussels and other mollusks can live. And since mollusks are such an integral part of the food chain, that could eventually affect many other animals that depend on them for sustenance. Sources Beeler, Carolyn. To Understand Climate Change, Look at it From a Mussels Perspective. PRIs The World, April 25, 2017.Martinez, Andrew J. Marine Life of the North Atlantic. Aqua Quest Publications, Inc.: New York, 2003.The Mollusca. University of California Museum of Paleontology.â€Å"Molluscs.†Ã‚  Biology Education.Mollusks. Factmonster.Phylum: Mollusks. Mollusk Science.Salvini-Plawen, Luitfried. â€Å"Mollusk.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 13 Apr. 2018,

Teacher-Student Physical Distance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Teacher-Student Physical Distance - Essay Example An art classroom is much more spatial than a normal classroom. The walls of classrooms were usually in light colors, with windows to allow enough sunlight. The posters on the walls were made of attractive colors and were arranged in a manner that is pleasant to look upon. Yes, there were differences, but there were also similarities. So I wondered, what were the reasons that classroom set-up was arranged in a particular manner? Does it influence the students’ learning? How? In particular, is the distance between the instructor and the student important? How does it affect the learning of the students? When the reasons for these set-ups are understood, then more individuals will support it – especially if it means learning efficiency. The mentors will employ this knowledge seeing that this will aid them in their endeavors to pass on knowledge to their students. Learners will also appreciate this, knowing that this will aid in them in gaining knowledge – the primar y reason why they study. LITERATURE REVIEW It has been well documented in literature that human emotions play a significant role in the way we live. We experience emotions in all of our activities, making these emotions sometimes control the activities that we engage in (Shan 142). As Shan (142) have said, â€Å"pleasant emotional experience can contribute to active and positive imitation and repetition, accompanied by pleasure, satisfaction and love etc., while the unpleasant one can cause people to behave negatively, leading to anger, complaints, hate, etc.† Since learning is also an activity that we do, emotions are therefore also important in the learning process. Classroom instruction is a communication process between the teacher and the students. Since emotions are involved here, the instructor’s emotions will affect the students just as the students’ will affect the instructor (Shan, 143). Astleitner (128) argued that influencing emotions during classroo m instruction is important as this will affect the learning of the students. The Fear Envy Anger Sympathy Pleasure or FEASP Theory is an approach that integrates emotions into classroom instruction (Astleitner 128; Astleitner, Hurek and Sztejnberg 63) saying that positive feelings (sympathy and pleasure) should be cultivated in the instructional design and conversely, avoid the negative emotions (fear, envy, anger). When Simon A. Lei (128) reviewed the literature about the effects of the physical design of a classroom to the learning of the students, he found a similar basic foundation. Though students learn in various ways, what remained the same was the fact that classrooms must be designed in such a way that positive feelings should be cultivated to empower both educators and learners. Then the various ways that students learn in the classroom will be facilitated. Seven physical attributes of a classroom that have a profound impact to student learning were identified by Lei (128- 129). First was the size of a room which could be small or large depending on the number of students on the class. Second was the furniture arrangement which could either be flexible or attached to the floor. Third was technology system arrangement in the classroom; if a modern technology was available there and where it was located. Fourth was lighting in the room; the intensity of light, its source, and if a multiple light settings were present. Fifth was the