Othello Tragedy Essays - Othello, Fiction, Film, William Shakespeare

Othello Tragedy Essays - Othello, Fiction, Film, William Shakespeare Othello Tragedy Dustin Mills English 102 Dr. Elisabeth Sachs Othello Essay Honest Iago One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play Othello, by William Shakespeare, is honest Iago. At first Iago seems to be motiveless. However, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago's quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being evil for evil's sake. Iago's greediness can be validated by examining his manipulation of Roderigo, Cassio, and most importantly, Othello. Iago's main interest is the destruction of Othello. The reason being that Othello has chosen another man, Cassio, as his second-in-command, preferring him to Iago. This resentment, accompanied by Iago's accusations of adultery and his blatant racism, cause Iago to despise the kindly moor. Because Iago is much too smart to immediately kill Othello, he proceeds with the arduous process of dismantling him emotionally. Iago also knows he must distance himself from any part of this, so he cleverly gets someone to do his dirty work. The first to fall victim to Iago's manipulation is half-witted Roderigo. Iago knows Roderigo is consumed by lust for Desdemona, and would do what it takes to make her his own. Iago tells Roderigo that the only way to win Desdemona's love is to make money to procure gifts for her. Put money in thy purse(act I scene 3 line 339). However Iago is just taking those gifts intended for Desdemona and keeping them for himself, and making a profit. Roderigo eventually starts to question Iago's honesty. When faced with the accusations, Iago simply offers that the killing of Cassio will aid in his cause and Roderigo falls for it. In doing this, Iago keeps Roderigo in the dark and continues to profit from him monetarily. Roderigo is also used as a device in both Cassio and Othello's downfall. Iago's actions demonstrate his monetary and power based motivations, invalidating the claim that Iago is evil for evil's sake. Cassio like Roderigo follows Iago blindly, thinking the whole time that Iago is trying to aid him, when in fact Iago, motivated by his lust for power, is attempting to remove Cassio of his position as lieutenant. With Roderigo's help Iago causes Cassio to forfeit his position as Othello's second-in-command. Cassio is also used to bring out the monster inside of Othello. In Iago's exploitation of Cassio, it is clear to see that, although evil in his deeds, Iago is strictly motivated by his hunger for power. As mentioned earlier, Iago's main intention lies in the degradation of Othello. Iago feels that he was best suited to hold the position of lieutenant, as opposed to Michael Cassio. From this Iago manufactures accusations of adultery, claiming that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia. Twixt my sheets/ he's done my office.(Act I scene 3 line 380) These accusations are merely excuses to validate his own pleasant acts and greed, and should be seen as nothing more. Again it's plain to see that, in Iago's deception of Othello he is motivated by his jealousy and subsequent bitterness. In conclusion, it's evident that Iago is evil for greed's sake, as opposed to evil for evil's sake. His craving can be seen in his clever manipulation of Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello. He uses Roderigo for his own financial benefit, as well as support his master plan; the destruction of Othello. Cassio was unfortunate enough to be chosen ahead of Iago as Othello's second-in-command, and was reduced to a deteriorated state by Iago because of it. Lastly, driven by his bitterness towards Othello for choosing Cassio over him, Iago takes it upon himself to ensure Othello's demise. Iago is an extremely complex character, and far from ordinary. His complexity and uniqueness makes him one of Shakespeare's greatest villains.

Sand Dunes Around the World

Sand Dunes Around the World Sand dunes form some of the most spectacular and dynamic landforms on the planet. Individual sand granules (grains of sand) accumulate through both water and wind (eolian) transportation, a process known as saltation. Individual saltating granules form transversely (perpendicular) to the winds direction forming small ripples. As more granules collect, dunes form. Sand dunes can form in any landscape on Earth, not just deserts. Formation of Sand Dunes Sand itself is a type of soil particle. Its large size makes for swift transportation and high erodability. When granules accumulate, they form dunes under the following conditions: 1. Granules accumulate in an area devoid of vegetation.2. There must be enough wind to transport the granules.3. Granules will eventually settle into drifts and in larger quantities dunes when they accumulate against a stable barrier to the wind, such as vegetation or rocks. Parts of a Sand Dune Every sand dune has a windward (stoss) slope, crest, slipface, and leeward slope. The stoss side of the dune is transverse to the predominant wind direction. Saltating sand granules travel up the leeward slope, slowing as they accumulate other granules. The slipface forms right underneath the crest (the peak of the sand dune), where granules reach their maximum height and begin to slope steeply down the leeward side. Types of Sand Dunes Crescent sand dunes, also called barchan or transverse, are the most common sand dune shapes in the world. They form along the same direction as the predominant winds and have a single slipface. Since they are wider than they are long they can travel very quickly. Linear dunes are straight and are often in the form of parallel ridges. Reversing dunes result from sand dunes that are impacted by wind that reverses direction. Star dunes are pyramid-shaped and have three or more sides. Dunes can also be comprised of smaller dunes of different types, called complex dunes. Sand Dunes Around the World Algerias Grand Erg Oriental is one of the largest sea of dunes in the world. This portion of the vast Sahara Desert covers over 140,00 square kilometers in area. These predominantly linear dunes run north-south, with some complex dunes in the area as well. The famous sand dunes at Great Sand Dune National Park in southern Colorado formed in a valley from ancient lake bed. Large quantities of sand remained in the area after the lake breached. Predominant winds blew the sands towards the nearby Sangre de Cristo mountains. Storm winds blew over the other side of the mountains towards the valley, causing the dunes to grow vertically. This resulted in the tallest sand dunes in North America at over 750 feet. Several hundred miles north and east lie the Nebraska sandhills. Much of west and central Nebraska is covered by these ancient mostly transverse dunes, left over from when the Rocky Mountains formed. Agriculture can be difficult so ranching is the predominant land use in the area. Livestock graze these heavily vegetated hills. The sandhills are significant as they helped form the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides water for much of the Great Plains and central North America. Highly porous sandy soils collected centuries of rain and glacial meltwater, which helped form the massive unconfined aquifer. Today organizations such as the Sandhills Task Force strive to save water resources in this area. Visitors and residents of one of the Midwests largest cities can visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, along part of Lake Michigans southern shore, about an hour southeast of Chicago. The dunes at this popular attraction resulted when the Wisconsin glacier formed Lake Michigan over 11,000 years ago. Sediments left behind formed the present dunes as the massive glacier melted during the Wisconsin Ice Age. Mount Baldy, the tallest dune in the park actually retreats south at a rate of about four feet per year as it is too tall to for vegetation to hold it in place. This kind of dune is known as a freedune. Sand dunes are found around the world, in varying types of climates. Overall, every sand dune is created by the interaction of the wind with soil in the form of grains of sand.

Marketing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Case Study - Essay Example The IKEA products are often referred as ‘start up furniture’ which is bought by the consumers for their first home. It is due to this reason that the company focuses on income level, age, education etc while targeting the market segment. The market has been segmented in the following manner: Segment Age Group Annual Income Level Psychology Education 1 18 - 25 >$ 34500 This particular age group has a tendency of being driven by social trends. They generally do not possess much knowledge about ethical trading. High school and College (education) 2 26 - 35 $34500 - $ 68000 This age group has knowledge related to ethical trading and they remain ready to purchase quality products by paying high prices. College and masters level (education) 3 36 - 65 >$ 69000 This age group purchases products in order to represent their self image in the peer group. Educational level does not have any influence on the purchasing behaviour of this particular age group. IKEA mainly targets the y oung group with lower income level (Business Today, 2013). The affordable price offerings increase the demand of the company’s products in the market. The college students those who belong to the young generation cover wide target market for the company as it mainly consists of those individuals who are planning to purchase furniture for 1st time. Another target segment set by IKEA on the basis of demography is the family life cycle. The company targets new families who require furniture for filling their houses but do not have high money to spend for this purpose. IKEA always provides quality products and services to these young families and they provide stores which are entirely environment friendly. The stores have specially designed playing area where the parents can keep their children at the time of shopping in order to complete it in a peaceful manner. The company targets those customers who want high value for their money invested and opt for quality products with com paratively cheap prices. Thus from the above table, target segments 1 and 2 are the target segments for IKEA. Answer 4 PESTEL Analysis Pestel analysis would help in the environmental scanning of IKEA (Lorat, 2009). Political The level of consumer taxation and corporate tax which is regulated by the political authorities of any particular country has an effect on the after-tax income of any corporation. The corporate tax rate has an impact on the profitability of the organization thereby affecting the after tax income as well. IKEA regional earnings are generally subjected to the regional tax laws. The corporate tax rate of any region has an impact on the business structure as well. The special business structure of the organization plays a vital role in the tax rate. IKEA business structure has a subsidiary model which instructs the subsidiaries of the company to abide by the regional tax rules and regulations. In addition to the corporate tax, the trade barriers such as tariff and quotas also have an effect on the businesses. The major reasons behind imposing tariffs and other trade barriers are: protecting the local employment, retaliation, national security etc. However imposition of tariff increases the prices of the products that are imported in the country. This benefits the local producers in place as they are not forced to raise the prices. In case of IKEA, their higher reliance on the local producers rather than import of the products decrease the extent of influence of tariff and other trade b

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA Essay

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA - Essay Example Doctors in such hospitals are appealing to the government to control the way it issues guns to the public (Boseley, 2013, p.1). This paper looks at the major causes of gun crimes and its effect to the American population. One of the causes of gun crimes is the uncontrolled offer of guns to the public by the government. The government makes it easy for people to access guns for private use (Boseley, 2013, p.1). When people get the guns easily they are likely to misuse them in purposes that are not related to personal safety. Further, the fact that the government has reduced regulation on gun accessibility makes criminals easily access them for their activities. This has made it challenging for the government to control the manner people use their guns. Another cause of increased gun crimes is the belief by the people that acquiring private guns makes them safer (Boseley, 2013, p.1). People in United States think that owning a gun is important if they are to protect their families and their properties. This increases the number of individuals who own guns in the country per household. In fact, when the number of individuals owning private guns increases, people become less secure (Stray, 2013, p.1). This is from the fact that some people settle their differences using the guns which result in injuries or deaths. Actually, instead of guns enhancing personal security and safety, it is increasing insecurity in the country (Stray, 2013, p.1). In addition, issues of mental illness have contributed to increased gun crimes in the United States. When people with mental illness have easy accessibility of guns, they are likely to use them to commit crimes unwillingly (Boseley, 2013, p.1). Mentally ill persons are likely to use guns as toys which end up harming others, especially if they are not monitored by sober people. Mentally ill persons also lack the ability to reason on what is right for them and thus

Description of the experiments Essay Example for Free

Description of the experiments Essay The results from the graph show that the 8 node depicted an increasing rate for both the mesh density ant the stress at A. The increase was not proportional as the more the mesh density the more the mesh density became flatter. The 4 node on the other hand started at a lower point (stress at A) than the 8 node. Still it experienced the increasing but at a decreasing characteristic. There was the possibility of the stress and mesh density converging for both the 4 and 8 node though they do not. Generally, there was a positive relationship between the stress and the mesh density whereby both nods exhibited the same characteristics (increase in stress led to a more proportionate increase in the mesh density) From experiment 2: From the graph, it can be seen that 4 node graph starts at a high point and starts to decrease meaning that longitudinal stress at C reduces with increase in the mesh density though not proportionally. This will continue up to a certain point when it stops decreasing and remains constant with increase in mesh density (on the negative side of the longitudinal stress). 8 node on the other hand starts at a lower point in fact negatively then increases meaning that increase in longitudinal stress a C was followed by an increase in the mesh density though less proportionately. This continues for a while until it reaches a point where increase in mesh density had not effect on the longitudinal stress at C. It still maintained the negative side. Both the 8 and 4 node crosses each other at a point where they both increase and decrease at a decreasing rate, respectively. This showed the exact point. From experiment 3: The 4 node tends to increase at a decreasing rate. When mesh density increases, the longitudinal deflection increases less proportionately. On the other hand, the 8 node increase rapidly and reaches a point where it remains constant. The mesh density continues to increase while the longitudinal increases with the increase in the mesh density but reaches a point where it remains constant. From experiment 4:   The 8 node, the percentage error was decreasing with the increase in the mesh density. The decrease is less proportionally as it tends to approach the x axis. On the other hand, the 4 node mesh density increases with a corresponding increase in the percentage error. This increase in the percentage error increases at a decreasing rate until it reaches a point where increase in mesh density led to the decrease of the percentage error. Initially, it has been shown that both the 8 and the 4 nodes appeared to diverged from some common point though it was not the same point. This showed that initially, both the percentage error and the mesh density exhibited almost the same value. From experiment 5: For the 4 node, there was a negative slope exhibited where by increase in mesh density was followed by a proportionate decrease in the percentage error. On the other hand, the 8 node also showed the decreasing level but at a decreasing rate. Increase in mesh density was accompanied by a decrease in the percentage error though less proportionately. Percentage error appeared to approach the X axis with the increase in the mesh density. From experiment 6: The calculation was trying to compare the concentration factor for the finest finite element mesh. The ANSYS value was compared with the theoretical value both calculated in the results.. The result showed that there was a difference with a small margin of 0.005, thus proving the fact that the analysis was very exact. From experiment 7: This experiment showed the same shape graph depicting an inverse solution for the stress against the nodes 4 and 8. They showed a decreasing graph the first phase showing steep gradient as it reduces when stress reduces with the increase in the node. Both the 8 and the 4 node showed almost the same results with small differences in their values though had the same shape of the graph. Reference Giuseppe, P. 2007. â€Å"The finite-element method, part I:R.L. courant: Historical corner†

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Capital Punishment Thesis One: In principle a case can be made on moral grounds both supporting and opposing capital punishment. Thesis two: Concretely and in practice, compelling arguments against capital punishment can be made on the basis of its actual administration in our society. Two different cases can be made. One is based on justice and the nature of a moral community. This leads to a defense of capital punishment. The second is based on love and the nature of an ideal spiritual community. This leads to a rejection of capital punishment. JUSTICE AND THE NATURE OF MORAL COMMUNITY A central principle of a just society is that every person has an equal right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Within that framework, an argument for capital punishment can be formulated along the following lines: some acts are so vile and so destructive of community that they invalidate the right of the perpetrator to membership and even to life. A community founded on moral principles has certain requirements. The right to belong to a community is not unconditional. The privilege of living and pursuing the good life in society is not absolute. It may be negated by behavior that undermines the nature of a moral community. The essential basis on which community is built requires each citizen to honor the rightful claims of others. The utter and deliberate denial of life and opportunity to others forfeits ones own claim to continued membership in the community, whose standards have been so flagrantly violated. The preservation of moral community demands that the shattering of the foundation of its existence must be taken with utmost seriousness. The preciousness of life in a moral community must be so highly honored that those who do not honor the life of others make null and void their own right to membership. Those who violate the personhood of others, especially if this is done persistently as a habit must pay the ultimate penalty. This punishment must be inflicted for the sake of maintaining the community whose foundation has been violated. We can debate whether some non-lethal alternative is a fitting substitute for the death penalty. But the standard of judgment is whether the punishment fits the crime and sufficiently honors the nature of moral community. LOVE AND AN IDEAL SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY Agape, Christian love, is unconditional. It does not depend on the worthiness or merit of those to whom it is directed. It is persistent in seeking the good of others regardless of whether they return the favor or even deserve to be treated well on the basis of their own incessant wrongdoing.

Blind Side

Letter: Dear Sean Tuohy, Over the last couple of months you and your outstanding family have provided everything I have every wanted a ‘family’. My life growing up consisted of running, drugs, unreliable parents a couch and others aspects. I have faced many obstacles and challenges in my life. I have been through some things no child my age should have to experience. I have learnt to face my everyday challenges by facing the fact that I can get through it, plus the support of others was very helpful, and knowing someone on earth would be having a worse day.When I was a young child I had many scaring and frightening moments. I have seen a lot of habits my mum got into, taking drugs and being a big disappointment to my family. Then I soon later found out I had 12 brothers and sisters. My mother would tell me to shut my eyes when I was scared or anything she didn’t want me to see, after that she would then tell me to count to 3 and then I could open my eyes. I suffer ed a lot as a child and faced a lot of hardships, I struggle to learn but yet I can apparently write?You and your family have given me hope and believed in me. I have been through a lot and watching my mum throw her life away doesn’t mean I was going to follow in her footsteps. After I crashed your car with SJ I thought you weren’t going to trust me again, but yet you gave me so much more. You took me under you wings, you gave me an education, and you let me go to college. I’m so grateful that someone has given me the opportunity to prove myself to them and let me show them who I am and my potentials.I am glad that I could I write to you to express how I feel. I struggled a lot and I use to be a quiet and shy boy, but now I am a confident and free spirited person and you and your wife have given me reason to believe again. Thankyou From Michael Oher Discuss what your character learnt: In the movie, Michael Oher’s character capabilities change majorly. Thr oughout the film, he grows from a shy, unschooled boy into a young man who fits into a family. The film begins with Oher as a homeless boy struggling to find a place to sleep.He then learns to become a more confident and sophisticated man. Michael Oher has grown and learnt a lot of skills and matured into a young intelligent man. He learnt that because his childhood was so traumatic doesn’t mean he is traumatised for his whole life; everything can change when you start believing. Michael struggled a lot being a foster child, being black, moving and living not with his family, and yet they are complete strangers to him that he would often run away and try and find his mother again.When he meet the Tuohy’s He grew a lot stronger in that because he was living with a Christian, wealthy family who took him in without any weight on their shoulders just out of kind heartedness. He also learnt that he didn’t have to be the smartest to achieve what he wanted he had to wo rk rad and be persistent, to stay focused. He grew so much into a star having every quality that a magnificent football player need but only some granted with this special ability. Michael learnt that being whoever you are or being whatever you wanted was you!! He had a very distraught childhood and often struggling to once believe again.He was always a determined to get what he wanted especially as a child. Michael has grown up so much, from not trying and struggling to read to now getting 2. 52 in his final result meaning he could do what he wanted for footy. He had the skills to get in but did not have the determination of getting and staying focused. Michaels tutor was a massive bonus to him and was a great peer leader. She encouraged him and helped him improve his marks a lot. Along with the hardships Michael has faced he learnt that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.He has grown and learnt so much and he is so lucky and happy to be able to have the opportunities he has been offered let alone half. Review: The blind side has proven to be a wonderful structured film, as it has been based on a true story it gives it a bit more of a overlooking and understanding of the abilities and inabilities this boy has been through. A family of all white has taken this black boy in, he would’ve felt un-invited, not fitting in and questioning why they are being nice especially when there from the complete other side of town.Michael struggles to take in that a family of complete strangers is offering there house and couch to him. The Blind Side is a film about compassion, prejudice, family, chance, and the virtues of hard work. It tells the inspirational true story of Michael Oher, of a disadvantaged African-American child, and his relationship with Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wealthy white woman from the other side of town the rich and wealthy side and he is from the dirty, disgraceful, depressing side. They help him out with a lot of situations. They provi de a wonderful education, house, family.After his mother being a fall out he tried to get his life back on track by believing he could be different and show that he could do anything if you put your mind to work. Michael Oher shows a massive and exciting interest in football and Leigh Anne Tuohy does not hold back on the enthusiasm for him. He has been born with skills that a person could dream about, even though Michael Is a big boy these skills come in handy when he gets a number of offers to be in a professional team. They then provide Michael with a tutor to improve his grades to get him into NCCA div 1.Athletic scholarship. This young man growing up in Memphis would only dream of being able to professional football or any real contact with a ball, he was born too and all of a sudden his dream came true and was right in front of his eyes because of the Tuohy’s. I believe the film deserves a rating of 5/5, when you look at the poster or the movie cover or the book cover yo u don’t know what to expect, but then you get a great message from the film inspiring everyone to show that â€Å"if you believe you can achieve†.The message is trying to explain that you can be in any situation and find a way out of it, if you try and work your way out of it. It was a fantastic book based on a real life story. It’s very inspiring and proven to everyone that you can be from somewhere that struggles into someone who is wealthy. Bibliography: The blind side 2009, DVD, warner bros, Hollywood http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0878804/plotsummary, http://www. pacejmiller. com/2010/02/24/movie-review-the-blind-side-2009/

Modern Latin America

The 480 pages work by Editors Thomas E Skidmore, & Peter H Smith named Modern Latin America; 5th Edition published in September 1, 2000 by Oxford University Press, USA is a truly intriguing book on the subject of modern Latin America and the influence and impact of globalization and neo liberalism on its population. Though this book starts with the opening line that indicates the birth of ancient civilization by mentioning â€Å"When Europeans reached present-day Latin America they found three important civilizations: Mayan, Aztec, and Incan† (Skidmore, 2000), it soon came to the focal point of the book that is the influence and impact of globalization and neo liberalism on Latin American population by even mentioning areas like the Brazilian soccer, Latino popular music and Cuban Santeria and their influence all over the world by the dint of globalization. However the book always tends to focus on the socio cultural transitions from fundamental cultural stability to the intricacy and complexities of modernization. It is true that no socio cultural evaluation can be complete without the mention of political and economical significance on the population thus information regarding these are well updated with the mention of neo democratic movements that is fast becoming the basic milieu of the Latin American culture. Examples like Brazil and Argentina are well received in his context. The examples of the new world economy with the advent of globalization are another aspect that has influenced the various walks of life in the Latin world. This has incorporated differential positioning of art, literature and movies in the area along with the impact of US interventions in many occasions.   Thus with further future development prospects in this region the dynamism of the socio-cultural and economical drifts are well incorporated in this work by Editors Thomas E Skidmore, & Peter H Smith. Reference: Editors: Skidmore, Thomas E & Smith, Peter H; 2000; Modern Latin America; 5th Edition; Oxford University Press, USA

Gestural Theory of Language Origin

Gestural Theory of Language Origin Many linguists and philosophers have come up with a myriad of theories, suggestions and approaches in their bid to try to explain the origin language as a means of communication.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Gestural Theory of Language Origin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, many researchers, scientists, animal behaviourists and archaeologists have conducted many experiments and excavated many historical sites to try to understand this means of communication which can be used to convey non-figurative information and performing routine manipulations in our daily lives. Mostly, these studies have involved comparative studies among the primates. While these studies have revealed that primates other than hominids are capable of using gestures, their use of language constructively was limited to a few words only comparable to language competency of two year old. While many scientists and researchers attribute the emergence of the use of language among Homo sapiens to spontaneous emergence in a manner similar to the â€Å"big bang theory† of the origin of the earth, others propose that language use originated genetically and evolved over time. M ichael Corballis, in his quest to determine the origin of language, proposed gestural and vocal theories. In his theories, he proposed that human language faculty preceded the development of vocally transmitted speech. Moreover, he argued that human language faculty relies heavily on gestures. This paper scrutinizes Corballis theories and aims at determining how convincing and/ or promising these theories are. It aims at examining Corballis view on human language that may have evolved from manual gestures (Corballi 24) Over the years, the origin of use of language has generated a lot of interests from many professionals due to the uniqueness it offers as a means of communication. The versatility that comes with using language as a means of communication is one of such driving forces. Using sentences, we are able to refer to occurrences both in the past, present and the future.Advertising Looking for research paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, with language, we are able to let our imaginations run riot and conjure up unseen and probably non existent events. Language can be used without the limitation placed by barriers such as physical barriers or lack of vision. It is possible for a blind person to effectively communicate via language as long as they are able to vocalize their message. With the use of language, the parties involved in a communication channel are not restricted in any way by the number of messages that they can convey using language as a means of communication. Corballis factually points out that this enormous advantages enjoyed by the advanced hominids, the Homo sapiens who replaced other primitiv e hominids, results from their ability to manipulate language using language rules, grammar. (21). This set of rules devised by the advanced hominids as a result of their cognitive abilities, is the driving factor in the success currently enjoyed by language as a means of communication. In his view, Corballis contends that language has evolved together with the primates., in particular, H. sapiens, capable of using complex language to communicate. In trying to justify his point of view that the evolution of language and primates are coupled, many researchers have drawn conclusions from studies aimed at teaching apes and other primates language use. Evolutionarily, hominids and these primitive primates separated millions of years ago. This probably explains why their ability to master language use is limited. However, these primitive primates have shown remarkable success in their ability to learn and master numerous gestures and signals. Since we share a common origin with these pri mates, this directly points to the fact that the present day capabilities humans have in using language as a means of communication must have originated from gestures. Moreover, it is the capability of human beings to use language among other factors that makes them be considered as more advanced primates than others. H. sapiens share a common ancestry with the monkeys and thus the comparability between their neurons’ activity in response to gestures resembles those of Wernicke’s and Broca’s aphasias in human beings’ brains which control language faculties.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Gestural Theory of Language Origin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, this is further evidenced according to Corballis, which points to the direction of gestural language origin. Indeed, such studies tend to show that at first our ancestors used gestures but later the use of gestures was gra dually replaced by the use vocals, and hence language now is the means of conveying information (Fitch 20). The ancestors of primates always worked on all fours which enabled them to survive in among the trees. However, this posture restricted their movement and their ability to communicate with others. As a result, they were prone to attacks by predators. As time went by, however, they adapted a bipedal walking style which not only enabled them to widen their field of vision, but also freed their arms to perform other duties such as making tools, hunting, and gathering. With the coming of bipedalism, these ancestors managed to come up with a form of communication that played an integral role in their survivorship. This new form of communication was the use of gestures which later evolved together with the evolution of the individual primates to give rise to the use of language. Pointing out studies by Bickerton which concluded that the use of language emerged spontaneously with the emergence of H. sapiens as late as 150,000 years ago, Corballis shows his stand on the origin of language. This time period is also connected to the time when H. sapiens, who have mastered the use of language as a communication means, emerged. Due to their association with language use, it is easy to associate them with the demise of gestures and signals as single means of communication. This view is also supported by the fact that present day languages have been existence for a short while; probably they originated with the emergence of H. sapiens who replaced other hominids that used gestures primarily as their means of communication. However, tracing the origin language from the gestural point view would be a futile attempt without understanding how these primates separated into hominids and apes. Archaeological evidence shows that these two groups of primates which shared a common way may have been separated by the Great Rift Valley.Advertising Looking for research paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Those hominids that moved into savannah grasslands faced a great challenge in defending themselves since in the grassland they were easily preyed upon unlike in the forests as Corballis opines. Such vulnerabilities required a sense cooperation that could only be achieved by the use of efficient and effective means of communication. The means of communication of choice was the use of gestures. Corballis rightly puts that this is the only thing we share with the apes especially at childhood when we can only use gestures, a strategy our ancestors used while inhabiting the open grasslands of savannah. This conferred relative secrecy in the communication process compared to the use of vocalization. It is from these gestures that these hominids began to use vocals to represent these signals and gestures which have been restructured and their complexity increased with time making the use of language the most effective means of communication. However, it is important to note that, as Corbal lis points out, the use of signals has not been abandoned all together by the H. sapiens; they have been integrated into the present day language. They may be used singly especially by the deaf or together with grammar language to lay emphasis on points which may not be achieved by relying on language only. Use of gesture is deep rooted in the human race to the point of being innate. It has served a myriad of purposes from religious to social functions. Many religions, especially indigenous ones, may prohibit the use of language as a means of communication during some times or between some genders. Hence, once permitted means of communication in such scenarios is the use of gestures. Our innate ability to use gestures as a means of communication, as Corballis puts it, is shown by the spontaneously use of gestures and signals by blind people without learning it from anyone. This points to a common ancestry between human beings and other primates who rely on gestures and signals as a means of communication. Moreover, it shows that our complex means of communication, grammar, originated from the gestures and signals of the closest relatives of H. sapiens. Drawing conclusions from various studies across the globe, Corballis further gives evidence that not only humans have an instinctive ability to develop gestures and signals when deprived of the capability of using language as a means of communication. Deaf people world wide use almost the same gestures and signals; both blind and the sighted show a common tendency to use gestures in their speeches, just to mention but a few instances which Corballis points out as living testimonies of our inherited ability to use gestures. However, among these examples that he points out, it is only the combination of gestures and language by the sighted individuals while speaking clearly points out the gestural origin of language (Corballi 24) To further prove his theory of gestural origin of language, Corballis rightly puts it that there is resemblance in the activities of the Broca’s and Wernicke’s of the brains of both the deaf and sighted individuals when exposed to the same stimuli, vocalization of words. This conclusion he draws from the study conducted by Helen J. Neville et al. Moreover, humans tend to have their left brain being the most active in determining which hand to use in gestures and also controlling their speech. Speculatively, such dominance can be traced back to the ancestral hominids in their bid to adapt to the use of language as their dominant means of communication. More studies into brain functions also indicate connectivity in the origin of language. Corbially clearly contends that to him gestures are not just necessary tools in the communication process but rather, they are the main means of communication process capable of functioning independently and are the source raw materials that led to the evolution of language that we use today. He contends that it is the se manual gestures that, through an evolutionary process, have formed the foundation on which the complex grammar that the H. sapiens use today, is built. (Fox). The primates have undergone a period of transition in their means of communication. The new advancements in the language use were associated with a complexity and advancement in all aspects of their lives including social, religious and economic among others. The Homo sapiens which replaced the other relatively primitive hominids invented the use of tools mainly because of their increased brain capacity and bipedalism movement. The increased brain capacity, as Corballis points out, resulted in development of cognitive skills and as a result, the change of lifestyle. These led to the need to have an effective means of communication that would allow passage of information and enable the communities of hominids to learn these new ideas. Thus, this necessitated the need for not only using gestures but also the use of language a s a means of communication. The emergence of language can be traced to a few thousand years ago when, as the fossil records reveal, H. sapiens emerged to replace other hominids as H. erectus. It is this group of hominids that are associated with the introduction of technology and the use of language as a means of communication. With the emergence of language, Corballis contends that these hominids were able to overcome such communication barriers as the need for vision or light to effectively pass information. In addition, they had the capability to communicate without being limited by the physical barriers. Corballis also contends that it is not the invention of superior technology and bigger brain capacities that have enabled us to survive and dominate the world and all other primates. Rather, he states, it is our ability to effectively use these technologies by learning how to use them using a proper means of conveying information. In conclusion, one must emphasize that the use o f language has enabled many inventions and brought a lot of changes. However, humans in their bid to glorify their literary skills and vocalization capabilities tend to forget a very important component of communication which is the use of gestures. Gestures, though nonverbal, convey the deepest feelings that otherwise would be lost in the process of using verbal communication. In this quest, they forget that indeed, gestures are the source of language that we use nowadays. Gestures are innate and hence are passed on from generation to generation. The deaf have learnt to communicate effectively in the world without seeing anything while strangest have formed strong bonds despite language barrier by just using gestures. This just shows how independent gestures are as means of communication. Studies that cut across the world reveal that these gestures are, in most cases, similar, thus giving further indications that gestures are inborn. Walking down the lane of evolution of primates w ith special attention to their means of communication, shows there is a connection between the origin of the modern day language and gestures that our ancestral hominids used many millions years ago. Corballis, C. Michael. 1991. The Lopsided Ape. New York: Oxford University Press. Fitch, Tecumseh. The Evolution of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Fox, Margalit. Talking Hands. New York Times. 2011 Web.

Characteristics and Examples of Stabilizing Selection

Characteristics and Examples of Stabilizing Selection Stabilizing selection in evolution is a type of natural selection that favors the average individuals in a population. It is one of five types of selection processes used in evolution: The others are directional selection (which decreases the genetic variation), diversifying or disruptive selection (which shifts genetic variation to adjust to environmental changes), sexual selection (which defines and adapts to notions of attractive features of the individuals), and artificial selection (which is the deliberate selection by humans, such as that of the processes of animal and plant domestication). Classic examples of traits that resulted from stabilizing selection include human birth weight, number of offspring, camouflage coat color, and cactus spine density. Stabilizing Selection Stabilizing selection is one of three main types of natural selection in evolution. The others are directional and diversifying selection.  Stabilizing selection is the most common of those processes.  The result of stabilizing is the over-representation in a specific trait. For example, the coats of a species of mice in a forest will all be the best color to act as camouflage in their environment.  Other examples include human birth weight, the number of eggs a bird lays, and the density of cactus spines. Stabilizing selection is the most common of these processes, and its responsible for many of the characteristics of plants, humans and other animals. Meaning and Causes of Stabilizing Selection The stabilizing process is one that results statistically in an over-represented norm. In other words, this happens when the selection process- in which certain members of a species survive to reproduce while others do not- winnows out all the behavioral or physical choices down to a single set. In technical terms, stabilizing selection discards the extreme phenotypes and instead favors the majority of the population that is well adapted to their local environment. Stabilizing selection is often shown on a graph as a modified bell curve where the central portion is narrower and taller than the normal bell shape. Polygenic traits tend to result in a distribution that resembles a bell-shaped curve, with few at the extremes and most in the middle. David Remahl/Wikimedia Commons Diversity in a population is decreased due to stabilizing selection- genotypes which are not selected are reduced and can disappear. However, this does not mean that all individuals are exactly the same. Often, mutation rates in DNA within a stabilized population are actually a bit higher statistically than those in other types of populations. This and other kinds of microevolution keep the stabilized population from becoming too homogeneous and allow the population the ability to adapt to future environmental changes. Stabilizing selection works mostly on traits that are polygenic. This means that more than one gene controls the phenotype and so there is a wide range of possible outcomes. Over time, some of the genes that control the characteristic can be turned off or masked by other genes, depending on where the favorable adaptations are coded. Since stabilizing selection favors the middle of the road, a blend of the genes is often what is seen. Examples of Stabilizing Selection There are several classic examples in animals and humans of the results of stabilizing selection process: Human birth weight, especially in underdeveloped countries and in the past of the developed world, is a polygenetic selection which is controlled by environmental factors. Infants with low birth weight will be weak and experience health problems, while large babies will have problems passing through the birth canal. Babies with average birth weight are more likely to survive than a baby that is too small or too large. The intensity of that selection has decreased as medicine has improved- in other words, the definition of average has changed. More babies survive even if they might have been too small in the past (a situation resolved by a few weeks in an incubator) or too large (resolved by Caesarian section).Coat coloration in several animals is tied to their ability to hide from predator attacks. Small animals with coats that match their environments more closely are more likely to survive than those with darker or lighter coats: stabilizing selection results in an average colorati on thats not too dark or too light. Cactus spine density: Cacti have two sets of predators: peccaries which like to eat cactus fruits with fewer spines and parasitic insects which like cacti that have very dense spines to keep their own predators away. Successful, long-lived cacti have an average number of spines to help ward off both.The number of offspring: Many animals produce multiple offspring at once (known as r-selected species). Stabilizing selection results in an average number of offspring, which is an average between too many (when there is a danger of malnourishment) and too few (when the chance of no survivors is highest). Sources Cattelan, Silvia, Andrea Di Nisio, and Andrea Pilastro. Stabilizing Selection on Sperm Number Revealed by Artificial Selection and Experimental Evolution. Evolution 72.3 (2018): 698-706. Print.Hansen, Thomas F. Stabilizing Selection and the Comparative Analysis of Adaptation. Evolution 51.5 (1997): 1341-51. Print.Sanjak, Jaleal S., et al. Evidence of Directional and Stabilizing Selection in Contemporary Humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115.1 (2018): 151-56. Print.

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Final - Essay Example This would apply to short term investments that are made in the nation as well. It would be advisable in such a scenario to hire local labor. 3. 1. Mr. Likesdrawing’s argument would not hold up in court owing to the fact that there may be little change in the original that he has created. The intent of the newly created work would not be significantly different from the original, as a result of which he would have to pay Mrs. Photolover money for a settlement. 2. The cartel would be involved in illegal activities owing to their efforts at reducing competition. The shared intent of creating artificial changes in the market (demand and supply) means that they are in violation of competition laws, thereby passing on the burden to consumers. The producers would need to follow fair practices and allow the market to set its own prices. 1. Apple’s push towards acquiring a large market share in offering music streaming services would run up against laws of the European Union that stand against large companies using their clout to intimidate smaller ones. The laws against Abuse of Dominance (Article 102) would be useful in the sustenance of smaller companies like Spotify. Several cases such as the one against Russian gas supplier Gazprom could be a blueprint for understanding such issues (Bell and Madej