Griffith Observatory Report Essays - Radiation, Planetary Science

Griffith Observatory Report Essays - Radiation, Planetary Science June 30, 2015 Astronomy Griffith Observatory Report After going to Griffith Observatory, I feel I had learned almost too many facts. The exhibits, as well as the workers who were walking around, answered most of my questions. I was able to clear up any misunderstandings I had before. Living right next to the beach, I had to get used to the tides raising and lowering. The waves would always grow much bigger during the late afternoon. I learned that this happens because of the gravitational pull from the Moon and the Sun. The Observatory has this enormous layout of deep space on the wall of one of the rooms, called The Big Picture. This is the largest astronomical image ever put on display. Embedded in the picture are hundreds of thousands of stars from our own Milky Way Galaxy, along with a million other galaxies, and nearly a thousand quasars. I also learned that the photo was taken with the Samuel Oschin Telescope, by a team of astronomers from Caltech and Yale, observing the sky in the constellation Virgo. The Moon, 238,000 miles away, has craters from billions of years of impacts. The Moons smooth plains, like Mare Imbrium, are ancient lava flows. Also, it is believed that the Moon formed when something collided with Earth, meaning they are closely related. The Observatory also holds a piece of the biggest rock taken from the Moon, as a sample. Big Bertha is a 19.8 pound moon rock collected by the Apollo 14 mission. Comet dust, as well as other tiny pieces from asteroids, is smaller than grains of sand. I learned that some space-dust particles begin their journey to Earth after being hit by hit by another asteroid, or shed from a comet passing near the Sun. Also, the larger space-dust particles fall through our atmosphere and flash as meteors we see in the sky. This happens plenty during meteor showers. Another thing I learned is that most space dust is vaporized before it reaches Earths surface. Asteroids that melt can separate into several layers, including an iron core. Also, when objects in space run into one another at high speeds, they generate an enormous amount of energy on impact... enough to heat them and break them into pieces. When a star explodes, or even when the Sun erupts in a flare, protons and electrons are shot away as cosmic rays. These rays travel across space at really high velocities, always coming in contact with Earth. I also learned that cosmic rays are not rays, but high-energy particles from space. Also, muons and other secondary rays are created when cosmic rays collide with gas molecules in our upper atmosphere.

Probability Questions on ACT Math Strategies and Practice

Probability Questions on ACT Math Strategies and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What is the probability that you’ll toss a coin and get heads? What about twice in a row? Three times? Probability questions ask you determine the likelihood that an event or any number of events is to occur, and the more you practice, the better your odds will be at mastering these types of questions on the ACT (see what we did there?). This will be your complete guide to probability on the ACT- how probability works, the different types of probability questions you’ll see on the test, and the steps you’ll need to take to solve them. What Does Probability Mean? $\Probability = {\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$ On the ACT, probability questions can be framed in several different ways. You may be asked to find the â€Å"probability† that an event will occur, the â€Å"chances,† the â€Å"odds,† or the â€Å"likelihood.† But no matter how you see it written on the test, these are all ways of asking for the same thing. The way we represent the probability of an event (or events) is to express, as a fraction, how often that event occurs over the total number of possible outcomes. So if we use our example from above- †What are the odds that you’ll flip a coin and get heads?†- the odds will be: ${\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$ $1/2$ In this one throw, there is one possible chance of getting heads. This means our denominator is 1. There are also two possible outcomes total (heads or tails), which means that our denominator will be 2. Now let’s take a look at another example: Mara is stringing a necklace and she selects each bead at random from a basket of beads. If there are currently 5, yellow beads, 10 red beads, 15 green beads, and 20 blue beads in the basket, what are the chances that she will select a red bead next? ${\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$ There are 10 red beads, which is our desired outcome. This means 10 is our numerator. There are also a total of $5 \yellow \beads + 10 \red \beads + 15 \green \beads + 20 \blue \beads = 50 \total \beads$ in the basket. This is our denominator, as it represents all the outcomes possible. When we put these together, our probability is: $10/50$ $1/5$ The chances that Mara will select a red bead are 1 in 5 or $1/5$. Now what if we framed our desired outcome as a negative? What are the odds that Mara will NOT select a green bead? In order to find a negative probability, we must subtract out the chances that Mara will draw a green bead. (We could also think of this as finding the desired outcome of her selecting a yellow bead, a red bead or a blue bead, which we will cover in more detail in the next section.) There are only yellow, red, green, and blue beads, so we can add up our odds of yellow, red and blue beads, excluding the green. There are 5 yellow beads, 10 red beads and 20 blue beads, so we can put those together to get our numerator. $5 + 10 + 20 = 35$ And there are still $5 + 10 + 15 + 20 = 50$ beads total for our denominator. So what are the odds that Mara will NOT select a green bead? $35/50$ $7/10$ The odds are 7 in 10 ($7/10$) that Mara will draw any color bead except green. Expressing Probabilities As you can see, probabilities are expressed as fractions. This means that an event that will always and absolutely occur will have a probability of $1/1$ or 1. On the other hand, an impossible event will have a probability of $0/x$ or 0. You can also think about probabilities as percentages. If the odds are $4/52$ that you’ll draw an ace from a deck of cards, it’s the same as saying that there is a 7.69% chance that you will draw an ace. Why? Because $4 à · 52 = 0.0769$, and $0.0769 * 100 = 7.69%$. The possibilities are (not quite) endless. Either/Or Probability ${\probability \of \either \event = [{\outcome A}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}] + [{\outcome B}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}]$ (Special note: this is called a â€Å"non-overlapping† probability. In this case, it is impossible for the two (or more) events to both happen at the same time. There is such a thing as an either/or probability for overlapping events, but you will never be asked to do this on the ACT, so we have not included it in this guide.) An either/or probability increases the odds that our desired outcome will happen because we do not care which of the two events happen, only that one of them does. To solve this kind of problem, we must therefore add the probability of each individual event. Their sum will become the probability of either event happening. So let’s look again at our earlier example with Mara and her beads. Instead of asking the odds of Mara selecting only a red bead, what are the odds that Mara will select either a red bead or a green bead if she has 5 yellow beads, 10 red beads, 15 green beads, and 20 blue beads in the basket? We have increased our odds, since it doesn’t matter whether or not the bead is green or red, so long as the bead we select is NOT blue or yellow (essentially, we are doing another version of our earlier negative problem- †what are the odds that a particular event will NOT happen?†) This means we can add the probabilities of our individual events together in order to find their combined probability. So let us find the probability of her drawing a red bead: $10/(5 + 10 + 15 + 20)$ $10/50$ And let us find the probability of her drawing a green bead: $15/(5 + 10 + 15 + 25)$ $15/50$ So, if we put the two probabilities together, we’ll have: $10/50 + 15/50$ $25/50$ $1/2$ Because this problem involves the odds of two events with the same total number of outcomes (there are 50 total possible beads to choose from each time), we could also simply add our two desired outcomes together over the total number of outcomes. So: $(10 + 15)/(5 + 10 + 15 + 20)$ $25/50$ $1/2$ Either way, the odds of Mara drawing either a red bead or a green bead are 1 in 2, or $1/2$ (50%). What are the odds that we go this way or that way? Combined Probability $\Combined \probability = [{\outcome A}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}] * [{\outcome B}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}]$ "What are the odds of two or more events both/all happening?" This kind of probability question is called a combined probability and there is a good chance you’ll see a question of this type in the later half of the ACT math section. Note that a combined probability question is distinctly different from an either/or probability question. An â€Å"either/or† question asks whether or not one of the multiple events occurs (no matter which event is was). A â€Å"both/and† question requires that multiple events all occur. To find the probability of an â€Å"either/or† question, we must add our probabilities. To find the probability of a combined probability question, we must multiply our probabilities. A good way to remember this is to remember that a combined probability question will ultimately have a lower probability than the that of just one (or either) event occurring. The more events you need to happen, the less likely it will be that they all will. How likely is it that your first AND second coin tosses will BOTH be heads? Lower than the odds of just flipping heads once. On the other hand, an either/or probability question will have higher odds than the probability of just one of its events happening. You are combining forces to increase your odds of getting a desirable outcome. How likely is it that you’ll flip either heads or tails for each toss? 100%! What are the odds that Jenny will roll a pair of dice and get six on both? A die has six faces, so the odds of rolling any particular number is $1/6$. Because the question is asking us to find the odds of rolling two sixes (and nothing else), we must use our combined probability. So: $1/6 * 1/6 = 1/36$ There is a 1 in 36 chance that Jenny will roll a pair of dice and get two sixes. Combined probability questions mean that events cannot be separated. Typical ACT Probability Questions There are many different kinds of probabilities and probability questions (including overlapping, and conditional probabilities), but ACT probability questions use only the basic probabilities we have covered above. For most ACT probability questions, you will be asked to find either a straight probability or a probability ratio. You may also be asked to find or alter a new probability from an existing one. Now let us look at each type of problem. Simple Probability These kind of questions will always be word problems in which you are told a story and asked to find the probability of one or more events. This may be a straight probability, an either/or probability, or a combined probability. Simply use the understandings we learned above and you’ll be able to solve these kinds of questions without issue. We know that probability is ${\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$. Our desired outcome is to get one of the five extra pieces, so our numerator will be 5. There are 750 puzzle pieces PLUS the extra five pieces in the box total, so our denominator will be: $750 + 5 = 755$ When we put them together, our final probability will be: $5/755$ Our final answer is D. Probability Ratio One way the ACT likes to spin probabilities and make them more complex is to present them as ratios or to ask you for your answer in a ratio. For a refresher on ratios, check out our guide to ACT fractions and ratios. For these types of questions, pay close attention to what the ratio represents so that you don’t end up solving the wrong question entirely. We are told that we must find the odds of an event as a ratio of $\in \the 25 - 35 \age \range: \not \in \the 25-35 \age \range$ (in other words, $\desired \outcome: \remaining \outcomes$). We are given the number of voters in terms of percentages, so we can translate the 42% of voters in the 25-35 age range as $42/100$. And if the 25-35 age category has a probability of $42/100$, then the remaining voters will have a probability of: ${100 - 42}/100$ $58/100$ Now, we can represent our ratio of $25-35 \voters: \all \other \voters$ as: $42:58$ Both numbers are divisible by 2, so we can reduce the ratio to: $21:29$ Our final answer is D. Altering a Probability Finally, it is quite common for the ACT to ask you to alter a probability. Usually, they will present you with an existing probability and then ask you to find the number to which you must increase the desired outcome(s) and the total number of outcomes in order to achieve a specific new probability. For example: Now, there are two ways to solve this kind of problem- using proportions or using the strategy of plugging in answers. Let’s look at both methods. Method 1- Proportions We are asked to find an additional number of red marbles that we must add to the total number of marbles in order to find a new probability. The current probability of selecting a red marble is: $12/32$ Now, we are adding a certain number of red marbles and only red marbles. This means that the number of red marbles increases by exactly the same amount that the total increases. We can therefore represent the new probability as: ${12 + x}/{32 + x}$ Now, we want this new probability to be equal to $3/5$, so let us set them up as a proportion. ${12 + x}/{32 + x} = 3/5$ And because this is a proportion, we can cross multiply. $(32 + x)(3) = (12 + x)(5)$ $96 + 3x = 60 + 5x$ Now solve for $x$. $36 = 2x$ $18 = x$ So we must add 18 red marbles in order to get a new probability of: ${12 + 18}/{32 + 18$ $30/50$ $3/5$ Our final answer is G, 18. Method 2- Plugging in answers The alternative to using proportions is to use PIA. We can simply add the answer options to the 12 red marbles in our numerator and the 32 marbles in our denominator and see which answer choice gives us a final ratio of $3/5$. Let us begin, as always, with the answer choice in the middle. Answer option H gives us 28, so let us try adding 28 to both the red marbles and the total number of marbles. ${12 + 28}/{32 + 28}$ $40/60$ $2/3$ This answer is a little bit too large. We can also see that the larger the number we add to both the numerator and the denominator, the larger our probability will be (you can test this by plugging in answer choice J or K- for K, if you add 40 to both 12 and 32, your final probability fraction will be $52/72$ = $13/18$, which is even larger than $2/3$.) This means that we can eliminate answer choices H, J, and K. Now let us try answer choice G. ${12 + 18}/{32 + 18}$ $30/50$ $3/5$ We have found our desired ratio. Our final answer is G, 18. As you can see, no matter which method you use, you can find the right solution. Somebody's gotta win, right? Well, you are more likely that to get struck by lightening (odds: 1.3 million to 1) and THEN fall from a 15 story building and survive (odds: 90 to 1), than you are to win the lottery (odds: 120 million to 1). How to Solve a Probability Question There are several ACT math strategies you must keep in mind when solving a probability question. First of all, you will know if you are being asked for a probability question on the ACT because, somewhere in the problem, it will ask you for the "probability of," the "chances of," or the "odds of" one or more events happening. Almost always, the ACT will use the word â€Å"probability,† but make sure to note that these words are all interchangeable. When you see those phrases, make sure to follow these steps: #1: Make sure you look carefully at exactly what the question is asking. It can be easy to make a mistake with probability ratios, or to mix up an either/or probability question with a both/and question. Make sure you always carefully examine the problem before you waste precious time trying to answer the wrong question. Kyle has been tossing a coin and recording the number of heads and tails results. So far, he has tossed the coin 5 times and gotten heads each time. What are the odds that he will get tails on his next coin toss? You may be tempted to think that our desired outcome (our numerator) is influenced by the number of times Kyle has already tossed the coin and the outcomes so far, but in all actuality, the probability that Kyle will get tails on his next toss is $1/2$. Why? Because each coin toss is independent of another coin toss. This means that this is a simple matter of determining our desired outcome over the number of total outcomes. There is one possibility of getting tails- numerator 1- and two possible options- heads or tails, denominator 2. So Kyle’s chances of getting tails on the next toss are 1 in 2. Now let’s look at a slightly different question. Kyle tossed the coin 5 times and got heads each time. What were the odds of this happening? Now we are being asked to find the probability of a both/and question, since we are being asked to identify the probability of multiple events all happening. (If it helps to picture, you can rephrase the question as: â€Å"What are the odds that BOTH his first coin tosses were heads? And What were the odds that BOTH his next tosses were heads?†, etc.) So if we use what we know about combined probabilities, we would be able to say: $1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2$ $1/32$ The odds are 1 in 32 (3.125%) that Kyle would have tossed heads five times in a row. #2: Think logically about when your odds will increase or decrease The odds of either two or more events occurring will be greater than the odds of one of the events alone. The odds of both (or multiple events) all occurring will be less than the odds of the odds of one of those events alone. Always take a moment to think about probability questions logically so that you don’t multiply when you should add, or vice versa. #3: Simplify the idea of a probability Once you get used to working with probabilities, you’ll find that probability questions are often just fancy ways of working with fractions and percentages. A probability ratio is the exact same thing as a question that simply asks you for a ratio. Just brush up on your fractions and ratiosif you find yourself intimidated for any reason. And always feel free to fall back on your PIA or PIN,as needed. These methods will sometimes take a little extra time, but they will always lead you to the right answer. The probability of drawing this hand is less than 0.0000004%, so I'm gonna go ahead and go all in. Test Your Knowledge Now it’s time to test what you’ve learned, using real ACT practice problems: 1) 2) 3) 4) Answers: F, E, D, B Answer Explanations: 1. This is another example of an altering probability question and, again, we have two choices when it comes to solving it. Let’s go through both the algebra/proportion method and PIA. Method 1- proportions. We know that we must increase the number of red marbles and only red marbles, so the amount of new marbles added to the set of red marbles and to the overall total of marbles will be the same. Our starting probability of red marbles is: $6/18$ So now we must increase each part of our fraction by the same amount and set it equal to the desired probability of $â…â€"$. ${6 + x}/{18 + x} = 3/5$ $(18 + x)(3) = (6 + x)(5)$ $54 + 3x = 30 + 5x$ $24 = 2x$ $12 = x$ So we must increase our red marbles (and, consequently, the total number of marbles) by 12 in order to get a probability of $â…â€"$ of selecting a red marble. To double-check this, we can plug the number back into our probability. ${6 + 12}/{18 + 12}$ $18/30$ $3/5$ We have successfully found our answer! Our final answer is F, 12. Method 2- PIA The alternative method is to use plugging in answers. We will simply plug in our answer choices to increase our red marbles (and our total number of marbles) and see which answer choice results in a probability of $3/5$. Let us start with answer choice H, 18. ${6 + 18}/{18 + 18}$ $24/36$ $2/3$ This probability is too large and any larger numbers will only get us larger probabilities. This means we can eliminate answer choices H, J, and K. Now, let us try answer choice G, 16. ${6 + 16}/{18 + 16}$ $22/34$ $11/17$ This probability is still slightly too large. By process of elimination, our answer must be F, but let us test it to be sure. ${6 + 12}/{18 + 12}$ $18/30$ $3/5$ Success! We have found our right answer. Our final answer is, again, F, 12. 2. Because Elliott must answer all the questions correctly, this means that this is a combination probability question. We are told that he answers each question at random, and all the questions have 3 answer options, which means that answering one question correctly has a probability of: $1/3$ And, since this is a combination problem, answering ALL 4 questions correctly will be: $1/3 * 1/3 * 1/3 * 1/3$ $1/81$ Our final answer is E, $1/81$ 3. We have a total of 150 people and 67 of them have type A blood, while 6 of them have type AB. This means that type A blood has a probability of: $67/150$ And type AB blood has a probability of: $6/150$ Now we can add these probabilities together. $67/150 + 6/150 = 73/150$ Our final answer is D, $73/150$ 4. Here, we have another probability question made more complicated by the use of ratios. Again, if you need a refresher on ratios, check out our guide to ACT fractions and ratios. First, we must find the actual number of 10th and 11th graders. We are told that the 10th graders have a ratio of 86:255 to the school population and the 11th graders have a ratio of 18:51 to the total student population. We must first set these ratios to an equal number of total students in order to determine the number of students in each class. We can see that the 11th graders have a reduced ratio, so we must multiply each side of the ratio by the same amount in order to equal the total number of students as the 10th graders’ ratio (255). Luckily for us, $255/51 = 5$. This is a nice, round number to work with. Now, we must multiply the 11th grade ratio by 5 on each side to even out the playing field. $18(5):51(5)$ $90:255$ We are assuming for now that there are 255 students total (there may be $255 *2$ or $255 * 3$, and so forth, but this will not affect our final outcome; all that matters is that we choose a total number of students that is equal for all grades/ratios.) So there are 86 10th graders, 90 11th graders, and the remaining students are 12th graders. Knowing that there are 255 students total, we can find the number of 12th graders by saying: $255 - 86 - 90 = 79$ There are 79 12th graders. This means that the probability of selecting a 10th, 11th, or 12th grader at random is: $86/255$, $90/255$, $79/255$, respectively. The odds are higher that the lottery will select an 11th grader, as the numerator for 11th graders is larger than that of the others. Our final answer is B, 11th graders. You have successfully completed your probability questions! You're free! The Take Aways The more you practice working with probabilities, the easier they will become. Although it can take some time to learn how to properly differentiate between the different types of probability questions, most ACT probability questions are fairly straightforward. Understand that probabilities are simply fractional relationships of desired outcomes over all potential outcomes, and you’ll be able to tackle these kinds of ACT math questions in no time. What’s Next? Now that you've stacked the odds in your favor on your probability questions, it's time to make sure you're caught up with the rest of your ACT math topics. We've got guides on all your individual math needs, from trigonometry to slopes and more. Wondering how your score stacks up? See what makes a "good" score and how you can get the most out of your studying time to reach your target goal. Running out of time on the ACT? Look to our guide on how to maximize your time and your score in the hour allotted. Want to get a perfect score? Check out how to get a perfect score on the ACT math, written by a 36-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Life of Taking Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Life of Taking Risks - Essay Example In a real sense, risk-taking may provide an excellent opportunity for changing a life. Many successful stories of businesspersons, for example, tell how a significant risk is, to the overall prosperity. Therefore, it is crucial to understand, the benefits of taking a risk, when to take the risk, how, or even the challenges of taking a risk, as this paper will try to illustrate. By nature, the risk is scary and sends fear in many people. It exposes a person to uncertainties since it is difficult to tell what the results may be. On the other hand, equals a walk into unpredictable vastness where anything can happen, even the loss of life. There are many scenarios in life that involve risk-taking. While others are explicit, some simple, daily life things are hard to notice. When a person laughs, that person risks the perception to be a fool. When a person exposes his or her feelings, there is the risk of exposing the true self. Loving a person, on the other hand, is a risk since it is no t necessary to get love in return. Ultimately, living in this world is risking death. All these examples are primarily, meant to illustrate the sheer fact that life is full of risks to take. However, the question that should follow is, ‘Should risk be taken?’ Benefits of Risk Taking To get a life of desire, it is imperative to take positive risks. It is also equally beneficial to plan on how to take those risks. Negative risks are typically impulsive and driven by emotions. Before making a positive risk, it is necessary to take time to weigh events of risk-taking and its significance. The series of thoughtful events made before taking a risk act as a cushion from unnecessary and unforeseen repercussions. Firstly, risk-taking gives an opportunity to explore the talents and abilities of a person.  

East vs. West Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

East vs. West Germany - Essay Example From the earliest days in 1945, the Allies wanted to avoid the mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles, which had humiliated the German people and had enforced crippling reparations that caused resentment for generations. This time a plan of partition into zones, and a generous package of aid which came to be known as the Marshall plan were adopted as strategies to manage German recovery. In the parts of Germany controlled by Britain, France and America there was a focus on de-Nazification and the building of a democracy that would ultimately fit into the emerging NATO alliance of Western Powers. The political structure which was adopted there was based on western style multi-party democracy, with a constitution that protected basic human rights and prevented the rise of another dictatorship like the Hitler regime. Free market capitalism was the preferred economic style, and this, along with assistance from the Marshall plan funds, created the so-called â€Å"economic miracle† of the post-war years. West Germany became a republic with 11 regions and grew into a strong and stable democracy. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, was keen to integrate the Eastern part of Germany, including its historic capital Berlin, into the network of Socialist states that became known as the Soviet bloc. The economic style was very different, and based on the principles of Socialism, where state-owned collectives ran industry rather than private enterprises. When the Western allies declared the West German mark to be separate from the East German mark, the differences in economic performance became even more marked. A wall was built by the East German authorities to prevent a wholesale emigration of citizens from the East to the West in search of a better standard of living. Winston Churchill’s statement  that an â€Å"iron curtain has descended across the continent† in a speech in 1946 (Perry at al. 2009, p. 300) turned out to be an accurate assessment of the increasing distance between East and West. A single party political system was introduced, and throughout the C old War,   East German citizens were prevented from traveling to the West or hearing about events there.  

Social Criticism Contained In Fahrenheit English Literature Essay

Social Criticism Contained In Fahrenheit English Literature Essay I was walking and talking with a writer friend [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦], when a police car pulled up and an officer stepped out to ask what we were doing. Putting one foot in front of the other, I said [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. That was the wrong answer. The policeman repeated his question. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] I replied, Breathing the air, talking, conversing, walking [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦], its illogical, youre stopping us. If we had wanted to [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] rob a shop, we would have driven up in a car [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. As you see, we have only our feet. Walking, eh?, said the officer [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] dont do it again! (Bradbury 1993, p.57) This encounter was the inspiration for a young Bradbury, who earned his living selling short stories, to write his novella The Fireman. But due to the tense political situation in America he had problems to make this story public. Nevertheless, an avant-garde publisher was delighted by the story and wanted to print it, upon condition that its author expanded it to a novel. At first, Bradbury doubted whether he could fulfill that, but finally, in 1953, he completed the novel Fahrenheit 451  [1]  with great enthusiasm for he stated that I did not write Fahrenheit 451 it wrote me (Bradbury 1993, p.58). However, as Bradbury criticizes the political climate in the U.S., difficulties emerged again to find a publisher, who would print portions of Fahrenheit. Fortunately, a Chicago editor bought his manuscript to release it in three issues of his new magazine. It turned out that the young editor was Hugh Hefner, the publisher of Playboy. This troublesome publication history of Fahrenheit markedly reflects the content of the novel because it is set in a world, where critical or dissident individuals are oppressed. Analogously, political resistance caused difficulties for Bradbury to level criticism against American society in his novel. On these grounds, this paper examines in which respects the topics of Fahrenheit contain criticism of society and how the fictional story refers to the sociopolitical circumstances of the 1950s in America. 2. Criticism of society in Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 Within the main motives of the novel, Bradbury incorporated criticism of society. So, in the following, the socio-critical implications of the topics entertainment, technology, censorship and book burning will be carved out. 2.1 Entertainment Entertainment plays an important role in Fahrenheit since it is employed to manipulate society. It is ubiquitous in any situation so that everyday life of the citizens is characterized by steady diversion. For instance, tiny Seashell Radio receivers are conceived as electronic equipment to fob minor news and toneless music off on the population. Mildred the protagonists wife and a generic representative of society even wears the Seashells while sleeping so she is completely captivated by the governments propaganda. Moreover, in every living room, huge walls are installed which resemble a standard TV but span over several walls and broadcast three-dimensional footage. People watching these programs consider the actors to be familiar persons as they are able to interact with them. Mildred is strongly influenced by this entertainment medium since she is looking forward to reading out some missing lines in a scene, which have been mailed to her for participating in the program. Thus, s he feels satisfied as all look at [her] out of the three walls and [she] say[s] the lines (Bradbury 1953, p.23). As the two statements I think thats fine and I sure do (ibid) are the lines she has to read, Mildred subconsciously indicate[s] her agreement with what is being said (Booker, p.88). Furthermore, omnipresent advertisements like two-hundred-foot-long billboards in the streets or the train radio prevent people from thinking by directing their attention toward repetitious slogans. In order to visit his confederate Faber, Montag goes by subway where he suddenly starts to scream Shut up, shut up, shut up (Bradbury 1953, p.73) when hearing a dentifrice advertisement, whereas the other passengers are tapping their feet to the rhythm of Denhams Dentifrice, Denhams Dandy Dental Detergent, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] faintly twitching the words Dentifrice Dentifrice Dentifrice (ibid). Other devices that illustrate the biasing impact of entertainment in the novel are joke-boxes that repeat the same jokes most of the time (Bradbury 1953, p.32) and music walls in cafes on which colored patters [are] running up and down (ibid). Through the perpetual influence of the media, emotions and own thoughts are debarred from the public and also intellectualism and curiosity are repressed. Hence, the propaganda spread in the media maliciously deceives the citizens so that they are under the illusion [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦of] hav[ing] a part in determining that ideology (Booker, p. 88), although it is obvious that the opportunity for creativity is dulled (ibid) severely by the government. Even though the citizens are not compelled to adapt their selves to the state dogma, they do not revolt because they are manipulated by the anti-intellectualism spread in the media. Booker refers to this as a brainwash [of the] audience into conformist behavior (ibid). This attitude of the figures in Fahrenheit might be traced back to Bradburys biographical background because, during the Cold-War era, the dominance of mass media and entertainment increased immensely. On that score, American officials were convinced that if people could be persuaded that what they were getting was what they wanted increasingly simple and sensational entertainment, information reduced to headlines [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] then they could be controlled (Charles, p. 13). Such control is also exercised at school since the educational system described in Fahrenheit heavily relies on mass media and sports to prevent critical discussions. For instance, Clarisse reports Montag on her school life in which she has to attend sports lessons like basketball or running as well as TV-classes, where they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing (Bradbury 1953, p.31). Correspondingly, Zipes argues that, in Fahrenheit, schooling serves to exhaust the young so that they are tame, but the frustration felt by the young is then expressed in their fun outside school, which always turns into violence (p.7). The literary conception of media consumption habits in Fahrenheit reflects Bradburys critical opinion concerning the role of television in society. Since the early days of television in the 1950s, new media has been crowding out traditional reading as a popular form of entertainment. Thus, in the face of the pupils declining reading ability, schools abandoned text-based teaching methods and increasingly used television in classrooms. This development is seized in Montags America, where entertainment, especially television, stupef[ies] the populace by saturating their minds with useless information (Booker, p.88). Consequently, the educational system in Fahrenheit tends to cram [the pupils] so full of non-combustible data, chock them so full of facts they feel stuffed, but absolutely brilliant with information [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. Dont give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with (Bradbury 1953, p. 57f.). Bradbury wants to show the repercussions of excessive entertainment by describing a world in which people lose personal contacts and nearly bear no relation to reality so that the government can manipulate the populace without any restraint. In this regard, the problem of alienation and loneliness caused by the permanent distraction of the media is not really with the system, but with the people (Booker, p.89) who are forced into line subconsciously because of the propaganda broadcasted all the time. Accordingly, Beatty states that any man who can take a TV wall apart and put it back together again [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] is happier than any man who tries to [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] equate the universe, which just wont be [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] equated without making man feel bestial and lonely (Bradbury 1953, p. 58). 2.2 Technology Media does not form the only highly developed issue in Fahrenheit. Besides, the topic of technology is of importance. Although technology closely relates to entertainment in some respect, it must be considered a separate aspect that stands out due to several futuristic elements. Science in general is on a high level in Fahrenheit since houses are built out of a fireproof material, subways run under the city and banks are open all night due to robot tellers in attendance. Besides that, sundry science-fiction inventions prevail in Bradburys novel, such as the Mechanical Hound. It is an electronic animal that injects morphine into someones leg and is employed to seek out a person who is wanted by firemen. What distinguishes it is that Montag wonders whether it is alive or not. Correspondingly, the Mechanical Hound is referred to as the dead beast, the living beast (Bradbury 1953, p.26). Montag flees the Mechanical Hound after his house has been burnt and he has killed Beatty. The pursuit is broadcasted on TV and as Montag can escape, the footage shows the death of another person, who is pretended as him. By that, the propaganda aims to prove society that rebels have no chance to protest and get killed in case they take flight. According to Zipes, the Mechanical Hound represents all the imaginative technological skills of American society transformed into a ruthless monster and [is] used to obliterate dissenting humanity (p.9). As Bradburys novel can be seen as a reflection of the 1950s in America, the Mechanical Hound takes up the fear of robots during this time. In the 1940s, the first robots were built after the invention of the computer by Zuse in 1941. Subsequently, they became a popular concept during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when automated machines were first used to support factory operators. Nevertheless, many Americans feared the nature of robots and were afraid that they might take control over human beings. Referring to this anxiety, Bradbury arouses criticism on the fast pace in which technologies have developed so that people lose control about the way their lives are determined by new electronic equipment. In Fahrenheit, a computer system [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] keep[s] track of each and every citizen (Zipes, p.8) to ensure that everybody behaves in a politically correct way and does not develop an own opinion. In Bradburys novel, technology [is also à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] used in the field of medicine to deaden the senses while keeping people alive as machines (Zipes, p.6). For example, Mildred is treated by two men with two machines after taking an overdose of sleeping pills. One machine slides into her stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well (Bradbury 1953, p.18) and pulls out all the content. The second machine pump[s] all of the blood from the body and replace[s] it with fresh blood and serum (ibid). As this process of revival is very versed, Montag asks the operators how often they use these machines. It turns out that every night they are employed for at least nine times. Carrying someone elses blood is an extraordinary perception for Montag so he is shocked at hearing that so many people take an overdose and must be rescued by blood transfusion. Another way of using technology can be spotted in the communication between Montag and his mentor Faber, who has built a bullet that enables a permanent contact between them. It is a tiny device that cannot be observed since it is placed in the ear and resembles a Seashell Radio. Due to this invention, Faber can counsel Montag on his reactions and answers in every precarious situation that is brought by the fact that Montag owns books. So here technology is employed to [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] emancipatory and humanistic interests (Zipes, p.7). Throughout the entire novel, war is omnipresent. Radio broadcasts wrong information about current attacks or force-levels and warns that war can erupt at any moment even though jet bombers are flying above the city several times a day. The populace in Fahrenheit started and won two atomic wars (Bradbury 1953, p. 68) and a third one destroys the city at the end of the novel. By that, Bradbury wants to criticize the rapid nuclear arms race during the Cold War (Zipes, p.7), after seeing the consequences of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The Cold-War era lasted from 1947 until 1991 and was characterized by a constant political tension between the Soviet Union and the Western world (Greiner). This tense situation was attributable to the strong dichotomy of political ideologies and the fear that this conflict could escalate and lead into a nuclear war was very widespread, particularly in the United States. A historical event that affected Bradbury in this context was the K orean War from 1950 until 1953. It was a proxy war between the Eastern and the Western Block in which the U.N supported the Republic of Korea, whereas the Peoples Republic of Korea achieved assistance by the Soviet Union (Hickey). 2.3 Limitation of fundamental rights Despite the fact that governmental activities are not described in detail, their impact on society and daily life is apparent in regard to manifest restraints: In Fahrenheit, the freedoms of information, expression and press are severely restricted. For instance, the people acting in the novel are not informed about the true situation concerning the atomic war because government deludes them through its censorship. This delusion has far-reaching consequences, namely the destruction of the city by an atomic bomb at the end of the story since propaganda has hindered individuals to foresee their imminent destruction (Bradbury 1953, p.140). Similar to the government in Fahrenheit, the Office of Censorship heavily censored reporting on warfare during the Second World War. At that, information which could be useful for the opponent should not be broadcasted neither on TV nor radio. In this connection, the office was also responsible for concealing the existence of atomic bombs so the American population did not know about them before the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hanyok). The parallel between history and the fiction in Fahrenheit continues in the 1950s with respect to the delusion about weapons of war. Thereby, the stifling atmosphere delineated in the novel comments on the intellectually oppressive climate in America. Although the Bill of Rights guarantees all Americans the freedoms of speech and press as a constitutional right, censorship was at these times allowed and enforced by the United States government (Bruck, p.10). By means of prior restraint, which was considered a de-facto-censorship, government could injure First Amendment rights and control the publishing of unwelcome ideas (Pfister, p.141 f.). For example, in 1950, the magazine Scientific America was forced to censor an article about a Hydrogen-bomb. The magazines publisher argued that only facts, which have been public before, were part of the article and that only a few lines referred to construction details of the bomb. Moreover, he brought forward the argument that the Americans ne eded this information in order to form an intelligent judgment. Nevertheless, Scientific America was constrained to publish a redacted version of the article and had to destroy the original run of the issue (Swanberg). In addition, further measures of censorship and infringement are briefly worded in the novel. In order to prevent people from communicating, the government eliminated the porches from all houses (Bradbury 1953, p.59) and closed all Liberal Arts Colleges (Bradbury 1953, p.69). Heretofore, this paper analyzed the methods with which the government in Fahrenheit brings the population into line. Hence, the treatment of those, who do not adapt to this enforced conformity, will be examined. On the one hand there are individuals, who do not adapt their selves to the rules, like Clarisse McClellan. She likes asking questions and deliberating about everything. Even her hobbies going hiking in the mountains, bird watching and collecting butterflies (Bradbury 1953, p.25) are very suspicious because it is exceptional that someone is interested in something that has nothing to do with media. Owing to her unadjusted personality, Clarisse has to see a psychiatrist who should investigate why she is rather doing things on her own than participating in car races with her friends (Bradbury 1953, p. 25). Despite her chatty attitude, Clarisse is considered to be antisocial, treated like a stranger and excluded from society. On the other hand, those who offensively defy the system are punished immediately. As soon as the firemen are informed about somebody who owns books, they march out to burn the books together with the persons home. Thereupon, convicted book owners are sent to the asylum (Bradbury 1953, p.34). In order to avoid the menacing exile, critics set up a hidden camp on a deserted riverside (Bradbury 1953, p.130). Viewed in this light, people who deviate from what is normal place themselves outside the protection of society (Charles, p.13). In Fahrenheit, Bradbury depicts an atmosphere of insecurity and lack of faith between the characters. Dissident individuals have to live in constant scare of denunciation and ban. As an example, Mildred betrays Montag to the firemen on account of the fact that he owns books (Bradbury 1953, p. 103). This practice of political condemnation relates to the atmosphere in the United States during the late 40s and early 50s. Several evolutions of the Cold War, such as the detonation of an atomic bomb by the Soviets in 1949, led to an increasing anti-Communist hysteria in America. Reflecting the decreasing faith within society, the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) set itself to purify America of any Communistic activities in the course of the Second Red Scare. For example, in 1947, the HUAC inquired whether a group of Hollywood screenwriters called the Hollywood Ten supported Communist propaganda. The accused, mainly directors, radio commentators and actors, were blacklisted and boycotted by their studios. These proceedings led to the social isolation of the artists so that they did not succeed in finding new jobs (Emmons, p.xviii; Georgakas). A further wave of Communist persecution in the U.S. went down in history as McCarthyism. In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered a speech in which he asserted that the State Department wittingly employed communists. This speech made McCarthy nationally famous and is considered to be the opening act of a long-lasting period of Communist repression. Americans were able to watch Senate hearings on TV in which McCarthy exposed alleged Communists. These public inquiries created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust that left many Americans unsure, whether to confide in their neighbors, public officials or media figures (Emmons, p.xxi). 2.4 Book burning The hardest sanction of censorship in Fahrenheit is the ban of all books. Owning books is a capital offence that is cursed with burning the books and arresting their readers (Bradbury 1953, p.34). The high relevance of this aspect is already suggested by the title of Bradburys main work: Fahrenheit 451 is the exact temperature at which book paper catches fire. On top of that, it is a striking feature that, in the novel, the firemens job is to burn books instead of slacking a fire (Bradbury 1953, p.9). In Fahrenheit, book burning is propagandistically justified by technology, mass exploitation and minority pressure (Bradbury 1953, p.54). More precisely, captain Beatty reports that book burning started when modern technologies like photography, radio and television were invented and displaced books (Bradbury 1953, p.51). Furthermore, he blames the huge population to be a factor which caused the book burnings. He argues that the bigger a population is, the bigger the minorities are. Consequently, authors had to stop dealing with controversial issues in order not to offend any minority group. Beyond that, an important reason for books to be excluded from society is that they are considered to cause unhappiness. Propaganda declares that people could not deal with literature without being unhappy or feeling lonely (Bradbury 1953, p.57). In his essay Burning Bright, Bradbury points out that he related the motive of book burning in Fahrenheit to historical events, particularly to the book burnings that had been carried out by the Nazis during the 1930s and 1940s (Bradbury 1993, p.58). At that time, books of Jewish and degenerated artists were first blacklisted and then burnt (Lischeid, p.105f.). On May 10, 1933 more than 25,000 books were burnt by German students because the German Student Associations Main Office for Press and Propaganda proclaimed a nationwide Action against the Un-German Spirit (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). Especially works by Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, H.G. Wells and Erich Maria Remarque affected (Charles, p14) since they were considered a threat to the state-enforced conformity (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). In this point, the Nazi book burnings resemble the ones in Fahrenheit because, in both cases, the motivation of destroying books is to for cefully maintain an idea of man that is predefined by ideology. Where they burn books, they will end in burning human beings, Heinrich Heine wrote in 1821, one century before the Third Reich. History has proved this to be a true prediction (Charles, p.15): First the Nazis burnt Jewish and degenerate books and later they started to burn Un-German individuals in concentrations camps. In Fahrenheit, a parallel to this development can be perceived. An old book-owning woman is burnt alive for she refuses to leave her house when firemen arrive to set her house on fire (Bradbury 1953, p.38f.). Montag is the only one who exhibits a guilty conscience about burning a woman alive and starts wondering about the books distinctiveness and the reasons why you might die for them. By using the book burning motive Bradbury criticizes the hard means which are applied to control the thoughts of the citizens as well as the locking up individuals who do not adapt to the common rules (Bradbury 1953, p.34). But in the end of the novel, the authors outlook is not solely hopeless. When the city is destroyed, the book lovers are the only ones who survive so it is up to them to rebuild a civilization that neither persecutes intellectuals nor infringes personal freedoms. 3. Conclusion Since Bradburys novel is more than 50 years old today, the question, whether its social criticism is still valid today, emerges. To start with, the futuristic media described in Fahrenheit envisioned the popularity of headset radios, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] interactive TV and live new broadcasts (Bruck, p.58) that are in style today. But for the main part of his novel, Bradbury intended to put a critical focus on entertainment and the resulting alienation within society. In this context, the currently discussed effects of excessive media consumption are comparable to those described in Fahrenheit. For example, persons who are addicted to computer games give up all their personal contacts. Connected with the media, the novel also addresses the manipulative use of it that persists down to the present day. For instance, advertising still tries to influence people and most of them are not aware of it. Another point of Bradburys media criticism refers to the use of television in classes and the lacking education of adolescents. As most of the young people today rather use modern media in their leisure than spending their time reading books, Bradbury was right in foreseeing that the reading levels will drop. However, concerning the fear of the nuclear arms race during the Cold War, the social criticism in Fahrenheit is not up to date anymore. Cold War ended in 1990 and the U.N. pursues a disarmament policy to reduce the number of high tech weapons. But what is frightening about those weapons today is the question to which extent they would pose a threat to mankind if they fell into the hands of terrorists. In his novel, Bradbury also criticized the infringement of the expression of opinion as he envisioned a world where dissident individuals were punished. Today, such an oppressive climate still prevails in North Korea and other totalitarian regimes that enforce censorship. But in America, everybody is free to say what she is thinking. The book burnings mentioned in the novel represent a strong measure of governmental censorship, whereas in modern-day America, the American Library Association promotes intellectual freedom (American Library Association). But nevertheless, some scandalous books are still banned from schools and public libraries So all in all, the social criticism contained in Fahrenheit is still valid today to a large extent.

Current Issues in United States History Essay

The article, Mentoring Experiences of Women in Graduate Education: Factors that Matter, focuses on women’s relational approaches which are affected by their gender socialization. The said article studies the various subjective experiences a woman encounters when teaching, counseling and mentoring. It also explores the different aspects that contribute to these experiences exclusive to women in graduate school, the costs and benefits of these relationships for women, and the women’s role models in the familial and professional areas. The article takes on a feminist approach as it differentiates the traditional male to male mentoring relationships from that of the women’s. It asserts that in the male to male relationships, there is an acceptance of patriarchal and hierarchal organization. On the contrary, the women employ a more relational approach, which gives value to the emotional factor involved in the female relationships. But presently, the prevailing standard employed by mentoring environments is that of a traditional patriarchal environment. It can therefore be said that women in mentoring fields are currently in struggle with the prevailing norms. The article undertook a study which aimed to investigate factors that affect women’s mentoring gender socialization. The study yielded seven key topics which suggest that female undergraduate students and their faculty members share same views about their respective mentoring experiences as well as views in the mentoring field. They all commonly voiced their desire for an empowering relationship. This, according to the surveyed collegiate students and teachers, is illustrated by the kind assistance, â€Å"CURRENT ISSUES IN UNITED STATES HISTORY† PAGE #2 inspiration, faith, pride, cooperative hand, and personal growth they gain from these student-teacher relationships. Also, the study explores the sense of obligation that both sides feel for each other, the overall mentor’s investment in the student-teacher relationship (personal/emotional, professional development, time/availability, and financial investment), the factors that affect the growth of their relationship towards each other, and their capacity to balance of their own personal and professional life, experiences in the male mentoring domain, and peer mentoring. The study’s results depict the multi-dimensionality of the women mentors’ needs in order to be successful in their personal and professional mentoring careers. The study also showed that these needs did not alter when compared with the past researches on the same subject. Also, this study suggests that women, in general, have corresponding views (and at the same time) distinct desires to their mentoring relationships in contrast to the more traditional, patriarchal setting typified by the male to male mentoring conditions. Generally speaking, the study only focused on the mentoring experiences’ good points. Unfortunately, it did not include the hardships that women encounter with regards to their being women. It did not tackle the prejudice that women are subjected to in the patriarchal education system. If only the study explored that particular downside, the study would be so much useful and practical. But all in all, the study would indeed be important for reflection on our current educational system with regards to the women in a male dominated field. REFERENCE Rayle A. D. , Bordes V. , Zapata A. , Arrendondo P. , Rutter M. , Howard C. (2006, May). Mentoring Experiences of Women in Graduate Education: Factors that Matter. Current Issues in Education [On-line], 9(6). http://cie. ed. asu. edu/volume9/number6/

Unbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on Common App Essay Failure Samples

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