Extraction And Visualisation Of The Kiwi Fruit And...

Title: Extraction and Visualisation of the Kiwi Fruit and Strawberry Fruit DNA Introduction: All organisms have DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) in the nuclei of their cells. The aim of this experiment is to extract this DNA using common household detergent to breakdown the cellular membrane then through the use of ethanol to extract the DNA from the Kiwi and Strawberry fruit. After the DNA has been extracted the DNA will be visualised by agarose gel electrophoresis which is done by adding a dye to the extracted DNA then being placed in the gel, once the negatively charged DNA has been placed in the gel it will slowly move towards the positively charged end (anode) then is viewed under an ultraviolet light then compared to the control of known lengths of DNA to show the size of the unknown DNA samples. Materials Methods: The requirements for this practical are a small sample of diced kiwi fruit, detergent, zip lock bag, 1-10mL auto-pipette, chux cloth, water, funnel, conical flask, 15mL test tube, ice (in esky), texter, ethanol, small plastic hook, 1.5mL eppendorf tube, micro-centrifuge, paper towel, 10-200uL auto-pipette, distilled water, heat block capable of reaching 55⠁ °C, agarose gel, intact plasmid (pBluescript), salt, linearized plasmid (cut once), linearized plasmid (cut twice) cut with restriction enzymes, tips for both 10-200uL and the 1-10mL auto-pipettes, safety glasses, an ultra-violet light and a camera to capture the results are needed to complete the experiment.

Science And Mind Altering Drugs - 1549 Words

Mankind has become more intellectual and creative than ever before. The human has learned to adapt and learn new ways of crafting society to be more functional. New sciences and technologies have developed at an exponential rate and then those new ideas blossom off of other ideas. This growth of ideas is similar to the process of dialectic. As this idea develops, counter ideas known as antithesis develop. The thesis and antithesis struggle between one another and convey about a new idea called a synthesis. The Synthesis contains the best of both, but creates a new antithesis as the synthesis ages. Various sciences have gone deep into human research and the makeup of the human anatomy. Scientists have become further innovative and have been able to clone people and make designer babies. Certain drugs and enhancements can also alter the way we act and think as human beings. Amid all these new alterations and being able to create life we have to ask ourselves, what is a human person? B efore advanced science and mind altering drugs people would say in many instances that the person is a mind and a soul. There are many different definitions for what a ‘person’ or in many cases what a ‘human being’ is. I decided the best definition for a person to use would be the philosophical definition, which, is a self-conscious or rational being. This is a definition that makes us try to understand what is and what isn’t a person. However, this definition is simple and shouldn’t be our onlyShow MoreRelatedTotalitarianism in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell1270 Words   |  5 Pagestotalitarianism, which is a political system in which the state holds total authority over the society. First developed in 1920 by the Italian fascists, and in particular Benito Mussolini, who ruled Italy for over twenty years, totalitarianism embossed the minds of those who lived under it. This system was conceptualize d mainly to highlight the similarities between Nazi Germany and other fascist states. There’s one underlying difference that one must understand for one to assess the restrictions that totalitarianismRead MoreAddiction: a Three Part Disease1072 Words   |  5 PagesDisease Addiction can be separated into three categories: mind (neurological), body (physical), and spirit (psychological). Within in this breakdown addiction can possibly be explained and properly understood. In order to better understand addiction as a disease as opposed to a moral dilemma it first must be broken down. First you must look at the way in which the chemicals affect the brain. The first attempt at partaking in any mind altering substance can be looked at as a choice to the individualRead MoreBenefits of Medical Marijuana Essay625 Words   |  3 Pagesseeds from a hemp plant called Cannibas(science of drug abuse and addiction). Cannibas is a hemp plant that described different substances that was created from Indian hemp, including marijuana and hash. A chemical, known as THC, created this marijuana. THC stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. This chemical is a mind-altering chemical(science of drug abuse and addiction). Basically what that means is that this chemical is a malformed of how the mind recognizes the world(What is marijuana)Read MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conductedRead MoreEthics in Science: Antidepressants1083 Words   |  4 Pagesstories and experiences to tell. As society progresses, we are having more and more control over the human brain. Science is perceived as a naturally neutral ground when it comes to ethics, their discoveries are completely dependent on knowledge as opposed to what’s right and what’s wrong, which does, and will continue to raise the ongoing question of how far we’re willing to go. â€Å"Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be,† Albert Einstein said, â€Å"and outside of its domain value, judgmentsRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Its Effects On Society1285 Words   |  6 Pageshundreds of years ago the use of many of these substances was considered widely acceptable and the norm, modern science and medicine has uncovered the harmful effects that these drugs can cause when they are abused and can lead to addiction and dangerous behaviors in society. In the United States, the first of the many laws to regulate and control addictive drugs was the Pure Food and Drug Act in 190 6, which required the correct labeling of medicines that contained opiates. In 1914 the Harrison NarcoticRead MoreA New Dystopia By George Orwell1372 Words   |  6 Pagesour society. Will it be the brute force, boot and gun approach of Orwell s dystopia or the all-loving, drug-accepting society that Huxley illustrates? If you take a closer look, a mix of both dystopias is quite apparent in our society today; we are living in our own modern, advanced and constantly developing dystopia. The topics discussed in these two novels cover a variety of subjects, sex, drugs, freedom, religion and beliefs, and life in general. Both have their own idea of what outcome these topicsRead MoreA Research Study Of Medicine1428 Words   |  6 Pagesrelieves symptoms or if it does not; but if it did then it would be considered as a workable treatment. An exercise and drug only treatment would tell me if a depressed patient could stay on their medication while on the exercise treatment and still get promising results. A drug only treatment would tell me if antidepressants actually work on patient, and if not’ why? With these things in mind, it leads me to my final question; can cardiovascular/aerobic exercise improve the treatment of depression? Read MoreCompatibility between Psychological Theories and Methodology1115 Words   |  4 PagesA commonly asked question is â€Å"what is psychology?† Even though there is no set definition there are a wide range of answers to this which consist of: the study of the mind, influence of the brain, our behaviour or even a combination of all of them. Each psychological perspective is reinforced by numerous set of assumptions of what people are like, what is important to study and how to study the issue at hand. Some psychologists will look at biological studies of the brain, other may explore howRead MoreDrugs And Its Effects On The Brain884 Words   |  4 PagesMany psychiatric and psychoactive drugs that are available on the market, pharmaceutically or illegally, closely resemble neurotransmitters and are actually able to mimic it to the extent that it fools the receptors. Basically, these drugs hijack the neurotransmitters. Once these drugs are ingested, it enters into the brain, gets into the synapse and binds itself to the receptor. This then causes the inappropriate release of neurotransmitters and alter the breakdown and recycling of neurotransmitters

Pathophysiology Cardiovascular Diseases

Question: Write an essay on Cardiovascular Diseases? Answer: Cardiovascular diseases have become a common disease in recent times. There are several factors that are associated with the development of the disease and these include genetic factor, high blood pressure and cholesterol. The involvement of genetic factor can be determined either from the genetic tests or from the family history. The disease can be developed either through the mutation of the gene or from any inherited mutated gene. A person having a family history of cardiovascular disease is prone to the development of the disease due to the inherited genetic factors. In these cases, it is recommended to adapt some measures in order to decrease the risk of getting the disease. According to Baker (1997), the disease can be caused by a single gene or many genes can associate to cause a disease. Another factor that is associated with the inherited diseases include whether the inherited gene is dominant or recessive (Your gene your choices, ch-2, p 19). If the gene is recessive, then the chance of development of the diseases is very low, again if the gene is dominant, then there is increased risk of disease development. The strength of the gene is another factor, in which stronger expression is associated with increased risk (Your gene your choices, ch-3, p 30). Changing the lifestyle of a person with inherited risk of developing cardiovascular disease can help the person to avoid heart attack or stroke. The lifestyle factors that increase the risk include tobacco smoking, lack of physical activity and having high fat diets (Heidemann et al., 2007). All these factors are associated with increased risk. Changing these life style habits is associated with the reduced risk, greater life span and better life. The studies have shown that about 10% of all cardiovascular disease is due to smoking. There is an increased risk of 25- 30% in persons who smoke (World-heart-federation.org, 2015). References: Heidemann, C., Hoffmann, K., Klipstein-Grobusch, K., Weikert, C., Pischon, T., Hense, H., Boeing, H. (2007). Potentially modifiable classic risk factors and their impact on incident myocardial infarction: results from the EPICPotsdam study. European Journal Of Cardiovascular Prevention Rehabilitation, 14(1), 65-71. doi:10.1097/01.hjr.0000238392.19847.4c World-heart-federation.org,. (2015). Tobacco: the totally avoidable risk factor of cardiovascular disease | World Heart Federation. Retrieved 12 June 2015, from https://www.world-heart-federation.org/press/fact-sheets/tobacco-totally-avoidable-risk-factor-of-cvd/ Baker, C. (1997). Your genes, your choices. Washington: American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Full Monty Film

The Full Monty is a unique piece of virtual production in that superbly it captures the imagination of its audience. With unique and diversified production the movie stands as one of the few clearly polished and refined cinematic productions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Full Monty Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is supported by the films smooth editing, clear pictures and audible sound. More so, the story line is easy to follow and relate with the action backdrops. The uniqueness of the film lies in that it’s sensational and it has a simple tone that is easily identifies with common public. The plotline is structured along the venues of drama and this makes this production to attain theatrical tone. In addition the manner the characters have been developed and allotted diverse roles borders on theatre. The core attributes that makes this production to border on theatrical perspective rel ates to the manner the producer created loveable characters. This is achieved by interweaving their individual challenges with the plot, and then have their challenges tackled within the extent of the very last five minutes. Also, Gaz, the lead character exposes theatrical dynamism which gives the play a touch of real theatre. The comical aspects also make the production to expose its theatrical side. Basically, the cast generates to a great deal the dynamics associated with conventional play which deviates from the screen. The Full Monty is predominantly set in a distinct location in England. The production exposes it cinematic platform in the manner the directors incorporates the diverse post-production aspects such as editing, lighting, location and continuity. These attributes makes the film to have a distinct taste and tone that resonates with the plot and theme of the film. Therefore, the major cinematic features of the film entails diverse use of both sound and light effects, use of amplified props to create a diverse scenes as well as using core camera moves such as panning, zooming and tilting to give the characters distinct attributes.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The amplification of terrific scenes gives the movie the fine glamour that sets it again the natural backdrop associated with Sheffield. Also the manner the sound is projected gives the movies dialogue a more profound edge. Compared to such production as Chicago, A Few Good Men, the film is definitely hilarious and well developed. Regarding its pictorial attributes it has friendly screen resolutions and the color, language as well as the entire composition is friendly. This is complimented by a dialogue that takes the audience through the films plot with an equal degree of witty repartee including a heartfelt emotion. This demonstrates that the film producers as well as the directors managed to replicate the conventional life correlated with the Sheffield community. However, the use of extreme comics in some instances contributed in making this film to less successful. It should be noted that the film is in essence a British comedy that revolves around a story of six unemployed males, among them being for steel workers who opts to create a male striptease as to raise adequate funds to move to another place. Though, the film is hilarious, poor setting and background preference did not augur well with non-British viewers. It should be noted that the replication of Sheffield in the film is different from the Sheffield on the ground. Despite the fact that the film was shot on location, it fails in some scenes to bond the aspects of tragedy, comradeship, employment and personal relationships in a more comical manner. Also, some of the apparent scenes exposes run down areas which do not form any part of Sheffield. Therefore, the real picture of Sheffield is not carrie d adequately in the movie.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Full Monty Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The success story of the film can be attributed to the sensational scenes. It ought to be noted that the movie opens up with a critical insight into the 25 years down the line of prosperous Sheffield. Then it catapults 25 later to ghost industrial town where survival borders on chance after the steel factory was closed. The dramatic aspects which are eye catching begins to unfold where Gaz illustrates the challenges of unemployment with the poster of Chippendale Dancers. The manner the lead characters embraces the ideas fronted by Gaz made the film an instant hit. Also, the diverse awkward and funny scenes generated in the movie played a critical role in making a success. Some of these scenes include Gaz performing a striptease in an abandoned old garage illustrating how it is done to his counterparts. Gaz moves are incredible and captivating and this makes it a must watch comedy. By laughing at themselves the characters injected a desire to watch the film again and again. Hence, the awkward circumstances the film exposed paved the way for its success among the British viewers. Given a similar treatment to such productions as Doubt, Proof, Hamlet, Chicago, or A Few Good Men, The Full Monty stands as a classic piece. This is testified by the manner diverse camera and artistic attributes were incorporated to give the film a comical touch. However, the only challenge is the piece ends abruptly which is not favorably with the viewers. This essay on The Full Monty Film was written and submitted by user Francis Huffman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Article for Non Experts Artificial Intelligence

Article for Non Experts Artificial Intelligence Introduction Calculators cannot be regarded as intelligent machines since they are not capable of working in the absence of human beings and cannot be taught. They are basically made to solve problems that people can readily solve. Regardless of speed and the complexity of mathematical problems that they can solve, all that they do is to accept some input and generate desired output.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Article for Non Experts: Artificial Intelligence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They may be fast but that does not mean they are intelligent since they only generate what was previously programmed and fed into them. According to Levy (2010) â€Å"the aim of Artificial Intelligence is not to regurgitate what has previously been programmed by merely solving a problem. Artificial Intelligence should instead help humans come up with entirely new and different ways of solving problems†. Unlike other disciplines that are well defined, Artificial Intelligence (AI) lacks clear details that can readily make it to be understandable. We all know how easy it is to distinguish between chemistry, physics, astronomy, biology, mathematics, languages, art, and music because all these disciplines are well defined (Russell and Norvig, 2006). There lacks clear definition of AI that can be widely accepted, in other words AI lacks clearly defined goals. Artificial Intelligent systems should be able to learn from experience with the aim of improving themselves, in other words, intelligent machines should be those that are capable of learning. History of Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence may seem to some to be one of the recent subjects of study given its close association with computer technology. On the contrary, AI has a long history which can be traced back to imagination, philosophy and fiction. Disciplines such as engineering, electronics and others that were invented long ago have had their fare share of influence on AI. Historically, people are know to have applied the use of AI in areas like learning, deduction, and knowledge representation as well as translation, associative memory, theorem translation etc. Artificial Intelligence has historically existed in the realms of theory. It all began when Homer wrote some mechanical articles about â€Å"tripods† waiting to serve the gods at dinner, thus, imaginary mechanical characters have been part of human culture from antiquity.Advertising Looking for article on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, it’s only after renaissance about half a century ago that the AI scientists undertook to build machines that imitated human thought and intelligent behavior with the aim of testing whether Homers theories could be put to practice. As demonstrated in some films like the terminator, Robocop, transformers and ot hers, prospect of machines that can mimic human beings remains in the future but discussion on the implication of such a reality should be encouraged at whatever cost (Levy, 2010). With an earth whose population has hit a record high of over seven billion and still rising, problems facing humanity are bound to escalate. Terrorism, diseases without cure, global warming, and increasing cases of financial insecurity even among the developing countries as demonstrated by movements like we are the ninety nine percent can overwhelm human beings at some point in future. Perhaps the invention of intelligent mechanical beings can be the only solution to social, economical and political woes that may overwhelm humanity. Like the ancient philosophers, should not the modern human being who relies on machines more than ever before stretch his imaginations once more and save humanity from a hoard of current and future problems that are all so real? Perhaps governments will some day be required to relocate people to some other planet due to overpopulation on earth. Descartes who is a famous philosopher suggested the possibility of inventing intelligent machines to help human beings discover who they truly are. Machines can eventually help bring about actual civilization by eliminating limitations of human intelligence that is prone to bias and that can be easily corrupted. Mechanical men designed to reason like human beings can help eliminate inefficiency in human institutions. They can be used to settle disputes in courts by using mechanical reasoning devices that use rules of logic. Prior to the invention of calculators, mathematics was a preserve for the few. Its invention did not render the mathematicians obsolete but strengthened their skills all the more and made it possible for many more others to learn the discipline much efficiently and effectively thereby improving humanities output or productivity. In Jewish folklore, there is this artificially created being calle d Golem that is akin to Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Such imaginary characters have always fascinated human imagination. However, such characters have always fueled irrational fear of intelligent machines among people. The first machine that seemed to emulate human thought was the chess playing machine invented in eighteenth century. Chess is a game that is intellectually demanding since it requires application of too much thought. People often believed that Turk was able to think on its own and thought that the machine could play against a human counterpart on its own.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Article for Non Experts: Artificial Intelligence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, unlike other people, a newspaper writer was able to observe that Turk was a machine since it played so well. It made flawless moves. Imagine a society where no professional ever made a mistake, would it not be perfect and ideal for human existence. Diplomatic rows would be solved free of human emotion and would be based on tradeoffs or win win solutions thereby making wars to be a thing of the past. No one would ever have to lose his life because of misdiagnosis by a doctor or faulty sentence handed over by a judge to an innocent citizen. The initial studies of AI involved chess which was used for studying inference. In 1997, AI proved to be no maniac’s delusional imagination when the world chess champion, Gary Kasparov was defeated by Deep Blue Program designed to test relevance of artificial intelligence. Buddhist views on Artificial Intelligence Philosophy plays a major role in determining what direction is taken by the AI researchers. It is well understood that AI systems cannot be built in the absence of undivided attention from human mind given the very nature of the subject. Another thing that one ought to bear in mind is that AI is a multi-disciplinary subject that requires close cons ultations among stakeholders from all other disciplines. Given that Human mind is the most intelligent thing on record, researchers naturally applies the knowledge they have gathered so far concerning its workings in building AI systems. According to Hagen (1999) â€Å"the Buddhist perspective on AI is a controversial one given the belief that the only way an individual can achieve enlightment is by suppressing every plan and calculation made by the mind â€Å". According to Buddhism, an enlightened individual is devoid of common intelligence that shows how the world is made of interacting parts. The individual sees the world differently, he does not plan, classify, build mental assumptions to accommodate his observations and cares little if his actions should succeed or fail. Contrary to this belief, AI researchers’ endeavors to equip their systems with the ability to learn from past observations or with knowledge derived from day today experiences of the researchers thems elves. Artificial Intelligence systems use bits or parts of different information to arrive at decisions. This means that when designing an AI system, one cannot help but divide the world into interacting parts that can either be relevant or irrelevant depending on the decisions that are to be made by the system. All successful robots and programs are based on this premise. Despite their usefulness to human and environment, Buddhists consider this to be against the natural state of human mind (Hagen, 1999).Advertising Looking for article on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Buddhism teaches that all is flux and nothing abides. According to this principle there is no rule or regulation that can be applied constantly with success since change cannot be stopped from taking place by words written in any language. Any concept becomes obsolete with time. Buddhism teaches that change affects everything including our mind and ego that most people consider to be constant. This means that there can be perceptions without a perceiver or feelings without a feeler, interesting indeed (Hagen, 1999). Buddhism teaches that everything is intimately interconnected and that reality cannot be a composition of parts. This means that everything is everything else. Thus, subdividing reality into parts will eventually provide wrong results. This concept is referred to as chaotic system. This kind of system cannot be divided into parts with limited controllable interaction. In such a system, work input does not equal work output since a minor change in output can lead to outpu t that is non-proportionately big and with unpredictable changes. An example of such a system is the weather. Predicting weather often involves segmenting a certain area of interest into smaller parts and then applying simplified rules to each section. The results obtained from each section are combined and calculation of effects of each part of the other parts is done. However, it is a well known fact that not even the strongest of the super computers ever get to produce accurate weather predictions. According to Buddhism, it would be impossible to predict the weather by splitting it into parts. The only way of predicting it would be by considering it to be part of a whole. This means that one must take into account everything that can directly or indirectly affect the weather, such as the motion of an insect, heat generated by bacteria or even the light emitted by distant galaxies which has the potential of increasing the energy of a few air molecules. According to Buddhism, an in telligent machine can only be created when it is given both the power to think and to become enlightened. Creating a mind that can be enlightened can be a real challenge for developers of AI systems. Artificial Intelligence and Global Risk The greatest mistake that is often made by people is to assume too quickly that they understand something. Most people profess to understand the concept of genetically modified organisms, evolution and even artificial intelligence. Advocates of AI agree that AI is known for promising so much while at the same time delivering too little. AI is certainly not a simple subject, but people often treat it as some sort of fantasy subject that requires little or no attention. This is embarrassing indeed. Consider other disciplines like astronomy whose reputation never gets ruined by promising to create stars from hydrogen and then failing to create even a tiny one. This clearly shows that AI is not a complicated discipline but rather people tend to think they know a lot about it than they actually do. Villains, dignified men, men of collar you name them, none if asked to press a button that would lead to total destruction of the world would ever agree. They all need a platform from where each can carry out his noble or ignoble duties. Speaking thus, the destruction of the world would definitely be more of an accident than design. Human thought works in a way that allows it to provide accurate or approximate answers. People can easily tell what risks are capable of causing deaths more than others. However, when asked to be precise, they tend to overestimate risks that cause few deaths and underestimate those that can cause more deaths. This shows that human thought is often faced with the risk of making errors. Once a group of people were asked by a researcher to estimate the likely causes of deaths in United States, majority of them noted down that homicide caused more deaths than diabetes. Other studies have consistently proven tha t human judgment cannot be free of errors. Reports from various quarters noted that people were unwilling to buy flood insurance policies even when they were heavily subsidized. People tend to underestimate threats that can jeopardize their lives due to floods. They are simply not able to conceptualize or imagine a threat that has never taken place (Levy 2010). People living in flood prone areas will often take comfort of levees and dams built to control floods. However, what they forget is that serious damage could occur should a single uncontrollable flood strike. If people get used to controlling minor threats, they soon become reluctant and tend to treat the occurrence of major hazards as unlikely. Talk of dangers that threaten the very existence of man and nobody will take you serious for no such danger has ever faced humanity. Can machines use thought to assist human beings? The search for intelligent life in outer space is nothing new. Through Search for Extra Terrestrial Int elligence program or SETI, scientists have tried without success to determine whether other animals other than man possess intelligence or whether there is possibility of intelligent beings that live in outer space. All these efforts have born no fruit. It must feel lonely indeed being the only beings who are self aware in the universe. There are numerous fiction movies like star wars and the likes that suggest the possibility of developing artificial intelligence in machines in incredible ways. If anything, achieving such levels of intelligence in machines is still a pipe dream that is yet to be achieved. This does not mean that artificial intelligence is not in use today. Factories use robotic arms that can handle delicate tasks. Cars are fitted with micro computers that can detect slight changes in driving style and road conditions. The problem is whether AI researchers are able to come up with intelligent machines that are capable of engaging humans in objective dialogue. To und erstand how this is possible, it would be proper to discuss the difference between people and computers. Logic in man is not equivalent to computer logic which is discrete. This means that a computer cannot give you any other answer other than a single answer that it was initially programmed to give. This makes it possible to easily plot a computer’s decisions on a decision tree. Each set of discreet decisions taken is represented by a single node. This gives ability to the computer system to be able to search and understand every single one of these decisions. On the other hand, people do not make static decisions. For instance, if a group of persons were to be asked to state whether Lake X which is 960 feet deep is deep or not they can either give a yes or no answer. This kind of logic referred to as fuzzy logic is certainly not solid. It is mostly based on an individual’s opinion. For a computer, the answer is definite. The answer given b y the computer will have be en obtained from some programmed rule like, â€Å"Less than 500 feet shallow, yes, more than 500 feet, deep, and no†. Humans are what they are today as a result of millions of years of evolution. Creating a machine with all human ability within a short period of time would definitely be a daunting task given all the stages that humans had to go through. Intelligent machines would therefore have to undergo evolutionary processes similar to those of humans in order for them to gain from enough experience and obtain intelligence equivalent to that of humans. Measuring amount of intelligence obtained through a certain degree of evolution can be quite difficult. 60 years ago, a method to determine the level of machine intelligence in comparison to that of man was invented and given the name Turing Test. Turing Test Alison MathisonTuring is a scholar who happened to be an outstanding mathematician. He wanted to establish whether it was possible for computer program to possess intel ligence. He devised certain rules that would enable him accomplish his task. The rules were in form of a game commonly called the game of imitation. It involves a group of three people playing together, (A) a man, (B) a woman, and (C) an interrogator who can either be a male or female. C is locked in a room separate from the rest. The interrogator is supposed to identify between A and B which is the machine and who is a person. C does not know the exact names of A and B since they have been labeled X and Y respectively. The interrogator is supposed to say what he or she thinks of x and Y i.e. X = A or X= B, and Y =A or Y=B. The interrogator asks A and B questions (Penrose, etal, 2009). Turing suggested that if the responses of a computer were real enough, it would be impossible to distinguish between the real person and the computer. People have always wondered whether Turing test was designed to test the smartness of a human as opposed to machine intelligence of fooling the interro gator. Turing test has been used to develop most of the modern chat programs that tends to fool a person that they are conversing with a human. The person conversing with a human and a machine is made to believe before the game starts that he will be playing with a man and a woman. When the game is over, he or she is asked to state what player between A and B he or she would assign machine status. If the integrator is unable to tell the difference between the machine (advanced computer) and human, then the computer is deemed to have passed intelligence test (Levy, 2010). The test normally takes five minutes. Scholars have argued that this test cannot be used to define artificial intelligence for a number of reasons: A computer can imitate human behavior but not necessarily true intelligence. A computer can be intelligent but not able to chat like a real person. Turing Test Turing Test cannot articulate consciousness in a machine. Humans sometimes exhibit totally irrational, cha otic, unpredictable and unintelligent behavior. There is also some intelligent behavior that is uncharacteristic of human nature. Artificial intelligence can be faced with major setbacks indeed. For instance would such machines be able to experience pain and pleasure, make generalizations, generate ideas, use commonsense and so on. Such questions can make the idea of trying to build artificial intelligent systems to seem absolutely ludicrous. Does this mean that efforts to create artificial intelligent systems should be abandoned, absolutely not? One cannot understand something that cannot be created. Artificial Intelligence Case Study Somewhere in St. Leo Laboratory, Eddie Brown is fine tuning the behavior of a machine. Scattered around him is a horde of robots some of which resemble small all-terrain motor vehicles. They appear to be kind of lifeless and slow pieces of electronic gadgets. However, these contraptions are kind of curious in that reason bout the environment and react to surrounding changes. Literary speaking, these machines can â€Å"think†. Eddie, a senior artificial intelligence researcher compares the minds of these contraptions to those of knowledgeable insects that have learned to survive. A housefly is intelligent in that it is able to adapt to surroundings by doing those things which it can do well so as to increase its chances of survival. Eddie states that, going by that definition of intelligence, these robots are smart. Researcher Eddie (left) In a different Laboratory located elsewhere, Eddie collaborates with fellow researchers in the school of computing to build artificial intelligent systems that can make complicated decisions. These researchers have been charged with the task of exploring new applications. This is a project of DARPA or defense advanced Research Projects agency. The robots designed should be able to perform two important tasks. First, they should be able to learn from the researchers how to search for bio logical hazards in rooms. Second, they should be able to detect, intercept and destroy a moving enemy target. The robots should be able to perform these tasks without any assistance from the researchers. Most universities focus on building robots with low-level performance with basic system guided movements. There are some that embark on projects to build machines with a higher level of reasoning. Researchers in Georgia school of computing are doing everything to integrate the different levels of functionality to build robots with human like behavior for use by private sector and the military (Brooks, 2009). Building machines which simulate human knowledge and awareness is no mean task. Consider the case of a common human driver on a highway or a route he or she is used to. This person will drive along at ease without being conscious of the act of driving. This is called reflexive behavior. However, if the driver gets lost, he becomes conscious of driving as he or she tries to find the way out. This is called cognitive reasoning. The artificial intelligence researchers endeavor to make intelligent machines that can think and act as well as be able to learn and apply the required skills. This task lies squarely within the jurisdiction of specialists who can develop high level, behavior based software for robots. This system of software borrows heavily from neuroscience and psychology. Eddie uses this set of software to control hardware. Sensors are used to enhance both the software and the hardware and help develop and sustain methods through which robots can acquire and process data that they are able to perceive in real time using data and other information from global positioning satellite. Conclusion Just like humans, intelligent machines in the foregoing case can be assisted to gain knowledge through the use of various techniques. The most common technique if the Learning Momentum which was discovered by a person called Arkin and his team mates. The robot is taught that if a behavior has nothing wrong with it, then it should continue repeating it. The other technique is the reinforcement technique. This is just like the stick and carrot technique used to teach kids. Computer generated rewards are used to encourage the robot every time it makes good decisions thereby making it continue repeating the same. The foregoing project undertakes to investigate ways through which intelligent systems can get to interact with humans by instilling psychological properties in them. Other than the project that was just discussed, researchers from the College of Computing have undertaken to develop a group of 100 miniature robots to imitate a large scale system that includes different genre of machines, humans and robots. The group of robots is expected to work together in an environment they are not used to and which is subject to change from time to time. Sensors are allowed to be erroneous and able to gather information from different points. The sensors should be able to help the robots detect the movement and position of their counterparts. This acts as the principle means of cooperation and communication. This system is akin to that found in a colony of termites or bees. The robots will be able to act properly after a long duration of time since they will have been able to identify wrong moves made due to sensor errors. In other words the robots will have used intelligence to solve movement and spatial problems. Hindrances to advancement in the field of artificial intelligence range from intelligence, ethical, conscience, perception, locomotion and power storage (Russell and Norvig, 2006). References Brooks, R. (2009). Intelligence without representation . The Case Study of Artificial  Intelligence. 5 (47), 7-23 Hagen, S. (1999) Buddhism Plain simple, New York, NY: Broadway Books. Levy, S. (2010) Artificial Life: a Quest for a New Creation, New York, NY: Pantheon Books. Penrose, R., Shimony, A., Cartwright, S., Alfred o, H. (2009) The Small, The Large, and  The Human Mind, New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Russell, S. and Norvig, O. (2006), Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Beginner German Mistake der Freund

Beginner German Mistake der Freund The word Freund in German is at times ambiguous since it can mean either friend or boyfriend. The same with Freundin, which can mean either a female friend or a girlfriend. The use of der Freund/ die Freundin relies on contextual cues to give you an accurate meaning. Consider the Following Sentences Er ist mein bester FreundMein amerikanischer FreundMein Freund HeinzEr ist ein Freund fà ¼rs LebenWir sind FreundeEr ist ein Freund von mirEr ist mein FreundEr ist ein FreundEinen festen Freund habenEin echter FreundMein echter freundHast du einen Freund?Ist er dein Freund?Hast du Freunde?Ich war mit einem Freund im Urlaub Which of the above sentences signify â€Å"friend†, which ones â€Å"boyfriend†? Fortunately, Germans have construed set phrases to differentiate between the two. To mean strictly a friend, er ist ein Freund/ sie ist eine Freundin von mir is usually said. To add more â€Å"amore†, then the possessive pronoun will be used: er ist mein Freund/sie ist meine Freundin. If you want to talk in general about a boyfriend/girlfriend, simply einen Freund haben/eine Freundin haben or einen festen Freund haben/ eine feste Freundin haben will do. For example, if you wanted to ask somebody if she has a boyfriend, you could say either Hast du einen festen Freund? or Hast du einen Freund? But remember above all, context is key. Avoid the Embarrassment In order to not mix up a friend with a boyfriend and avoid some eyebrow raising, a good rule of thumb to keep would be the following: Usually anything with a possessive pronoun such as mein (except for mein bester Freund and other phrases, see below), and fest can be safely considered to be boyfriend territory. Take note however that women are more apt to call their female friends meine Freundin, whereas men prefer to introduce their male friends as ein Freund von mir. The term ein Freund (without von mir tagged behind it) can be interpreted either way depending on the context and the speaker’s intent. Keeping all this in mind, the aforementioned phrases could be translated as follows: Er ist mein bester Freund. (He is my best friend.)Mein amerikanischer Freund. (My American boyfriend)Mein Freund Heinz. (My boyfriend Heinz)Er ist ein Freund fà ¼rs Leben. (He is a friend for life.)Wir sind Freunde. (We are friends.)Er ist ein Freund von mir. (He is a friend of mine.)Er ist mein Freund. (He is my boyfriend.)Mein guter Freund. (My good friend.)Er ist ein Freund. (He is a friend.)Einen festen Freund haben. (To have a boyfriend.)Ein echter Freund. (A true friend.)Mein echter Freund. (My true friend/My real boyfriend.)Hast du einen Freund? (Do you have a boyfriend?)Ist er dein Freund? (Is he your boyfriend?)Hast du Freunde? (Do you have friends?)Ich war mit einem Freund im Urlaub. (I was on vacation with a friend.) Why the Ambiguity? It is interesting to note that the Old High German word for Freund, namely friunt as well as the Middle High German vriunt was used interchangeably with both close friends and relatives even up till the 1700s. The meaning of Freund can be traced back to the pre-Old High German word frijond which was the present participle of the verb frijon, ‘to love’. Further, Germans tend to use the word Freund less liberally than Americans, since ein Freund is really reserved for close friends. In less close-knit friendships, the other person is often considered by Germans to be â€Å"ein Bekannter† or â€Å"ein Kumpel.† Synonyms for Freund: der Kamerad, der Kumpel, der Kollege, der Gefhrte, die/der Atze (Berlin).Synonyms for Freund as Boyfriend/Girlfriend: der Geliebte/die Geliebte, der Lebenspartner/ die Lebenspartnerin, der Lebensgefhrte/ die Lebensgefhrtin.Expressions with Freund: das Freund-Feind-Denken an â€Å"if you’re not for us, you’re against us† way of thinkingDas habe ich ihm unter Freunden gesagt that was just between the two of us

World Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

World Bank - Essay Example The fundamental role of the Bank has undergone various conflicting opinions. Some of the shareholding countries borrow from it while others may provide fund. It is a financial intermediary working for the advancement of the national interest of the countries. The project brings forth the role of World Bank towards the international public policy management in the present scenario. It includes conflict prevention and changing international environment, fighting poverty, the health and food provisions for the poor countries, monitoring various socio-economic conditions, helping for improving global trading, project structuring and its monitoring and much more. World Bank has various international public policies and instruments which are used for the betterment of various countries especially in the conflict affected countries. It works at different levels according to the different phases of conflicts, analyzing them and implementing those into strategies and programs. One of the special measures taken is for poverty reduction and other for the Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS). For the implementation of these policies and instruments the Bank has started for the Watching Brief where normal Bank assistance will not be possible; e.g. Haiti, Somalia, Sudan. It would allow the Bank to maintain minimum level of engagement, to monitor evolving socioeconomic conditions as well as the prospects to change. This would allow the Bank to re-engage with additional activities whenever needed or asked by the countries. (AEA, 2004)1 Another policy adopted by World Bank is the Transitional Support Strategy (TSS). It is a short to medium term Bank assistance strategy for the countries that do not have Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) or the ones that are not still ready for CAS e.g.: Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste while in transition from conflict. The main objective of this policy is peace and recovery along with the needed assistance. With the stages of Watching Brief and TSS the World Bank would be able to assist even under full fledged CAS. These three levels of engagement are set out in OP/BP 2.30 and provide enough flexibility to the Bank for its involvement and assistance. CPR unit has also developed a Conflict Analysis Framework (CAF) to help Bank analyze more systematically while preparing policies, strategies and programs (CPR 2002e).2 World Bank also takes initiatives in project design and its implementation in developing countries. For Example in the recent project assessment for Sri Lanka the lack of sensitivity to any conflict may also constrain World Bank's interventions (World Bank 2003b)3. World Bank and IMF are the world's largest public lenders and help avoiding Great Depression-like economic disasters. But this help comes with strings attached in the form of policy perceptions as "structural adjustment policies". It means across the country privatization of public utilities and publicly owned industries. It focuses resources on growing export crops for industrial countries than supporting family farms for local communities. This has led to serious problems of inequality and environmental destruction in Latin America, Africa and Asia. (WBIMF, 2007) 4