Medieval Inventors And Inventions Essays - Clocks, Creativity

Medieval Inventors And Inventions Medieval Inventors And Inventions The Middle Ages brought forth many inventions. Most inventions, however, were actually invented by workers/smiths as opposed to scientists. Millers invented waterwheels and wind mills to use for energy. Inventions such as the water pump and the wheel barrel also came about in the Middle Ages. In the 13th century glass workers ground lenses to make spectacles. True clocks were invented during the Middle Ages (before that people used sundials which relied on the sun). Sometime during the 14th century springs and gears were used to control hands of clocks, making clocks a great invention of the time. Eventually every town in Europe had a clock in the market square. In 1456 Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press. Before the printing press, books were written by hand, usually by monks. This took enormous amounts of time and money. Very few people at the time could read because the price of books were so high. Once the printing press came around, however, the rate of book making went up and the cost went down. The first book to be printed was a bible. This cut a load of work off of the scribes in the monasteries that previously had to hand write books. It also forced literacy to be come more of a necessity in society. Scientists were also appreciative of the printing press. It allowed the scientists to more easily make copies of their studies and send them to other scientists. The Middle Ages were a great time for the evolution of weapons. The invention of the lance and the saddle improved cavalries. This led to the growth of heavier armor, the breeding of larger horses, and the construction of better castles. The earlier Chinese invention of gunpowder was expanded to manufacture guns (muskets), cannons, and mortars. These things reduced the need for close combat and shields. The agricultural world also had its contributions to the list of medieval inventions. Heavier plows with wheels, horizontal plowshares, and a moldboard were invented, which cut down on manual labor. Three-field crop rotation was invented, moving many farmers to drop the idea of small, individual farming plots and take in the idea of communal patterns of open-field agriculture (social and political evolution aided these changes as well). During the 13th and 14th century, with advances in agricultural evolution, the invention of the spinning wheel came. The spinning wheel improved the production of yarn, cotton, and thread used for cloth. The means of transportation also improved during the medieval times. The invention of the horse shoe, the whiffletree, and the spring carriage made travel easier. Goods were more easily transported, which aided the growth of industry. The invention of the deep keel (the triangular lateen sail) made maneuverability of ships easier. The magnetic compass also made sea travel faster and more efficient. This technology was so advanced for the time that Prince Henry of Portugal established a school to teach navigators how to use all the new machinery. The invention of weight-driven clocks also aided the progression of sea transportation. Galileo Galilei's studies in physics, math, and astronomy brought new thoughts to the science world. Galileo invented a calculating "compass" to be used for solving mathematical problems. In 1906 Galileo heard that the spyglass had been invented in Holland. After he heard this news he made a telescope to the doge of Venice. After that he built a telescope that had a 20x magnification. He used his new invention to discover mountains and craters on the surface of the moon. He also used his telescope to discover the four largest satellites of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and sunspots on the sun. The medieval time period played a large role in social evolution. Without the inventions and discoveries of the Middle Ages, today's technology would not be nearly as advanced as it is. Science would still be based on the Church's ideas and ideals, travel and transportation would be slower, agriculture would be harder, architecture wouldn't be as diverse as it has been throughout time. Even the simple invention of linen undergarments allowed people to design more comfortable and suiting clothes and fabric.

The Rising Value of a College Degree

The Rising Value of a College Degree The cost of getting a college education has risen sharply over the last several years, and a number of students (and their families) may be wondering whether the cost of attending a post-secondary institution is really worth it. Reading news stories or hearing anecdotal tales about recent grads being unable to find work only adds fuel to the fire. When you take a closer look at the facts, a college degree is still a very good investment for students, and it pays off over a persons working life several times over. Instead of questioning the value of higher education, now is the time to ask whether young people can afford to skip this step when planning their future. Average Cost of Tuition When you look at the average cost of tuition at a four-year college, the numbers are nothing less than astounding. For families that have more than one child attending college, they may seem overwhelming. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition for a four-year program at a private college is $29,056 per year. In-state students will pay $8,655 to attend a public four-year college. When you add in other expenses, such as room and board, books, transportation, and other expenses, the full cost of getting a degree from one of the more expensive schools could be more than $200,000. This is a lot of money. The cost of not going to school is much higher. How Much More College Graduates Earn Over Their Lifetime A survey conducted by Pew Research found that Millennials with a college degree who were working full time earned approximately $17,500 more per year than those who had only a high school diploma. ($45,500 as opposed to $28,000). This 38 percent difference in earning power was double what it was in 1965, when the difference between high school and college graduates was only $7,449 (figure adjusted for inflation). The days when someone could graduate from high school and find a good-paying job for life are largely gone. Salaries do increase over time, but adults who hold a bachelors degree will have a larger earning capacity over the course of their career, compared to those who have completed high school only. A study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce called The College Payoff found that adults who hold an undergraduate degree reaped the benefits of a significantly larger boost to their earnings over time. For one thing, college graduates between the ages of 40 and 44 earn, on average, 50 percent more than when they entered the workforce. Workers who have only a high school diploma earn, on average only 25 percent more after 20 years or more in the workforce. A college graduate will likely earn $2.3 million during his or her lifetime, as opposed to $1.3 million for a high school graduate. Going to school for four more years to complete a bachelors degree translates to 74 percent more over a working life than stopping at the high school diploma stage. Other Benefits of Investing in a College Degree Higher earning power is not the only benefit of earning a college degree. College-degree holders are less likely to be out of work than less educated adults. The unemployment rate for college graduates over the age of 25 was 3.4 percent, as opposed to 6.3 percent for those who have only a high school diploma, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data. When you examine figures for new graduates, the figures are even more pronounced. The Pew Research Center found that only 3.8 percent of Millennials who hold college degrees are unemployed, compared to 12.2 percent who only graduated from high school. Having a college degree does give adults a certain level of protection from being jobless, even when the economy is slow. This survey also found that more than 50 percent of the jobs created during the economic recovery have been filled by college-educated workers. This is significant since they represent just over one-third of the labor force. Workers with a high school education (or less) paid dearly during the recession, losing more than 5.6 million jobs. They have continued to lose jobs during the economic recovery. Gains for Educated Worker Will Continue to Grow College educated workers will continue to have the advantage going forward. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks the occupations which are projected to grow the fastest between now and the year 2020. 19 of the top 30 jobs require some type of postsecondary education. Its no surprise that they also pay higher median wages. Some fields of study make better choices than others if you are making a decision about what to focus on in college. Science, engineering, and math students tend to have an easier time finding jobs and are offered higher starting salaries than grads from arts and humanities. Completing the requirements for a four-year degree teaches students valuable skills that employers are looking for in all types of jobs, including good oral and written communication skills, the ability to work well with others, and critical thinking ability. For these reasons, as well as the ones listed above, the vast majority of college graduates (91 percent) and 88 percent of Millennials say that the experience of going to college was worthwhile. Want to discuss? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

7 Tips for Writing an Email Message

7 Tips for Writing an Email Message 7 Tips for Writing an Email Message 7 Tips for Writing an Email Message By Mark Nichol What’s so difficult about writing an email? Nothing. That’s the problem: It’s too easy, and you should take care that a professional message is just that especially if you use email primarily for social interaction and are unaccustomed to sending business emails. Here are some guidelines for businesslike electronic communication. 1. If you write professional emails from a personal address rather than a company account, use a professional-looking address. Don’t ditch your quirky or ribald account name, but acquire a more sedate one, consisting simply of your name and/or a description of your professional services, for business communications. Also, avoid using animations, complicated fonts, and busy backgrounds in your messages. 2. Use the message header to encourage recipients to read your message, stating the purpose of the message distinctly and concisely. 3. Use a formal salutation unless you’re on a first-name basis with the recipient for example, â€Å"Mr. Smith† or â€Å"Dear Ms. Jones,† followed by a colon. If you don’t know the recipient’s name and can’t obtain it by contacting the recipient’s company, write â€Å"Dear Sir or Madam.† (Double-check now that you’ve entered the recipient’s correct email address and have not inadvertently included any other addresses.) 4. Introduce yourself and the purpose of your message in the first paragraph. Use short paragraphs separated by line spaces to clearly and concisely communicate well-organized information. Don’t clutter your message with detailed apologies (though you should certainly begin with a brief apology if your message is overdue, and then get to the point) or with digressions. 5. Conclude with a summary and, if you have any requests, a courteous and concise explanation of actions you would like the recipient to perform. If you are not requesting a response, simply inform or remind the recipient that your services are available, or mention something similar that is appropriate to the context. 6. Sign off with â€Å"Sincerely,† â€Å"Respectfully,† or the like and your full name, followed by your job title and company name, as well as your company’s website and other social-media contact information, or your own if you are self-employed or are contacting the recipient as an individual, not as a representative of a company. 7. Use your email program’s spell-checking tool, proofread your message, and read it aloud in a separate pass. If you used any language that might not be perceived as professional, save the message without sending it and review it later, when you can be more objective about whether it is appropriate. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"Does "Mr" Take a Period?Grammatical Case in English

Ricci v. DeStefano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ricci v. DeStefano - Essay Example disparate impact† in relation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, arguments that urge courts to be "color blind" in their deliberations, and the concept of "narrowly tailored" court-ordered remedies for discrimination. â€Å"Disparate impact† can be defined as a theory used to prove discrimination in employment. It forbids employers from using certain employment practices that are non-discriminatory in their intentions, but can still disproportionately affect people belonging to certain groups with regards to race, age, sex, ethnicity or disability. Fish, (2009) argues that although the law considers the use of tests to evaluate job applicants a useful measure, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not allow use of tests solely to promote firefighters unless it relates to job performance. For instance, the test used by the city of New Haven, did not test a firefighter’s ability to lead or supervise others in the line of duty; hence, caused a disparate impact. â€Å"Color blind† refers to making judicial decisions without regards to race. According to Fish (2009), the race of the federal judges is likely to affect the result of cases especially in issues relating to racial harassment in the workplace. Thus, the courts are urged to be color blind in order to have an efficient judicial decision making process that does not discriminate individuals based on race. â€Å"Narrowly tailored† refers to drafting something in order to meet the needs of a certain party. In this case, â€Å"narrowly tailored† refers to the ability of the court to draft certain concepts in the case in order to provide a solution to discrimination. For instance, the court rejected New Haven’s reasoning claiming that the fear of legal action cannot be used as an excuse by an employer’s dependence on race to the disadvantage of other firefighters who performed well in the test and qualified to be promoted (Fish, 2009). This court decision goes against Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Compassion of Strangers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compassion of Strangers - Essay Example Nying Je can be paraphrased as love and respect--compassion in its purest form is ‘unconditional and universal in scope’. The Dalai Lama’s compassion is described differently and in a much wider context, encompassing a notion that some of us might describe as unconditional love: "At the heart of Buddhist philosophy is the notion of compassion for others†¦[it] is not the usual love one has for friends or family. The love[†¦]is the kind one can have even for another who has done one harm. Developing a kind heart does not always involve any †¦ sentimental religiosity [†¦] It is not just for people who believe in religions; it is for everyone who considers himself or herself to be a member of the human family, and thus sees things in accordingly large terms.† In essence, this love is for all sentient beings as an extension of oneself. The writer continues, noting that "the rationale for universal compassion is based on the same principle of spiritual democracy[†¦]the true acceptance of the principle of democracy requires that we think and act in terms of the common goo d.† Compassion, in this essay, takes on a significance slightly different than that commonly accepted by western civilization. We feel compassion as a type of absent sympathy, as something that touches us, sometimes profoundly, on the part of another; however, compassion in our society is largely a secondary emotion. According to His Holiness, however, true compassion is a selflessness that lends itself everywhere and to everything; in the moment that a compassionate human being witnesses the suffering of another, that human being is immediately moved and internally obligated to do whatever possible to alleviate said suffering. Within compassion is mentioned the concept of universal responsibility, as both an offshoot and a critical component of this emotion: "[†¦]

Mass Destruction of Ecosystems to Accommodate the Automobile Essay

Mass Destruction of Ecosystems to Accommodate the Automobile Mitigation, to the dismay of some, has become publicly synonymous with notions of preservation and conservation. Mitigation is neither the ‘preservation’ nor is it the ‘conservation’ of habitat. Mitigation is the creation of new habitat, or the guarding of an existing habitat to "make up" for the destruction of similar habitat somewhere else. It was the infamous environmental buzz word of the nineties, notorious for its criticism and praise by developers. Criticism because mitigation delays and obstructs their progress, and praise by those who take advantage of loopholes within the guidelines. All the while ecologists are accepting the mitigations like ill tasting medicine in the hope that it will work, after all it is at least something. It has gone so far that some, working within the fields of restoration ecology and other areas have misgivings about sharing the knowledge acquired through their efforts in regards to their efficacy in restoring or moving h abitat set to be destroyed. They feel that their successes in mitigation will simply encourage the destruction of more crucial habitat. It is a bittersweet victory , for them mitigation is definitely not conservation. With this clarification of mitigation in mind the development of transportation technologies is faced with a dilemma. A way to transport people, goods and services along the surface of the earth in a manner unobtrusive to the flora ,fauna and natural environment which surround us. If going through, or around the habitat is unacceptable, what about going above or below it ? Tunnels and bridges have been employed as methods of conveyance through areas where building roads was not feasible for many... ...ficult at best to recreate functioning ecosystems that are so complex. When faced with these situations it is important that designers consider all options for the proposed roadway. In that particular case it seems a bridge would function equally as well as a roadway, would require far less mitigation, and would preserve the vital integrity of the habitat at the same time. References http://www.taxpayer.net/ (Taxpayers for Common Sense) http://build.tunnel.org/tunnel/oldSite/index.html (Yes on Measure T, San Mateo tunnel) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/resources.html (Nova;Bridges) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ (PBS;Nova) http://www.traylor.com/tunnels/ (Traylor) http://www.tcagencies.com/index.html (Transportation Corridor Agency) http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/ (EPA office of water) http://www.uswetlands.com/ (US wetland services)

The Environmental impact of tourism is always harmful – Discuss

As demands for tourism and recreation increases for example due to an aging but active population , new interest in nations heritage and people seeking quiet environments so too will their impact on other socio economic structures in society, tourist environments and wildlife habitats. In Bali, Kenya and the lake District much of the early development was uncontrolled and badly planned. Development was driven by the momentum for growth and the developers desires for fast profits, without any thought being given to the future. These areas which are shaped by the forces of nature are now under threat, if not in the process of being physically damaged and destroyed. In Kenya tourism is mainly Safari and Beach orientated. The wildlife related tourism brought an increased amount of visitors into Kenya through the 1990s, boosting the LEDCs economy. However many of the areas that are most valuable to the tourist trade are the wildlife filled parks that have been inhabited by people like the Masai for hundreds of years. Tourism has been environmentally harmful here where the sheer number of visitors and amount of Safari traffic is seriously damaging the vegetation cover and the vehicles are causing soil erosion. Also the increase in tourism has meant an increase in the long haul travel which is now seriously contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Problems created are going to be more severe in the ELDW than in the EMDW . Many of the tourist souvenirs are made by the locals are made of ebony and the trees are cut down faster than replaced. However tourism has not always been harmful to the environment and can benefit an area where the marine life has been re appraised and is beginning to be viewed as valuable. Like the marine park at Watamu off the coast of Milindi which was set up to preserve the coral reefs and to provide an additional visitor attraction. Not only has tourism brought environmental impacts that are harmful to Kenya, it has brought economic impacts that are harmful. At least 40% of tourist revenue is leaked outside to airlines and travel companies. You can read also Waves The result of beach tourism has caused a rapid increase of land prices along the coast, well beyond the purchasing power of local African farmers. The improvements in infrastructure has also contributed to land price inflation and encouraged further speculative hotel buildings on what was good agricultural land. I don't agree though that the impact is always harmful as the locals have benefited from these improvements in infrastructure. Furthermore tourism had overtaken coffee on Kenya's major export earner: it equalled 43% of export earning in 1990. Additionally tourism was an employer in both the formal and informal sector. In Bali the environmental impact of tourism has nearly always been harmful. The number of tourists visiting Bali was fairly low until the late sixties when the numbers dramatically increased. This was due to the governments five year plan to encourage tourism to the area. The growth in tourism caused harmful environmental impacts . Raw sewage was dumped into the sea as the infrastructure cannot cope with tourists. This damages the reefs. The wake from motor boats also destroys the coral as does the actions of those trying to collect it to sell to tourists. Once damaged there is nothing stop the waves hitting the beach directly, resulting in beach erosion that threatens coconut plantations, farmland and land on which hotels are built. Tourism in Bali has led to threat of extinction of numerous breeds of turtle whose eggs are now collected as a delicacy from tourists and the bodies of which as stuffed or made into trinkets. On the other hand this led to the environmental benefit of the convention on international trade in endangered species forcing the Indonesian government to tighten their controls on the treatment of animals. As the number of tourists increases so does infrastructure of roads , electricity mains, water, airports and car parks being created. Though its association with pollution has been a problem. The main beach in Bali Kuta has been spoiled. There is severe beach erosion of up to 2cm a year and the combat the litter problem people are employed to bury the rubbish each morning. Tourism also brought violent crime which was unknown to Bali before 1979, drug dealing , prostitution and theft increased. However in Bali a marine park of Bunaken off N Sula west was set up because of tourism. As the potential impact of tourism on the natural environment was recognised, suitable conservation projects were set up. Even though the environmental impact of tourism was harmful, I brought many economic benefits. Many new jobs were created especially in hotels, travel agencies and the craft and entertainment industries e. g. 7000 applicants for 400 jobs at the new Bali-Hyat hotel. There is a revival of some traditional arts and crafts aimed at the tourist market wood carvers, jewellery making, weaving, Batik. Also Balinese dancers now come to the larger hotels to perform for guests when originally the tourists would have had to go into the villages to see them. Again there have been economic costs where many of the economic benefits have not been evenly spread. Resorts in the South have benefited whilst those in the North east have not. This has lead to conflict between the two areas over the distribution of tourist receipts. At village level much of the money from tourism in being spent on schools, cultural improvements, temple maintenance. However increasingly the money is being spent on imported goods, which don't benefit the island economy. Land prices have increased between 1969 and 1970 by 40% in tourist areas this was 120%. In resort areas previously agricultural land use was for growing food for the islanders was sold off to resorts offering to pay hundreds of times the price it would fetch on agricultural land. To prevent the impact of tourism from being harmful again measures were taken by locals. Boards were put up on gates and walls warning tourists that certain ceremonies were private. Trees were planted and flowers. A restaurant association was established and elected its own leader. This was followed by the art shop, guest houses and bus drivers and dancer troupes. A map of the village was published by the organisation with full explanation of how to behave in the village an example of greater control by indigenous population. In the Lake District which is an MEDW, I don't agree the environmental impact is almost always harmful. The lake district is one of the UKs national parks which has two purposes to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the lake district, was well to promote opportunities for understanding and enjoyment of special qualities of the national park and a duty to foster the economic and social well being of local communities within the park. These aims inevitably create conflicts of interest either between local people and visitors because users and uses cannot easily be easily restricted to certain areas of zoning. Footpath erosion is a widespread environmental impact and clear sign of visitor pressure. It is caused by people not sticking to the footpath because they don't want to or it is flooded or poor management. The other causes of footpath erosion climate due to heavy rain, strong winds and frost. The type of vegetation as mat grass, bents and fesules resist trampling best, the aspect, erosion is more likely to happen on slopes less than 18 and the pressure of use. However it is not always harmful as management strategies have been introduced which direct visitors along alternative routes: repair and maintain through drainage by placing small drainage channels along the path side so that rainwater is channelled away more quickly. They can construct the path using techniques such as pitching which is sinking stones into the path so that only the tops show to give a hard surface. Also matting can be used stabilizing the path over boggy ground. Furthermore the path can be repaired using methods such as levelling off the scar and the banks on its sides. Re seeding the grass with mat grass and fescues which better resist the effects of trampling. In the lake district the environmental impact is not always harmful as LDNPA ensures tourism is sustained and managed. To prevent congestion on the roads and air pollution. Roads are closed to traffic in tourist season and weekends. Tourists encouraged to ‘walk in and walk out' i. e. not using cars. Also to preserve the environment and to make the environmental impact less harmful they have a concentration of high visitor densities with a small number of honey pots with high carrying capacity such as Windermere. At the other extreme there are natural lakes on which no use of the water surface is allowed e. g. wast water. These are managed at low carrying capacities to give low density, quiet, leisure experiences. In such areas negative planning controls are used to restrict accessibility and hence control numbers of visitors. E. g. not upgrading the narrow winding roads over the passes from honey pots and not providing more parking spacing. The make the environmental impact less harmful. On top of this again to make the impact of tourism less harmful the LSNPA is the Development control or planning authority for the whole lake district. It must approve all new buildings/ changes to buildings or land use. Tries to protects the area from development out of character with the landscape . It does not stop all developments and must allow change to develop in response to peoples needs as long as the doesn't damage the qualities and character of the national park. Overall it would seem that in that tourism in the LEDW has had an adverse impact on the environment, degrading the resources on which it depends. The damage was from the overuse and misuse of resources together with poor management and planning. However in the MEDW in the lake district they have been able to sustain the environment and tourism by balancing the economic growth with conservation of the environment.