Introduction to the Dirac Delta Function

Introduction to the Dirac Delta Function The Dirac delta function is the name given to a mathematical structure that is intended to represent an idealized point object, such as a point mass or point charge. It has broad applications within quantum mechanics and the rest of quantum physics, as it is usually used within the quantum wavefunction. The delta function is represented with the Greek lowercase symbol delta, written as a function: ÃŽ ´(x). How the Delta Function Works This representation is achieved by defining the Dirac delta function so that it has a value of 0 everywhere except at the input value of 0. At that point, it represents a spike that is infinitely high.  The integral taken over the entire line is equal to 1. If youve studied calculus, youve likely run into this phenomenon before. Keep in mind that this is a concept that is normally introduced to students after years of college-level study in theoretical physics. In other words, the results are the following for the most basic delta function ÃŽ ´(x), with a one-dimensional variable x, for some random input values: ÃŽ ´(5) 0ÃŽ ´(-20) 0ÃŽ ´(38.4) 0ÃŽ ´(-12.2) 0ÃŽ ´(0.11) 0ÃŽ ´(0) ∞ You can scale the function up by multiplying it by a constant. Under the rules of calculus, multiplying by a constant value will also increase the value of the integral by that constant factor. Since the integral of ÃŽ ´(x) across all real numbers is 1, then multiplying it by a constant of would have a new integral equal to that constant. So, for example, 27ÃŽ ´(x) has an integral across all real numbers of 27. Another useful thing to consider is that since the function has a non-zero value only for an input of 0, then if youre looking at a coordinate grid where your point isnt lined up right at 0, this can be represented with an expression inside the function input. So if you want to represent the idea that the particle is at a position x 5, then you would write the Dirac delta function as ÃŽ ´(x - 5) ∞ [since ÃŽ ´(5 - 5) ∞].   If you then want to use this function to represent a series of point particles within a quantum system, you can do it by adding together various dirac delta functions. For a concrete example, a function with points at x 5 and x 8 could be represented as ÃŽ ´(x - 5) ÃŽ ´(x - 8). If you then took an integral of this function over all numbers, you would get an integral that represents real numbers, even though the functions are 0 at all locations other than the two where there are points. This concept can then be expanded to represent a space with two or three dimensions (instead of the one-dimensional case I used in my examples). This is an admittedly-brief introduction to a very complex topic. The key thing to realize about it is that the Dirac delta function basically exists for the sole purpose of making the integration of the function make sense. When there is no integral taking place, the presence of the Dirac delta function isnt particularly helpful. But in physics, when you are dealing with going from a region with no particles that suddenly exist at only one point, its quite helpful. Source of the Delta Function In his 1930 book, Principles of Quantum Mechanics, English theoretical physicist Paul Dirac laid out the key elements of quantum mechanics, including the bra-ket notation and also his Dirac delta function. These became standard concepts in the field of quantum mechanics within the Schrodinger equation.

The Best Summer Jobs for College Students to Try this Year

The Best Summer Jobs for College Students to Try this Year Many students face financial difficulties through their college semesters. Though you might not have enough time to dedicate to a job while having classes every day, summer break allows you to work full time and make much more money. But what are the best summer jobs for college students? We have prepared the list of the best seasonal jobs that not only provide good payment but also will let you enjoy your summer. What to Expect? Temporary jobs are widespread among students. Such jobs allow getting a great experience and improving skills while also making money. If you are looking for a temporary job, you should be prepared for some pitfalls that might occur: Most of the temporary jobs pay less compared to long-term employment. The benefits such as paid sick days will depend on the company. The employment time might last less or more than your summer break. So, when looking for a job, make sure to specify all the details on a job interview, including your salary, working schedule, the period they hire you for, etc. Eventually, most of the students get their summer jobs without complications as employers are glad to offer seasonal jobs in summer, especially if their business depends on the season too. For example, swimming pools, amusement parks, and some event agencies have more clients in summer, so they offer a lot of seasonal work vacancies starting from spring. Lets have a look at the most common vacancies and types of summer jobs for college and high school students. 1. Swimming Pool Lifeguard When talking about summer jobs for college students, its impossible not to mention swimming pool lifeguards. This job comes to mind first thanks to the countless TV shows and movies showing college students enjoying their summer days while working. This might seem a real dream job as all you have to do is to stay near the pool for the whole shift making sure that everyone in the pool is safe. If you enjoy being outdoors and can pass the guard test (for example, you should be a good swimmer), this job is just for you. You wont need to sit in the hot office, staring at the monitor, which the majority of people try to avoid, especially during summer months. How to get a job: first of all you have to attend lifeguarding and water safety training courses. Such courses usually take from 3 to 4 days, you can sign up for them any time as organizations like Red Cross hold them through the whole year. 2. Summer Camp Counselor A camp counselor is a perfect summer job for students who love outdoor activities and working with kids. As a counselor, you will have to schedule activities for kids, implement educational and entertaining programs, be a leader and a role model to make sure that kids have the best summer. This job is not easy but is, without any doubts, fun and useful for students self-development and future careers. For example, as a counselor you will get the following skills: Time-management skills Organizational skills Communication skills Leadership skills You will also get to meet new people, spend your summer mostly outdoors and receive a competitive salary for your work. If you are looking for a job to save money for college, check out some tips on what you also can  do to graduate without debt. How to get a job: look for advertisements in specialized centers. For example, American Camp Association (ACA). There are no specific requirements for the applicants but the First Aid Certification would be an advantage. 3. Pet Sitter A pet sitter takes care of the pets while their owners are on vacations or at work. Students who love taking care of animals will enjoy this job as well as working as a pet shop worker. This job is more on the part-time side, and we mentioned it in our  list of well-paid part-time jobs college students can get. By the way, you should totally check this list out. Anyway, this job can be your summer hustle as most people leave for vacations in summer so you will have more opportunities to make some extra cash. How to get a job: place your advertisement on local job boards or freelance platforms. You can also ask a local pet store to recommend your service to their customers. 4. Paid Intern Usually internship means that you are not paid for your service but instead, you get the experience that will be useful for your career. This is a great chance to apply in practice the theoretical knowledge that you have received in your learning institution. But sometimes you can find a place that combines both a great opportunity to get priceless experience and also get paid for your job. Paid internship spots are rare and get quickly occupied by students, but you definitely should try searching for one in your location. Summer internships can be offered in different spheres including medicine, real estate, manufacturing, media, etc. How to get a job: find a suitable offer using platforms like Internships, Indeed, WayUp, etc. 5. Movie Theater Cashier This is one more example of a common summer job for students. Movie theaters usually have a few job offers in summer so you can try to apply for a cashier vacancy. This job is not among the high paying ones, but you will have an opportunity to watch movie premiers before your classmates Ã' an do this. Moreover, movie theaters offer flexible working schedules and great social packages. You can also apply for cashier in your nearest store or mall. Cashier job is one of the jobs for college students with no experience – you just need to be attentive and responsible. Consider this job if you love working with people and have a great deal of patience to stay in the same spot for the whole working shift. 6. Food Delivery Driver Food delivery is one of the most increasingly developing spheres, especially in big cities. It’s convenient and time-efficient, that’s why many restaurants establish delivery services. A driver license, in this case, is a great bonus that helps you to increase your chances of getting a better place with a higher salary. Everything will depend on the place you work for and the effort you put in your work. The more deliveries you make per day – the more profit. If you need some help with finance tracking or with scheduling your day, check out the best planner apps for your phone. How to get a job: check the nearest pizza places, they are probably hiring students who can drive a car or a motorbike. 7. Receptionist People who greet visitors at the entrance of the beauty salon, gym or hotel are called receptionists. They usually take calls, take care of clients and keep the records of the visitors. If you can genuinely smile all day long and keep patience, this job is for you. How to get a job: look for job advertisements on specialized platforms or check the nearest gym, they might be hiring. Wrapping Up If you are looking for a summer job, you should definitely check the nearest locations first – coffee shops, malls, post offices, etc. They might offer some great options for different working schedules and salaries. The benefit is clear – you wont have to spend too much time or money getting to work. By the way, you might like the place that you already know better than the others. Also, check advertisements on social media and your college bulletin boards – employers who are willing to hire students for summer often reach communities, groups, and clubs to find employees. Be sure to find the place for summer beforehand – the majority of good-paying college student jobs are taken before you even notice that.

Gender Stratificaiton in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender Stratificaiton in the Workplace - Essay Example Gender Stratification is a global phenomenon, which touches almost all countries, though the level of it differs among the countries. All countries being from Asia, Europe, Africa, America and all parts of the world have either suffering from the subject, or find that once had came across it. In Canada, Sociological analysis conducted in the year 1973 and 1984 has shown that there was income inequality between sexes; the analysis further stated that â€Å"The income gaps between males and females are also large. The income gaps between Anglophones and Francophone tend to be much smaller than between class categories and gender groups in 1973, and more so in 1984. The greatest improvement in income disparities seems to come from less discriminatory pay structures and exploitation, not from human capital and individual characteristics†. (Class, Gender and Ethnic Income Inequalities in 1973 and 1984: Findings from the Canadian National Surveys) Canadian Women in recent years were living in poverty, due to low income they received in the working places as a result of Gender Stratification. The result was that, not only the women in that nature suffered from the tragic, it’s also included their families. While for that reason, the Canadian government and the United Nation put hand on deck to curtail poverty among women. The United Nation on its part stated that poverty will never come to end unless women are given opportunity to work and earn like their male counterpart. Another typical example that ought to be sighted as relating to the above subject describes how women were segregated in Canada, especially in the area of Ontario, where analysis made since 1999 shows that there was a disparity. There was a highest gap in earning between males and females, especially in the Pharmacy Industry. Investigation also testifies that women were earning less than their male counterpart in that sector because they are only remaining as employees. Meanwhile, since the primary focus of this essay is to make assessment on how gender stratification changed in Canadian working place in the last few decades, the remaining pages of set aside for this essay should focus on that aspect. The important point that ought to be discuss on this aspect initially, over the changing in Gender stratification in the past few decades, which include that some countries across the globe have changed to recognized the need for equality between males and females, which is in line with the International Convention that took place in the year 1979, which at the end of it, members that participated endorsed the compulsory application of social justice between men and women. During that convention, a bill was passed, which is tagged "international bill of rights for women", is the second most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. Many countries have also enacted legislation and established organizational structures on a domestic level to promote gender equality". (Gender Equality in the Labor Market). The Canadian International Development Agency, (CIDA) has also played vital roles in recent years toward ensuring the Gender Equality in Canada, through its policy on gender equality. The body has vowed to

Activity Based Costing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Activity Based Costing - Research Paper Example The total customer and distribution cost allocated to the various customers is as follows: Departmental stores=400+400+800=1600 Mid size specialty stores=3600+15600+19200=38400 Small gift shops=36000+64000+40000=140000 Total customer support and distribution cost =180000 Contribution margin less customer support and distribution cost will be as follows using the two approaches. Revenue approach Description Department store Specialty shops Gift shops Contribution margin 0.5*150000=75000 0.75*100000=75000 0.8*250000=200000 Less: Customer and distribution cost 54000 36000 90000 21000 39000 11000 ABC approach Description Department store Specialty shop Gift shop Contribution margin 75000 75000 200000 Less: Customer and distribution cost 1600 38400 140000 73400 36600 60000 The main core of a profit making company is to increase its returns and reduce costs. Management and cost accountants have to put up measures that reduce costs and ensure profit maximization (Bhimani, Horngren, Datar & Foster, 2008). In the above case, the customer who should be preferred is that whose contribution margin less Customer and distribution cost is high. It must be noted that fixed cost is not used in making decisions since the company has no control on the fixed cost. Considering the revenue approach of cost allocation, the company will prefer specialty shop because of the high return of 39000. The department’s stores with the return of 21000 and lastly the gift shop with a return of 11000 would then follow this. In the case of activity based costing allocation method, the department store will be more attractive compared to the other customers. The gift...Activity costing being one of the methods of cost allocation. There are four major steps in cost allocation using this method. First is the determination of the major activities of the business that result in cost increases. The cost centers of the activities are then determined. The third stage is the determination of the co st drivers i.e. the factors responsible for the increase in cost in the various cost centers (Horngren, 2009). The costs are then charged to the various cost centers considering the driving factors. The main core of a profit making company is to increase its returns and reduce costs. Management and cost accountants have to put up measures that reduce costs and ensure profit maximization. In the above case, the customer who should be preferred is that whose contribution margin less Customer and distribution cost is high. It must be noted that fixed cost is not used in making decisions since the company has no control on the fixed cost. Considering the revenue approach of cost allocation, the company will prefer specialty shop because of the high return of 39000. The department’s stores with the return of 21000 and lastly the gift shop with a return of 11000 would then follow this. In the case of activity based costing allocation method, the department store will be more attrac tive compared to the other customers. The gift shop will be second while the specialty shop will be the least attractive.

Geographical Layout of an Area on Its Politics Essay Example for Free

Geographical Layout of an Area on Its Politics Essay What is the effect of the geographical layout of an area on its politics, society, and economy? Physical characteristics of a specific area can have a substantial impact on its history. Regardless of how close one area is to another the outcome of the civilization could be completely different because of how the people have had to adapt to live in their respective areas. This issue would explain how intertwined history is with geography. Europe’s geography provided many disadvantages and advantages which have been the factors for its many successes and failures. Since the majority of Europe is surrounded by water it was a peninsula. This made it so they could trade with ease. The many rivers and mountain ranges of Europe most certainly aided in protecting certain civilizations from invasion or being involved in wars. The wildly vast and diverse geographic features in Europe set the tone for trading routes to prosper, long-lasting cultures to develop, and battles to occur that would change the identity of the region indefinitely. A region’s geographic shape is instrumental in determining what a region will become. Due to Europe’s geographical shape it became a hotspot for any and all trade. With natural resources plentiful Europe was constantly bustling with business. The Iberian Peninsula gave Spain and Portugal easy access to trade with foreign countries. The Balkan Peninsula gave many countries along the Aegean Sea the effortless option to trade. The many Peninsulas provided great advantages for Europeans due to the plentiful food the oceans supplied. These advantages molded many European civilizations into what they are today whether they isolate themselves from others or interact. The specific geographical features within a region provided protection, but also could have provided isolation. The many rivers and mountain ranges of Europe provided many people with fertile soil and a feeling of safety. However, the mountain ranges could stop trade between countries and slow the advancement of technology and knowledge between these regions. The rivers on the other hand would encourage trade and it would flourish. The physical characteristics of a region affect the decisions people greatly. Europe has a wide variety of terrains. Some help the people who live there, while others force people to adapt. These features influenced the development of many areas. For example the Alps acted as a barrier throughout the Punic Wars. It was perhaps the Roman Empire’s greatest asset. Several times Hannibal was forced to attack by sea instead of being able to invade from the North. This is not the only time in history was affected by geographical features. Climate overcame Hitler’s forces in the Invasion of Russia. The cold winter air killed off many of Hitler’s forces. That event alone could have changed the entire turnout of WWII. Europe’s features both hindered and kindled its growth as a world power. People’s choices have always been affected by their surroundings. The geographic features found in Europe were a commodity and the reason Europe succeeded the way it did for so long. Europe is filled with a wide variety of natural resources and geographical features. Sometimes their surroundings were beneficial and other times it was detrimental. Geography affected the choices of everyone. These features are what caused certain trade routes to emerge, cultures to find their identities, and wars to take place where they did.

Explain the formation and the break down of the First Triumvirate :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Explain the formation and the break down of the First Triumvirate The formation of the First Triumvirate took place because of the political motives and the personal motives of the three ruthlessly ambitious power brokers in Rome. These men required the co-operation of the other two in order to further their political careers. During the time of the First Triumvirate many extraordinary powers where obtained and in some cases these where unprecedented. There are some key factors that have to be considered towards the break down of the Triumvirate. The most powerful and influential people, the Optimates became increasingly dis empowered, and a sense of desperation to regain power is felt with the use of Pompey in an a final attempt to restore power to the Senate. "By uncompromising refusal to meet the demands of Pompey, Caesar and Crassus the senate naturally drove them into each others arms. The three men agreed to form a political amicitia ....." Pompey upon return from his successful campaign in the East, disbanded his army probably to diffuse tension in Rome and prove to the Optimates in Rome he had no intention of over throwing the Government. This suggests Pompey's political naivety and the fact that Pompey thought he had done enough in order to get recognition and acceptance from the Optimates to gain land for his veterans and to have his innumerable arrangements in the East ratified. Cato also refused Pompey's offer of marriage to one of his nieces. According to Bradley "Cato was a staunch conservative, and distrusted Pompey's motives" Crassus had a problem with his supporters. He supported a request from a company of tax gatherers (Equites), that after realizing Asia had been economically raped, and virtually un-taxable due to the Mithradatic campaign, could not possibly make money from taxes, so the request he supported is that the Senate should adjust the bad bargain to on a third rebate which they had made in contracting for the taxes of Asia. This request according to Scullard was rejected under Cato's leadership which had led to the stagnation of Crassus' political career. Thus Crassus needed some support of Pompey and Caesar to kick start his career and eventually lead to the formation of the First Triumvirate. Caesar, who had been Propraetor in Spain during, 61BC, hoped to return to Rome in 60BC and stand for the consulship for the following year.

Externalities in Business

Definition of externalities: Externalities recently became an important and a popular term in the business world, especially with the risen of debates and arguments about the externalities’ costs and benefits, and the ethical issues related to it. Almost everybody deals with an externality everyday but without being aware of it (kaydee, 2008). The simple definition of says that Externality is the effect of an economic transaction which impacts somebody who was not involved in that transaction. The more complicated definition sates that Externalities can be defined as the different types of effects which impact some parties (individual or entities) as a consequence of other parties’ activities. These effects occur without any choice of the affected party and without taking their interest into account by the affecting party (kaydee, 2008). When any economic trade occurs between two parties, they both benefit from the trade. Sometimes, a third party is being affected as well by this trade, the effect can be a negative effect or a positive one; and these effects are what we call externalities (Anon. nd). For example, if we take any business organization as one party and the customer is the other party, they both have the trade of the organization sells or provide goods or services, and the customer pays to obtain this good or service. However, the society as a whole could be considered as a third party, any external costs the society pays or any external benefits it gai ns from this trade (costs and benefits not included in the market price of the goods or services) are then considered to be an externality. By breaking down this example, the business organization or the customer can be considered to be the affecting party, the society, the third party, is thus will be the affected party, the external costs and benefits are the externalities (Anon. , nd). Types of externalities: There are two types of externalities, the positive type and negative type. The external benefits are always considered to be positive externalities, these benefits affect the outsiders in a positive way, give some advantages and without any payment required. The external costs are considered as negative externalities, these costs affect the outsider negatively, impact them in disadvantageous way, and the outsiders are forced pay these costs without any choice (Jonson, n. d. ). There are lots of examples to clarify each of the two types. The negative externality which is some analysts call it as external costs and some other call it as external diseconomies can be seen in the global warming which is considered to be number one negative externality; the change in the climate came as a result from the emissions of burning the oil, coal and gas. The water pollution as a result of adding poisons to the water or the several contaminated chemicals which are dumped by industrial plants in lands or lakes participates in harming the people, plants and animals. The over fishing which comes as a consequence from the over harvesting of a fishing company harms other fishing companies harvesting in the same ocean. The company trucks using a road may create congestion or traffic jam which impacts negatively other road users. In the animal production, the industrial farms which generate huge outputs of animal products generates a negative externalities in the form of increasing the antibiotic resistant bacteria, contamination of rivers and waters by the disposal of the animal waste. These farms as well result in another externality of the animal welfare reduction due to the close quarters where the animals are kept. The problems which may be caused by the nuclear plants when storing the nuclear waste in impropriate way, and the radioactive waste which is generated thorough the energy production of the nuclear power plants may affect the current and new generations. The external cost of health decline which is a consequence of smoking, the external cost in the form of car accidents due the consumption of alcohol by drinkers which may lead to pedestrians killing or injure, are all considered as negative externality. All the previous negative externalities examples harm the environment and the inhabitants. The environment, the people, plants and animals are the parties which are affected negatively without any choice from their side and without taking their interests into consideration by the externality generator (Shaprio, Khemani, 2003; Anon. , nd). There are many examples also to be mentioned to describe the positive externality. When someone buys a certain product, it would increase the product value to other people who already have this product, the increase of the value is considered to be an external benefit for these people, this type of positive externality sometimes called the network externality or the network effect. When an invention is discovered or information is made more accessible, then other people will externally benefit from using this invention or the information. The education also gives a positive externality to the whole society, the more are the educated people in the society the more the whole society better off even people who are not educated as the rate of crime will decline which means more safety. Another example of positive externalities is when a foreign company opens a new branch in another country, although the deal is between the foreign organization and the country, and although they both benefit financially from this deal, but as well people will benefit by having opportunities for jobs, salaries and kind of secure life, this extra benefit for the people is considered to be positive externality. Also, when people buy a specific type of a commodity, the demand on these commodity increases, which as well increase the work chances for distributors, or when people buy a car model, then the demand for mechanics of this certain car model increases. Construction as well may give positive externality, when roads and bridges are built and opened; it may give a chance of opening new areas for housing and establishing business entities (Shaprio, Khemani, 2003; Anon. , nd; Anon. , 2007). Externalities and the ethical theories: Generally, externalities are always a term which creates a situation of social injustice, its existence generates socially unbalanced outcomes, regarding the fact that a party may gain external benefits without paying any type of costs, or a party who may suffer from and forced to pay external costs without any choice (Anon. , nd). The question about ethics in all cases of the externalities moves around the universal ethics. The universal ethics are defined as a system of ethics that can apply to every human being. The externality then, with its both types, the positive one and the negative, may lead to a violation of the ethics. If we analyze the negative externality example we mentioned of the radioactive pollution, as such an externality will contain external costs, people who will be affected by the negative outcomes, will consider the harm they will be exposed to as explicit costs which they did not put into account before. The harm could be in the shape of lung and body diseases, and the extra payment for medical checks and medicines. As the radioactive company serves the people by providing utilities, people will see the harm generated by the same company – the negative externality- as a reduction of the utility. The negative externality here then raises an ethical problem as it is simply considered as a violation of ethics as harming others (Anon. , nd). Regarding the positive externalities, it again raises an ethical issue by violating the universal ethics as the positive externalities type is always connected to the term which is called â€Å"free riding†. To explain how positive externality violates the ethics, let us refer to our example of education, when the society as a whole and as a third party, benefits from the education process in the form of being an educated, productive and well being society. Everyone then in the society will benefit, even people who were not educated will benefit without paying any cost. For such people, who will benefit from the educated, productive and well being society they are living in, it is considered external benefits as they did not pay for education, but on the contrary, they are free riding on the cost of others who had to go through and pay for the education process. Another example is the society health care, when people go and obtain the vaccination, the society will be protected from the transmitted diseases by its vaccinated members, but the people who did not receive the vaccination will still be protected from the diseases and will benefit from the healthy and protected society, actually they are free riding on the costs of the other members of the society. The free riding problem- the positive externality- is considered to be against the ethics and raise an ethical issue of benefiting from the borne of others (Anon. , nd). Also externalities raise an ethical issue due to the problem that the value or equivalent of any externality is difficult to be determined, most of the externalities are hidden, negative externalities are hidden by the traders, and positive externalities are hidden by the third parties benefit from it, which considered cheating, and breach the simple ethical rule â€Å"do not cheat† (kaydee, 2008). With the nowadays absence of ethics, the behavior changed negatively in a dramatic way, People do not think anymore about the externality which they going to create once any product they buy reach the expiry date. Companies do not think about the consequences of their waste disposal of the manufacturing operations. Injustice is considered to be a violation of ethics, when a third party is negatively affected by a transaction which is out of his or her control, there is then a case of injustice. Similar, when someone is affected positively by a transaction which is out of his or her control and he or she does not pay for this benefit, again the injustice takes place (kaydee, 2008). Some analysts have different opinion; some will argue that there is no ethical issue about externalities, meaning that there is nothing to do with wrongdoing. The supporters of this opinion say that most of the businesses are trying to achieve the purpose of their existence; they try to achieve their target whatever it is, making profit, providing goods and services, and keeping the employees employed. The conflict of interests between the businesses’ activities and the different parties around does not mean that businesses are doing anything wrong (MacDonald, 2007). Corporations actually should work under some certain core concepts which most of the time create kind of ethical dilemmas, these concepts are the business ethics rules which each business should respect and follow. But it is clear that these concepts are not strictly followed by business leaders, most of corporations do not pay much attention to business ethics and lots of businesses do not pay attention to the ethical implications of the externalities and its damage of the environment. As it is said: In business, it’s easy to talk about ethics, but it’s damn hard to be ethical. If we look back in time, historically two important ethical philosophies were created, the Western Ethical Philosophy and the Eastern Ethical Philosophy. Generally, philosophers came up with a number of ethical principles that control and guide business activities, these principles can be considered as ethical standards which always get codified into laws. One of the most important and well known ethical systems in the western ethical philosophies was the Hippocratic Oath, these principles was created by the Greek physician Hippocrates, and they are still used today, these principles in total generally direct people to the concept of â€Å"Do no harm. † The eastern example is the karma which adopts the concept of cause and effect, what are the negative and positive results of any conduct. This ethical system simply says that if you harm others, then the harm will eventually return to you; according to that, if the business creates good consequences then this good will return back to the business, and if the business does harm others, then the harm will also return and harm the business (Johannsen, n. d. ). So, both philosophies and some other philosophies not mentioned in this paper, raise the ethical issue of harming others, which is related to the externalities consequences, as one of the five core business concepts from the perspective of the harm and the negative effects that businesses generate. Worth to mention that the five core business concepts from the view of causing harm are: Shareholder Wealth, Profit Maximization, Fiduciary Responsibility, Return on Investment (ROI), and Externalities (Johannsen, n. d. ). In any business, all the accounting figures including profits and costs are always shown on the financial statements, but in the case of the externalities (which some financial analysts call it financial liabilities) the financial statements do not show the external cost or the external benefits of the corporation. Some will argue that this is considered to be a manipulation and a breach of ethics, and that the businesses should, clarify, confess, be responsible and pay for the externalities they cause. But some others will argue that the externalities are so hard to be described as a number or figure, and thus cannot be shown in the financial statement as liabilities, and so it can not be described as a manipulation or a breach of ethics. One of the important and well known ethical theories that may describe the externalities in a better way could be the utilitarian ethical theory. The utilitarianism refers to the idea that the moral worth of any action, whatever this action is done by an individual or by an entity, the moral worth will be determined only by how the action’s consequences participates to the overall utility. Thus, the utilitarianism indicates a type of consequentialism, as the moral worth of the action then will be judged according to its results and its effects on people. The utility here is considered to be the overall pleasure and the absence of pain. The utilitarian ethical theory describes the different types of actions, any action is considered to be an ethical action- in other words to be morally right – if its moral worth is positive, meaning, the action’s outcomes contribute in developing the overall utility or the overall happiness or pleasure among people. However the action will be considered as an unethical action- or morally wrong- if its moral worth is negative and its consequences are decreasing the overall utility of people and cause them suffering or pain (Anon. , nd). If we put externalities in practice according to the utilitarian ethical theory, then both types of externalities, the positive and the negative, are to be considered as unethical actions. The negative externality affects the third parties by reducing their utility, in all our previous examples of negative externalities, environment and people end in suffering and pain. Talking about the positive externalities, they are as well considered unethical as the third parties are affected positively but without paying any cost for these benefits which in a way increase their utilities but on the account of others. Although this ethical theory was successful for a period of time, it was faced with lots of criticism which came up later. One of the important criticisms was that the utilitarian ethical theory described the positive and negative externalities as symmetric in nature, and those externalities will lead to non optimal outcomes which call for the necessity of government intervention. Mr. Murray Rothbard wrote in his book, Man, Economy, and State, a good criticism of the utilitarianism approach of externalities. He stated that the positive and the negative externalities are not symmetric from the ethical perspective of property rights. He says that the two externalities types are completely different in nature; he argued that the injustice in the case of the negative externalities is due to the failure of the authorities in protecting the property rights of every party involved. Opposite, in the case of the positive externalities, there is no violation of the property rights of the party who gives the external benefits but only when the authority tries to extend this benefits (Cleveland, 2002). Another ethical theory which can explain the externalities is the social responsibility theory. The corporate social responsibility term- which is divided into four parts, the legal, the discretionary, the economic responsibility, and finally what we are interested in, the ethical responsibility- refers to the obligations of the business to work and conduct the operations in ways which achieve its own interests and the interests of all its stakeholders. Thus, the business is to be considered as a socially responsible if it pays attention and make sure that its activities do not harm or affect negatively its stakeholders (Sandy Millar, Christopher Theunissen, 2008, P69) (Anon. 2008). When we look at externalities from this theory’s point of view, especially the negative type of externalities, any business which causes harm to the environment, people and society in total, should not be then considered as socially responsible business. This business often works on achieving its own interests and purpose of existence (making profit and satisfying the shareholders), but it fa ils in keeping its social responsibilities and obligations towards the rest of the stakeholders and thus lead to externalities. As mentioned, the most important interest and the main target for most corporations are to satisfy their shareholders needs, and that comes by making profit. This aim is the most argued that it is the reason for corporation to act unethically and not paying attention to the social responsibility and lead to unethical practices which cause the externalities. At the end the corporation is just a legal structure and its moral responsibilities comes from the moral responsibilities of the corporation’s shareholders, employees, and managers. If the managers are being unethical conducting unethical activities, and if the shareholders are being unethical by approving and giving the green light to the managers to go ahead in such unethical practices, then it at the end reflects on the overall corporation of being ethical or unethical, of being socially responsible or not (Anon. , 2008). This leads to another approach, which is the general ethics theory. Ethics is what examines and judge the human behavior; regarding what is right and what is wrong, regarding what is just and what is unjust, and regarding what is fair and what is unfair. To behave ethically is to behave in a manner which is right or moral. The behavior then is considered to be ethical if it is right and the vise versa. But what does determine if the behavior is right or wrong? What does determine if the behavior ethical or unethical? Generally, the society comes on the top of the list of what determines what is right or wrong, even if societies are sometimes different from one another in some of specific rules and determinations of the morally correct behavior, but at the end they all agree some general standards and principles which should be followed. When combining the two theories together, the social responsibility and the general ethics, we find that externalities happen due to many reasons. There is no one agreed moral code, and people, including top executives, have weak sense of good moral especially that nowadays people are mostly far from religion and their morals come often from their experience. This conflict of good behavior and gaining high profit is a good example, when choosing between being socially responsible or profit in the existence of weak sense of morals, the business represented in its official will chooses the profit. In multinational companies, externalities are more likely to happen as these companies operate in different countries; each has its own people and its own culture and moral codes which may conflict with each other. Individuals in such companies, when working with different groups with different values and moral codes, tend easily to break their own values, ethics, and behavior which they believe to be the right way, in order to fit, adapt to and be accepted by their group instead of standing up against the wrong behavior, their own interest to be recognized do beat their social responsibility which they are obliged towards the society. Suggested solutions for externalities: There are some solutions which came up to deal with the issue of externalities. Most of these solutions are faced by criticism due to various reasons. Social Conventions, Regulatory Limits, Mergers, and corrective taxes are considered to be the most important answers to deal with the externalities. The social conventions approach aims to deal with externalities through the social conventions and traditions. But it faced with a criticism that it forces people to take into account the externalities they cause, and that it may work with individuals but its effectiveness will not be useful with high cost externalities generated by multinational companies as instance. Merger, another solution for externalities, gathers all the parties involved in the externality to merge, but again it failed to solve all situations, it could solve the negative externalities between some firms by merging them together, but in a situation like a polluter company and the people around this company who are affected negatively by the pollution, how can the company and the people merge together? (Gibson, 1996). The regulatory limits approach is supposed to be the most common approach for dealing with externalities, simply it does not only suggest to impose regulatory limits for the externality amount generated by any party, but as well imposes a fine for any party generates externality which exceeds the regulatory limits. The corrective taxes approach aims to impose corrective taxes in order to push all parties to be socially responsible and limit the amount of externalities produced. If we take pollution as an example, then corrective taxes will be imposed on each unit of pollution equal to the same amount of damage affected the society. The two approaches, which in a way close in concept to each other, aim to force the externalities generators- including businesses- to absorb the cost incurred by them. Still, both approaches are faced with problems which weaken them. The regulatory limits approach has some difficulties especially when it comes to the determination and detection of the firms breaching the limits and by how much is the violation of the limits (Gibson, 1996). The corrective tax approach has lots of supporters who completely agree that externalities generators should pay the full cost for their faults, and by punishing some business, this will work as a red alert to the rest to pay more attention to business ethics and to behave in a better ethical and moral way. But still the ideas is facing lots of criticism, the opponents claim that when implementing such a tax system, the first result will be the price increase as the businesses will try to keep their profit margin stable, especially after the increase of their costs due to paying the corrective tax, this will eventually lead to a decrease in demand and thus economical problems. Also, the opponents argue that in some externality cases, such as pollution, it is difficult to determine the polluter and the amount of harm was caused (same like the regulatory limits). And even if the damage amount can be determined, it appears the biggest problem of externality which is the estimation of the externality effects. Positive or negative externality should be measured and translated into a value which will determine the corrective tax amount (Gibson, 1996). Some businesses, when faced with the problem of externality, and when they are accused by affecting negatively third parties, whatever it was environment, people or other businesses, they sometimes follow what is called the obstructive response, which indicates the lowest degree of social responsibility. According to this type of response, accused businesses tend to deny all the responsibility, and argue that any evidence that they generated an externality is misleading; they also do their best to delay investigations and the conformation of externality evidences, they did not only breach the ethical rule of â€Å"do not harm† by they as well breach the rule of â€Å"do not cheat†. Conclusion and recommendations: Externality with its two types, the positive and the negative, happens all the time in our normal daily life; it has several effects on all parties involved. Environmental harm is the most important and recognized consequence of the negative externality. Several ethical theories can be used to explain the ethical nature of externalities, the utilitarianism, the social responsibility, and the general ethics theories. Generally, externalities are considered to be a violation of ethics. Many reasons cause the externalities, but most importantly is the absence of ethics, and the good moral of people, which lead to absence of business ethics and morals as business at the end consists of groups of people. There are businesses which pay attention to the social responsibility and the good moral, these businesses try to meet their obligations towards their business environment, sometimes through setting up special committees or professional experts in order to discuss and solve their ethical problems. But most businesses are clearly tend to ignore their social responsibility and act mostly in the way which serves their own interests and deny any claim or evidences about the externalities and harm they may cause to their business environment. There are several possible approaches to deal with the problem of externalities, but each approach has its weaknesses. There is a strong support for persuading businesses to fully take the responsibility and pay for the externality’s cost incurred by them. The opponents of this opinion argue that this cannot be done as it is difficult to determine the amount of harm produced and as well difficult to translate it into a value. Some other opponents claim that businesses do offer to the society and the business environment more benefits than harm in the shape of better economy, employment, utilities and welfare. Top executives and managers and generally business officials should work and ethically apply the core concepts in ways which prevent the externalities and the harm which could be generated by their decisions. They also have to solve the problem of interests’ conflict and act in a way that balance and achieve both interest as much as possible. Business officials have to establish moral principles to determine an organizational core value to control and guide the organization’s practices and to set a moral climate within the organization. Any business that violates the ethics should then be suspended from continuing its operation for a period of time; at least till correction step is taken. People should return and relive the ethics and values, and they have to act and behave rationally. Governments must play stronger role to deal with the externality problem. Many approaches can be followed like a well define for property rights, Criminalization, Civil Tort law, and Government provision. References: Anonymous. , nd. Definition of Externality. (Online). Available at: About. om: Economics. http://economics. about. com/cs/economicsglossary/g/externality. htm. (Accessed 20 July 2009) Anonymous. , nd. Externality. (Online). Available at: Wikipedia, Answer. com. http://www. answers. com/topic/externality-1. (Accessed 22 July 2009) Anonymous. , 2007. Externality. (Online). Available at: Guardian. co. uk. http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2007/apr/11/businessglossary9. (Accessed 25 July 2009) Anonymous. , nd. Utilitarian ism. (Online). Available at: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Utilitarianism. (Accessed 28 July 2009) Anonymous. , 2008. Social Responsibility. (Online). Available at: OPPapers. http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Social-Responsibility/159386. (Accessed 1 august 2009) Cleveland. , A. , 2002. The Failure of Utilitarian Ethics in Political Economy. (Online). Available at: The Independent Institute. http://www. independent. org/publications/article. asp? id=1602. (Accessed 28 July 2009) Gibson. , H. , 1996. Externalities: Implications for allocative efficiency and suggested solutions. (Online). Available at: Hunterlink. http://www2. hunterlink. net. au/~ddhrg/econ/ext1. html. (Accessed 28 July 2009) Johannsen. , M. , nd. Five Core Business Concepts Causing Ethical Problems for Organizations. (Online). Available at: A Glossary of Political Economy. http://www. legacee. com/Info/Mindset/BusinessEthics. html. (Accessed 27 July 2009) Jonson. , P. , nd. Externality. (Online). Available at: A Glossary of Political Economy. http://www. auburn. edu/~johnspm/gloss/externality. (Accessed 20 July 2009) Kay Dee. , 2008. The Ethics of Externalities. Online). Available at: Engineering Ethics Blog. http://engineeringethicsblog. blogspot. com/2008/11/ethics-of-externalities. html. (Accessed 20 July 2009) MacDonald. , C. , 2007. Externalities and the Ethics of Small Matters. (Online). Available at: The Business Ethics Blog. http://www. businessethics. ca/blog/2007/03/samosa-ethics-externalities-and-ethics. html. (Accessed 20 July 2009) Shapiro. , D & Khemani. , R. , 2003. Externality. (Onli ne). Available at: Glossary of Statistical Term. http://stats. oecd. org/glossary/detail. asp? ID=3215.

Overcoming Adversity

Overcoming adversity means overcoming a hard time or circumstance and moving forward in a positive way. The novel, Parvana’s Journey was written by Deborah Ellis and published in 2002 and the film, Rabbit Proof Fence was directed by Phillip Noyce and released in 2002. Parvana’s Journey is fiction yet based in reality and it’s about a young Afghani girl who walks across war torn Afghanistan searching for her family. Rabbit Proof Fence is non-fiction and it’s about three young half caste girls who escaped from a settlement camp and walk over 2000km to go back to their home.In both texts, children face many adversities but they overcome adversities through determination and the sheer will to survive to meet their family. Parvana’s Journey, is set at war time in Afghanistan where a group of children wander through the country trying to survive the horror of their situation and they overcome huge difficulties to reach the end of their journey. The war in Afghanistan is between Taliban and U. S. A and this war affects civilians and children . Afghan people live with the fear of death and there is not enough food and other necessaries that they need.Children can’t go to school during the war so they can’t be educated and the Taliban is constantly on the search for boys to make them fight for the Taliban. Parvana’s Journey focuses on the protagonist, and her search for her family. In her quest for shelter and food as she makes her way across the Afghan countryside, she meets other children who are displaced due to war. Parvana continues her trip with three others; Asif Hassan and Leila. Parvana is very clever but still a child. Asif is a legless boy, he is very cruel to Parvana because he doesn’t know how to treat a girl.Leila is a naive girl Parvana comes across who scavenges food from a mine field. In this story, the children face lots of adversities during their journey. In the novel, Parvana faces many difficult situations; she is almost sold to the Taliban(P. 20 â€Å"I heard the old men talking. They are going to turn you over to the Taliban†), they also struggle to find food to eat (P. 156 she bit into the page, tearing a chunk off with her teeth) and water to drink. (P. 152 the water was muddy, but that didn’t matter) Furthermore, there is always the possibility of being hit by a bomb. P. 167 he planes were bombing in the daytime now, as well as at night) Rabbit Proof Fence is an Australian film about a young half caste girl who leads her younger sister and cousin in an escape from a settlement camp which endeavours to train them as domestic workers and educate them. They walk over 2000km to go back to their home. They can’t speak their own language in the settlement camp. They also struggle to find food to eat and water to drink. Furthermore, there is always the possibility of being caught by tracker.These girls are part of the Stolen Generations. The Sto len Generation is a dark part of Australian history. Half caste children, (most under the age of 18) were taken from their families because the government believed that the children would be better if raised by white families. Because of this policy, aborigines lost their culture, language, spirituality and self- esteem. In this film, there are three aboriginal protagonists, Molly, Daisy and Gracie. Molly is a mature girl who is very clever and has the leadership skills to lead her sister and cousin.Graice is a naive girl, she believes other people very easily and doesn’t want to do difficult tasks. Daisy is just a young girl and does whatever Molly says. You haven’t developed your ideas – what adversities do they face? What are the difficulties? Use quotes Bo, check your notes Both texts are about overcoming adversity but quite different in their subject matter, time and place. There are some similarities between Parvana’s Journey and Rabbit Proof Fence. In both stories, children determined to survive to see their family.In Rabbit Proof Fence, an adult tricks Daisy and she gets caught by the police In Parvana’s Journey, an adult tries to sell Parvana to the Taliban to get money. Both stories’ protagonists have no food, water and nowhere to sleep during the journey. Some differences between the texts are, In Parvana’s Journey the children are threatened by bombs; however, , in Rabbit Proof Fence the children are threatened by capture by police. Parvana’s Journey is fictitious but based on reality. Rabbit Proof Fence is a true story. Both stories happened in different time and place.In the film, Rabbit Proof Fence, the children choose to run away from the settlement camp but in Parvana’s Journey the children have no choice. In conclusion, the main characters in both Rabbit Proof Fence and Parvana’s Journey face lots of adversities however they don’t give up, they overcome the adversiti es and achieve their goals. Facing adversity might be initially difficult but when people overcome them, they are ofent stronger than previously. If you know yourself and your enemy, you win hundred battles out of 100 a hundred.

Creating A Character essays

Creating A Character essays How does a novelist and/or a playwright make a character interesting for us? One would think that the plot of a novel or play would mould its characters and determine whether they are interesting or not, however, even in a mediocre book there can be a character that is interesting for some reason or other. This some reason or other can be defined through the readers relationship with this character; what makes a character interesting is that the reader either can identify and empathise with him/her or is placed in a position where s/he is able to make a value judgement about this character. Characters that a reader remembers are usually main characters, purely because one sees and gets to know the most about them. To show how novelists and playwrights make their characters memorable and remarkable it is best to use the example of two main characters that are in situations that are comparable to some extent. The protagonists in Shakespeares Hamlet and Forsters A Passage to India are involved in crime for various reasons and have to deal with different degrees of punishment but all are affected by mental strain. In this essay I will examine the different techniques the novelist/playwright uses by referring to both novels, more specifically the two main characters: Hamlet and Aziz. As mentioned above, the most simple way that a novelist/playwright can make a character interesting is by letting the reader know a lot about them. There are different means to achieve this end; an all-knowing narrator can impart the information which usually gives the reader insight without getting them emotionally involved. This occurs in Forsters novel as the reader is still getting to know Aziz and also Fielding. Forster describes their appearance and views - we hear of Azizs pride in Islam and the discrepancies in what he thinks about the haughty and venal English and how he acts toward...

Five Great Problems in Theoretical Physics

Five Great Problems in Theoretical Physics In his controversial 2006 book The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin points out five great problems in theoretical physics. The problem of quantum gravity: Combine general relativity and quantum theory into a single theory that can claim to be the complete theory of nature.The foundational problems of quantum mechanics: Resolve the problems in the foundations of quantum mechanics, either by making sense of the theory as it stands or by inventing a new theory that does make sense.The unification of particles and forces: Determine whether or not the various particles and forces can be unified in a theory that explains them all as manifestations of a single, fundamental entity.The tuning problem: Explain how the values of the free constants in the standard model of particle physics are chosen in nature.The problem of cosmological mysteries: Explain dark matter and dark energy. Or, if they dont exist, determine how and why gravity is modified on large scales. More generally, explain why the constants of the standard model of cosmology, including the dark energy, have the values they do. Physics  Problem 1: The Problem of Quantum Gravity Quantum gravity is the effort in theoretical physics to create a theory that includes both general relativity and the standard model of particle physics. Currently, these two theories describe different scales of nature and attempt to explore the scale where they overlap yield results that dont quite make sense, like the force of gravity (or curvature of spacetime) becoming infinite. (After all, physicists never see real infinities in nature, nor do they want to!) Physics  Problem 2: The Foundational Problems of Quantum Mechanics One issue with understanding quantum physics is what the underlying physical mechanism involved is. There are many interpretations in quantum physics the classic Copenhagen interpretation, Hugh Everette IIs controversial Many Worlds Interpretation, and even more controversial ones such as the Participatory Anthropic Principle. The question that comes up in these interpretations revolves around what actually causes the collapse of the quantum wavefunction.   Most modern physicists who work with quantum field theory no longer consider these questions of interpretation to be relevant. The principle of decoherence is, to many, the explanation interaction with the environment causes the quantum collapse. Even more significantly, physicists are able to solve the equations, perform experiments, and practice physics without resolving the questions of what exactly is happening at a fundamental level, and so most physicists dont want to get near these bizarre questions with a 20-foot pole. Physics  Problem 3: The Unification of Particles and Forces There are four fundamental forces of physics, and the standard model of particle physics includes only three of them (electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force). Gravity is left out of the standard model. Trying to create one theory which unifies these four forces into a unified field theory is a major goal of theoretical physics. Since the standard model of particle physics is a quantum field theory, then any unification will have to include gravity as a quantum field theory, which means that solving problem 3 is connected with the solving of problem 1. In addition, the standard model of particle physics shows a lot of different particles   18 fundamental particles in all. Many physicists believe that a fundamental theory of nature should have some method of unifying these particles, so they are described in more fundamental terms. For example, string theory, the most well-defined of these approaches, predicts that all particles are different vibrational modes of fundamental filaments of energy, or strings. Physics  Problem 4: The Tuning Problem A theoretical physics model is a mathematical framework that, in order to make predictions, requires that certain parameters are set. In the standard model of particle physics, the parameters are represented by the 18 particles predicted by the theory, meaning that the parameters are measured by observation. Some physicists, however, believe that fundamental physical principles of the theory should determine these parameters, independent of measurement. This motivated much of the enthusiasm for a unified field theory  in the past and sparked Einsteins famous question Did God have any choice when he created the universe? Do the properties of the universe inherently set the form of the universe, because these properties just wont work if the form is different? The answer to this seems to be leaning strongly toward the idea that there is not only one universe that could be created, but that there are a wide range of fundamental theories (or different variants of the same theory, based on different physical parameters, original energy states, and so on) and our universe is just one of these possible universes. In this case, the question becomes why our universe has properties that seem to be so finely tuned to allow for the existence of life. This question is called the fine-tuning problem and has promoted some physicists to turn to the anthropic principle for an explanation, which dictates that our universe has the properties it does because if it had different properties, we wouldnt be here to ask the question. (A major thrust of Smolins book is the criticism of this viewpoint as an explanation of the properties.) Physics Problem 5: The Problem of Cosmological Mysteries The universe still has a number of mysteries, but the ones that most vex physicists are dark matter and dark energy. This type of matter and energy is detected by its gravitational influences, but cant be observed directly, so physicists are still trying to figure out what they are. Still, some physicists have proposed alternative explanations for these gravitational influences, which do not require new forms of matter and energy, but these alternatives are unpopular to most physicists. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

LAssessing Public Library Services to Homeschoolers Thesis

LAssessing Public Library Services to Homeschoolers - Thesis Example Other objectives will be to investigate how libraries attempt to respond to the needs of homeschoolers, the challenges for libraries in delivering services to homeschoolers, and discerning what might constitute best future service improvements for librarians. The level of services offered to homeschoolers is uneven in the United States; this may be due to the philosophical or political stance of institutions, personal bias, resource availability, lack of information or absence of a communicated need. Requests by homeschoolers for library services are occasionally denied and homeschoolers do experience a negative reception in some cases. This research will seek to gain an understanding of how homeschoolers use and perceive the public library. It will also look at how effectively library staff responds to the needs of homeschoolers as a user group. Proposals and recommendations for service improvements are also included. Participatory observation of participants and staff, over an eleven-week observation period, during which, a six-session targeted homeschooling program was conducted, at Manross Memorial Library was used. A questionnaire for participants in this program was also administered on-site at the beginning of the observation/program period. The sample population consisted of 21 children and 10 families. I would like to thank the faculty and staff of Aberdeen Business School for their responsiveness and helpfulness during the course of my degree program—absolutely priceless to a distance learner from across the ocean! I am especially grateful to Dr. Peter Reid who went to bat for me more than once when it counted. Thank you. I would also like to thank my advisor Roddy Smith for his advice and feedback during the dissertation process. Homeschooling is generally defined as the home-based education of a preschool or school-age child, by a parent or guardian,