Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World Essay - 2

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World - Essay Example The brain in a vat scenario depicts a situation where all beliefs we hold about the world would presumably be false despite the fact that they are justified. Brain in a vat argument presents a situation where a removed human brain placed in a life-sustaining fluid and connected to computers that provide exactly the same impulses as the body. The computers effectively create a virtual reality. The person with the disembodied brain continues to have a perfect life without a relationship with the object of the real world. The person will not be able to discover the reality of their simulated world thus transferring my consciousness to a computer would make no difference, I will not mind. Q2. Metaphysics is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality whose hypothesis may claim the truth underlying physics. It may also say a thing about our mind’s nature or creation of the world. Matrix hypothesis is regarded as a metaphysical proposition with all the three elements. These are the reality underlying physics, nature of our minds and the creation of the world. Each of these elements is coherent, and cannot be ruled out conclusively and none of them is a skeptical hypothesis. Matrix and metaphysical hypotheses are similar in three-part version. The fundamental computation of the physical processes, the separation of our cognitive systems from physical processes while interacting with these processes and lastly the physical reality created outside the physical space. One may make various objections. For instance, one might argue that the matrix hypothesis implies a computer simulation where physical process exists but not simply that the physical processes themselves exist. Matrix hypothesis seeks to create consciousness in minds, which may or may not be fully aware that they are living in a simulation. Q3. Computer games and simulations are interactive multimedia whose

Eliminating the Home Mortgage Tax Deduction Essay

Eliminating the Home Mortgage Tax Deduction - Essay Example White argue that taxpayers were now allowed to deduct interest they pay on secured loan by qualified homes, either their main home or a second home. The loans in this case include first and second mortgages, credit’s home equity line and home equity loans. White (1) argues that recreational vehicles and even boats may also qualify as home in case they have cooking sleeping and toilet facilities. White notes that millions of US homeowners depend on the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction as a way of reducing their true cost of homeownership and have more disposable income. This interest is filed on form 1040 of schedule A accompanied with other itemized deductions such as medical expenses, real estate property tax and donations. In this case, taxpayers are expected to fill in Schedule A, to determine if their itemized deductions exceed the standard. If this is proved so, then taxpayers will save more money based on their taxes by itemizing. Over the past years, many issues and cont roversies surrounding Home Mortgage Tax Deduction have arisen as to whether or not it should be scraped. Many economists consider it a waste of money due to concern about the federal budget deficit (Perez 1). They argue that Home Mortgage Tax Deduction does very little to assist in lowering income homeowners make the changeover from renters to owners. These economists say that Home Mortgage Tax Deduction only encourage upper income buyers to buy big homes to take bigger mortgages a view which I also concur with. This paper will discuss why Home Mortgage Tax Deduction should be scraped as a way of cutting the budget. History of the residential housing market Muth and Goodman (1) argue that housing is the most precious and unique commodity. In US for instance, about one-seventh of all personal consumption expenditures are on housing exclusive of other household operations and furnishing. They notes that residential real estate accounts for more than half of the US fixed capital stock and about one-quarter of the country’s gross lending investments are made up of construction of residential estates. Mortgage lending has however varied for one-quarter to one-fifth of all funds raised by Americas credit markets. United States is one country that has faced economic housing bubbles over the past few years affecting many parts of the countries housing market. For instance, the prices of housing peaked at the beginning of 2006 with a decline towards 2007 reaching its low recently in this year. For instance, at around December 2008, the home price index of Case-Shiller reported the largest drop in prices in America’s history. It is argued that increased rates of foreclosure between 2006 and 2007 among homeowners in US is what led to the crisis that hit the country in August 2008 for credit, subprime, mortgage, hedge funds. Leader of the realty and mortgage industries Economy Watch (1) notes that real estate industry emerged as one of the major industries i n the united states over the past few years. It argues that the housing bubble witnessed in Florida, California, and Michigan, and New York brought with it major changes in real estate in US. The housing bubble was the result of an increase in valuation of real estate in the US domestic territory. Economy Watch reports that mortgage lenders, commercial banks and other financial

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World Essay - 2

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World - Essay Example The brain in a vat scenario depicts a situation where all beliefs we hold about the world would presumably be false despite the fact that they are justified. Brain in a vat argument presents a situation where a removed human brain placed in a life-sustaining fluid and connected to computers that provide exactly the same impulses as the body. The computers effectively create a virtual reality. The person with the disembodied brain continues to have a perfect life without a relationship with the object of the real world. The person will not be able to discover the reality of their simulated world thus transferring my consciousness to a computer would make no difference, I will not mind. Q2. Metaphysics is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality whose hypothesis may claim the truth underlying physics. It may also say a thing about our mind’s nature or creation of the world. Matrix hypothesis is regarded as a metaphysical proposition with all the three elements. These are the reality underlying physics, nature of our minds and the creation of the world. Each of these elements is coherent, and cannot be ruled out conclusively and none of them is a skeptical hypothesis. Matrix and metaphysical hypotheses are similar in three-part version. The fundamental computation of the physical processes, the separation of our cognitive systems from physical processes while interacting with these processes and lastly the physical reality created outside the physical space. One may make various objections. For instance, one might argue that the matrix hypothesis implies a computer simulation where physical process exists but not simply that the physical processes themselves exist. Matrix hypothesis seeks to create consciousness in minds, which may or may not be fully aware that they are living in a simulation. Q3. Computer games and simulations are interactive multimedia whose

The aim of this experiment Essay Example for Free

The aim of this experiment Essay The aim of this experiment is to find out if a steaming cup of coffee stays warm longer when leaving it untouched, or pouring cold milk into it  Theory  Physics informs us that large quantities of liquid take longer to cool than smaller quantities. Since there are more molecules in a larger quantity of liquid it may take longer to heat, but once the molecules are heated they take longer to cool down than a smaller quantity of water. Therefore I expect the beaker where the milk has been added straight away to have a higher temperature Procedure  1. First of all the coffee has to be made. Pour some water in the large beaker and heat it using the Bunsen burner. Once the water is boiling sprinkle the coffee powder into the beaker and stir it until the coffee is made.  2. Now pour equal amounts of coffee into the beakers A and B, and place a thermometer in each beaker. Set the stopwatch on zero and start recording the time. Record the temperature of each beaker. 3. Pour the milk into beaker A and stir the liquids for a short amount of time.  4. Now let a member of your group walk across the laboratory and open the door. Obtain the time duration of this procedure.  5. As soon as the team member returns to the experiment site pour the same amount of cold milk into Beaker B. record the temperatures of both beakers after stirring beaker B for a short time. 6. Now repeat this experiment, but change the amount of time spent going to the door and back. Also change the amount of milk and water used. Record your results appropriately.  Smallest division for measuring liquids (water, milk) = 0.1 ?C  Error = 0.1 ? 0.5  = 0.05 ?C  Difference between Beaker A and Beaker B:  The average difference = A B = 51?C 49.50?C = 1.50?C.  Error:  0.05?C + 0.05?C = 0.1?C  Therefore difference = 1.5 ?0.1?C Evaluation As always the apparatus was set up with great care, and I ensured that the thermometers were not heated or cooled before being used. The only major error that may have occurred is the parallax error. This may have happened during the taking down of readings from the thermometers, although great care was taken to avoid this. Conclusion As the table of results shows; the beaker in which the milk was poured right after the coffee was added (beaker A), meaning it contained more liquid during the procedure of going up to the door and back, did indeed stay warmer. Beaker A was, on average, 1.50?C warmer than Beaker B. This supports my expectations and I conclude the experiment as being successful. Therefore the best option would be to pour the milk before attending to the door, especially if it would take a longer period of time to deal with the person at the door.

Discussing Principles And Importance Of Good Record Keeping Nursing Essay

Discussing Principles And Importance Of Good Record Keeping Nursing Essay This essay aims to focus on record keeping. It will briefly discuss the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) guidance for nurses and midwives and the importance of good record keeping in the health care setting. This literature will also discuss four of these principles. The first principle is of detailed assessment and reviews which helps set up a care plan. It then moves on to the next principle which discusses hand writing and how it should be written legible. The next principle that has been discussed is the one that records should be accurate and recorded in a way that meaning is clear. Finally the last principle that has been discussed is that records should be factual and not include unnecessary abbreviations, jargon, meaningless phrases or irrelevant speculation. It then progressively moves on to discuss how these four principles impact on a care plan and how they are maintained. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2009:1) have guidelines for good record keeping, this helps nurses maintain good record keeping skills. Good record keeping skills is an important part of a nurses role in the health care setting. It helps nurses provide the correct and safe care towards a patient. Computer documentation is used in many of the health care settings, however hand writing in documentation is still widely used. The guidelines are used for both written and electronic record keeping. The process of record keeping is every bit as important as hands on clinical skills to helping maintain patients safety within the health care setting. It is not only important for monitoring a patients treatment and medical condition, it is also important for any legal issues that may arise when providing care to a patient regarding any care or treatment they have received when in a health care setting (Griffith 2007:363 ). There is a principle in the NMC 2009 for good record keeping that states you should record details of any assessment and reviews undertaken and provide clear evidence of the arrangements you have made for future and ongoing care. This should also include details of information given about care and treatment (NMC 2009). This principle can help when putting a care plan in place for the care needs of a patient. When a patient first comes into any health care setting the first form of documentation is a written assessment of the patient and what their care needs are. This is a very important part of record keeping as it is the beginning of the care planning process. Assessment forms will include vital information on the patients medical condition and what their care needs are. It is also important to have all information regarding next of kin in case a patients condition was to deteriorate (Miller and Gibb 2007:250). A part of an assessment that is vital to a patients safety can be infor mation regarding any medication. This can highlight what a patient may be taking at the present time or any medication that they have an allergy to. If information regarding allergies is clearly documented then all care staff involved are aware when delivering care to the patient (Diamond 2005:460). The next stage in the care planning process is to put a plan into action to what treatment is best for the patients needs. All aspects of the patients care needs get reviewed so that all the patients care needs can be met. Implementation moves on from the planning stage in a care plan. This stage involves the nurse in charge of the patient getting referrals from other care professionals to meet the care needs of the patient. Evaluation is the final part of a care plan which looks at all the information recorded in a care plan. If the care needs of the patient have not been met then the health care professionals are able to make changes to the care plan for the best interest of the patient. This may include professionals at a different skill level, specificaly to deliver that care and treatment. It is the health care professionals responsibility to record and review all information regarding patients care. This enables care progress and makes sure the patients care needs are being met safely (Brooker and Waugh 2007 358). One of the principles for good record keeping is regarding handwriting hand writing should be legible (NMC 2009). A way in which badly written documents can cause problems is if prescribed medication that has been recorded is not written clearly, not only the type of medication but also information on administering medication. If a patients records are written clearly there is less risk to the patients safety (Reddy 2006:330). In any care setting good writing skills are very important as other multidisciplinary teams can be involved in a patients care. It is important that they can easily read any treatment and care a patient is receiving and that all needs of the patient are being met. A care plan is a legal document so it is vital that all information can be easily read. Any care professional who writes any information in a care plan is personally responsible for the information that they have written (Powell 2009:300). When a nurse writes in a care plan regarding treatment to a patient they may make a mistake and need to correct what they have written, this is the only reason why information can be changed. Correction fluid should never be used in a care plan to cover any written mistake. A line should be put through the error that has been made and the appropriate notes should be written in. The person making the change to the care plan should sign and date when they made the correction so other health care professionals can see why the correction was made to the care plan (Diamond 2005:261). This makes all written information in a patients or clients care plan more easily to read and any individual who writes in the care notes should try and use a black ink pen on white paper. A patients care plan is the main tool used in a care setting to communicate with different care professionals and services who may be involved in the care of a patient. In a variety of different care settings different colo ured paper is used for certain medical interventions. It is important that any paper and ink that is used in a care plan can be easily photocopied, as at times copies of some of the patients care plans may be needed (Griffith 2004:123). There is also a principle in the NMC that states your records should be accurate and recorded in a way that the meaning is clear. All notes that are written about a patients care should be clear so that any other care professionals who need to read the care plan know and understand what has been written. If a nurse was to write settled day what meaning does that actually have to other care staff. Care plans are helpful at finding out any care issues a patient may have. If there has been a problem regarding a patients care and it has been resolved then this has to be clearly documented. When a nurse comes on shift and takes over the care of a patient and the patients care notes may read awake most of the night due to being in pain and then did not write how she helped the patient overcome this problem then this is poor record keeping skills. Highlighting every intervention while delivering care is vital and information should not be missed out. It may be the case that the patient rece ived pain relief medication at the end of that previous nurses shift. If this was not documented in the patients care notes or kardex then the nurse who has taken over care of the patient may administer pain relief again, putting the patients safety risk. Documenting and recording clear and meaningful information regarding a patients care and any changes in a patients condition is a skill, and it is essential care professional in a care setting get it right. All written and computerised notes should be spelt accurately and have a clear meaning. Spelling may not always put a patients safety at risk but its not always that way regarding miss spelt medication. Many medications do sound the same when you say them but they are spelt differently and this can put a patients safety at risk (Diamond 2005:568). To keep records accurate all information written in a patients care plan must have a date with the day, month and year the staff member who has documented the information in the care plan. The time of documentation should also be added using the 24 hour clock. If all information in a patients care plan is accurate and up to date it helps maintain good communication between all care professionals involved in the patients care (Griffith 2004:124). Moving on to another principle in the NMC for maintaining good record keeping is the one that states records should be factual and not include unnecessary abbreviations, jargon, meaningless phrases or irrelevant speculation. One way this can cause a problem is if a nurse were to write in a patients care notes using abbreviations or jargon. Nurses who come on to a shift to take over the care of patients have to be able understand what has been written to help them deliver care effectively. Records are an important part of a patients care in which various health care professionals are involved in. Using abbreviations or jargon can put a patients safety at risk as it may have a totally different meaning to another person (Brooker and Waugh 2007:154). The NMC try to advice health care staff not to use abbreviations and follow the principles for record keeping. In some health care settings abbreviations will be used and nursing students need to be aware of what they mean to avoid any confusion. One of the abbreviations that are used safely in a health care setting is BP which means blood pressure. Abbreviations get used in health care settings to try and save time on record keeping as it does take up a lot of the health care staffs time (Diamond 2005:665). When care professionals follow these four principles of good record keeping it has an impact on a patients care plan in many ways. A care plan has all the relevant information regarding a patient. Having the correct and up to date information regarding a patient helps maintain a patients safety. Good record keeping has an impact on a patients health and helps recognise any sudden changes in a patient condition. If all information is written clearly with the correct spelling then other care professionals involved in the care of the patient can clearly understand what has been written. A well documented care plan helps maintain good communication between all care staff involved in the care of the patient. Some care staff who are involved in the patients care never see each other and a care plan is the only tool they have and would use for communicating and knowing what treatment and care the patient has been given and what care still needs to be delivered to the patient (Greyer 2005:24). A care plan is a legal document and all written information has to be accurate, clearly written and should not have any jargon or abbreviations contained in it. If a care plan is clearly documented with all the relevant information it impacts on the healthcare staff by safe guarding them in regards to any legal issues involving patients including the care staffs involvement (Diamond 2008:119). A care plan is maintained by reviewing this document at regular intervals. Reviewing care plans helps maintain accurate and safe care towards a patient. The main purpose for reviewing care plans is to maintain continuity of care. A review will help care staff determine if all care needs of the patient are being met and to notice if any of the care needs of the patient have changed from the initial assessment (Miller and Gibb 2007:272). An audit is another way to help maintain good record keeping of a care plan. An audit will check that all information is written clearly, with meaning, up to date and its accuracy. Audits can help highlight any inaccurate documentation and changes that can be made to rectify the inaccuracies within a document (Anderson 2000:355). Throughout this essay record keeping has been discussed and the importance of record keeping in the health care setting. It looked at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) guidance for nurses and midwives and four principles of record keeping. It later discussed how these principles impact and are maintained in a care plan. Record keeping is an important skill that nurses should have to maintain good communication between other care staff members regarding care needs of a patient. All care professionals involved in the care needs of a patient may never meet and only communicate through what they write in a patients care plan. It is important that all information is written clearly and can be easily understood to help maintain continuity of care towards the patient. There could be a problem for some nurses when it comes to writing information in a patients care notes. One way of doing this is if a nurse comes from another country and English is not their first language then they mi ght have some difficulty writing care notes and they need to be assessed to see if they are capable to write up notes correctly. Writing up care notes regarding a patient does take up time, many nurses feel the time used documenting information could be time used to treat a patient, but care plans are very important in the health care setting. Nurses should try and not leave writing up care notes to near the end of their shift, they should try and set aside time to document all relevant information regarding care given and nursing interventions of patient. If nurses leave writing up care notes to near the end of their shift and rush through what they are recording then this may cause them to miss out important information and could put a patients safety at risk. A care plan is a legal document and nurses should be aware of this when writing any care or treatment in a patients care notes. If all care notes are written clearly with no jargon then all other care professionals can easil y read what the care needs are of the patient. Student nurses should be aware that good record keeping is a skill and it is every bit as important as clinical skills they will learn. If a nurse finds it difficult to read any information in a care plan, they should inform the person in charge. Care notes are vitally important to protect healthcare staff in the event of any legal allegations that a patient has made regarding care or treatment they have received from the nurse. A care plan is a very important document for a variety of different reasons so good record keeping is important in all health care settings. Anderson E (2000) Issues surrounding record keeping in district nursing practice. British Journal of Community Nursing 5 (6) 297-299. Brooker C, Waugh A (2007) Foundation of Nursing Practice. Edinbrugh, Mosby Elsevier 154-358. Diamond B (2005) Exploring the principles of good record keeping in nursing. British Journal of Nursing 14 (8) 460-462. Diamond B (2005) Exploring common deficiencies that occur in record keeping. British Journal of Nursing 14 (10) 568-570. Greyer N (2005) Record keeping. South Africa. Juta and co ltd: 24. Griffith R (2007) The importance of earnest record keeping. Nurse Prescribing 5 (8) 363-366. Griffith R (2004) Putting the record straight: the importance of documentation. British Journal of Community Nursing 9 (3) 122-125. Miller J, Gibb S (2007) Care Practice for Higher 2nd edition. Paisley, Hodder and Gibson 205-272. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) Record Keeping: Guidance for nurses and midwives [Internet]. London, Nursing and Midwifery Council. Available: http://www.nmc-uk.org/aDisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=6269 [Accessed 19 January 2010]. Powell S (2009) Study skills: clinical writing; what is best practice? British Journal of Healthcare Assistants 3 (6) 300-301. Reddy B (2006) Prescription writing standards: why they are important. Nurse Prescribing 4 (8) 330-335.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Children with Autism Developmental Dis

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder that affects a person’s social interaction and communication. This disorder is mainly characterized by having difficulty with social interaction, communication, and having restricted behaviors. Difficulty with social interaction means someone will struggle to communicate their feelings/emotions, understand how others feel or think, develop peer relationships, and understand nonverbal behaviors (eye gaze, facial expressions, etc). Difficulty with communication will vary among the individual. Some individuals will develop expressive language, while others will not. The speech of those that do develop expressive language will often be repetitive, rote, and lack meaning. They may struggle with turn taking in conversation and topic maintenance. Those individuals who do not develop expressive language typically do not use other modalities to communicate, like pointing or gestures. The last characteristic of the autistic spectrum disorder is having repetitive behaviors or activities. Typically children on the spectrum will play with their toys in an unusual manner, or may prefer only one toy, movie, or activity. Changes in daily schedule are hard for children on the spectrum to adapt to; usually these children like the same daily schedule. Bass, Duchowny, and Llabre (2009) state, â€Å"It is possible that animal-assisted activities provide a multisensory environment that will prove beneficial to children with profound social and communication deficits.† Macauley and Gutierrez (2004) state: Today, in the United States, people’s use of horses can be classified into two main categories: equine-assisted activities and equine-assisted therapy. Equine- assiste... ...tations of this study were the age range (6-8). Also, only looking at children with autism. Other children with motor and sensory function disorders might benefit from the same horseback-riding program. Works Cited Bass, M., Duchowny, C., & Llabre, M. (2009). The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on social functioning in children with autism. Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 39(9), 1261-1267. Macauley, B. L., & Gutierrez, K. M. (2004). The effectiveness of hippotherapy for children with language-learning disabilities. . Communication Disorders Quarterly, 25(4), 205-217. Wuang Y, Wang C, Huang M, Su C. The effectiveness of simulated developmental horse-riding program in children with autism. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly [serial online]. April 2010;27(2):113-126. Available from: PsycINFO, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 19, 2012

Comparing Novel and Film Version of Snow Falling on Cedars Essay

Comparing Novel and Film  Version of Snow Falling on Cedars It is no easy task to create a work - through writing or film - that has an impact on society. In writing, one must discuss and analyze a relevant topic that will have an impact on the readers. One must also present stunning sensory images through words in order to create a complete understanding for the reader. In filmmaking it is not much different, but there must be striking visual imagery in combination with a fitting musical score in order to give the viewer of the film the full experience. There must also be historical accuracy, both in writing and film. In either case, it can take years to create such a captivating piece of work. David Guterson's novel Snow Falling on Cedars and its cinematic counterpart of the same name combine all of the aspects of good writing and filmmaking to create an emotionally provocative and historically accurate masterpiece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Snow Falling on Cedars was set on a fictional island called San Piedro, somewhere in the Puget Sound area. The island had a thick history of generations of prejudice disguised by immigrant strawberry farmer life. The island was home to descendents of German, Swedish, English, and Japanese ancestry. When the Second World War arose, the people immediately panicked and reacted poorly to the Japanese American citizens. The story follows the lives of these Japanese Americans through their painful internment by the American government for what they termed the 'good of the union.' The story is also centered on several other subplots, including a biracial romance between a young couple, as well as the death of a white island fisherman named Carl Heine, Jr., and the trial of the Japan... ...racy and leads the reader or viewer to develop an intense emotional involvement with the story line. Both the novel and the film are remarkably vivid with the use of imagery and theme. The snow falling upon the cedars, as the prevalent image in both versions, functions as a beautiful metaphor begging for interpretation. The themes about the complexities of the human heart and the random distribution of both good and bad fortune are reinforced throughout the entirety of each work. The original work of pure genius - the novel, of course - deserves the credit for the incredible story behind Snow Falling on Cedars, but it is clear that the film followed in its antecedent's path with ease. Works Cited Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Snow Falling on Cedars. Screenplay by Ron Bass and Scott Hicks, Universal Pictures, 1999.