Who Tamed Fire First? Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Who Tamed Fire First? The farther back in time we explore, the more room there seems to be for discrepancy among various theories regarding the history of the earth. One of the many disputed aspects of history concerns the nature of the relationship between humans and the environment. This paper will focus on the debate of the origin of first tamed fire. Was it Homo erectus or Homo sapiens? The widely accepted big bang theory of evolution "paints Homo erectus as no more than a smart ape," (McCrone, New Scientist, May 20, 2000, 31) with a, "15-minute culture," (McCrone, 34) incapable of manipulating his surrounding environment. Though even if we were to believe he was physically capable of accomplishing this act, McCrone explains, "controlling fire simply seemed too intellectually sophisticated a feat for this creature," who were, "primitive toolmakers, and showed no signs of symbolic thinking over the next million or more years of their existence," (McCrone, 31). Under this theory, any remains of fires from his time are written off as bush fires, lightning strikes, and other such naturally induced occurrences. It is not until Homo sapiens comes along that humans are considered to have begun to "master" their environment. A recent, more scientifically based analysis of ancient Chinese fires supports this same stance that Homo erectus was not the first to tame fire. The geological analysis took place at the Zhoukoudian site in China, where an opposing theory marks the first controlled fire at 500,000 years ago by Homo erectus' hands, (Wuethrich, Science Magazine, July 10, 1998). Though they confirmed recovering burnt bones from the site, there was no solid evidence to suggest the controlled use of fire, such as hearths,... ...order in our world. It gives us a past, present and future. Time also offers us a sense of perspective, so that we can make insights and connections, decide what is true and what is false, what is valuable and what is inconsequential. In this regard, the debate over the time and origin of the first tamed fire is an effective illustration of the ways in which time affects our perception of human kind and its relationship with the environment. Which theory of origin we ultimately choose to believe is particularly significant in that it gives insight into the way in which we view ourselves in relation to our past. Sources Cited: "Did Homo Erectus Tame Fire First?" Balter, Michael. Science. June 16, 1995. "Fired Up." McCrone, John. New Scientist, May 20, 2000. "Geological Analysis Damps Ancient Chinese Fires." Wuethrich, Bernice. Science Magazine, July 10, 1998.

Analysis of the Movie “Jose Rizal” Essay

A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of poet and patriot Jose Rizal, the national hero and martyr of the Philippines, this film was commissioned to mark the 1998 centennial of the country’s independence from Spanish colonial rule. Rizal was a remarkably educated man; not only was he a writer, but he was also a painter, sculptor, doctor and surgeon, teacher, natural scientist, economist, engineer and theologian. He was an excellent fencer and marksman; he studied at colleges in Europe, America and Asia, traveled to many different nations and could speak twenty-two languages. He was a champion of his country’s independence, a Filipino Gandhi who faced the firing squad at the age of thirty-five for inciting rebellion. He was the instigator of the Philippine revolution of 1896-98, the first national uprising against a colonial power in Asia. He also wrote two books, Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo, which sought to increase his people’s political awarenes s. Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya deliberately avoids a historical lesson. The Rizal of her story Cesar Montano is thinking back on his life and writings from his prison cell in the fortress of Santiago; the characters that appear are a blend of the real people, friends and enemies as well as those he created in his books. The script is solid, with a contribution by Diaz-Abaya’s long time collaborator, Ricky Lee; the soft tones of the cinematography helps to create an atmosphere of magic appropriate to the story of a legendary hero, and the acting by Cesar Montano is quite remarkable. The movie begins in 1891 with Jose Rizal, played by Cesar Montano, as an established author and linguist who speaks more than 20 languages. He vows to write about the sufferings of the Filipino people under the tyranny of Spanish rule, and about their abuse by corrupt priests. Rizal’s writings galvanize the Filipino people but earn the scorn of the Spanish government, which vows to crush the reb ellion of the Filipinos. The Spanish military capture and torture Jose’s brother Paciano, played by Pen Medina, to determine Jose’s role in the rebellion. During a flashback, Jose says Paciano greatly influenced him by exposing him to the injustice going on in the Philippines. Paciano is released after his interrogation and returns to Manila, where the family plans to go on the run. An order is given to arrest Jose Rizal on sight. The movie cuts back to Jose’s childhood, when he was called Pepe. When he is a child, his mother is falsely arrested for attempted murder and jailed for two years. He gets attention from educators early on for his intelligence and writing prowess. As a young man, he criticizes a college professor for stating that Spaniards are superior to Filipinos. Filipino students start fighting Spanish students after Jose starts raising the issue of Filipino independence. Cutting back to 1896, Jose is captured and put on trial, and his books are banned. The film then cuts back and forth between Jose’s rise as a revolutionary and his fall from grace during his trial. As a student, Rizal spent significant time in Madrid but then became disgusted with Spain’s occupation of Filipino land and Spanish treatment of Filipino citizens. The mayor of Madrid is arrested and discredited for having a Rizal book. A violent revolt breaks out in 1896, which Jose does not support because he sees it as mass suicide. Going back to the trial, enormous pressure is put upon Jose’s defense attorneys, with critics branding them as traitors for defending the rebel. It is revealed in a flashback that Jose had fathered a child that had died soon after birth, adding to his inner turmoil as he buried his only son. In the trial, his books are examined and criticized for their pro-Filipino stance against Spanish imperialists. He is found guilty of staging a rebellion through his speaking and writing, and he’s condemned to death by firing squad. He sneaks a poem to his family before his execution, and he yells â€Å"It is done!† A full-blown rebellion is soon under way. Two years later, in 1898, the Filipino flag is lifted triumphantly as the citizens celebrate their independence.

Exercise 4 – Used Car

Used Car – Exercise 4 Our issue is that we need a new vehicle because ours was wrecked and the rental car we were given to use after the wreck by the insurance company is about to expire, leaving us no mode of transportation. We are looking into buying a used vehicle from an advertisement in the local paper. We weren’t sure if the vehicle was still available so we have called the owner and inquired. We do not know who we are buying the car from but we are interested in purchasing the Volkswagen Jetta because of the advertisement in our local newspaper. Just from reading the car ad; we deem that the car fits all our needs and we need to get in touch with the owner fast in order to make sure they don’t sell it to someone else. In order not to have all our eggs in one basket, we have another vehicle prospect that can be purchased, but it’s an older 1995 Jeep Cherokee for $3,800. 00. We are hoping to get the Jetta for less than the Cherokee, or somewhere within our budget, but if we can’t, we can always buy Cherokee for less. The issues that are most important are trying to come up with a deal that will satisfy thefinancial limitations we have while getting something that is worthwhile and will give us a return on our investment. The issues that are less important are probably taking a vacation at this point if it means losing out on a car that will be beneficial for us. The issues linked are trying to find a replacement soon as we will have to return the rental since the insurance company will no longer pay forit. Another linked issue is finding a vehicle within our price range so we don’t have to take out a car loan that will most likely yield high interest. Issues that are not linked are the two different kinds of vehicles, the Jetta and the Cherokee. Our interest on purchasing this vehicle is to acquire a means of transportation and fulfill an urgent necessity with a tight budget, because right now we are renting a car, and our lease agreement is about to expire. We do not plan to renew the lease because it is getting too expensive for us; therefore, time pressure and monetary price are two important factors in our interest. To accomplish our goal of getting the transportation we need, we intend to spend a minimum of $3,500. 0, depending on the vehicle’s conditions; however, we are considering to pay for this car up to $4,100. 00 as settlement, with at least six month warranty from the seller, and if the negotiation fails, our best alternative(BETNA) will be to purchase a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, listed for $3,800. 00; despite its high mileage, the Jeeps is a US made vehicle of low maintenance and easy fix, with a good reputati on in the vehicle market. Our preferred settlement would ideally be to purchase the Jetta since it seems it would fit into what we need for our job at this time. We are willing to trade off on possibly a couple of hundred dollars but we must see what the car needs, it could possiblly need new tires, brakes or other things where we could ask for some leeway to try to save ourselves some money. By calling and getting to know the seller of the Jetta we realize that the other person isn’t just trying to get rid of the car just for the sake of getting rid of it. They are selling this vehicle because they are in need of something else too. We are trying to access were they are coming from, but they aren’t giving us much to go on, other than they need to sell the car. This party is required to be involved in this process, they are the ones selling the car and if we can get it for less than they are asking, then it will require them to negotiate with us. At this point, we don’t have too much information about other party; we just know they have a vehicle they are trying to sell and we assume it is in order to purchase a newer vehicle. The issues they have will probably be trying to get the most money out of the Jetta they are trying to sell while we try to lower their asking prices and come to a mutual understanding. We feel that that priority for the seller is that they may have another vehicle in mind to purchase, or something that they need to purchase rather quickly and they will probably need to sell the Jetta as soon as possible in order to make the other purchase. Our Interest is to get the most reliable vehicle that will service our needs for the least amount of money and at this point we’ve had no past relationships, if we settle on this deal we’ll just need the title of the car signed over to us. No further relationships are really needed but would be beneficial in case we have any issues with the car and questions may arise. We pretend to use collaborative strategy, because we believe that we may need the seller in the future, whenever our financial situation gets better; however, we don’t want to lose money either, we want both parties to make something and establish from this point on a relationship. We believe that we could work together in the near future and this deal could come in to play in the future; however, we’re thinking that the other team may use a competitive strategy and try to make more money. Our research consisted of looking up the Kelly Blue Book Value on the car and getting an idea as to what the car is actually worth. We also wanted to see what the cost of the exhaust system since that component of the car means we will have to shell out more money soon, so we need to make sure that we get that out of the car cost to be able to pay for that expense in the future. We feel the other party has their interest in mind, they ultimately want what they want for their vehicle, but if we could throw in some elements to get the cost down, we will do so. Our tactics at first was to just get a feel for where they were and the urgency in which they needed to get rid of their car. We added in the element of being a single mother of 4 children and getting to work to pay for their food, having a safe vehicle for them to be in and a vehicle that would not cost so much to use. Our first negotiation took place face to face. We threw out the first offer and they countered, that is where our negotiations began. We had a few phone calls from the owner to meet up, but they failed due to other obligations. We decided communicating via email would be our best option. Since we knew we had another vehicle option we decided to start low and work them towards our goal. Getting the first offer out was critical to start the expectations. We started at $ 3,500,and gradually got higher. Since we were trying to accommodate money for a trip and a car we provided them details that weren’t true and we ended up getting the vehicle for $4,700. 00, a few hundred dollars more than we hoped to pay. We were trying to get the car and still take our trip that was planned in advance. But, by having to spend a few hundred more for the Jetta then we originally planned it cost us our trip. We had to choose what was more important; our trip, or having a reliable car and having a reliable car in order to be able to go to work, live and function in life was the route we chose.

Breast Cancer And Ovarian Cancer

Breast cancer begins as a group of cancer cells that invade tissues in the breast . When new cells form when they are not needed from the body or don 't die when they are supposed to, a build up of cells creates a mass of tissue called a tumor or lump. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that forms in the tissues of the breast. Mostly in women but can also occur in men. Statistics show that 1 in 8 women in America will have invasive breast cancer in her lifetime and it is estimated that†¦ Breast Cancer My paternal grandmother has batteld cancer three times. She was diagnosed with breast cancer first and then six years later with ovarian cancer. Both times, she had to have radiation to cure her from the cancer. After four years of being in remission, the cancer came back. This time it was on a viscous rampage. My grandmother had to receive a month of intense chemotherapy and two critical surgeries to remove the tumors that were invading her body. Seeing her go through all of this†¦ Cancer is a disease that is caused by abnormal cells in a part of someone’s body. Anyone can be diagnosed with cancer, it is not something that only affects certain people. Sometimes the cancer can be hereditary meaning that a family member has had the same type of cancer in the past. However, one of the most common cancers for women is breast cancer. Breast cancer is a cancer that is well known since there is a month that is dedicated to bring awareness to breast cancer but not many people realize†¦ Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers that affect a myriad of people in today’s society. â€Å"About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.† (Breast Cancer, 2016). Some people diagnosed with this type of cancer could have the opportunity to detect it early on due to screenings or self-evaluations. However despite early detection, it does not guarantee that the cancer can be treated in its entirety. Different stage levels decide the degree in which†¦ After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. It can occur in both men and women, but it is extremely more common in women. â€Å"Each year there are about 2,300 new cases of breast cancer in men and about 230,000 new cases in women† (National Cancer Institution, 2016). Breast cancer survival rates have increased, which is largely due to earlier detection, a new personalized treatment†¦ Cancer refers to several diseases that the involve uncontrolled growth of mutated cells in the body. Normally, cells grow and divide based on signals and the body’s needs, and new cells replace old or damaged cells. However, cancer is able to develop when cell signaling is interrupted. The old cells stop dying and instead form new abnormal cells, possibly resulting in a tumor. Cancerous cells are malignant, which means they can invade nearby tissue, and can potentially metastasize and spread to various†¦ Introduction Breast cancer is the abnormal growing of cells within the breast tissues. It has been identified to be number two killer of all cancer demises among women. The first common sign that can lead to cancer diagnosis is the presence of a breast lump. Breast cancer is more common in women than men are, but they also need to realize that they can also be diagnosed with breast cancer. Fibro adenoma has been identified as the most prevalent form of benign breast tumor, while Invasive Ductal†¦ Krystal Headen Professor Kaitlin Sidorsky Poli 201 1 December 2015 BLOC Cancer The breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and colon cancer (BLOC) interest group was formed in September 2012 as an effective organization. It began when the founder, Krystal Headen was unfortunately informed that some of her friends and family members had been diagnosed with (remove either) breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, or the Kahler’s disease. Krystal spent several months building a group†¦ mother had found in her breast. â€Å"I told her, ‘Maybe it is that Froot Loop I gave you earlier,’† Sands remembered. â€Å"She laughed and said, ‘I hope so!’† That day was the beginning of Sands’ journey with cancer. Five years later, her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 43, when Sands was 9 years old. A few years after that, Sands’ aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went into remission but later died of ovarian cancer. Then a cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34. Two years ago,†¦ of different cancers that people tend to hear of. Cancer is abnormal cells that grow out of control and invade a healthy person’s body. When these cells do not grow normally things can go wrong. When cancer occurs it is because the cells divide more than they should and begin to form masses also known as tumors. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the most common type of cancer is breast cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death in woman. Breast cancer is when the malignant†¦

The Importance of a Global Approach to Regulating Corporate Governance Essay

The Importance of a Global Approach to Regulating Corporate Governance - Essay Example Corporate Governance Corporate governance can be considered to be a recently coined term and has a significant impact on the business operations carried on by the companies (Solomon, 2011). Corporate governance is used in various ways and one particular definition is not sufficient to completely define corporate governance. Generally, a wide variety of issues that are related to the various ways through which business activities carried on by the business organisations can be directed or controlled is described through the term corporate governance (Turner, 2009, p. 5). If we look at it in a broad sense, corporate governance can be viewed as a system of codifying the conduct of business activities that are followed by different organisations. The wider issues that are related to improving the shareholders’ performance are also included in the corporate governance mechanisms followed by the companies. Certain issues that are associated with the company’s stakeholders lik e the accountability of the business firms towards fulfilling particular interests of the stakeholders are also addressed through corporate governance. Stakeholders constitute of anyone who has a relation with the company including the shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees, community, etc (Turner, 2009, p. 5). There are many theories which have evolved to address the growing development of corporate governance issues all around the world. According to Mallin (2007), some of those corporate governance theories include, the agency theory, transaction cost economics, the stakeholder theory, the stewardship theory, class hegemony, and managerial hegemony. The agency relationship is identified through the agency theory wherein one of the parties... The discussion and analysis in the paper followed in MNCs and the approach towards global corporate governance system suggest that although theoretically it can be beneficial for the companies but practically it is a challenging task. No consensus has been made as yet regarding the best system of corporate law that is suitable for all the organisations worldwide and whether the convergence of the corporate governance mechanisms followed in organisations worldwide would increase their performance. To be more specific it is still unknown as to whether a new hybrid model of corporate governance mechanism would emerge or not. The report makes a conclusion that the business environment worldwide is changing at fast rate and the corporate governance systems are required to adapt to such changes. It is quite inevitable that certain changes in the governance mechanism would occur but the big question lies behind the fact as to whether the corporate governance in a particular country would be able to successfully adapt to such changes or not. It is unlikely that some drastic change would occur to facilitate the global approach towards regulating corporate governance because the companies as well the investors are found to be reluctant to change a system that has been working well for them till now. With the increasing influence of globalisation, and with the organisational structure of MNCs becoming more and more complex, it is certain that some changes would occur in the corporate governance system.

Innovative Approaches to Corporate Management Essay

Innovative Approaches to Corporate Management - Essay Example Innovative approaches are assessed based on its impact upon its profitability. Through implementing strategic management approaches in ones company, the need for customer satisfaction will be met, not only locally but world wide. Globalization of corporations evolved and exist for many reasons. There could be a need to follow the buying trends of consumers. Another is to meet the demand of customers. In todays business field,there is a rapid emergence of global buyers and sellers. Through the help of the latest technologies, communications, wire and money transfers, receiving of payments and any other activities are made possible regardless of distance, race, and currency. devising, implementing and improving a quality management system (QMS). (PCL - Petts Consulting Ltd) This model of a quality management system approach acknowledge the facts that quality results are achieved by producing a company manual, complete with work procedures and work instructions, proper recording and keeping of quality records and tracking of inputs and outputs. The HACCP System is a systematic approach to the identification, assessment of risk and severity, and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards associated with a particular food production process or practice. (Cianci, 2000) When speaking of HACCP, it is always associated with food safety. By using and by being certified with this system, the customers of the company are always assured of the safe processing of food. Corporate Social Responsibility CSR is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. (Baker, 2006) It is the balance between the

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Business Ethics - Article Example In this way they make money. The SEC put out a warning that they will be looking closing at hedge funds that make over 3%. Is it right for the SEC to do this? There are a bunch of moral questions involved in this issue. One could place moral questions on the role of hedge funds. Is it right for hedge funds to purchase stocks expecting to make a profit because they know the stock's value is overly price. 2. The SEC should not put out such warnings because they will be capping the profit initiative, the ability of people to make a profit whenever they see it. This sounds more like a right under our free market system. Another argument is that it is not possible to truely regulate the market without be unfair to those who have made an earnest buck in the market. Some investors may be lucky, or some hedge fund operators may have done good due diligence research and they should be awarded whatever profit that comes their way. 3. The SEC should put out such warnings. Hedge funds have been known to create create market changes based on pure speculation, resulting in market busts where a lot of people lose their money.