Biology Unit 5 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology Unit 5 DB - Essay Example The leaves grow from a basal rosette, and a ‘keel’ provided the required structural reinforcement to each pitcher so the the opening is always upright. Foraging, flying or crawling insects such as flies are attracted to the cavity formed by the cupped leaf, often by visual lures such as anthocyanin pigments, and nectar bribes. The sides of the pitcher are slippery and may be grooved in such a way so as to ensure that the insects cannot climb out. The small bodies of liquid contained within the pitcher traps are called phytotelmata. They drown the insect, and the body of it is gradually dissolved. This may occur by bacterial action (the bacteria being washed into the pitcher by rainfall) or by enzymes secreted by the plant itself. Furthermore, some pitcher plants contain mutualistic insect larvae, which feed on trapped prey, and whose excreta the plant absorbs (Wikipedia). During digestion, trapped prey are converted into a solution of amino acids, peptides, phosphates, ammonium and urea. The plant obtains its mineral nutrition, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, from this solution. Common habitats of the pitcher plant are bogs, savannas and flat woods. The wettest parts of the bogs are favored, often restricting the species to the edge of the bogs. Pitcher plants form dense floating mats on the water on the edge of bog ponds or lakes and acidic streams. The carnivorous form of nutrition of the plant is an adaptation to the poor mineral content or acidic nature of the soil in which it grows. The soil in which it grows is usually deficient in trace elements such as molybdenum. Such soils are usually highly acidic and unsuitable for many other plants. The modified leaves of the pitcher plant help it to catch preys that comprise not only insects but also isopods, mites, spiders and the occasional frogs. What the plant does not get from the soil it grows in, it obtains from the living prey it catches

Impacts Of Globalization Islamic Architecture Cultural Studies Essay

Impacts Of Globalization Islamic Architecture Cultural Studies Essay The tension between modernity and tradition has influenced all aspects of todays life, especially in the social, cultural and architectural aspects. This dual structure closely reflects the realities that most modern Muslim societies face today. The impact of modernity and globalization cannot be ignored, which has become one of the most controversial issues in contemporary Islamic architecture. In recent years there have been a considerable number of papers and books regarding the dialogue between old and new or modernity and tradition, which emphasize the role of these challenges in our life. Most of the times becoming dissolved by globalization do not let us pause and rethink the architectural styles we are following. What are the reasons that we need to talk about the consequences of globalization? Because it is necessary for a dialogue to be created between new horizons that take shape within a globalized context and local values, especially when we discuss an Islamic country like Iran that has experienced an Islamic revolution by its own people. We should rethink the challenges of contemporary Islamic architecture in order to enhance our knowledge and increase our ability to tackle current problems confronting the cultural and architectural need of the changing Muslim society. On the one hand there is an urgent need to revitalize local identities and characters and on the other there is inevitable need for new building materials and technologies. The architectural character of purpose -built Islamic community centers in non-Muslim countries has been shaped by image of Islamic architecture in the West constructed through the Orientalist discourse, the post-colonial search for identity, and the particularities of postmodern architectural practice. Nowadays we believe that the architecture of the present day is surely the product of past lessons, even if historicism and classicism are in minority. There are subjects we need to consider such as the main approaches and groups in contemporary Islamic architecture and their perspectives regarding globalization and regionalism in contemporary architecture. Since the 1970s and 1980s the economy systems in Middle Eastern countries (as the biggest Muslim societies in the world) like Iran or UAE has been undergoing a process of transformation from international to global. The furiously rapid development of information and telecommunication technologies and infrastructures is bringing advancements such as the worldwide spread of finance and capital markets. Finally the reorganization of these various global functions has caused the transformation of the metropolises that were the historical and traditional centers of international exchanges. Not only did globalization and global approaches become widespread all over the world, but they also became impossible to ignore. Globalization is a word transposed from globalization and localization. The advance of globalization gave rise to simultaneously react to and resist local movements at the various levels of nationalism. This approach showed that globalization and localization are not unilateral processes and cannot be successful without a collaborative approach and always being together. Globalization is driving localization and localization is driving globalization at the same time. Traditional architecture (Islamic architecture, for an instance) was confronted with western architecture; they are getting compared at all the times. Modern architecture enjoys materials of premium and high quality, total advanced technology of the day and the hunger of new designers, architectures and engineers in inventing new things, but traditional architecture would utilize the same traditional technologies and the same outlines and limitations; as a result this battle did not lead to a desire and pleasant state of things and it was western architecture that won the unfair race. International style and modern architecture were the first true examples of the newly-fashioned styles that dominated the scene of contemporary Islamic architecture. This facing with the new ideas cost traditional architecture its coherence, originality and integrity; however it caused many challenges in the later periods such as the usage of modern material that is totally irrelevant to the function of the buildings, such as mosques with facades covered with English orange tiles or using black marble to make a minaret. Analysis At the turn of the twentieth century the roots of international architecture style had already taken shape in steel-framed, concrete faced and multistory commercial buildings. But it was to take another fifty years and some social reforms to change the contemporary Islamic (religious spaces) architectures trends before the spirit of modern Islamic architecture began to find a coherent style that could call its own. 2.1. Contemporary architecture of Islamic countries At the turn of the twentieth century the roots of international architecture style had already taken shape in steel-framed, concrete faced and multistory commercial buildings. But it was to take another fifty years and some social reforms to change the contemporary Islamic (religious spaces) architectures trends before the spirit of modern Islamic architecture began to find a coherent style that could call its own. The middle decades of the twentieth century could be called the ascendancy of international style in Middle East, when no one dared to question the validity of its principles. The powerful waves of globalization have influenced the trends of contemporary Islamic architecture in many ways. It has changed architectural education and training, materials and components, ideas and conceptions, political and economic conditions, social and civic values, and technology and the design process substantially. Taking Iran as an example for modern Muslim society in the Middle East, we can find facts that Islam as a main component of society has a visible effect on architecture and design. The revival of Islamic regional architecture epitomized the revivalist ideas of exponents of the Islamic revolution of Iran that want to dominate Islam as the most determining criterion in all aspect of life, especially in culture, art and architecture. They are looking for a version of traditional architecture that could be implemented in contemporary circumstances. Some radical trend in contemporary Iranian architecture emphasized a backward looking historicism; however this has been among a small minority of architects. Regional movements accuse modern architect of sacrificing traditional values, but on the other hand they accused regional movements of not being diligent in the enhancement of the quality of contemporary Islamic architecture of Middle East. 2.2. Islamic architecture in non-Muslim countries; Mosques and Islamic community centers As we know representation of Islamic architecture in the West go back at least to the eighteenth century, when European travelers and artists came back from the Islamic world with vivid impressions, which they recorded both in writing and paintings. To them, the most fascinating aspects of the mosque were its domes and minarets. Due to restricted access, the images these foreigners conveyed were generally distorted; minarets and columns were ill-proportioned; curvatures of domes were exaggerated; pointed, shallow, and horseshoe arches were used interchangeably, and so on. The diversity of backgrounds, origins, and ethnicities of Muslims in non-Muslim societies and their shared values and experiences with fellow Muslims all over the world are important aspects of identity of Muslims in non-Muslim countries. The daily interaction of Muslims with the issues of immigration, multiculturalism, a loosened relationship between the religion and the government, liberalism, stereotypes and racism has shaped the development of their hybrid identity. These Muslims are striving within this context to develop an Islamic society that is autonomous as well as participatory, one that constantly attempts at adapting to the contradictions of living in non-Muslim countries. This society would nonetheless be vigilant to avoid the hegemony of the dominant culture, and aware of its role in challenging injustices. Efforts to engage this way with society are evidenced by the participation of Muslims in local and national politics, the armed forces, an increased emphasis on education, and a growing economic base supported by Islamic banking institution. Amidst this interaction, Islamic community centers have emerged as clear markers of the distinctly Muslims presence of this population. The very concept of an Islamic community center in a non-Muslim country represents a set of contradictions. It is not just a mosque for performing prayers; rather it concerns the establishment of a religion, in majority society of non- Muslims who have by and large secularized themselves over the last two centuries. The Islamic communities in these countries are seeking to build for their selves a sense of group identity in a social context that glorifies individualism as opposed to communal interaction. They strive to create permanence and stability in a culture that is increasingly based on mobility, transition and change. The community centers and mosques in these countries struggle to maintain to their ties with the ancient past that they are supposed to link to and far away homelands in a seemingly isolated land. The formation of Islamic community centers indicates a search for identity among Muslims that goes beyond the limitations of ethnic bonds. It also serves as a community institution that helps to consolidate their scattered efforts and secure the right to practice their beliefs. Most Islamic community centers and Mosques in non- Muslim countries have been designed by architects who base their knowledge of Islamic architecture on their own image of it, inspired by the increasing number of community buildings throughout the western countries, as well as the substantial literature that has been developed in the West on Islamic architecture. The emerging architecture can be seen as a descendent of the Moorish revival style and the architecture of fantasy inspired by Islamic pavilions in the expositions of the nineteenth century. Just as these styles formed part of a general western trend, so has the architecture of the Islamic community center become the part of a wider architectural movement in the west, where the presence of Muslim communities in increasingly felt, especially in the metropolitan centers of Western Europe and North America. Figure 1 Through their experience in designing Islamic community centers, non- Muslim architects often learn to reconsider some of their myths about Islam, and to change their previous negative images about Muslims. Such experiences not only increase their knowledge of non-Western aesthetic and building traditions, but also expose them to the nature of Islam itself, especially the tenets which are most prominently reflected in the designs for municipal and domestic buildings and mosques. Unfortunately, many of the new Islamic community centers in America are scaled down and impoverished imitations of old monuments The architect of the West Virginia Community Center, William Preston boast that: The South Charleston Center is modeled after a famous Islamic house of worship, the Badshahi Mosque, in Lahore, Pakistan (fig. 1). The Badhsahi Mosque is bigger than the Taj Mahal, and is considered the largest house of worship in the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In the final product, the building in no way resembles any of these monuments, but this is not seen t disappoint either the architect or the client. Faithful imitation was not the intention; rather it is the capturing of the flavor of the old (fig. 2) Figure 2 The result is often kind of parody, which is presumably found desirable within a community seeking a nostalgic relationship to the past. In this case, the role of the architect is to revive the past and reinterpret its vocabulary in the contemporary architectural language. In the U.S., this is the language of the commercial strip. The resultant combination of architectural revivalism and the strip mall aesthetic more often captures the essence of an exotic Oriental restaurant than the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture. In such buildings the aesthetic features of the mosque- the minaret especially- are appropriated like the sign posts advertising gas stations or fast food restaurants. The distorted expression of many Islamic community centers in the U.S., their vivid colors, and their use of modern industrial materials, contribute to a generally crude aesthetic, one which may be related to the general loss of high skills and craftsmanship, low budgets, and the low level of ar tistic sophistication on the part of both client and architecture. On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that in the quest for self-representation through architecture, the use of format icons such as domes and minarets has become widespread, not just in non-Islamic countries, but also in many Islamic ones, even where those forms did not belong in the past. While this globalized use of iconic references may seem to be a product of the Muslims attempt at representing themselves through an architecture that they see as authentic and reflects the essence of their Islamic culture, it is in fact more closely related to the Western representations of Islamic architecture being perpetuated today by both Muslims and non-Muslim famous architects and scholars around the globe. Conclusion At a glance at the discussion it might be possible to conclude that the interest of contemporary Islamic architecture in Glocalization and moderate attitudes is in a good condition and is going to become the main popular style in Contemporary Islamic architecture, especially among the recent generation of young architects. Global-regionalism is too young to find a coherent style that it could call its own; therefore there are several kinds of approaches that could be categorized in this group. Their buildings are suggested by the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture, as well as the utilization of new technologies and materials. This paradoxical strategy is the main specificity of the new generation of contemporary Islamic architects. Their fidelity to the spirit of their ancestors, as well as their keen interest in new technologies and advanced building materials, formed a new generation that could only be called Glocalized. The architecture of Islamic community centers in non-Muslim countries illustrates issues related to a minority culture attempting, through architectural form, to re-establish continuity and stability, to express identity and to maintain forms of collective memory. The relationship between identity and iconic references should be seen within a broad-based setting, due to the increasing globalization of ideas about contemporary Islamic architecture that are constantly moving back and forth between the West and the Islamic world through architectural writing, competitions and commissions. While Islamic architecture in non-Muslim countries has already contributed to deconstructing the totalizing agendas of identity politics and Orienatalist stereotyping, cycles of representation are difficult to escape. The focus needs to shift to what kind of identity is being expressed, and where the architectural aspects of collective memory of Muslims can be complemented, overlaid, or even replaced by other systems, so as not to miss the potentials of creative representation. This critical understanding may raise issue of shred human values that can help create a dialogue with non- Muslims through architecture. This can be achieved through fragmentation and perhaps domesticity that reduce the authoritative aspects of formality and humanizes the architectural product. Emphasis needs to be directed toward the expression of transparency, rather than obsession with privacy and exclusiveness. List of references Al-Qawasmi, Jamal[2007], Regional Architecture and Identity in the age of Globalization, volume 3, CSAAR, Tunisia Owen, Graham[2009], Architecture, Ethics and Globalization, Routledge, USA Guggenheim, Michael[2010], Reshaping Cities, How global mobility transforms architecture and urban form, Routledge, USA Hillenbrand Robert [2004], Islamic architecture: Form, Function, and Meaning, Columbia University Press, USA Petruccioli Attilio[2002], Understanding Islamic Architecture, Routledge, USA

Isaac Newton :: Biography, Science

Isaac Newton was a brilliant scientist who discovered many important things. The sources for this report are Encyclopedia" and the book "Isaac Newton: The Greatest Scientist of All Time" by Margaret Jean Anderson. Sir Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642 (according to the Julian calendar which was in use then; the date was January 4, 1643, according to the Gregorian calendar in use today), at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire. His widowed mother remarried when he was three years old, leaving him in care of his feeble grandmother. Eventually his mother was persuaded to send him to grammar school in Grantham. Later, in the summer of 1661, he was sent to Trinity College, at the University of Cambridge. Isaac Newton received his bachelor's degree in 1665. After an intermission of nearly two years he returned to Trinity College, which elected him to a fellowship in 1667. Isaac Newton received his master's degree in 1668. Newton ignored much of the established curriculum of the university to pursue his own interests: mathematics and natural philosophy. Proceeding entirely on his own, he investigated the latest developments in mathematics and the new natural philosophy that treated nature as a complicated machine. Almost immediately, he made fundamental discoveries that were instrumental in his career in science. Sir Isaac Newton, the English mathematician and physicist, is considered to be one of the greatest scientists in history. He made important contributions to many fields of science. His discoveries and theories laid the foundation for much of the progress in science and math since his

Themes in Catch-22

In Catch-22, Joseph Heller explores the value of life and morality and the absurdity of war through his contrasting characterizations of Milo Minderbinder and Yossarian, the military base setting, and the conflict between Yossarian and Colonel Cathcart. Catch-22 is a satire on the bureaucratic nature of the military during World War II. Throughout Catch-22, Heller explores different character’s reactions to the insane and arbitrary nature of the military bureaucracy. The protagonist, Yossarian, desires above all to preserve his life. However, his life is continually threatened by the increasing number of missions Colonel Cathcart, the principle antagonist of Catch-22, requires him to fly. Heller characterizes Milo Minderbinder through the physiognomy of his last name. Minderbinder combines two of Milo’s characteristics – â€Å"mind† and â€Å"bind†. Milo has the lowly job of mess hall officer when he arrives on the military base in Pianosa. Milo explains to Yossarian that his goal is â€Å"give the men in this squadron the best meals in the whole world† (64). Milo creates an international syndicate that makes money by trading between the companies it owns. Even Yossarian frequently fails to understand how such a system is possible. Milo explains the system behind the syndicate: â€Å"I make a profit of three quarter cents apiece when I sell [the eggs] to me and a profit of two and three quarter cents apiece when I buy them back from me. That’s a total profit of six cents an egg† (230). However, what starts as a brilliant scheme to make money by buying food becomes sidelined when Milo begins selling information to both the Americans and the Germans. Heller explains Milo’s ability to manipulate both sides: â€Å"His planes were able to steal over in a sneak attack without alerting the German antiaircraft gunners; and since Milo knew about the attack, he was able to alert the German anti-aircraft gunners in sufficient time for them to begin firing accurately the moment the planes came into range† (255). Milo convinces the Germans to pay him for every American plane they shoot down, and convinces the Americans to pay him for every target they destroy. Because both sides of the war pay him for their efforts, Milo symbolizes the absurdity and arbitrary nature of the war. While Milo uses the war to make profit, Yossarian does his best to escape the absurdity of the war. Heller characterizes Yossarian through a flashback scene. During the Siege of Avignon, Yossarian’s friend Snowden dies in Yossarian’s arms. While in the hospital, Yossarian reflects on the lesson that incident taught him: â€Å"Man was matter, that was Snowden’s secret. Drop him out a window and he’ll fall. Set fire to him and he’ll burn. Bury him and he’ll rot, like other kinds of garbage. The spirit gone, man is garbage† (440). The lesson Yossarian learns about the value of life from his friend dying in his arms characterizes Yossarian and presents the central meaning of Catch-22. Earlier, while introducing Havermeyer, the lead bombardier of Yossarian’s squadron, Heller explains, â€Å"Havermeyer was a lead bombardier who never missed. Yossarian was a lead bombardier who had been demoted because he no longer gave a damn whether he missed or not. He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt, and his only mission each time he went up was to come down alive† (29). Yossarian’s desire to live epitomizes Heller’s central theme that life is valuable. The bureaucratic culture of the military base in Catch-22 represents blatant disregard of life, and by contrast, the value of life and morality. In the military base, men can be court-marshaled simply because they are disliked by one of their superior officers. Clevinger, one of Yossarian’s friends, who Heller describes as being â€Å"one of those people with lots of intelligence and no brains† (68), is court-marshaled, and, as Heller states, â€Å"the only thing missing was something to charge him with† (71). Clevinger’s trial is ridiculous; Lieutenant Scheisskopf spends so much time correcting the way Clevinger speaks that Clevinger cannot say a word in his defense. Heller goes as far as to say, â€Å"Clevinger was guilty, of course, or he would not have been accused, and since the only way to prove it was to find him guilty, it was their patriotic duty to do so† (81). In such an environment, where men are convicted of crimes simply for the revenge or amusement of their superiors, life becomes absurd. Through contrast with such an environment, Heller presents the actions of characters who try to separate themselves from the meaningless bureaucracy of the military base and live on the basis that life and morality have meaning. The central conflict of Catch-22 is the conflict between the opposing moralities represented by Colonel Cathcart and Yossarian. Colonel Cathcart’s greatest desire is to become a military general. Cathcart pursues promotion in an altogether unscrupulous manner. Heller explains that â€Å"forcing his men to fly more missions than everyone else was the most tangible achievement he had going for him† (214). Cathcart sets his goals ahead of morality. He is willing to force hundreds of soldiers to risk their lives for his promotion. Heller appears to have little respect for Cathcart, â€Å"Colonel Cathcart did not have a chance in hell of becoming a general† (215). Yossarian, on the other hand, is unwilling to make a decision that would benefit him at the expense of the lives of other soldiers. In response to Yossarian’s unwillingness to participate in the war, Colonel Korn offers him the choice to be sent home with an honorable discharge or be court-marshaled. During the process of presenting the plan to Yossarian, Korn establishes the basis of Yossarian’s later refusal of the plan: â€Å"You’d have to be a fool to throw it all away just for a moral principle† (428). Yossarian initially accepts the deal, in what he later describes as a â€Å"moment of weakness† (441). Later, however, Yossarian realizes that the deal is â€Å"best for Cathcart, Korn and me, not for everyone† (442). On moral grounds, Yossarian refuses a contract that presented him with an opportunity to obtain safety and honor. By contrasting Cathcart’s unscrupulous pursuit of promotion with Yossarian’s willingness to jeopardize his life for the sake of morality, Heller demonstrates the importance of life and morality. Catch-22 is an undeniable classic for Heller’s presentation of a man who finds meaning and morality within a setting that promotes absurdity. Heller contrasts the characterization of Milo Minderbinder with Yossarian, sets Catch-22 in a military base, and establishes a conflict of ideals between Colonel Cathcart and Yossarian in order to highlight the meaningful nature of life and morality.

Living Together Is Not Wrong

Chanut Tipphanawadee 155 100 5877 SECTION 5153 Assignment 2 : ————————————————- There is nothing wrong with people living together before they get married. It seems undeniable that living together of couples and marriage of them are totally different of what they did in past. The amount of divorce rate, abortion rate, abandoned children are unstoppable increase. The reason is people in this era have been changed the concept of marriage and living together. Moreover, the rights of human has affected us. Especially, women in this epoch have more powerful than the past.Therefore, I strongly agree with the statement â€Å"There is nothing wrong with people living together before they get married†. There is more than one reason why living together before get marriage is not wrong and should be accepted by our society. Firstly, the couples that living together before they get married is able to look how life would be like with the person who lives with. For the reason is when two peoples whether men or woman living together the conflicts might be occurred because of the different of each other’s behavior such as spending habits, cleaning ,and time.These are important to the couples getting along in the long terms and they can only be learned by proximity when they live together for a period of time. Furthermore, they have to learn to be more responsible and take care of each other like what marriage couples do. Moreover, we are in the new generation where the society is liberal. So, if they can live together before they get married their marriage and couples’ life are more tend to be perfect marriage . That why there is nothing wrong with living together before marriage.