Algo-heuristic Theory Essay Example

Algo Algo-heuristic Theory Paper Algo-heuristic Theory Paper Landas theory (Landa, 1976) is concerned with identifying mental processes conscious and especially unconscious that underlie expert learning, thinking and performance in any area. His methods represent a system of techniques for getting inside the mind of expert learners and performers, which enable one to uncover the processes involved. Once uncovered, they are broken down into their relative elementary components mental operations and knowledge units that can be viewed as a kind of psychological atoms and molecules. Performing a task or solving a problem always requires a certain system of elementary knowledge units and operations. There are classes of problems for which it is necessary to execute operations in a well structured, predefined sequence (algorithmic problems). For such problem classes, it is possible to formulate a set of precise unambiguous instructions (algorithms) as to what one should do mentally and/or physically in order to successfully solve any problem belonging to that class. There are also classes of problems (creative or heuristic problems) for which precise and unambiguous sets of instructions cannot be formulated. For such classes of problems, it is possible to formulate instructions that contain a certain degree of uncertainty (heuristics). Landa also describes semi-algorithmic and semi-heuristic problems, processes and instructions. Landamatics is not a collection of lesson plans, but rather a general method of approaching the design of any effective course of instruction or any lesson plan (from Landamatics~ pdf. ). The method formulates general procedures to apply to teaching any specific knowledge and any cognitive process. Analysis of the problems many students have in being able to solve problems similar to those they were taught is that they have not been taught a general method of reasoning as a system of general instructions. In contrast to the empirical generalizations formed in the minds of students who have had conventional instruction, the Landamatics approach forms reliable, scientific, concept-congruous generalizations. This is illustrated through the example of teaching students to recognize the right triangles. Several strategies are available to the teacher. One is to lead the students to make independent discoveries of the concept and the method of applying it. Another is to give the students all the information possible about the concept, and a third is to combine these two approaches. The teacher’s strategy is chosen according to the objectives desired, but the first strategy appears to be the most valuable. Central to the Landamatics method are getting students to discover and realize the system of mental operations involved in the application of the concept and its definition, and then getting to formulate a corresponding system of instructions. Providing practice and opportunities for the internalization of the method also follow in the Landamatics approach. This will bring about automatization of the mental operations of the method. Generalizations of this approach through several forms result in a method that can be applied to concepts with different logical structures of their characteristics features. The first studies of the author and his associates were focused on thinking process and methods involved in knowledge application, i. e. , were studies of methods of applying knowledge. Three things, however, soon became clear. First that methods of thinking are a particular case of a more general methods of cognitive activity which include methods of perception, methods of memorization and some others. Second, that methods of thinking are not limited to the methods of applying knowledge but include methods of acquiring knowledge as well or, stated more generally, methods of learning. Third, that learning methods of knowledge application enormously affects the process of knowledge acquisition making it vastly more effective. The reason for this is simple: people don’t learn knowledge just by listening to or reading the explanations (unless, of course, their aim is just mere familiarization with some knowledge). They learn it by applying it to solving problems, which is one of the main purposes of the process of practicing. If this is so, then it becomes apparent why effective methods of knowledge application make the instruction, the knowledge application process becomes an important component of the process of knowledge acquisition. After the first studies had been conducted, it also became clear that teaching methods of cognitive activity affects not only the processes of learning and thinking but leads to the formation of certain qualities of mind and personality traits - such, for example, as intelligence, intuition, self-management, self-regulation and self-control, good organization of mind, a higher level of confidence in the ability to learn and solve problems, and such personality traits as systematicity in approaching problems, thinking of possible strategies for attacking problems and analyzing them before trying to actually solve the, and some others.

Arm Yourself With Funny Sarcastic Quotes to Make an Impact

Arm Yourself With Funny Sarcastic Quotes to Make an Impact We live in a sarcastic society. You find sarcasm everywhere. Newspaper headlines reek of sarcasm. Blog posts, status updates, and tweets are filled with sarcastic quotes. Sometimes, you hear a honeyed compliment from a not-so-good friend, only to realize later that you just got a jab of sarcasm.Sarcasm can be an underhand compliment, a snarky retort, or a curt jibe. People often use sarcasm to vent their unhappiness. Or to hurt others. Some sarcastic comments are so subtle that you wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a compliment and sarcasm.Many famous actors and writers are known for sarcasm. Groucho Marx was admired and feared for his in-your-face comebacks. His words hardly ever missed the mark, and often kept inflated egos in check. Mark Twain was especially famous for his witty sarcasms. He earned quite a reputation for his tongue-in-cheek jabs at educational institutions, and even religion and death. Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde were also infamous for their famous putdowns. Sometimes you need to put people in their place. Especially those Internet trolls, who have the I-can-write-whatever-I-want attitude. When logical debates and arguments lose their sheen, you can resort to sarcasm. If you want to use sarcasm to end a pointless argument or to cut down a narcissist to size, use these funny sarcastic quotes. With a biting retort, you can have the last word, and the last laugh. Half the world is composed of idiots, the other half of people clever enough to take indecent advantage of them. - Walter Kerr I am so clever that sometimes I dont understand a single word of what I am saying. Oscar Wilde I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth. Janeane Garofalo A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. Fred Allen A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him. Sir Winston Churchill After all, what is your hosts purpose in having a party? Surely not for you to enjoy yourself; if that were their sole purpose, theyd have simply sent champagne and women over to your place by taxi. P. J. ORourke Asking politicians to give up a source of money is like asking Dracula to forsake blood. Cal Thomas I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect. Oscar Wilde Dont look back - something might be gaining on you. Satchel Paige Don’t be so humble - you are not that great. Golda Meir Government is like junior high. Your status depends upon whom youre able to persecute. Jonathan Kellerman Have no fear of perfection - youll never reach it. Salvador Dali I am not a vegetarian because I love animals. I am a vegetarian because I hate plants. A. Whitney Brown I dont mind going back to daylight saving time. With inflation, the hour will be the only thing Ive saved all year. Victor Borge I have met a lot of hardboiled eggs in my time, but youre twenty minutes. Oscar Wilde I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress. Ronald Reagan I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me. Fred Allen Im all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Lets start with typewriters. Frank Lloyd Wright If youre going to tell people the truth, be funny or theyll kill you. Billy Wilder It is better to be thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt. Mark Twain Just because nobody complains doesnt mean all parachutes are perfect. Benny Hill Maybe this world is another planets Hell. Aldous Huxley Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike. Oscar Wilde My mothers menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it. Buddy Hackett One of the hardest things to imagine is that you are not smarter than average. Jonathan Fuerbringer Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and Im not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

Property law learning portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Property law learning portfolio - Essay Example Equity law is supplemental to the Common law and could not stand alone according to The Origins of Equity (Maitland, F. W. 19080); however many rules and doctrines are based upon equity law like the rich law of estates, trusts, and mortgages. Equity law stands upon the judicial assessment of what is fair and just contrary to that of the strict and harsh ruling of the common law. One good example of this is the unjust enrichment which the common law does not recognize but it’s the legal relief developed by the equity courts (Duhaime L 2010). Duhaime Lloyd in Mistake, Rectification & Misrepresentation explains that when something went wrong with the agreement or the contract due to the misapprehension of one party in the contract, the contract is liable to equity. The one party who is not the one who made the mistake can ask for the contract to be set aside. If both of the parties made mistake in the basic element of their agreement the contract can be considered null and void. â€Å"Non Est Factum† is the Latin term being used that means â€Å"not this deed†, this is a defense used when one party does not want to respect the contract because of the misapprehension or mistake made in the contract. The very basic element of a contract is the meeting of the minds of both parties. The example of this is when Bob signed a contract with the understanding that Alan is buying his copy of the original Picasso painting yet Alan thought to be buying the original Picasso painting; there is a fundamental mistake here t hat warrants the contract to be considered null and void. â€Å"When both parties are mistaken on a basic and fundamental element of the contract: the contract is void from the start if the mistake is of such significance that, in the words of English case law, it is a "false and fundamental assumption" of the contract (R. v. Ontario Flue-cured Tobacco Growers, 1965). What is Trust when pertaining to legal matters? Trust is the

The level of contamination on the things we use on daily basis Lab Report

The level of contamination on the things we use on daily basis - Lab Report Example The following tests were done: For Morphological test; culturing was done. The samples were cultured on MacConkey and r2a plate. These three items were compared to determine the level of contamination. After 24 hours of growth on both MacConkey and r2a plate, small growth was observed in all the samples. Similarly after 48 hours, large colonies were observed on both media for samples brush and Chap Stick but this was relatively higher on the brush. After undertaking Gram staining, it was observed that all the samples on both media had Gram positive bacteria. According to the result findings, the most probable bacteria identified were all cocci, bacilli, and spirilla. Besides, the brush sample seems to have high levels of contamination. These tests have been explored in the next section. Introduction By definition, Cross contamination is the transfer or physical movement of bacteria that are harmful from one place, person or object to another. It is a major factor which contributes to food poisoning, and it consists of 4 common sources that include people, work surfaces, food and equipment. Harmful bacteria live in or can be on our bodies, particularly around or on hands and faces as well as on clothing (McKillip, 2011). Due to the fact that they exist in small numbers they never cause a disease. If it happens that, there is a transfer of these bacteria from the clothes or bodies to food, and then given a chance to multiply, it can lead to food becoming unsafe to be eaten. Bacteria have the ability to multiply and live in any crevices and cracks in equipment including the chopping boards surface cuts. After using the equipment, food bits with bacteria can remain. If there is no proper cleaning of the equipment, there will be transfer of bacteria to another food when it is used next. Surfaces including bench tops might have bacteria on them as a result of contact with people, also dirty equipment, raw foods or other things like cartons stored on the floor can con tribute. If there is no proper cleaning of bench tops, there might be bacterial contamination of any food that is placed on them. The main objective of the study was to ascertain the level of cross-contamination on the thing we use on daily basis to make our faces that include brush, Chap Stick and mascaras. The experiment was conducted to test the amount of bacteria on the cosmetics we use daily. These products go to our face every time. Health is so critical and we need to give it a priority. The hypothesis of the experiment was that the brush had the highest level of contamination followed by Chap Stick then mascaras. Materials and methods Petri dishes Mascaras Brushes Chap sticks Method To begin the experiment there was a collection of the variety of cosmetics that included State brand and type od make up used. The next step was culturing as presented below; Culturing Techniques Incubation was done on agar media at of 37 oc . Streaked specimen using a loop, later flaming and coo ling was done, then streaked at 45o for a second time, this second streak over ­lap ­ped the first one.. There was less growth after 24 hours then after 24 hours a lot of growth was observed on both agar plate that was observed at 37 oc. There were large colonies, white in color, pink colonies, red colonies, circular in form, with margin that was filamentous Procedure for Tube method Five drops of 3% H2O2 was added to a 12 x 75-mm test tube. Small organism amount was collected with a wooden applicator stick from a ‘’well-isolated 18- to 24-hour colony’’ then it was put into the test tube. Care was taken not to pick up any agar. This is particularly crucial if the isolate of the colony was grown on agar that had red blood cells. The tube was Placed against a dark background and formation of immediate

Discussion Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Discussion Topic - Essay Example They are naturally buoyant; this feature helps them stay under water because they keep swimming with ease. Their short tail is not meant for propelling them in water as it is thought; its purpose is storage of fats that enhance their buoyancy. Their mouth looks like that of a duck to facilitate their feeding under water. Platypuses are carnivores. They are bottom feeders. They scoop up shellfish, insects along with their larvae, as well as worms in their bill together with bits of gravel and mud. Since they lack teeth, the bits of gravel plays a major role to assist them chew their food. Other animals also eat platypuses. Their natural predators include snakes, water rats, owls, goannas, and hawks in addition to eagles. There are a reduced number of platypuses in northern Australia due to predation by crocodiles (Nowak, 1999). There are concerns about the reduced population of duck billed platypuses in Australia. Within the past 100 years, their population has been reducing drastically due to a number of factors. The main factor that has contributed to their population is increased mortality because of eaten by many natural predators. The introduction of red foxes for hunting in 1845, has largely contributed to decrease in number of platypuses that live on the main land. Australia is trying to put in place measures that will assist maintain population of platypuses. The climate changes that are being experienced in the world today are not because of nature. In the past years when there were few human activities in the environment, there was no changes in climate as it is being experienced within recent years. Human activities are the main causes of climate changes in the world today. Human activities cause changes in the atmosphere by releasing green house gasses, and aerosols or else small particles into the atmosphere. Major activity that contributes to atmospheric

Functions Of The Parts Of The Human Brain Psychology Essay

Functions Of The Parts Of The Human Brain Psychology Essay The brain forms part of the central nervous system together with the spinal cord. The bodys nervous system is the center for communication and decision making. The nervous system is composed of the central and the peripheral nervous system, and the peripheral nervous system is made up of nerves in turn. The nervous system as a whole is in charge of every part of a human beings daily life, ranging from breathing and blinking to assisting one to memorize facts in a test. Nerves connect the brain with the face, eyes, ears, nose, and spinal cord, from where they link to the rest of the body. Sensory nerves is the group of nerves responsible for gathering information from the bodys environment and relaying it to the spinal cord, which in turn speeds the message to the brain. The brain then integrates the message and produces a response. Another group of nerves known as the motor neurons distribute the instructions from the brain to the all the body parts. The spinal cord is a superhighway of messages, composed of a collection of nerves going up and down the spine, transporting messages to and from the brain continuously. The brain is composed of three main segments namely: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The forebrain includes the cerebrum, the thalamus and the hypothalamus. The midbrain is composed of the tegmentum and the tectum. The hindbrain consists of the cerebellum, pons and medulla. The midbrain, the pons, and medulla are regularly referred collectively as the brainstem. Below is a visual representation of the brain and its various parts: The cerebrum, also known as the cerebral cortex, is the biggest portion of the human brain, linked with higher brain functions such as action and thought. The cerebral cortex is partitioned into four segments, referred to as lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe. Below is a diagram of the cerebrum: (Matlin, 1989). Each of the lobes carries out different functions as explained below: Frontal Lobe- connected with planning, reasoning, emotions, parts of speech, movement, and problem solving Parietal Lobe- associated with orientation, movement, recognition, and stimuli perception Occipital Lobe- related to visual processing Temporal Lobe- associated with memory, perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, and speech The cerebral cortex has numerous folds to increase the surface area of the brain and enable it fit into the small space in the skull. An increased surface area means more neurons per area hence increased efficiency. A deep groove divides the cerebral cortex into two equal parts, called the left and the right hemispheres. The two halves appear almost symmetrical yet it has been proven that each hemisphere functions differently from the other. The left hemisphere is associated with logical decisions while the right hemisphere is linked to creativity. The corpus callosum is a group of axons connecting the two hemispheres. The grey part of the cerebral cortex is composed of nerve cells. Below the grey surface are white nerve fibers which relay signals from the nerve cells to the other brain parts and to the rest of the body. The neocortex is a six-layered structure of the cerebral cortex which occupies the better part of the cerebral cortex and only occurs in mammals. The structure is th ought to have evolved recently and is linked to processing of more complex information by animals that are more fully evolved such as human beings and primates. It is where logical and rational thought takes place. The neocortex is the thinking part of the brain; it thinks through problems, makes decisions, reasons, organizes, concentrates, and controls the impulses. The corpus callosum is closely involved in cerebral organization, equally during growth and throughout adulthood. It is a thick bridge of neural tissue that conveys information from one hemisphere to the other. It plays an active role of directing the brain development beginning infancy into the highly lateralized organ it is known to be. The corpus callosum helps to maintain a balance of attention and arousal between the two hemispheres that allows each side to make its contribution to attain an integrated whole. It thus allocates each type of processing to the particular brain area that is programmed for the job, controls the distribution of attention between the two sides and facilitates sustained attention in difficult cognitive tasks. The corpus callosum also plays part in controlling certain types of eye movements. When the eyes make a movement, like in convergence, or in making saccades, information pertaining what to do is delivered to the brain from two sources: the two reti nas, which see somewhat different things, and the eye muscles that inform where the eyes are now. The input is conveyed to both hemispheres, and smooth integration of this information needs quick and accurate interhemispheric communication. The corpus callosum is therefore closely involved in smooth convergence, smooth tracking, matched focusing, and stable ocular dominance. Transfer of information about the locus of touch from one hands fingertips to the other without looking also needs the functioning of the corpus callosum. The information on which finger the touch occurred has to cross the neural bridge to reach the opposite hand. The cerebellum, also known as little brain, is analogous to the cerebrum due to its possession of two hemispheres and a well folded surface (cortex). This part of the brain is related to regulation and coordination of posture, movement, and balance. It is presumed to have evolved earlier than the cerebrum hence performs more basic functions compared to the cerebral cortex. The limbic system, often called the emotional brain, occurs deep within the cerebrum and is evolutionary old, like the cerebellum. This system is composed of the thalamus, amygdale, the hypothalamus, and hippocampus. The following is a midsagittal view of the human brain showing the limbic system: (Ford, 1992). The amygdale is an almond shaped nuclei mass which occurs deep within the temporal lobes adjacent to the hippocampus and medial to the hypothalamus. It plays various roles in cognition including: Emotional responses Arousal Control of autonomic responses related to fear Hormonal secretions The thalamus is composed of a lamellae (comprised of myelinated fibres) system dividing various thalamic subparts. Other regions are identified by distinctive clusters of neurons, such as the nucleus limitans, the periventricular gray, the intralaminar elements, and others. These clusters of neurons, which differ in structure from the main part of the thalamus, have collectively been grouped into the allothalamus. The thalamus obtains its blood supply from the posterior cerebral artery. It is known that the thalamus has numerous functions. It is deduced to act as a translator for processing various prethalamic inputs into readable form for the cerebral cortex. It is thought to process and relay sensory information to different parts of the cerebral cortex selectively, as one thalamic point might serve one or several parts in the cortex. The thalamus also assists in regulating states of wakefulness and sleep. Thalamic nuclei posses firm reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex to form thalamo-cortico-thalamic circuits that are linked with consciousness. The thalamus has a major role to play in regulating arousal, activity, and the level of awareness. Injury to the thalamus can cause permanent coma. The system composed of the thalamic parts is associated with many different functions. It is associated with sensory systems: somatic, auditory, gustatory, visceral, and visual systems whereby localized lesions aggravate specific sensory deficits. The roles played by the thalamus are more directed towards motor systems. The relay of cerebellar afferences has been targeted by stereotactians especially for the improvement of tremor. The thalamus is thought to be involved in anterior nigral and pallidal territories in the disturbances of the basal ganglia system. The thalamus is known to play negligible role in tectal or vestibular functions. The thalamus has been considered as a relay that just forwards signals to the cerebrum, but research have shown that the thalamus has more complex functions. The hypothalamus, located directly below the thalamus, is mainly involved in upholding the bodys status quo, homeostasis. In homeostasis, factors such as body temperature, blood pressure, body weight, and fluid and electrolyte balance are regulated by the hypothalamus to a precise value known as the set-point. This set-point can change with time although it is fixed remarkably within a certain range. The hypothalamus acts as the control center for all autonomic regulatory activities of the body. It has thus been referred to as the brain of the brain. It is the center for regulation of endocrine and autonomic homeostatic systems such as temperature, visceral organs, and cardiovascular. It presides over all sensory processing, endocrine hormonal levels, and organizing body metabolism and ingestive behaviors. Almost all functions of the hypothalamus appear to be related somehow to the brain management and body connection, linking the mind to the body. The figure below shows the location of the hypothalamus: (Bandura, 1989). The hypothalamus controls not only the autonomic nervous system but also the pituitary output by producing particular chemicals into the pituitarys front lobe. The hypothalamus is involved in organizing and controlling many complex emotions, moods and feelings, together with all motivational states such as appetite, hunger, and food intake, and everything concerned with the perception of pleasure including comfort, satisfaction and creative activities. A number of neurotransmitters are synthesized by the neurons in the hypothalamus, which are responsible for relaying information and instructions to all brain and body parts. These neurotransmitters influence the pituitary gland directly leading to release of thyroid hormone releasing factor, growth hormone and other neuropeptides through hypothalamic input. The hypothalamus is closely linked with the integration of all physiological stimulation, taste, sight, smell, touch, and sound, which it then translates, refines and gathers into one distinct package linking all the elements of experience and all the stimulation associated with it into one vivid harmonious concept, and one memory. This therefore results in a concise emotionally rewarding understanding and verdict of the experience itself. The hippocampus is seen as being fundamentally involved in the fast encoding of events as relations amongst stimulus context and elements, during the encoding of episodes as event sequences, and in connecting episodes by common aspects into relational networks that sustain elastic inferential expression of memory. There is evidence that the hippocampus plays a major role in encoding of associations amongst actions, stimuli and places that make up discreet events (associative representation). The hippocampus is also thought to be involved in learning the context of events, for example contextual fear conditioning. It is also proposed that the hippocampus is involved in sequential organization. This is the organization of an event as a sequence of events that discloses with time. Another cognitive function of the hippocampus is the connecting of similar features of different memory episode to form flexible presentations. This can be explained as the abstraction of similar features of d ifferent episodes to create representations, or the formation of semantic information from intermittent memory. The hippocampus quickly learns on individual experiences and avoids interference by sorting out representations of those experiences. Limbic system-coordinates memory and emotion Hippocampus and temporal lobes- processing of verbal and visual memory, and control of short-term memory and new learning Parietal lobes-controls sequencing of activities and understanding of spatial information Frontal lobe- regulates social judgment and behavior Occipital lobe- regulates vision, and the skill to see and combine shapes, colors, angles and movement in coordinated patterns. As a result the following abilities are impaired: Mental abilities: A persons skills of understanding, thinking, remembering, and communicating are impaired. The capacity to make decisions is reduced. An individual forgets performing simple tasks that he/she had been performing for years. Persons easily get confused and loss of memory, for short-term and eventually long-term events. An individuals ability to find the right words in a conversation will be affected. Emotions and moods: An individual loses interest in generally all activities and may appear apathetic. A person loses control of emotions and mood. Some individuals appear more withdrawn and less expressive. Emotions may vary across joy, anger, love fear, and sadness, even in the advanced stages of the disease. Behavior An individuals behavior changes in the way he/she interacts with his/her environment including: Hiding his or her possessions Repeating the same words or actions Restlessness Physical flare-ups Physical abilities The disease affects an individuals mobility and physical coordination resulting in steady physical impairment. The individuals ability to perform day-to-day chores independently, such as bathing, eating, and even dressing up, is affected (Tiraboschi, Hansen, Thal, Corey-Bloom, 2004). The Biopsychosocial concept played a key role in helping people cope with the daily global changes and challenges due to modernization and civilizations. Hans then went on and coined the terms distress meaning negative stress, and eustress referring to positive stress. He also came up with the term stressor during this time which referred to the stimulus causing stress. This created a lot of interest among psychologists who ventured in diverse researches to know the links which existed between some diseases and stress. By the year 1970s, stress had become a major area of focus in research by medical practitioners as a way of addressing the issue in a better way amongst the population (Zapf, D., Dormann, C., Frese, M., 1996, p. 96). It is evident that the social, political and scientific changes have had an adverse effect on the researches being carried out on the topic. It has become a problem to undertake researches due to the pressures from science, politics and social changes. According to Anderson a researcher on stress, Our lifestyle has also made us far more susceptible to stress and stress is therefore on the increase in our society. We have more pressure put onto us in day to day living. We may live far away from the support of our immediate family, we may have very little family support and have no one to talk toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we have less job security and fear redundancyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the pace of life is much, much faster. We are inundated with e-mails, mobile phones ring constantly. We can never switch off or escape. All these factors together with many more others make for a more stressed out society. Individuals go on to argue that such aspects drive much pressures to human beings than before. Ther e have been a lot of political instabilities with the advancements which have also had a negative impact on undertakings of researches on stress, on top of increasing chances of stress to people. This in return has led to making the lives of human beings more complicated and difficult. Stress researches have been made hard by political pressures and stereotypes which have preoccupied people. Scientific advancements have also posed a major challenge to researchers because of its many demands. This is in relation to the requirements that the researches should have testable hypotheses and the conclusions should be in line with the stated hypothesis. By the years of 1990s stress had already been integrated in the modern scientific researches in the areas of human functioning as well as in physiology. These changes have also led to new histories on workplace stress, and the development of new techniques of managing stress (Winefield A., H., 2002, p. 85). Science is said to be a theoretical, empirical and practical knowledge of the natural world. The knowledge is said to be obtained by use of research findings through observations, explanation, and experimentation of the actual phenomena. Given that scientific researches insist on objective knowledge, it has improved the recent researches on the concept of stress, and has done much in improving the history of stress. The scientific advancements are considered to be very crucial and it considers earlier researches as being pre-scientific. it has therefore brought about many changes in the history of stress by forcing the current researchers on the topic of stress, to come up with what they call scientific and up to date research findings on stress. Social advancements have also depicted a major impact on the history of stress. The last 20 years have registered significant changes in the structure of the society. This is because of the demographic developments, technological advancement s, and socio-economic changes. These in turn have affected our family structures, social networks, and our working patterns. These changes have been said to have increased the levels of stress and the causes of stress as well. This has therefore raised a new challenge of addressing the structural changes and how they affect the life of a human being. This is because in the early history of stress, such issues as society structures and technological advancements were not considered (Aldwin, C.M., ed., 1993, p.46). Different people have had differing reactions to the researches and research findings on stress. The topic has been accorded a negative name in the past years. Some have said that they have had difficulties in figuring out between the stress-vulnerable individuals and the stress-resistant ones; hence demanding that these aspects should be clarified as a way of enabling students deal with stressful moments effectively. Others have argued that recent researches did not fully cover on the issue of stress well, hence such publications are not fit for curriculum, and they should be edited or removed from the curriculum. Others have credited authors and researchers on stress for providing them with relevant information on how to cope with a situation which is very common amongst human beings. Other reactions included mis-understandings. For instance; Hans Selye is seen apologizing in some recent memoirs for having used stress as a wrong word, though he is believed to have been the sole cre ator of the biological stress concept. He says he should have called it strain syndrome instead of biological stress. This poses a major challenge for the researchers because people tend to question the validity of their research findings. It has become certain that stress is always in the head of a human being, and that people are the ones who make it to be what it is. Suicides continue to happen at a higher rate, divorce cases are increasing everyday, and generally life does suck for almost everyone, and we want to talk of being stress-free! It is certain therefore that the life of a normal human being cannot run without the word stress. Today, the term has several connotations and meanings and is also used differently by people. It is said to be a phenomenon of physiology, a state of mind, and also a marketing tool and an excuse for human beings. Much of its attention has been initiated by the scientific discoveries as well as efforts by medical practitioners. Since then the term stress became common all over and it achieved what can be called a zenith cultural significance. It is of late a fact of every day life (Mason JW., 1975, p. 7). The term has since then gained a lot of popularity and become a common field of research for many scholars. In the ancient times such researches were geared towards knowing how the body reacts to different forms of stress and the cognitive processes that influence a human minds functioning. Its beginning of use was in the 1930s by the endocrinologist Hans Selye. He carried out a stress research to test how laboratory animals did respond to physiological changes. He later broadened his research and tested how human beings would respond to their daily life challenges. According to his research, stress was the outcome or reaction showed by organisms and the stressors to their known threats. He said that stress can be adapted positively especially when it is involved in the struggle to achieve certain goals in life, but on the other hand it could very harmful to human beings if managed poorly (Mason JW., 1975, p. 9). After that the term has been used constantly by laymen in a metaphorical way as opposed to the biological meaning to refer to the difficulties experienced in our daily activities. It also continued to become a euphemism of referring to our problems when we do not want to be explicit. Hanss first research was practiced on rats which he exposed to some harmful stimuli, and he found out that all animals did produce similar reactions to such stimuli. In the year 1936, he described this universal reaction as a general adaptation to syndrome or GAS. according to those original researches it is a process which is initiated by an alarm which detects the stressor, then the second process is resistance whereby a mode of coping with the problem is initiated. The third stage is the exhaustion stage which can be found in the GAS model. According to Hans, it is during this stage when all the available resources are fully depleted and the body becomes unable to cope with the situation which then le ads to what people call stress. The researches then found out that when such a condition is arrived at the individual can have ulcers, digestion problems, depression or even develop some cardiovascular complications among other illnesses (Mason JW., 1975, p. 9). Some of the frequently asked questions when carrying out a research on the topic of stress include the following: what causes stress? What are the major symptoms of a stressed person? What are the effects of stress? Is stress a permanent situation or not? How can one manage stress in their daily lives? How can stress be avoided? How can the condition be dealt with under normal circumstances? How can people lead stress free lives? Which age/gender is prone to stress? Among many other sub-topics and questions. Seeking answers to such questions related to stress has been undertaken by several individuals (Kearney, G., E., et al, 2003, p. 120). Several key personalities in our history can be credited for having ventured into carrying out thorough researches on the topic of stress. A group which called itself the Work and Stress Research Group was formed with the aim of addressing issues related to stress and work in the daily life of a human being. Among them were: Saswata Biswas, Maureen Dollard, Philip Heffernan and Jane Farin. They were committed to providing information on stress and consultations. It is a group which was officially registered with the University of South Australia when they started their research. This was back in the year 1996, and they dealt with issues which caused stress like unemployment, work violence, ergonomics, and drug addiction. The group has been since then collaborating and uniting with other organizations with the aim of collecting enough information on their topic of research. The group has been commended and credited for its competency and trustworthy in the research, something which ha s gained it popularity from international organizations and institutions

The Importance of Memory Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

The Importance of Memory I remember lying in my bed one night when I was six years old, staring at the ceiling in the darkness, covers pulled up to my chin, thinking, â€Å"Someday, I’ll wake up and I’ll be twenty years old. And someday I’ll wake up and be forty. What will I look like? What will I be doing? Will I be happy? Will I remember what it was like to be six?† Memory has always been a concern of mine – mainly, is mine deficient somehow? Everyone else seems able to remember the minutiae of their childhoods, while mine seems mostly fuzzy at best. Sometimes I’ll get little snatches of an image or a feeling, summoned by something I’ve seen or smelled or heard, or sometimes a memory will just float to the surface, unasked for. And other times, I’ll consciously try to conjure up a particular scene or moment, but my efforts are unsuccessful more often than not. I’m twenty-one. I’m probably a foot and a half taller and twice as heavy as my six-year-old self. I’m in school, reading and writing a lot, trying to figure out my life, wondering (still) what forty will be like. Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m not. I aim for contentment now, mostly. This is what I remember. I’m in first grade. My teacher is Ms. Schultz. She would make the perfect grandmother: a bit chubby, short silvery-blonde hair, smiling blue eyes that crinkle in the corners, and a wardrobe consisting primarily of pink and purple sweatshirts, all cute-fluffy-animal-themed. Her face is so soft-looking I want to reach up and touch it. She likes blue eyeshadow. I’m good at first grade. The other kids like my drawings. I know not to color the sky as a one-inch blue strip at the top of my paper. I like drawing horses and unicorns and Pegas... ... and whites. I race raindrops as we coast along the highway. I guess I remember more than I thought. People tell me it’s a terrible tendency I have sometimes of focusing on the past. They say, â€Å"You should live in the now.† They insist, â€Å"You should enjoy the present.† I feel guilty at first, but I smile to see through the eyes of a six-year-old again. The guilt slides away easily because I know not to let a cloud of memories obscure the present, to freight the moment with past regrets. Instead, I use my memories to elevate my experiences now, to see everything around me with greater clarity. The past gives every moment a little more meaning. To me, it seems critical to know where and whence I came from, how I came to be like this, to think the way I do or act the way I do. Memory offers a claim of permanence, a means of positioning myself in time and in space.