Thursday, December 26, 2019

Pythagoras of Samos Biography

Pythagoras, a Greek mathematician and philosopher, is best known for his work developing and proving the theorem of geometry that bears his name. Most students remember it as follows: the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Its written as: a 2 b2 c2. Early Life Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BCE. Not much is known of his early life. There is evidence that he was well educated, and learned to read and play the lyre. As a youth, he may have visited Miletus in his late teenage years to study with the philosopher Thales, who was a very old man, Thaless student, Anaximander was giving lectures on Miletus and quite possibly, Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander took a great interest in geometry and cosmology, which influenced the young Pythagoras. Odyssey to Egypt The next phase of Pythagorass life is a bit confusing. He went to Egypt for some time and visited, or at least tried to visit, many of the temples. When he visited Diospolis, he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. There, he continued his education, especially in mathematics and geometry. From Egypt in Chains Ten years after Pythagoras arrived in Egypt, relations with Samos fell apart. During their war, Egypt lost and Pythagoras was taken as a prisoner to Babylon. He wasnt  treated as a prisoner of war as we would consider it today. Instead, he continued his education in mathematics and music and delved into the teachings of the priests, learning their sacred rites. He became extremely proficient in his studies of mathematics and sciences as taught by the Babylonians. A Return Home Followed by Departure Pythagoras eventually returned to Samos, then went to Crete to study their legal system for a short time. In Samos, he founded a school called the Semicircle. In  about 518 BCE, he  founded another school in Croton (now known as Crotone, in southern Italy). With Pythagoras at the head, Croton maintained an inner circle of followers known as mathematikoi (priests of mathematics). These mathematikoi lived permanently within the society, were allowed no personal possessions and were strict vegetarians. They received training only from Pythagoras, following very strict rules.  The next layer of the society was called the akousmatics. They lived in their own houses and only came to the society during the day.  The society contained both men and women.   The Pythagoreans were a highly secretive group, keeping their work out of public discourse. Their interests lay not just in math and natural philosophy, but also in metaphysics and religion. He and his inner circle believed that souls migrated after death into the bodies of other beings. They thought that animals could contain human souls. As a result, they saw eating animals as cannibalism.   Contributions Most scholars know that Pythagoras and his followers didnt study mathematics for the same reasons as people do today. For them, numbers had a spiritual meaning. Pythagoras taught that all things are numbers and saw mathematical relationships in nature, art, and music. There are a number of theorems attributed to Pythagoras, or at least to his society, but the most famous one,  the Pythagorean theorem, may not be entirely his invention. Apparently, the Babylonians had realized the relationships between the sides of a right triangle more than a thousand years before Pythagoras learned about it. However, he spent a great deal of time working on a proof of the theorem.   Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagorass work was essential to astronomy. He felt the sphere was the perfect shape. He also realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to Earths equator, and deduced that the evening star (Venus) was the same as the morning star. His work influenced later astronomers such as Ptolemy and Johannes Kepler (who formulated the laws of planetary motion). Final Flight   During the later years of the society, it came into conflict with supporters of democracy. Pythagoras denounced the idea, which resulted in attacks against his group. Around 508 BCE, Cylon, a Croton noble attacked the Pythagorean Society and vowed to destroy it. He and his followers persecuted the group, and Pythagoras fled to Metapontum. Some accounts claim that he committed suicide. Others say that Pythagoras returned to Croton a short time later since the society was not wiped out and continued for some years. Pythagoras may have lived at least beyond 480 BCE, possibly to age 100. There are conflicting reports of both his birth and death dates. Some sources think he was born in 570 BCE and died in 490 BCE.   Pythagoras Fast Facts Born: ~569 BCE on SamosDied: ~475 BCEParents: Mnesarchus (father), Pythias (mother)Education:   Thales, AnaximanderKey Accomplishments:  first mathematician Sources Britannica: Pythagoras-Greek Philosopher and MathematicianUniversity of St. Matthews: Pythagoras BiographyWikipedia Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Financial Crisis Of 2008-2009 - 1908 Words

The financial crisis of 2008-2009 was an extremely significant event in recent history and has been described as â€Å"perhaps the most important economic event since the Great Depression† (Gorton Metrick, 2012, p.g. 150). We are still experiencing the effects of the crisis today and there is a considerable amount of literature on the subject. There has been much research into the crisis and what caused it (Gorton and Metrick, 2012). Using some of this research both the causes and effects of the financial crisis can be explored. This essay will discuss what happened in the months leading up to the crisis, the causes and effects of the financial crisis and tackles some of the questions that researchers have asked regarding the events of 2008-2009. Mishkin (2011) discussed the idea that when analysing the causes of the financial crisis the events should be split into two separate periods. The period occurring towards the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008, which involved lending within subprime markets and the end of the housing bubble, and the second occurring in September 2008, beginning with the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers (Mishkin, 2011, Gorton Metrick, 2012). Although the start of the financial crisis is thought of by most to be in September 2008, when investment bank Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, some of the main contributing factors actually occurred prior to 2008. During the early 2000’s interest rates were low and as a result more people were able to affordShow MoreRelatedFinancial Crisis : The Recession Of 2008-2009881 Words   |  4 PagesThe most popularly known subprime mortgage crisis came into lime light when a steep rise in home foreclosures in 2006 spiraled seemingly out of control in 2007, triggering a national financial crisis that went global within the year. The maximum blame is pointed at the lenders who created such problems. It was the lenders who ultimately lent funds to people with poor credit and a high risk of default. When Fed flooded the markets with increasing capital liquidity, its intention was not only to lowerRead MoreCauses of the Financial Crisis of 2008-20091736 Words   |  7 PagesCauses of The Financial Crisis of 2007-2009 According to our financial textbook â€Å" Financial crises are major disruptions in financial markets characterized by sharp declines in asset prices and firm failures† (Mishkin and Eakins 2012). In August 2007, defaults in mortgage market for subprime borrowers sent a shudder through the financial markets, leading to the worst U.S financial crisis since the Great Depression. Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Fed, described the financial crisis as a â€Å"once-in-a-centuryRead MoreFederal Reserve And The 2008 / 2009 Financial Crisis1373 Words   |  6 PagesFederal Reserve and the 2008/2009 Financial Crisis: What they did and Why In the late 2007, early 2008 the United States and the world was hit with the most serious economic downturn since The Great Depression in 1929. During this time the Federal Reserve played a huge role in assuring that it would not turn into the second Great Depression. In this paper, we will be discussing what the Federal Reserve did during this time, including a discussion of our nation’s three main economic goals which areRead More2008 Financial Crisis: Icelands Then Now Essay examples1558 Words   |  7 PagesCauses of the Crisis On September 15, 2008, the American bank Lehman Brothers, with holdings over 600 billion USD, filed bankruptcy. This was by far the biggest bankruptcy in U.S history and it marked the beginning and the largest financial crisis ever. How can one of the biggest banks in the world fail? How can a bankruptcy in US make someone on the other side of the world unemployed? The answer is Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) and it all started by new innovations in the financial sector combinedRead MoreThe Global Financial Crisis Of Broward College920 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Paper: The Global Financial Crisis Michelle Beira Broward College There have been few financial crises in the United States. The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 to 2009 was the most recent and before that was The Great Depression of the 1930s. The Global Financial Crisis actually began in 2007 when prices of homes tanked. It not only affected the U.S. but it also affected economies overseas. The entire investment banking industry, some of the biggest insurance companies, enterprisesRead MoreThe Global Financial Crisis Of 2007-20081123 Words   |  5 PagesThe Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 is the worst financial crisis since the 1930’s The Great Depression (Reuters, 2009). Even if bailouts of banks by national governments prevented the collapse of major financial institutions, worldwide stock markets continued to drop. Evictions and foreclosures overwhelmed the housing market while severed unemployment embraced the labor market (Baily and Elliot, 2009). This global financial crisis was responsible for the decline in the consumersâ₠¬â„¢ wealth, andRead MoreRanking the Key Principles of Corporate Governance1579 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosophy applied in this essay is based on analysis of the results of international investigations into the underlying causes of the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC). Stakeholder reactions to and perceptions about the standards of corporate governance in the lead up to the global financial crisis are also taken into account. In light of the global financial crisis, this essay proposes that the corporate governance principles be ranked based on four critical threads: risk management; board andRead MoreHow Government Economic Policies Caused the Financial Crisis of 20081553 Words   |  7 PagesThe financial crisis in 2008 that led to a crisis in the banking sector, and which nearly led to a complete collapse of the economy globally, was not only caused by changes in the regulatory, regulation and legislation oversight, but also fiscal and monetary policies. Many believe that, expansion of excesses monetary and irresponsibility of some of the government agencies led to the crisis. According to reports by Taylor (2009), excesses monetary policies were the main cause of the 2008 financialRead MoreThe 2008 Financial Crisis Essay1326 Words   |  6 Pagesintroduction The 2008 financial crisis led to a sharp increase in mortgage foreclosures primarily subprime leading to a collapse in several mortgage lenders. Recurrent foreclosures and the harms of subprime mortgages were caused by loose lending practices, housing bubble, low interest rates and extreme risk taking (Zandi, 2008). Additionally, expert analysis on the 2008 financial crisis assert that the cause was also due to erroneous monetary policy moves and poor housing policies. The federal governmentRead MoreFactors That Affects The Global Economy And Its Impact On The Nigeria And Egypt Economy1568 Words   |  7 Pageseconomy. In 2007, the financial crisis, which later extended to the global financial crisis began in the United States of America. The origin and elements of the 2007/2012 global financial crisis have been widely discussed in the literature throughout the period. The aim of this work is to, however, try to point out the reasons and also the macroeconomic effects of the financi al crisis in both countries economy and the resulting policy responses. Nevertheless, the impact of this crisis on the real economy

Monday, December 9, 2019

Modern Family vs. Leave It to Beaver free essay sample

Television Review There are some slight differences between the families in Leave it to Beaver and Modern Family. Lets start with Leave it to Beaver, created in 1957 with black and white video the main family consisted of a husband and wife, and two sons named Wally and Beaver. The family manner was the man of the house brought in the money while the wife cleaned and served most of her time at home looking after the boys. As I viewed a couple episodes, I saw that both brothers got along very well and had a brotherly love relationship, who were respectful and faithful to there parents. Compared to Modern Family, the family looks out of rhythm. In this show the parents play the same role as in Leave it to Beaver, but the siblings have slightly different behaviors than those of Beaver and Wally. Comparing the siblings together, Beaver and Wally treat their parents with great respect and have family conversations about concerns they are have in their life. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Family vs. Leave It to Beaver or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While in Modern Family, there is hardly a close family relationship between anyone in the family. During breakfast, everyone at the table is completely focused on their electronic devices and there are no group discussions. In Leave it to Beaver, the parents are on track with their kids and decisions are made 100% between them with no arguments. On the other hand, Modern Family has a lot of disagreeing involving the parents. There is a lot of talking back to the parents and calling them names like â€Å"daddy-o† rather than a respectful Sir or Madame. All in all the differences in these two families show how family roles have changed over a period of time. It also shows how technology has had a great impact on the world today, and is rapidly taking away from face to face conversations. In other words its an outlook on how much society has changed in a short period of time to go from a conservative outlook to and independent society.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Maritime Transportation Security Act

The U.S. Maritime Security is made up of a variety of laws, regulations, different agencies that bear the responsibility for ensuring that the ports are safe and that the cargo goes in and out securely. Since the 11th September, the National Congress has created and passed an array of laws that relate to the maritime security, including the 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act (Bondareff O’Neill, 2013, para. 3).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Maritime Transportation Security Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the start of the Nation, the security of maritime ports has been of great concern. Since the early beginnings of the country development, the US Coast Guard alongside with the US Custom service shared efforts to protect the ports, waterways, and maritime borders from a variety of attacks and other criminal acts (Maritime Transportation System Security Recommendations for the Nat ional Strategy for Maritime Security, 2005, p. 6). They still contribute to the Nation’s security by preventing and suppressing human and contraband smuggling, illegal migration, piracy and other crimes that occur within port facilities. According to the testimony of Christopher Koch (2002), the President CEO of the World Shipping Council, before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, â€Å"Designing and implementing an effective maritime security program will require cooperation, information sharing, and coordination between government and industry. At the outset, the Council recommends that the federal government’s strategy and actions should be consistent with certain principles† (p. 3). Thus, the implementation of the Maritime Transportation Security Act is a unified strategy for addressing the primary issues linked with maritime safety. Improving security aboard and in ports required clearly stated responsibilities as well as an inte grated approach. Second, the regimen of security should allow the free and efficient trade flow. Secure and efficient transportation should work side-by-side. Maritime Transportation Security Act Significance The authority of law administration is assigned to the Department of Homeland Security and is distributed among various entities within the Department. These entities include the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Borders Protection, and the United States Coast Guard (Bondareff O’Neill, 2013, para. 6).Advertising Looking for research paper on transportation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act is considered a significant piece of legislation that has set up a framework for developing and improving the security of the national ports as well as their protection from possible terrorist attacks. Moreover, ports are the si gnificant pathways that ensure a safe transportation of cargo along the waterways. Twenty-five percent of the US GDP moves via the waterways. An attack targeted at ports can cause a disruption of the supply chain that has been managed and tuned for decades. On the other hand, understanding how the port industry operates is the first step in improving the security on land and aboard. When the Maritime Transportation Security Act introduces the new mandates on safety in the maritime industry, it was done without the disruption of the free trading flow or the maritime sector economic viability (MarEx, 2012, para. 3). However, there are many areas of concern regarding port safety despite the Maritime Transportation Security Act being a story of success. As seen from various hearings of the Committees and Subcommittees, there were no regulations regarding the deployment of the TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) readers. There are also concerns linked to the new rules fulfilling the requirements targeted at improving maritime security as well as the installment of new tracking technologies aboard, as well as the exchange of information between the government, local authorities, and the agencies. The sources of frustration are the inability of the Service to connect the MDA systems in the ‘operating’ picture as well as the vague approaches to vessel tracking. In addition, because of the physical decrease in the Interagency Operation Centers, the efforts of sharing Maritime Domain Awareness information between stakeholders (MarEx, 2012, para. 6). Port Security Concerns Security experts along with government leaders have great concerns about the ports being a gateway for the terrorists to smuggle weapons, personnel, and other dangerous items into the country. Moreover, there are worries that the ships in the country’s ports, especially large commercial cargo, cruise ships, and other ships could be targets for the terrorist attack s. Experts warn that such attacks can easily paralyze he functioning of ports and the maritime trading system that directly affects the global US Commerce (Frittelli, Lee, Medalia, O’Rourke Perl, 2003, p. 2).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Maritime Transportation Security Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some Congress Members expressed concerns that the Maritime Transportation Security Act does not go far enough in its requirements for increasing security in ports. Additionally to the proposals about port security enhancement, the Congress should have debated on the problem raised by the last Congress, the problem of paying for ensuring maximum security in ports. Moreover, the Congress can also think about implementing the issues linked to different maritime security provisions set by the Maritime Transportation Security Act. The debate about whether the country is spending enough on securi ty in ports and whether the funding is directed at the vulnerable sectors that can become targets for terrorist attacks. On the other hand, the skeptics put forward an idea that no matter how much funds is spent on the port security, achieving success in preventing terrorist attacks in ports (Frittelli et al., 2003, p. 6). Moreover, there is an issue concerning whether a general taxpayer should be a contributor to ensuring security in port through user fees. Port authorities argue that the port security should be a public good, and thus, the whole nation should share in the cost on security. Others argue that security at ports is only beneficial for the maritime industry because it reduces the cost of cargo theft. Thus, they argue that the industry should be the one to pay for port security. A Decade After Maritime Transportation Security Act November 2012 was a mark of the Maritime Transportation Security Act tenth anniversary. Thus, the anniversary requires a number of improvement s targeted at protection of country’s ports and waterways from terrorist attacks. The Department of Homeland Security is the main federal agency that is responsible for the implementation of the Maritime Transportation Security Act. The federal government progressed in the port security planning by developing an array of strategies and plans as well as testing them (Caldwell, 2012, p. 5). When it comes to the port safety strategies development, the federal government has made progress. For instance, the approvement of the National Strategy for Maritime Security in 2005 was one of the first steps. The strategy is linked to eight supporting plans that are targeted at addressing various threats to the maritime port environment. In June 2008, it was reported that the plans were developed accordingly, as well as they included the following crucial components: methodology, scope, risk assessment, coordination of responsibilities, integration and implementation. With the help of suc h characteristics, the federal government is able to enhance security in ports. For instance, better risk assessment and the definition of the problem provide further information required for the needs of specific maritime sectors, including ports (Caldwell, 2012, p. 6). Progress and Challenges The Department of Homeland Security has made a significant progress in implementing various programs linked to maritime security, including port security. In addition, DHS has developed an array of security programs and strategies, as well as exercised the security plans.Advertising Looking for research paper on transportation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, the Coast Guard has implemented the Area Maritime Security Plan throughout the whole country in order to coordinate the Coast Guard procedures that are linked to the protection and prevention of attacks targeted at the US ports (United States Government Accountability Office, 2012, para. 1). Moreover, the Coast Guard has conducted a number of programs for conducting inspections in federal ports. Despite the fact that the Department of Homeland Security and its components have progressed substantially, there were some major challenges linked to the program and initiative implementation. Since passing the Maritime Transportation Security Act, the challenges faced by the DHS included the following aspects: implementation and program management, collaboration with other agencies, funding and resources for port security implementation, and the measures of performance. One of the major challenges of ensuring port security is connected with funding. For instance, the data acq uired from the Coast Guard states that because of the lack of funding, some port security units are unable to meet the set standards in various security activities – including escorting and boarding vessels (United States Government Accountability Office, 2012, para. 2). Conclusion There is no doubt that since the 11th September the ports become much more secure. However, the government has stopped paying attention to the important part ports play in the transportation system as well as the economy. The funding of the maritime infrastructure and port security has declined significantly. Port security has become only a small step in the transportation security programs. Thus, the Congress should work side-by-side with the Administration in order to enhance and improve the funding for port infrastructure and port security as well as ensure a tighter cooperation between the agencies responsible for port security (Bondareff O’Neill, 2013, para. 18). On the other hand, the Maritime Transportation Security Act has set up regulations for various transportation modes that are linked to reducing the security risks at ports. The regulations can affect the risks connected with on-shore and off-shore facilities, at the intermodal connections that exist within the port infrastructure. For the future, the Department of Homeland Security should consider some guidelines for implementing security in ports. The guidelines are the following: working with national, international, and industry entities that can develop port security regulation for considering whether the regulations are to be revised for managing the risks linked to the terrorist attacks (Maritime Transportation System Security Recommendations for the National Strategy for Maritime Security, 2005, p. 12). For a comprehensive port security network, promotion of technology is essential. The federal government should encourage the use of new technologies for improving port security as well as be a cent ral entity in the relevant technology development. References Bondareff, J., O’Neill, P. (2013). Are Our Ports Safe?  Web. Caldwell, S. (2012). Maritime Security. Progress and Challenges 10 Years after the Maritime Transportation Security Act.  Web. Frittelli, J., Lee, M., Medalia, J., O’Rourke, R., Perl, R. (2003). Port and Maritime Security: Background and Issues. New York, NY: Novinka Books. Koch, C. (2002). Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.  Web. MarEx. (2012). Tenth Anniversary of the Maritime Transportation Security Act: Are We Safer? Web. Maritime Transportation System Security Recommendations for the National Strategy for Maritime Security. (2005). Web. United States Government Accountability Office. (2012). Progress and Challenges 10 Years after the Maritime Transportation Security Act. Web. This research paper on Maritime Transportation Security Act was written and submitted by user Leonel Daniels to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.