Abortion :: essays research papers

As of right now, abortion is legal in all nine months of the pregnancy for any reason. This controversial issue is a question of how important the value of life is. The turning point came in 1973 when the Supreme Court's decision in Roe vs. Wade saying, that women have the right to murder an innocent child only up to 24 weeks . This false perception is fueled part by groups supporting abortion rights and it is then uncritically unaccepted by the media. The fact is that the current law allows a woman to get an abortion for any reason she deems necessary.It seems ironic that a people can get so emotional when it comes to animal rights, yet see no wrong in ripping a developed baby from the protection of the mother. It is not the child's fault that he or she was conceived. Some people argue that the developing is not technically a child yet because it cannot live on its own. Most of the procedures in murdering the growing child can be painful to the baby and be harmful to the mother. So how can we as a nation make sure criminals are executed painlessly and let children be murdered by extremely painful measures. At 18 days after conception, a baby's heart is already beating, and at 6 weeks, brain waves can be measured. At 8 weeks, the stomach, liver, and kidneys are functioning, and the fingerprints have formed. At 9 weeks, the baby can feel pain . Here are some methods of early abortion:Vacuum Curettage: powerful suction tube inserted through the cervix and into the womb. The unborn child is torn apart by the force of the suction; the fetal body parts and placenta are sucked into a jar. Possible complications include infection, cervical laceration and uterine perforation. Mifepristone: also known as RU-486, the chemical causes an abortion by interfering with the function of the placenta, starving the unborn child to death. Prostaglandins are then administered to expel the fetus. This method of abortion takes place over the span of several days; the average woman using it bleeds heavily for more than nine days, but some women have bled for over four weeks. Mifepristone is just beginning to be used in the US. Long-term health risks are not yet known. Methotrexate: though not approved by the FDA for this use, a methotrexate injection kills the unborn child by interfering with the growth process (cell division).

OCR Psychology Assignment Essay

The article â€Å"Fashion company’s shock tactics in the fight against size zero† appeared on the Daily Mail’s Website on Tuesday, September 25th 2007.  1. Assumptions  The first psychological assumption is that the use of shock tactics by way of an image portraying a naked anorexic woman will â€Å"jolt the fashion industry into action over the problem of anorexia†. The article suggests that the use of strong fear appeal will be enough to provoke behavioural change and an awareness of the illness. A fear appeal is a technique used to persuade an audience into behaving in a particular way by arousing a fear of the consequences of not following the message given. The effect of fear appeals was studied by Janis and Feshback (1953). The second psychological assumption is that â€Å"the fashion industry and the obsession with stick-thin size zero models† is to blame for the increase in cases of anorexia. The article therefore suggests that people outside of the fashion industry perhaps idolise models who appear to be rewarded with fame and fortune for being stick-thin. It assumes people imitate these models’ behaviour in the hope of being like them. Research into vicarious learning was conducted by Bandura (1965) who consequently formed the social learning theory.  The third psychological assumption relates to the billboard designers’ decision to use a picture of a female anorexic and presumes that the majority, if not all, of anorexic sufferers are female. A study that explored the prevalence of anorexia among males and females was performed by Kjels et al (2003). 2. Evidence  Evidence opposing the first assumption was conducted by Janis and Feshback (1953), who studied the motivational effect of fear arousal in health promotion communication. The entire freshman class of a Connecticut high school was divided into 4 groups, 3 of which were given 15-minute lectures on tooth decay and oral hygiene, while the fourth acted as the control group. Each lecture had a different strength of fear appeal, and results showed that although strong fear resulted in greater immediate anxiety, the minimal fear group showed the largest changes in behaviour. The minimal fear group showed 36% behaviour change, whereas strong fear only showed 8%. This therefore opposes the view of the article that the image of the naked anorexic woman will cause the fashion industry to take action against the illness and, although it will have some effect, a minimal fear approach would be most successful. Evidence that supports the second assumption was provided by Albert Bandura (1965). Bandura showed three groups of children tapes of a man being aggressive towards a doll. The first group saw the man being rewarded for his actions, the second saw him being punished and the third were not shown any consequences. The children were then placed in a room with a similar doll and observed. Results of the study showed that children were significantly more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour when they had observed the model being rewarded. Bandura labelled this imitation â€Å"vicarious leaning.† This forms part of the social learning theory suggesting that behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation. This supports the second assumption as people observing models within the fashion industry witness them being rewarded for being thin with fame and fortune, and subsequently imitate their behaviour in order to gain the same rewards. They try to be as thin as the models by starving themselves and consequently become anorexic, as the article would suggest. The evidence that challenges the third assumption is given by Kjelsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s et al. They studied 1026 female and 934 male adolescents using DSM-IV and DSM-III-R criteria to establish the prevalence of eating disorders in both genders. Each participant was asked to complete a questionnaire, and results showed that while 17.9% of female participants had suffered anorexia at some point in their lifetime, 6.5% of males had also. The study concludes that although prevalence of anorexia nervosa is higher in females, males are also susceptible to the illness. The image of the female anorexic on the billboard therefore does little to raise awareness of the illness among men and perpetuates the stereotype that eating disorders are a female disease. 3. Applications  In relation to the first assumption, Janis and Feshback would argue that instead of using shock tactics a more effective way of bringing about a change within the industry would be to provide people with information on the disease, and preventative measures. Leaflets and posters containing this information could be distributed to people within the industry itself, and perhaps to the public in order to provide awareness to the majority. This may however have little effect, as there is no guarantee that the information would be listened to by an industry out to gain profit. Bandura’s theory and study suggests that people learn anorexic behaviour from seeing underweight models in the media. Therefore, in relation to the second assumption, the number of anorexic cases could be decreased by ensuring that no model within the fashion industry is below certain measurements; for example, by preventing the use of size zero models. If people are exposed to healthier-looking models, people may develop healthier eating habits. This however assumes that size 0 models are ill, and could be perceived as discrimination against healthy individuals. There may be resistance against this motion from the fashion industry and models themselves. In relation to the third assumption, Kjelsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s et al’s study suggests that males are also susceptible to anorexia. Therefore people need to be made aware of this to increase the perceived susceptibility, especially in males. Health promotion could include information on male anorexia, and contain pictures of male sufferers who are willing to share their stories. If awareness of anorexia in males is raised and the stereotype of it being a typically female disease scrapped, then the number of males who seek help will increase. However if males do not perceive themselves susceptible they are unlikely to choose to read the health promotion in the first place as they believe it to be a female disease.

The Matrix, Plato and Descartes Essay Example

The Matrix, Plato and Descartes Essay Example The Matrix, Plato and Descartes Paper The Matrix, Plato and Descartes Paper The Matrix. There is a super computer that controls the reality of all humans. Neo, a character in the movie, realizes that the Matrix is not real. Morpheme helps him to come to this realization that his life was not real, that a super computer was programming his thoughts, and experiences. All the humans were In this huge machine with their brains connected to a bunch of wires, and their thoughts were being Inputted by the computer. In Plats Allegory of the Cave, there is a similar situation. In his description of the prisoners of the cave, the prisoners ere chained down, and only able to look a wall. There was a fire behind them and shadows from other walking by were played out on the wall for the prisoners to see. They believed the shadows to be real. When one of the prisoners were released, they perceived the real world in actuality, and the shadows they perceived to be real were not. Like in The Matrix, they believed only what they perceived. In Descanters Meditation I of the Things of Which May Doubt, he says he will doubt everything he believes unless he Is absolutely certain of the truth of the belief. He believes that our knees can deceive us on many levels. Descanters also says when we dream we can never be sure what Is real and what Is a dream. The salutary of Descanters with The Matrix and Allegory of the Cave Is the evil demon theory. He believes that he Is being deceived by an evil demon of all senses and knowledge (Foreman Dew, 2012). That the evil demon is allowing us to perceive what he wants us to perceive. How do we know the world we are experiencing is real? All we know has been taught to us by our senses and perception on how we sense these things. I believe by ouch, sight, smell, and all these things are real to me. I believe in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That Jesus died on the cross for our sins. This is the real world to me. I have faith in our Lord that what we are experiencing is real and not some dream or alternate reality. At the end of the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates explained that most men would want to escape the cave and see reality as It really Is. In The Matrix; however, In his betrayal of Morpheme, Cipher implies that it is better to live in the artificial world of the Matrix. Cipher believed that ignorance is bliss. For me, I would like to know what reality really is. Ignorance is bliss can be a nice thing, but something always happens to make you doubt what is really going on. When that happened you truly believe that you have been deceived and everything you thought to be true is not. Most of our knowledge is based on sense experience, and they are not always accurate. How can we be truly certain of our beliefs? Personally, I know about the senses not being accurate. I am legally blind, and hard of hearing. Much of my world is not truly how It Is perceived. I rely on what my family and friends tell me. What makes me certain of my beliefs Is my faith In our Lord. A few years ago, I might have questioned everything based on my senses not being accurate. How do I know that I am truly seeing or hearing whats in front of me. My faith in the Lord has leaded me through everything. References Foreman, Mark Dew, Jar. J. (2012) How Certain Can We Be? In, How Do You Know? A Short Introduction to the Issues of Epistemology. (p. 58). Downers Grove, IL: Intermarries Press. Wackiest, Andy, and Lana Wackiest. The Matrix. Directed by Andy Wackiest and Lana Wackiest. Los Angels: Warner Brow. Pictures, 1999.

Anti-Gravity Water Science Magic Trick

Anti-Gravity Water Science Magic Trick Amaze your friends with this simple science magic trick that turns ordinary water into anti-gravity water. Materials for the Water Trick Water glass with a round rim (wine glass or typical water glass)T-shirtWater Basically, all you need is water, a glass, and a cloth. A t-shirt is easy to find. Other excellent choices for the fabric would be a handkerchief, square of silk, or mens dress shirt. Choose a fabric with a tight weave or knit. Perform the Anti-Gravity Water Trick Place the cloth over the glass.Use your hand to push a depression into the fabric. This is so you can more easily fill the glass and also helps wet the material.Fill the glass about three-quarters full of water.Pull the fabric tightly over the glass.You have two choices here. You can quickly flip the glass, using a hand to hold the fabric tight. Alternatively, you can put one hand over the top of the glass, while using the other to hold the material tight and slowly invert the glass. Pull the hand over the glass away.The water doesnt pour out! How It Works Water has a high surface tension. In this trick, the water molecules absorbed into the fabric hold onto other water molecules inside the water glass. Even though there are gaps in the fabric, the attraction between water molecules overcomes the force of gravity trying to pull the water down. What do you think would happen if you lowered the surface tension of the water by using a glass that had a residue of detergent on it? What if you tried the trick with another liquid? Chances are good the surface tension of the water would be lowered enough that youd get wet! Another fun trick that works on the same principle is Magic Colored Milk.

Television and Obesity essays

Television and Obesity essays Technology and Television: Child Obesity The children of today are becoming more obese, for the fact that they are obtaining laziness. They are spending more time in front of the television then they are getting their daily exercise. Their growing bodies need exercise to lose baby fat before it gets to be a serious problem. The growth of technology has formed a major impact on the obesity of todays children. This technology has substituted normal childhood play exercises with computer games that take less physical effort. Because of technology in today's society the problem with child obesity has become tremendously intensified. First, what is child obesity? The term child obesity means a child is a person between birth and puberty and obese is extremely fat: corpulent(The American Heritage Dictionary 265,856). This disease is caused due to a lack of exercise and over-eating by a child. Child obesity can cause many medical problems for a child that suffers from such a disease. Obesty is a widespread disease that is growing incredibly worse as technology increases. Furthermore, it is obvious that the lack of exercise has a major part to do with child obesity; scientists blame the television for a substitute to outdoor sports. Kids are spending more time watch television than they are doing physical activities. The findings strongly support the notion that the most important lifestyle factor in childhood obesity is television watching(Monmaney). The television brings the childs imagination to life, giving them entertainment to do without the running and exercising of outdoor sports. The more television a child watches the more obese the child will get. Next, the problem is getting so out of hand that the government is going to have to start getting involved. Satcher and Shirley Watkins, the undersecretary of agriculture for food, nutrition and consumer services said that, "'TV increases obesity, stifle...

The Science Fiction about Robotic Mission Essay

The Science Fiction about Robotic Mission - Essay Example In particular, the sun has been studied to explore sun’s features link the black-holes that space exploration has revealed as fascinating blacks spots to which no information exists and it is believed that even information cannot escape from them (Gao, Sun & Jing, 2014). As such, a journey to the exploration of the sun and its obits also has some profound effects on the environment since the space activities pass through important or crucial transitional areas above the atmosphere including the ozone layer whose interference has the potential of jeopardising the entire environmental characteristics of the earth’s atmosphere (Lilenstern & Bornarel, 2005). Therefore, this science-fiction story explores the journey to the sun to explore black holes and as such discusses some of the effects of such events on the earth’s environment. The solar system is a collection of many stars orbited by planets, but the most prominent feature is the sun as undoubtedly the largest object within the solar system. The visible layer of the Sun is the photosphere, with the temperatures as high as 6,000 degrees Celsius (Lilenstern & Bornarel, 2005). The solar energy is created within the sun’s core where the conditions favor nuclear reaction. At the sun’s core, the nuclear reaction causes the fusion of hydrogen nuclei thus forming helium nucleus or an alpha particle.

The financial issues behind Christopher Columbus's journey to america Term Paper

The financial issues behind Christopher Columbus's journey to america - Term Paper Example As was the prevailing story of European competition and balance of power politics, the nations that held on tentatively to their nation’s respective crowns were abjectly paranoid about any one of their neighboring states/competitors gaining an advantage. Likewise, each of the nations of Europe hoped to garner a larger share of the ongoing trade with Asia which served to generate such wealth. Had it not been for the fact that a very small possibility existed that Columbus’ plan might succeed coupled with the extreme riches that were related, it is doubtful that any of the European monarchs would have even considered funding such a fanciful mission. In this way, a type of competitive advantage paranoia gripped the Queen of Spain as she and her advisors recommended that even though the trip was one of great uncertainty with regards to the percentage chance it held for success, the gamble may indeed pay off. Prior to approaching the Queen of Spain, Columbus had been on a ti reless quest to obtain funding for this endeavor. Columbus first approached King John II of Portugal in the hopes that the Portuguese would choose to fund the mission. Rather than making a decision on the evidence that Columbus gave to the King, the king turned over the information to his trusted advisors and counselors and had them perform what we might today call a risk assessment of the possible rewards of such an endeavor as compared to its overall costs and risks. King John’s Portuguese advisors soon returned to him with their determination. The advisors noted that the proposal was indeed a risky one; however, they did not turn it down based on this point alone. The reason the advisors/counselors suggested that the trip should not be funded was due to the fact that they considered Columbus’ own calculations with respect to the actual distance that Asia was from the coast of Europe to be fundamentally flawed. Columbus himself noted to the King that he believed Asia was a mere 2,400 miles from the Portuguese mainland.1 As such, by the calculations of the cartographers and contemporaries of Columbus the actual number was far greater. The answer of â€Å"no† from the advisors and counselors of European monarchs would come to be an expected result for Christopher Columbus on his sojourn through the monarchical courts of Europe around the end of the 1480s. Somewhat disheartened by the rejection of the Portuguese, Columbus next turned to the English court in the hopes that they might fund his expedition. It is interesting to note here that Columbus did not necessarily target those wealthiest nations in all of Europe in a quest to fund his exploration; instead, he targeted those that had a long history of sea-faring and navigation. Perhaps in this way, Columbus made it difficult on himself to obtain funding as those advisors of kings and queens oftentimes would deny Columbus’ request based on the fact that he was providing incomplete a nd/or faulty information regarding the total perceived distance in which he would locate the continent of Asia. Eventually, Columbus plied his request with the Spanish court of Queen Isabella her husband Ferdinand. Upon presenting his request to the Spanish court, the response was initially much the same that he had received at various other European courts up until that time. Queen Isabella referred the matter to her advisors/counselors and said that a decision would be initiated and based upon