Why Evolution Is True by Jerry A. Coyne (Penguin Books) Published in Essay

Why Evolution Is True by Jerry A. Coyne (Penguin Books) Published in 2010 - Essay Example These evolution theories contradict with the concept of the creationists. The creation concept says that the human beings are not evolved rather they are created at once and that animals and the human beings are different from their origin. Both the concepts of evolution and the creation are very much opposite to each other. The subject of the book is very important to be clearly understood in our own life. In other words we can also say that â€Å"Why Evolution is true† is the summary of all the facts of Darwin’s evolution theory and also the natural selection process. Natural selection process is explained very well by the Darwin. This means that the one living organisms who strives for the life gets the chance to survive in the competitive environment. With the help of his arguments, Jerry Coyne has showed that the natural selection process do not destroy the beauty of life rather it enhances or give advancement to it in a gradual manner, because the nature itself selects the suitable living beings on its own behalf. The process of natural selection basically means to find out the proper resources to live the life. The one who find out the available resources would be included in the list of the naturally fittest organisms thus striving for saving the life. In other words we can also say that the natural selection means the struggle for the existence. For this struggle the living beings may change their traits and this would be called as the gene variation according to the environment. The changing of traits may help living organisms to grab the best possible resources. This gene variation would help them to survive according to the environmental conditions. Actually each and every individual is composed of different combinations of genes. Some of these genes traits are helpful or other might be less important in the survival. Therefore the individuals may change such kind of traits and also adapting to those which are more

File Sharing on the Internet Essay -- Computers Technology Essays

File Sharing on the Internet When we think of pirates, we see scruffy men with unshaven chins, a bandana, a gold earing, a black patch on one eye, and a wooden leg, men with guns in hand, riding the seas in their wooden ship proudly flying the terrifying skull and crossbones. Well, pirates these days look much different. In fact, you may be sitting by one right now. They are ordinary people who have come to enjoy the technologies the Internet provides. These pirates are boys and girls, women and men, who habitually root themselves in their desk chairs with eyes fixed on the computer screen. But today's pirates have something in common with the pirates of days lost in history. Both steal what doesn't belong to them. Today's pirates sail the Internet on the prowl for a treasure chest of downloadable files. In the age of technology and information, the Internet has become widely used for a variety of reasons. I, like many other college and high school students, love to download things off the Internet. Everything is right there in front of me. With a few clicks of the mouse and some intelligent searching strategies, a world of information awaits my curious mind. There's much to be found: movies, computer games, books, reference guides, almost anything you want is there to download. My favorite thing to download is music, and it's easily accessible on the Internet. I admit I am one of those who indulges in the popular practice of downloading music from servers. At first, the hot thing was to use Napster. If I heard a good song on the radio, I would remember what it was called and who sang it so that I could download the song and have it available to hear whenever I wanted. After a while, record companies realized that thi... ...ongs from CDs I don't have, and as soon as I have the means I plan to finish collecting their CDs. I am like the many Wilco fans and other music fans who aren't trying to cheat record companies and artists by getting the CDs online for free. In light of everything, today's pirates, like those of the past, are in control and can't be stopped. Only by taking drastic measures and infringing on people's rights to copy CDs legally for legitimate purposes will the pirating be stopped. However, pirating music is not all that bad, and in many ways is actually good for artists, record companies, listeners, and especially people who love music. Sources cited: Levy, Steven. "Turning Off the Music Tap." Newsweek 13 May 2002: 40. On-line. Proquest. 10 Oct 2002. Available at http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?Did=0000001189692564&Fmt=3&Deli=1&Mtd=l&Idx=4&Sid=13&RQT=309.

Gender Differences in Computer Attitudes Essay

The article titled â€Å"Gender Differences in Computer Attitudes, Ability, and Use in the Elementary Classroom† is written by Dr. Robin Kay who is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology. He has published several other articles in the field of computers and their use in education. He has also presented numerous papers at conferences both locally and internationally. Dr. Robin Kay has taught computers, mathematics, and technology for over 15 years of his career. At the end of the article Dr. Robin Kay states that the main reason for research is to assist in seeing all students develop an ability to adapt to changes in technology so that all can enjoy the benefits of the wealth of electronic information. According to the aforementioned article, Dr. Robin Kay asserts that computers play a vital and prominent role in society and it is therefore important that both boys and girls are given equal opportunities in learning, working with and benefiting from computer technology. He however notes that according to research carried out by Whitley, there is a gender imbalance in study and use of computer technology whereby computers are viewed as masculine tools. Females are less confident than boys in use of computer technology. Differences in perception of computers and computer technology can be largely attributed to the traditional attitudes that tend to spare females from technical issues thus females are generally less interested in technological issues. In the same breath, it can be concluded that even in the few cases when females are interested in computers, they are not amply encouraged to pursue this interest. Dr. Robin Kay’s research notes that existing research has not addressed the differences in computer ability between boys and girls particularly in elementary school. Lack of initial support to females at the tender age of elementary school is blamed as the genesis of the gender imbalance. Dr. Robin Kay has gone to great lengths to offer proposals and solutions to help eliminate the issue of gender imbalance The disparity between males and females and their related abilities in usage of computers and computer technology should be addressed at the grassroots level whereby efforts to encourage females to take interest should be made. It is therefore evident that Dr. Robin Kay views the gender imbalance in computer usage as a matter of perception and not practicality meaning that neither gender has an upper hand against the other if computers and computer technology were approached on an even ground. The idea of same sex computer groups would be particularly effective because it would help in alienating males who tend to be faster in grasping technological issues from females who take longer. This alongside with revised computer syllabuses for elementary schools and positive attitudes from the teachers will go a long way in bridging the gender imbalance in computer usage and benefit in elementary schools. In conclusion, Dr. Robin Kay has done a considerably good job given the fact that the scope of the research itself is limited. Gender imbalance in computer usage is not a research topic that would generate numerous noteworthy points but Dr. Robin Kay has done an outstanding job in enlightening readers on an otherwise dull topic. The solutions given to the problem of gender imbalance are workable even though they are generally limited to addressing the gender imbalance in computers and computer technology at the elementary school level: not much has been done to assist female victims of the imbalance. Affirmative action could be adopted to address the problem of females who have limited or little knowledge of computers when the females are put on the same platform with their male counterparts.

How Ballast Water Systems Work

A ballast water system is essential for the safe operation of a ship, but the operation of these systems causes significant threats to the environment and local economy. What Is a Ballast Water System? A ballast water system allows a ship to pump water in and out of very large tanks to compensate for a change in cargo load, shallow draft conditions, or weather. The capacity of ballast water tanks might be millions of gallons on a large vessel. This allows vessels to carry a light or heavy load while maintaining ideal buoyancy and handling conditions in all situations.A ship might discharge all ballast water tanks to pass a shallow area or forward tanks only to raise the bow in rough open seas.Physical components of the system include; raw water intakes, large and small strainers, pumps, distribution pipes, ballast water tanks, treatment system, discharge system, and all the valves, sensors, and controls to run the equipment. Invasive Species in Ballast Water Invasive species are a significant threat to ecosystems and the economies of the affected areas. Researchers think that about one-third of all documented invasive plants and animals are able to travel in the ballast water tanks of ships. Zebra Mussels were introduced into Lake Saint Clair in 1988 when a ship emptied ballast water into the Great Lakes System. The Great Lakes hold nearly twenty percent of the earth’s fresh surface water in a watershed system. The non-native mussels eliminated native varieties once used by industry and have caused an estimated 7 billion dollars (US) in damage by encrusting or clogging underwater equipment essential to industrial and recreational activities.Sea Lamprey and ​Spiny Water Fleas are organisms which feed off of host fish or compete with young fish for food. Many species of fish impacted by these invasive species have significant commercial or sporting value. These animals and others can live in fresh or salt water and may spread into inland waterways from saline ports and harbors.Plants can also travel long distances in ballast water. Eurasian Milfoil is a surface plant which can clog equipment and deter recreation where it forms thick mats. Eurasian Milfoil was introduced to the United States in the 1940s. Because the plant can produce large colonies from only one small fragment it is likely the plant was introduced in the ballast water of a ship. Resolving Ballast Water Issues For years amateurs and professional researchers have experimented with a huge array of weapons to combat invasive species in a ship’s ballast water. Most of the difficulty is due to the fact that huge volumes of water must be treated in a reasonably short period of time. Many land-based systems for treating public supplies takes many hours or days to pass water through their treatment systems. A ship, on the other hand, must be able to discharge ballast water as quickly as cargo is loaded. In emergency situations, ballast tanks need to empty as quickly as possible. A quick pass through most ballast water treatment systems is not enough to kill all the organisms that may be present. Ballast Water Treatment Solutions and Shortcomings No Discharge or Ballast Exchange Rules: International, National, and Local law govern ballast water discharge. Some areas require ballast tanks to be sealed while others allow ballast to be exchanged. Ballast exchange allows tanks to be filled with local waters. Sealed ballast tanks may need to be emptied in an emergency situation and exchange is hindered by the fact that foreign waters must be discharged in close proximity to ​the sensitive area for vessels to operate safely.Mechanical Filters: Filters which are fine enough to remove the small immature young and eggs of invasive species clog quickly and require constant maintenance.Thermal Treatment: The idea is to heat ballast water to kill any unwanted organisms. Unfortunately heating such a huge volume of water is impractical due to time and energy constraints.Other Energy Treatments: Ultraviolet, sonic, and other radiation have all been tried but have similar problems to a thermal treatment; limits on time and energy.Chem ical Treatments: One of the earliest and most dangerous of all the methods used to control invasive species in ballast water. Chlorine bleach and other toxic chemicals will kill existing organisms but the release of these chemicals on the scale necessary to treat every ship would reach toxic levels for all aquatic life near the discharge points. The Future of Ballast Water Treatment Researchers are pursuing this difficult and financially lucrative goal at institutions around the world. In 2011, a team announced their successful small-scale test of a two-phase ballast treatment system which eliminates unwanted organisms and produces sodium bicarbonate as a byproduct. The system is undergoing full-size tests in the Great Lakes. The test for a scalable system is expected to perform well. It is not clear how regulatory agencies around the world will respond to the potential discharge of industrial amounts of sodium bicarbonate into their waters. Sodium bicarbonate is a common and safe chemical in small amounts, but studies must be conducted to assure this method is safe for long term use.