Global Issues in Astronautics Essay Example for Free

Global Issues in Astronautics Essay The Mars Exploration Rovers were two programs launched by NASA to Mars for the primary reason of finding water on the planet. Twin robots were launched on June 10 and July 7 for this purpose which landed on January 24 and 25. These robots were sent to the opposite poles where past records of liquid water were apparent. The robots contained Cameras, Spectrometers, Rock Abrasion Tools and Imagers and collected panoramic images of promising sites on the surface of Mars much like the way a human would through the arms, elbows and wrist. A total distance of more than 1 kilometer was travelled each day making the project a success from NASA’s point of view. (NASA, Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Summary, 2007) On the other hand, Mars Pathfinder Missions were a part of NASA’s Discovery Program to explore Mars. This was one of the first launches to Mars and its objectives were to analyze the atmosphere, climate and geological surroundings on the red planet. Even though its objective has been achieved, the Pathfinders Mission is used as a technology testing ground for future space programs like the Mars Exploration Rovers. The rover was launched on December 4, 1996 and contained experiment related tools including cameras and spectrometers. (NASA, Mars Pathfinder, 2007) One of the most important discoveries has been on finding the silica on the ground which means that water was indeed used to form the planet. The high-silica soil found surprisingly had led the scientists to believe that water was involved like it is on Earth. (Chandler, 2007) Q2: International Space station: What was the main incident that halted the construction of ISS? And as of today, when is NASA planning to complete the ISS? In your opinion, what problems NASA might be facing in doing that? The incident due to which the assembly of the International Space Station was halted was the disintegration of the NASA’s Columbia space program on February 1, 2003 during its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Being a combined project by America, Russia, Japan, Brazil etc. , there were many costs involved as well as agreements to be made. After the disaster, the ISS assembly was delayed by another 5 years. (Lindroos Wade, 2007) NASA along with other space companies of the world has set a target of completion of the assembly of the ISS by 2010 to 2011 if no further mishaps occur. In the completion of the project several problems have delayed the completion. High cost of maintenance, repairs and adding modules is one of the biggest factors as American Taxpayers money is involved along with funding from other companies of the world. Due to the multination agreement of the project, contracts have to be made, funding to be added thus causing further delays. Changing political structure make it additionally difficult to either carry this mission based on public demand or remove it in light of huge cost already spent on it. The last problem as discussed before was the inevitable space disasters taking place that have grounded space programs or to the least delayed the operations. (Lindroos Wade, 2007) Works Cited 1. Chandler, D. L. (2007). Mars rovers disability leads to major water discovery. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from NewScientist. com news service: http://space.newscientist. com/channel/space-tech/mars-rovers/dn11914-mars-rovers-disability-leads-to-major-water-discovery. html 2. Lindroos, M. , Wade, M. (2007). International Space Station. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from Astronautix: http://www. astronautix. com/craft/intation. htm 3. NASA. (2007). Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Summary. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from NASA: http://marsrovers. nasa. gov/overview/ 4. NASA. (2007). Mars Pathfinder. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from NASA: http://mars. jpl. nasa. gov/missions/past/pathfinder. html

The Importance of Motivation Essay examples -- Education Teaching

The Importance of Motivation Motivation is perhaps the most crucial element of a child’s education. According to Michael B. Brown, Ph. D at East Carolina University, an academically motivated student is a child that â€Å"wants to learn, likes learning-related activities, and believes school is important† (Brown, 1998). Thus a motivated student and a smart student are not categorically equivalent. While the correlation between intelligence and achievement is higher than the correlation between achievement and any other factor, the relationship is not perfect. For instance, 10 students with identical IQs will demonstrate variability in achievement on similar and dissimilar learning tasks (Andrews, 2003). Motivation is one of the primary causes of the range of scores. Thus, it is logical to conclude that in order to maximize a student’s potential, and in turn the educational experience, a student must be motivated. With the knowledge that motivation must precede success, it is clear that those in charge of educational planning should attempt to maximize motivation with the forthcoming technological advancements. The Nature of Motivation Before educators can begin to map out a plan to stimulate motivation via the use of technology, they must first have a sufficient understanding of the nature of motivation itself (Marlow, 1999). Motivation is not a static entity, but rather a constantly changing intrinsic essence that is continually being influenced by way of internal and external forces. As young children, we have a natural sense of motivation. This can be each time â€Å"a baby struggles to reach a toy, learn to walk or eat without help† (Brown, 1998). All of these are examples of motivation to learn. However, this natural inq... ... United States Department of Education. (n.d.). Technology and Education Reform. Retrieved April 6, 2004 from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/index.html The site contains a very detailed description of the various changes in the classroom sparked by the advent of new technologies. Ysseldyke, J. (2002). Cooperative learning. University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. Retrieved April 29, 2004, from http://education.umn.edu/research/ResearchWorks/coop-learning.htm Ysseldyke detailed the five externalities of cooperative learning. He also described how these attributes influenced motivation. Weiner, R. (2000). More Technology Training for Teachers. New York Times. Retrieved on April 22, 2004 from http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/22/technology/22EDUCATION.html?ex=1083211200&en=740fa1d60417ec03&ei=5070

Emily Martin: The Egg and the Sperm Essay

It is human nature to place confidence into science because it is heavily researched and perceived as the truth. However, Emily Martin shows that the female role in the reproductive process is not thoroughly depicted. Martin said, â€Å"part of my goal in writing this article is to shine a bright light on the gender stereotypes hidden within the scientific language of biology. † This article demonstrates how the female role in the reproductive cycle is just as insistent, if not more, as the male’s role. Emily Martin proposes that science defines women as having a non-active and less significant role in the reproductive process. The role in which women play in the cycle of life is depicted through science as far more passive function than that of the male. The egg is seen as passive. It does not move and is transported along the fallopian tube. In contrast, sperm are seen as active. They deliver their genes to the egg and development starts. Martin quotes Gerald Schatten and Helen Schatten in that the egg acts as a Sleeping Beauty, â€Å"a dormant bride awaiting her mate’s magic kiss, which instills spirit that brings her to life†, while the sperm is on a â€Å"mission† to â€Å"move through the female genital tract in quest of the ovum. However, through recent research, scientist concluded that the egg performs several functions and is quite active itself in the reproductive process. Before this research it was thought that sperm were powerful penetrators capable of thrusting itself through the inner vestments of the egg. After much research, scientists in biophysics labs at Johns Hopkins University determined that the propelling force of the sperm is very weak, and that only through the adhesive molecules on the egg and sperm do the two stick. The zona acts as a â€Å"sperm catcher† and has to â€Å"capture and tether† the sperm before it can penetrate. But the most active and interesting roll the egg plays is that it â€Å"serves as a sophisticated biological security system that screens incoming sperm, selects only those compatible with fertilization and development, prepares sperm for fusion with the egg and later protects the resulting embryo from polyspermy. † Here the egg plays three vital roles in the developmental process of the embryo. It chooses which sperm is well-suited, sets up the fertilization process, and protects the sperm through the whole process. The author was effective in providing textual examples of the scientific language that wrongly represents the female role in the reproductive cycle. She quotes medical textbooks as referring to the menstrual cycle as â€Å"†debris† of the uterine lining, the result of necrosis, or death of tissue. † Martin goes on to counter this quote with an example of the positive language used to describe the sperm in saying, â€Å"Whereas the female sheds only a single gamete each month, the seminiferous tubules produce hundreds of millions of sperm each day. Both quotes provide strong examples of the scientific language used. Quoting such language not only provides the audience with examples to better prove her point, but that because this information is coming from a medical textbook provides the reader with confidence in the cited source. One way in which this scientific discrepancy can be improved is by teaching it at a young age. This could be done by implementing a new curriculum in sexual educational classes in public schools. It is important that the new curriculum use different language and metaphors to deter from the stereotypical view of the reproduction process. This may at least curb the sexual bias of this subject to future generations. This article reveals how scientific language can create misconceptions about the truth about the sperm and the egg. Martin cautions us about metaphors in science. While many of us believe science to be undoubtedly true, bias can be lurking.

Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was a principal leader of the non-violent Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. He not only began the Civil Rights Movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, he became an icon for the entire movement. Since King was, in part, famous for his oratory abilities, one can both be inspired and learn much by reading through these quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter From Birmingham Jail," 16 April 1963 Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is, in reality, expressing the very highest respect for the law. We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. We were here before the mighty words of the Declaration of Independence were etched across the pages of history. Our forebears labored without wages. They made cotton king. And yet out of a bottomless vitality, they continued to thrive and develop. If the cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail... Because the goal of America is freedom, abused and scorned tho we may be, our destiny is tied up with Americas destiny. "I Have a Dream" Speech, August 28, 1963 I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of Gods children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last. "Strength to Love" (1963) The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others. Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan. "I've Been to the Mountaintop" Speech, April 3, 1968 (the day before his assassination) Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over, and Ive seen the promised land . . . So Im happy tonight. Im not worried about anything. Im not fearing any man. Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, December 10, 1964 I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. "Where Do We Go From Here?" Speech, August 16, 1967 Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them. Other Speeches and Quotations We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. — Speech in St. Louis, Missouri, March 22, 1964. If a man hasnt discovered something he will die for, he isnt fit to live. — Speech in Detroit, Michigan on June 23, 1963. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think thats pretty important. — Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 13, 1962.