Astronomy: A Fad Science? :: Essays Papers

Astronomy A Fad Science?NOTE This paper was written for an English class and a non astronomy audience. Thus, several arguments were left appear to make the material easier to understand for the target audience. These arguments would include (but are not limited to) dark energy, dark matter, and the inflationary model of the universe. If I later fetch time I may revise this paper to cover such topics and be more comprehensive. Science is a field that prides itself on being objective. To help ensure that this objectivity is met, scientists have formed a process to test each hypothesis. Each hypothesis is then subject to revision, or replacement should a theory come along with more support. As a science, the field of astronomy also strives to reach this goal. However, astronomy has been riddled with mistakes. Just as teens quest after fads today, be it fashion or the latest heart-throb, astronomy too has tenaciously followed trends that were logically flawed. Almost from its inc eption, astronomy has followed this pattern of clinging to these erroneous ideas. Much deal todays fads, these ideas seem silly in hindsight. However, this makes them no less powerful in the time they occur. But even knowing that such fads exist, which topics today are legitimate science and which are dead ends? Astronomys beginnings can be considered to go bandaging as far as gentleman has looked up at the sky in wonder. A simple question then led to an serve up that is still being uncovered today. That question What is everything up there? Two-thousand years later, some questions have been answered. Many still remain. However, the process in which these answers have been obtained has not been simple. Many times throughout history, astronomers have believed the answer was in sight and tenaciously believed the idea, only to discover they were wrong years later. These astronomical fads have held the progress of astronomy, and consequently almost all other branches of science, back for hundreds of years as the truth was sorted out. One of the first examples of this was the model of solar system. Aristotle first reasoned that the Earth was at the center and the sun and planets travelled around it on crystalline spheres (Baron 44). The most distant sphere was black and had many small holes punched in it (Baron 44). Behind that was the light from Heaven which shown through the holes qualification the stars (Baron 44).

The White Man’s Burden :: Literary Analysis, Kipling

In the White Mans Burden, Rudyard Kipling claims that it is the duty or burden of the white manpower to civilize the non-whites, to educate them and to religiously lift them (lecture notes, 2/8). Kipling is specifically talking about the colonized non-whites (lecture notes, 2/8). The idea that the newly colonized non-whites were lacking and needing religious service from a greater society was common among American whites at this time (lecture notes, 2/8). Rudyard uses the whites public feelings towards the issue and writes The White Mans Burden in an attempt to move the whites to help the non-whites because he thinks it is a very beneficial movement for the U.S.Rudyard meant this poem to be a shocking and informative form of cost increase for the whites to take up the burden of saving the non-white civilizations that they prolong now signed up for responsibility over. In The White Mans Burden, Rudyard claims that the whites argon bound to help the non-whites out of religious du ty and for the whites own good (Rudyard). In the last stanza, Rudyard also explains that the non-whites have been through a lot do to the whites imperialism (Rudyard). Although he explains the non-whites grievances, Rudyard does not really seem to be that sympathetic for the non-whites but instead, he seems to think very little of them and pretty much says they are incapable(p) of taking care of themselves. At the time that Rudyard published The White Mans Burden, whites were already conflicted on what to do about the non-whites (US, 437). Some whites claimed that thither should be little to no intervention of the whites on the non-white societies because Charles Darwins theory of survival of the fittest is the way that things should be (US, 437). The whites who were for intervention argued that it was the humane and religious duty of whites to constitute involved (US, 437). They also exclaimed that it was better to help the non-white develop because of the need for trade (US, 43 7). Because there had already been such a debate between the whites over this issue, Rudyards poem gained attention quick (lecture notes, 2/8). Rudyards work gained attention of American leaders and became an inspiration for future actions of imperialism (lecture notes, 2/8). Rudyards poem seemed to have gained a lot of popularity because of his tone of nationalism. In the poem, he basically says that in order to be respected as one of the greater nations, America has to do some charity work and help some of the less fortunate (Rudyard).

The Theatre and its Identity Crisis Essay -- Female Roles in Theatre

My trust in the definitiveness of reality is swiftly disintegrating beneath me. The deeper I dive into the abyss of theory, the more I realize that nothing I mystify learned is safe from change that facts may actually be temporary and that everything is a prisoner of our construction of time. In admitting this, I worry that these hypotheses are the origination of a tiny delusion that will begin to gradually eat away at the rest of my sanity. That scares me a bit, yes, plainly even as I sit here writing, I love this newfound instability because its ironically made me feel more grounded than Ive ever felt. Armed with these ideas, I have looked back at the world Ive grown up with and finally begun to see societys seams tugged apart, its splintered frame exposed, and the fear and worry of its people uncovered. But I have also exposed, buried deep within its guarded chest, the hope and innovation and change that inspires humanitys pervasive try towards progress. Its within this fragm ented existence that I feel that I have a place within this generations script. However, its outright a matter of figuring out which role is mine.The cynic inside me cant help but look at the cast angle of inclination and feel an irrepressible sense of sadness with such a long list of characters to choose from, why do we prescribe such commonplace roles to ourselves? I believe that it all starts with gender. Judith Butler reasons in her inspirational essay Performative Acts and Gender Constitution An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory that gender is a performance. She observes that stimulate (the biological facts defining male and female) is not what actually makes a man and man and a woman a woman, but rather that ones gender identity is determined through a styliz... ...easy for the less informed to drown in if one detail is highlighted with greater weight. Its been a constant power struggle between these two genders whose desperate goal is to find some sort of order amidst chaos. Its simply easier to have a leader, but the ways in which weve selected these privileged few I find disquieting. Though I do not believe that gender is one hundred percentage learnt, as Butler believes, I do think that societal impositions play too strong a role in creating identities. This is especially true in the theatre, and I know that many of my female classmates will agree with this. Women are capable of acting in masculine manners just as the speak is true for men. But if this idea is to ever branch out into the real world, whatever that may mean, the theatre is a perfect place for its journey to begin- and I believe that has every right to.

Frankenstein vs. the Terminator: Themes of Science, Feminism, and Roman

Author of Frankenstein, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Born on 30th August 1797-Died on 1st February 1851. In her while she was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, riseist, a travel-writer and her Gothic novel Frankenstein or, the Modern Prometheus 1818. Marry Shelley, when she made a conscious decision to produce Frankenstein, she literally collected her own demons together to create her own autobiography in Frankenstein. Her book shows heartbreak towards conception. In other words where she had problems of having children of her own, she wanted to show this in her book. The author of Frankenstein also managed to make it a science-fiction novel of its time as one of the classics. Mary Shelley knew her book would be in trouble if she didnt go along with her husband Percys wishes. When she asked him to edit Frankenstein he did it in hid own style, which she didnt like. Even though, she was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft the creator of feminism in that respect was t ake over mail dominance in publishing. Percy published her first book anonymously in 1818 They both knew it would be a flop if she went along with her own ready therefore Percy took upon himself edit and change the text to suit his own standards before he went along and published it. So by the time it was published there was nothing left to say that she had written the novel. Shelleys mother Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the very first women to champion equal rights. After her mothers success with feminism, eventually freedom for women had enabled her to gain authority to her own novel and she was able to republish the novel under her own name in 1831.For my Frankenstein essay I will be focusing on how to critically compare the original text of F... ...the idea of marrying Victor. Elizabeth keeps her character as very girly, flowery and waistband week in character through the book. With Sarahs character she does start with girly character but you can actually see the strength t hrough her disposition that the plot has given her to start with. After the terminator shows his face to her she becomes a protector of her son, saver of the future. By the end of the terminator film, Sarah has been shredded all her distaff side what was left of it after sleeping with again from the future male character. , how it drowns to his attention how much he had longed for his sister/future wife to be. Yet he never felt so lonely whilst within her company. Whether it was the fact that the burning desire driven him away. Or just his sheer highly intelligent distinctiveness got in the way of settling for second best.

Salingers Franny and Zoey Essay -- J.D. Salinger Franny Zoey Essays

Salingers Franny and ZoeyIt is the consensus of most critics that Seymour Glass is the most serious character and the leader of the Glass family. This is a point that is obvious from the stories that Salinger has written about the Glass family. Seymour is looked up to and revered by either the children in the family and is his mothers favorite, most intricately calibrated, her kindest son(Franny 89). When catastrophe strikes in Franny and Zooey, the only person Franny wants to talk to is Seymour. Why is Seymour the most important person in the Glass family?Seymour is the eldest child. Therefore, all will come after him. In a sense, nothing new can be through after Seymour has done it. All that is left is to imitate and learn from the child genius. This is what all the Glass children seem to do. In Franny and Zooey, we learn that Seymour and Buddy educated all of the children. Together, the eldest boys of the Glass family taught their siblings literature, philosophy, and r eligion.Seymour was also looked up to and relied upon by the children of his family. In Seymour an Introduction, we learn that Seymour and Buddy were both active in taking c atomic number 18 of their younger siblings moreover there was a slight difference in the reactions of the children to each of them. Buddy says When Seymour told one of the twins to take onward his or her rubbers on coming into the apartment, each and all of them knew he mostly mean that the floor would get tracked up if they didnt and that Bessie would have to get out the mop. When I told them to take off their rubbers, they knew I mostly meant that people who didnt were slobs. (193-194)This is an important difference because it shows how bo... ... learn from. He exists to teach us a lesson. This is why he is the family storyteller. He is our teacher, our example, and our leader. What is the lesson we are to learn from him? Maybe only Salinger knows that for certain but I b elieve Salinger would have us each search out our own pieces of holy motive. He would have us all find our one true thing we are to do, even if it is only to go to teach in a small classroom with less than average writers, as is Buddys holy ground, or to live alone and write for only yourself, as is Salingers holy ground. He would have us all admit to ourselves what it is we are supposed to do and go out and do it instead of forever quetch and searching for better. Through Buddy, Salinger is trying to give us his version of the meaning of life. The ultimate message Find your holy ground, there lies happiness and truth.

Astronomy Essay -- essays research papers fc

One thing us as humans obligate never been able to fully understand is astronomy. Always having an unexplained mystery, astronomy also has served as a way to keep time and predict the future. The intelligence astronomy is defined as the study of heavenly bodies, meaning anything in the sky such as stars, galaxies, comets, planets, nebulae, and so on. Many people, if not everyone, is amazed by the night sky on a clear, moonless night.Astronomy dates back to ancient times when peoples such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese kept written records of galactic notwithstandingts and occurrences. Todays seven day week originates from the Babylonians seven important bodies in the night sky the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The ancient Egyptians used the stars to align their pyramids and many of their corridors in almost perfect north-south or east-west directions. The Chinese were experts at predicting solar eclipses. They believed that a solar eclipse was a dangerous warning. Chinese astronomers were executed if they failed to predict an eclipse. everyplace the years there have been many more important figures in astronomy. One extraordinary astronomer was Galileo Galilei who invented the first refractor cathode-ray oscilloscope in which light is change shape to enlarge an image of the sky (Galileo Project). The next long astronomer to follow him was Isaac Newton. Newton had made a great amount of contri furtherions to astronomy during his life. He further proved that the Earth was not the center of the universe and he also invented the Newtonian reflector telescope which is still used today in observatories. Also, he discovered that light could be split into a visible spectrum of colors. Spectral colors from stars would later be used to determine their size, temperature, chemical composition, and even the direction the star is moving.Today, professional astronomers play a very different role than hundreds of years ago. Surprisin gly, astronomers today spend minimal time at the telescope gazing at the night sky. Operating planetariums, teaching astronomy classes, or operating and maintaining an observatory are some of the things astronomers today do.Along with professional astronomers are unpaid astronomers who only observe the heavens for personal satisfaction and enjoyment. I myself am an amateur astronomer an... ...enith (straight overhead position). Two galaxies which are believed to revolve around our possess are the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. Only visible from the Southern Hemisphere, Magellan, the famous European explorer, was the first to describe these galaxies.Even though we know a great amount more than the astronomers in the past, there is still an even larger amount we do not know about the universe to this day. Even our protest solar body contains many questions yet to be answered. Some of these include the possibility of a planet beyond Pluto (Planet X), the means by which the sys tem was created, and even the possibility of a sister star to the Sun named Nemesis. Another astronomical mystery is the creation of the universe. In time, many questions will be answered but some will always remain. Astronomy is something that will never be completely understood.Works CitedGoldsmith, Donald. The Astronomers. New York St. Martins Press,1991.Fradin, Dennis P. Astronomy. Chicago Childrens Press, 1987.The Galileo Project. in History of Astronomy. collection of sites(rev. Dec. 2002 accessed 6 Jan, 2002) available from http//www.cv.nrao.edu/fits/www/yp_history.html

Astronomy Essay -- essays research papers fc

One thing us as humans wear never been able to to the full understand is astronomy. Always having an unexplained mystery, astronomy also has served as a way to keep time and predict the future. The word astronomy is defined as the study of heavenly bodies, meaning anything in the incline such as stars, galaxies, comets, planets, nebulae, and so on. Many people, if not everyone, is amazed by the night sky on a clear, moonless night.Astronomy dates back to ancient times when peoples such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese kept written records of astronomical events and occurrences. Todays septenary day week originates from the Babylonians seven important bodies in the night sky the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The ancient Egyptians used the stars to align their pyramids and more of their corridors in almost perfect north-south or east-west directions. The Chinese were experts at predicting solar eclipses. They believed that a solar eclipse was a da ngerous warning. Chinese astronomers were executed if they failed to predict an eclipse.Over the years there have been many more important figures in astronomy. One extraordinary astronomer was Galileo Galilei who invented the first refractor telescope in which on the loose(p) is bent to enlarge an image of the sky (Galileo Project). The next great astronomer to follow him was Isaac Newton. Newton had made a great amount of contributions to astronomy during his life. He further proved that the body politic was not the center of the universe and he also invented the Newtonian reflector telescope which is still used today in observatories. Also, he discovered that light could be split into a visible spectrum of colors. Spectral colors from stars would later be used to determine their size, temperature, chemical composition, and even the direction the star is moving.Today, overlord astronomers play a very different role than hundreds of years ago. Surprisingly, astronomers today spe nd minimal time at the telescope gazing at the night sky. direct planetariums, teaching astronomy classes, or operating and maintaining an observatory are some of the things astronomers today do.Along with professional astronomers are amateur astronomers who only observe the sphere of influence for personal satisfaction and enjoyment. I myself am an amateur astronomer an... ...enith (straight overhead position). Two galaxies which are believed to revolve around our own are the Small and with child(p) Magellanic Clouds. Only visible from the Southern Hemisphere, Magellan, the famous European explorer, was the first to describe these galaxies.Even though we know a great amount more than the astronomers in the past, there is still an even larger amount we do not know about the universe to this day. Even our own solar system contains many questions yet to be answered. Some of these include the possibility of a planet beyond Pluto (Planet X), the means by which the system was created , and even the possibility of a sister star to the Sun named Nemesis. Another astronomical mystery is the creation of the universe. In time, many questions will be answered but some will everlastingly remain. Astronomy is something that will never be completely understood.Works CitedGoldsmith, Donald. The Astronomers. New York St. Martins Press,1991.Fradin, Dennis P. Astronomy. Chicago Childrens Press, 1987.The Galileo Project. in History of Astronomy. collection of sites(rev. Dec. 2002 accessed 6 Jan, 2002) acquirable from http//www.cv.nrao.edu/fits/www/yp_history.html