other galaxies essays

other galaxies essays The visible universe is estimated to contain 50 billion galaxies. We are located in the Orion arm of the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, consisting of four arms that reach out from a central bulge of stars. Besides the Orion arm where the solar system containing earth is located, the other three arms are the Sagittarius arm, the Centaurs arm, and the Persius arm. But there are other types of galaxies in the universe, different from the spiral galaxy. Astronomers use the Hubble classification method to identify galaxies. The classes of galaxy are Spirals, Barred Spirals, Ellipticals, and Irregulars. Edwin Hubble found that a Spiral Galaxy is characteristic of a nuclear bulge and twisting trails of stars and glowing interstellar clouds of dust. What varies in a Spiral galaxy is the size of the nuclear bulge and how tight the arms are wound. But the two variables are related, the bigger the bulge, the tighter the arms. Spirals with tightly wound arms and a big bulge are called Sa (spiral type a), moderately wound arms with an average bulge are called SB, and galaxies with loosely wrapped arms and a tiny bulge Sc. There is one more variable to a Spiral galaxy; it can also be a barred Spiral, which means that the nuclear bulge has bars of stars running through it. Astronomers believe this is more common in galaxies that have less dark matter. A barred spiral galaxy is classified using the same types as unbarred spirals, but they are titled SBa, SBb, and SBc depending on the winding of their arms and the size of the bulge. All galaxies discovered to date move with the arms trailing the rotation of the galaxy; except one (NGC-4622), which is lead by the points of its arms. Elliptical galaxies are named for their round look. Hubble subdivided elliptical galaxies according to how round or oval they appear. E0 galaxies are the roundest, while E7 Galaxies are the most elongated. The Hubble method of clas...

From the Ostrich of the Mesozoic Era to Modern Birds

From the Ostrich of the Mesozoic Era to Modern Birds Youd think it would be an easy matter to tell the story of bird evolution- after all, it was the striking adaptations of finches on the Galapagos Islands that, in the 19th century, led Charles Darwin to formulate the theory of evolution. The fact is, though, that gaps in the geological record, differing interpretations of fossil remains, and the exact definition of the word bird have all prevented experts from coming to a consensus about the distant ancestry of our feathered friends. Still, most paleontologists agree on the broad outlines of the story, which goes as follows. The Birds of the Mesozoic Era Although its reputation as the first bird has been overblown, there are good reasons to consider Archaeopteryx the first animal to inhabit a place more on the bird than on the dinosaur end of the evolutionary spectrum. Dating from the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, Archaeopteryx sported such avian features as feathers, wings, and a prominent beak, though it had some distinctly reptilian traits as well (including a long, bony tail, a flat breastbone, and three claws jutting out of each wing). Its not even certain that Archaeopteryx could fly for extended periods of time, though it would easily have fluttered from tree to tree. (Recently, researchers announced the discovery of another basal avilian, Aurornis, that predated Archaeopteryx by 10 million years; its unclear, though, if this was any more a true bird than Archaeopteryx was.) From whence did Archaeopteryx evolve? Heres where matters become a bit ambiguous. While its reasonable to assume that Archaeopteryx derived from small, bipedal dinosaurs (Compsognathus is often cited as a likely candidate, and then there are all those other basal avilians of the late Jurassic period), that doesnt necessarily mean that it lay at the root of the entire modern bird family. The fact is that evolution tends to repeat itself, and what we define as birds may have evolved multiple times during the Mesozoic Era- for example, its possible that two famous birds of the Cretaceous period, Ichthyornis and Confuciusornis, as well as the tiny, finch-like Iberomesornis, evolved independently from raptor or dino-bird forebears. But wait, things get even more confusing. Because of gaps in the fossil record, not only could birds have evolved multiple times during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but they could also have de-evolved- that is, become secondarily flightless like modern ostriches, which we know descended from flying ancestors. Some paleontologists believe certain birds of the late Cretaceous, like Hesperornis and Gargantuavis, may have been secondarily flightless. And heres an even more dizzying idea: what if the small, feathered raptors and dino-birds of the age of dinosaurs were descended from birds, and not the other way around? A lot can happen in the space of tens of millions of years! (For example, modern birds have warm-blooded metabolisms; its entirely likely that small, feathered dinosaurs were warm-blooded as well.) Thunder Birds, Terror Birds, and the Demon Duck of Doom A few million years before the dinosaurs went extinct, they had pretty much disappeared from South America (which is a bit ironic, considering thats where the very first dinosaurs probably evolved, back in the late Triassic period). The evolutionary niches that had once been occupied by raptors and tyrannosaurs were quickly filled by large, flightless, carnivorous birds that preyed on smaller mammals and reptiles (not to mention other birds). These terror birds, as theyre called, were typified by genera like Phorusrhacos and the big-headed Andalgalornis and Kelenken, and prospered until a few million years ago (when a land bridge opened between North and South America and mammalian predators decimated the giant bird population). One genus of the terror bird, Titanis, managed to prosper in the southernmost reaches of North America; if it sounds familiar, thats because its the star of the horror novel The Flock.) South America wasnt the only continent to spawn a race of giant, predatory birds. The same thing happened about 30 million years later in similarly isolated Australia, as evidenced by Dromornis (Greek for running bird, even though it doesnt seem to have been particularly fast), some individuals of which attained heights of 10 feet and weights of 600 or 700 pounds. You might assume that Dromornis was a distant but direct relative of the modern Australian ostrich, but it seems to have been more closely related to ducks and geese. Dromornis appears to have gone extinct millions of years ago, but other, smaller thunder birds like Genyornis lasted well into early historical times until they were hunted to death by aboriginal human settlers. The most notorious of these flightless birds may be Bullockornis, not because it was particularly bigger or deadlier than Dromornis but because it has been given a particularly apt nickname: the Demon Duck of Doom. Rounding out the roster of giant, predatory birds is Aepyornis, which (wouldnt you know it) dominated another isolated ecosystem, the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. Also known as the Elephant Bird, Aepyornis may have been the biggest bird of all time, weighing close to half a ton. Despite the legend that a full-grown Aepyornis could drag off a baby elephant, the fact is that this imposing bird was probably a vegetarian. A relatively late newcomer on the giant bird scene, Aepyornis evolved during the Pleistocene epoch and lasted well into historical times, until human settlers figured out that a single dead Aepyornis could feed a family of 12 for weeks! Victims of Civilization Although giant birds like Genyornis and Aepyornis were done in by early humans, most of the attention in this regard centers on three famous birds: the moas of New Zealand, the Dodo Bird of Mauritius (a small, remote island in the Indian Ocean), and the North American Passenger Pigeon. New Zealands moas formed a rich ecological community all by themselves: among them were the Giant Moa (Dinornis), the tallest bird in history at a height of 12 feet, the smaller Eastern Moa (Emeus), and assorted other picturesquely named genera such as the Heavy-Footed Moa (Pachyornis) and the Stout-Legged Moa (Euryapteryx). Unlike other flightless birds, which at least retained rudimentary stumps, moas completely lacked wings, and they seem to have been devoted vegetarians. You can figure out the rest for yourself: these gentle birds were completely unprepared for human settlers and didnt know enough to run away when threatened- the result being that the last moas went extinct about 500 years ago. (A similar fate befell a similar, but smaller, flightless bird, New Zealands Great Auk.) The Dodo Bird (genus name Raphus) wasnt nearly as big as the typical moa, but it evolved similar adaptations to its isolated island habitat. This small, plump, flightless, plant-eating bird led a pretty much care-free existence for hundreds of thousands of years until Portuguese traders discovered Mauritius in the 15th century. The Dodos that werent easily picked off by blunderbuss-wielding hunters were torn apart by (or succumbed to diseases carried by) the traders dogs and pigs, making them the poster birds for extinction down to the present day. Reading the above, you might get the mistaken impression that only fat, flightless birds can be hunted to extinction by humans. Nothing could be further from the truth, a case in point being the Passenger Pigeon (genus name Ectopistes, for wanderer.) This flying bird used to traverse the North American continent in flocks of literally billions of individuals, until overhunting (for food, sport, and pest control) rendered it extinct. The last known passenger pigeon died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo, despite belated attempts at preservation.

Emily Dickinson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Emily Dickinson - Essay Example In a tumultuous time, American writing became introspective and biographical (Casper, 19), and Dickinson's melancholic poetry of the self reflected both her immediate surroundings and her nationality. The mid-nineteenth century was also a time of high expectations for the future, and this was a theme that Dickinson picked up on in her work. The reader's expectations play a huge role in literature, and Dickinson played with them mercilessly, asking why we expect certain things and completely blind-siding us. Although it can be argued that our expectations of literature are merely to be entertained, and occasionally provoked, this essay will look at expectations as a motif of literature, both internal and external. This essay will look at five of Dickinson's poems, of varying lengths, styles and subjects, and show how the poet uses and manipulates the motif of 'expectation' to constantly surprise the reader, in ways both good and bad. It is difficult to date much of Dickinson's work, a s her copious output was private, and typically her texts lack titles. The first line of the first poem to be discussed is â€Å"I had been hungry all the years†, and is a perfect introduction to the idea of subverted expectations. The extended metaphor of the poem uses lunch to represent a long anticipation for an event which turns out to be extremely disappointing – although it sounds silly, Dickinson's use of rhyme and rhythm creates a pounding tone which reinforces the sense of misfortune, and of high hopes dashed. The speaker describes herself as â€Å"trembling† (3) in impatience to eat the food, only to find that it makes her feel â€Å"ill and odd† (14), and that â€Å"Nature's dining-room† (12) in which she ate before is far more suited to her temperament. This could be an allegory of growing up, as the speaker fails to mention if she was allowed to return. The final stanza concludes the moral of the story, that the mere fact of not being able to eat creates hunger, which â€Å"The entering [into the new realm] takes away† (20). The speaker's expectations were always fruitless. The repetition of the word 'hungry' grounds the poem, reminding the reader of the physicality of the subject. Punctuation provides the same function in â€Å"Frequently the woods are pink†, a poem which subverts the very notion of expectation itself. The speaker of â€Å"Frequently† expresses wonder at the â€Å"Wonderful Rotation!† (11) of the earth, turning everything alternately â€Å"pink† (1) and â€Å"brown† (2). The liberal sprinkling of dashes and exclamation marks – five of the former and three of the latter, in a poem just twelve lives long – induces the reader to pause at certain points in the poem, enhancing the effect of the preceding line. The pauses echo the speaker's surprise, and implicitly encourage the reader to ask themselves: why do we not find the fast rotation of th e earth as impressive and amazing as it is? Extending the question, does being accustomed to a phenomenon necessarily mean that we forget its wonder? The interjection of â€Å"– they tell me –† (9) increases the sense of wonder, as if the speaker cannot quite believe what â€Å"they† say. Sunrise and sunset are so magical as to deserve such a â€Å"Wonderful†

Memorable moment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Memorable moment - Essay Example This moment also triggered the main efforts by the U.S government to combat terrorism. 2750 individuals lost their lives in New York City while 184 and 40 persons were killed at the Pentagon and Pennsylvania respectively. Subsequent reports indicated that all the involved terrorists were killed. I came to learn this through television images on my way home from my classes as I walked past a coffee shop. One would ask, to what extent was its representation in images and wording significant to this memorable moment? All television stations switched from the programs they were airing at that moment and moved to air this happening. Some of the women watching this close to me broke into tears most probably they had loved ones in those hit areas, or they were pushed by anger and patriotism. This imagery of that moment haunts me to date making it a memorable moment. The images of people being saved from the ramble, the smoke, the sirens and all other factors defining this day can and will never be erased from my

DNA Worksheet Essay Example for Free

DNA Worksheet Essay 1. Describe the structure of DNA. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid and looks like a spiral. The spiral is also known as a double helix. The strands are made up of our genetic information, composed of genes and chromosomes. There are four bases divided among purines and pyrimidines. On the purines there are Adenine (A) and Guanine (G). On the pyrimidines there are Cytosine (C) and Thymine (T). The base pairs are Adenine and Thymine (A-T) and Cytosine and Guanine (C-G). DNA is found in the nucleus of every human cell. Humans have 46 chromosomes. When a cell reproduces, the chromosomes get copied and distributed to each offspring. 2. How does an organism’s genotype determine its phenotype? The genes are transcribed to produce mRNA. The mRNA is translated to produce proteins. The proteins are more often than not enzymes,that catalyze reactions that would otherwise take forever to happen. These reactions involve the formation of products that are functioning in the cell for various things such as structural support, fibers, cytoskeleton, channels on membrane, enzymes that metabolize food molecules like glucose, energy production, transport, signal systems, pigmentation, attachment to other cells and more. These together, work in an orchestrated manner to produce characters that we can physically see. For example, there is a gene that produces protein involved in the production of melanin (skin pigment). When this gene is mutated or non-functional, the enzyme is not produced. Hence, the pathway of melanin production is shut down and that person does not produce any melanin pigment. This is what we see and call as albinism, the people without any pigment in their skin, hair and eyes 3. Describe each stage of the flow of information starting with DNA and ending with a trait. DNA molecules store the necessary instructions for building a protein macromolecule. These instructions are copied from the DNA molecule into the form of an RNA molecule. One or many copies can be made of these instructions. Each of these m RNA copies move away from the DNA templates and enter the cytoplasm of the cell, where they encounter the machinery that will convert the biological information into the correct linear sequence of amino acids that will become a functioning protein. Once the protein has been assembled and folded it can go to work. In the example of the red-color trait, this protein is in the form of an enzyme catalyst that enhances and speeds up the chemical reaction producing the red pigment. As the protein goes to work the trait is produced. In this example, the trait is the red color seen in the petals of the flower.

The Controversy Over Home Schooling Essay -- Essays Papers

The Controversy Over Home Schooling In today’s society, the controversy over home schooling is a pertinent issue. Home schooling is known as the instruction of a pupil in an educational program outside of an established school, usually under the tutoring of the parent or guardian. Several debates exist over this current topic. Some have reasonable arguments in favor of home schooling, while many disagree with its process and the motives behind it. Both arguments have valid points that must be explored. Millions of people across the country believe that teaching children at home deprives them of the average childhood experience. They argue that these children are ostracized because they are left out of many activities that can only be experienced in a traditional school. For example, field trips are common among elementary school students. Home schooled children are not given the opportunity to attend these important educational trips because they are kept at home and taught by their parents. Another instance is extracurricular activities. Many s...

Loss of Forest Essay

Environment issues affect life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. We, as human beings, may not understand the severity of the possible consequences that deforestation poses. Since deforestation has had no severe effect on us yet, we ignore the problem; however, deforestation can cause a major problem for our environment. Some of the problems are carbon dioxide, wasting paper, climate change and logging. Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide in our world’s atmosphere acts like a sheet of glass on a greenhouse. It lets the sunlight through but does not let all the heats back out. The continued degradation of our forest heightens the threat of global warming because the trees and other plants that take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be used for photosynthesis are gone. The burning of wood or its decay contributes to the release of more carbon which combines with oxygen in the atmosphere thus increasing further the levels of carbon dioxide that cause the greenhouse effect. Paper is one of the most important things in the world. Without it we can’t do almost anything. We can’t study, write, learn and does a lot of stuff which is impossible to do without paper; everywhere we go, we see pieces of paper on the ground and people using multiple tissues to wipe their noses. But what we must realize is the paper products we use daily could have been a part of a forest which functioned to enrich and hold the soil, release oxygen, collect and recycle water. By wasting paper products, we are wasting forests; the simple fact is that the more paper we use, the more forests need to be cut down to serve our paper need. So we need to lessen our dependency on the paper and try to use as little as possible and recycle it. The most important cause of deforestation is logging, the conversion of forested lands for agriculture and cattle-raising, urbanization, mining and oil exploitation, acid rain and fire. However, there has been a tendency of highlighting small-scale migratory farmers or â€Å"poverty† as the major cause of forest loss. Such farmers tend to settle along roads through the forest, to clear a patch of land and to use it for growing subsistence or cash crops. In tropical forests, such practices tend to lead to rapid soil degradation as most soils are too poor to sustain agriculture. Consequently, the farmer is forced to clear another patch of forest after a few years. The degraded agricultural land is often used for a few years more for cattle raising. This is a death sentence for the soil, as cattle remove the last scarce traces of fertility. The result is an entirely degraded piece of land which will be unable to recover its original biomass for many years. It is a major mistake to think that such unsustainable agricultural practices only take place in tropical countries. Many parts of North America and Western Europe have become deforested due to unsustainable agriculture, leading to severe soil degradation and in many cases abandonment of the area by the farmers. We should recycle all the things that are made of trees for example paper bags and furniture because it leads to the less cutting of trees and also the products of trees will be used wisely. After cutting down a tree we should plant too. As a result there will be a balance of ecosystems and the rate of deforestation will diminish. We need forests more than ever to protect the world’s remaining plants and living creatures, to prevent flooding, to slow human induced climate change, and to provide the paper on which education and communication still depend.

Beetlejuice Screenwrite

The beginning of the film starts out with a camera overlooking the whole town of which this movie is going to take place. As the credits end, the camera ends up focused on a large house on a hill. You can clearly tell that the house is made up of some sort of material, but it was used as a way to introduce one of the main characters. A spider crawls up on top of the model house and in comes Adam. The first thing he does is carelessly pick up this massive spider as if it where one of his pets and carries it to a window where he releases it.Right off the bat you could tell hat this man is kind to nature and very gentle with the way he handled the spider. In comes his wife, Barbara, who is filled with Joy and love. Their mutual understanding of each other makes them love each other more and more. They both hear something come from outside and realize that it is a house bidder trying to sell their home to people that are more â€Å"deserving† of it. This house bidder assumes that because Just two people are living in a large home by themselves that it is irrational for them to agree to sell it.The one thing that both Adam and Barbara share is their eagerness to keep their home. The couple denies the house bidder and then drives into town to pick up some supplies. Looking at the surrounding environment makes it obvious that Adam and Barber's home is the focal point of the town. Adam leaves his car to go in the store to get the supplies, when he realizes that the clerk isn't at the front desk he takes money out of his pocket and puts it into the cash register himself. This again, exemplifies the honesty of this man.On the drive back home, they see a dog in the road and Barbara quickly swerves off the road crashing into a wooden bridge that is completely unstable. Their car ends up falling into a river and the scene cuts. They end up back at their house but do not realize how they got there. After very bizarre things occur to them, they start to question what h as happened. They find a book titled â€Å"book for the Deceased† and realize that they have in fact died. The first conflict comes into play when they are trying to adjust or figure out why they cannot step out of their own house.The character Betelgeuse is introduced and although we do not get a full view of him we figure out what type of character he is. Betelgeuse is a ruthless and mean person. He seems like the type that has no problem in taking advantage of you. From the start, you can foreshadow that this character will be a conflict of interest later on in the film. The movie then switches to the new family that has began to move into the now vacant house. The door to the house slams open and large amounts of furniture are being moved in.It's as if the writer of this movie wanted the audience to feel like the house was being torn down and re-done from the ground up. First is Delia, who is a red haired woman, and the first impression is that she is a stuck up, conceite d, but neat and tidy person. She takes pride in her pieces of artwork even though they're clearly not well done. Then there is her husband Charles, who is the influential and uptight dad that is searching for seamlessly deserving relaxation. The Daughter is introduced as a disturbed and rebellious gothic girl.You could tell by the way she admires the houses cob webs and are ghosts living in her new home. Deli's assistant, is a very feminine character that is oblivious and careless with his actions. He acts as a big shot and talks like one too. Both Delia and her assistant share a mutual outlook with how things should be. When Barbara and Adam realize that new people have moved into their house they come furious and want to drive them out. This is another conflict introduced in the movie and it depicts the click © of ghosts trying to haunt people.Adam and Barbara try scaring the new house owners but realize they aren't doing a good Job at it. The ignorance these two characters have pushes them to learn more about who they are and the new abilities they have as Ghosts. The way this screenwriter set up the characters along with the conflicts really creates a good buildup, thus making the movie more enjoyable and fun. There are multiple conflicts, which make the viewer wonder how each one of them is going to be resolved.

My personal Workplace Observation Paper

My personal Workplace Observation Paper A great deal can be learned about an organization by analyzing and exploring the various aspects of an organizational observation. Currently I am employed at This ÂÆ'‚‚‘nÂÆ'‚‚ That, a discount retail store, which focuses on providing customers with quality products at a below market price. Organizational diversity, dress and language, and communication flow are all factors that influence my organizations culture.There are several factors that shape diversity in my workplace. Diversity can be a beneficial attribute or can cause dilemmas in the workplace. At This ÂÆ'‚‚‘nÂÆ'‚‚ That all the various factors of diversity are present, embraced and accepted. All of our staff at This ÂÆ'‚‚‘nÂÆ'‚‚ That has value for one another and are seen as equals. This allows for unproblematic diversity in our workplace. The main factors that create diversity in my workplace are age, race, and religion. My organization has employees from the age of 19 years old to the oldest of 67 years.I have yet to see that gap in age cause any conflict, if anything the age difference allows for constructive criticism and encourages growth as an organization. Race and religion allow for different view points which help form our workplace in an optimistic way. Diversity is about learning from others who are different (Schmidle, 2009). Diversity is dignity and respect for all, and about establishing settings and practices that encourage learning from others and capture the advantage of diverse perspectives.Dress and language is very critical to the perception and professionalism of the workplace. I do not feel that my workplaceÂÆ'‚‚s dress and language give off the professionalism that our organization is looking for. Our employees are permitted to wear whatever they desire. Some employees choose to wear sweat pants and shirts with sayings on them that could be offensive to some customers. I...

Understanding Very Large Numbers

Understanding Very Large Numbers Have you ever wondered what number comes after a trillion? Or how many zeros there are in a vigintillion? ​Some day you might need to know this for a science or math class, or if you happen to enter one of several mathematical or scientific fields.   Numbers Bigger Than a Trillion The digit zero plays an important role as you  count very large numbers. It helps to  track these multiples of 10  because the larger the number is, the more zeros are needed. Name Number of Zeros Groups of 3 Zeros Ten 1 0 Hundred 2 0 Thousand 3 1 (1,000) Ten thousand 4 1 (10,000) Hundred thousand 5 1 (100,000) Million 6 2 (1,000,000) Billion 9 3(1,000,000,000) Trillion 12 4 (1,000,000,000,000) Quadrillion 15 5 Quintillion 18 6 Sextillion 21 7 Septillion 24 8 Octillion 27 9 Nonillion 30 10 Decillion 33 11 Undecillion 36 12 Duodecillion 39 13 Tredecillion 42 14 Quattuordecillion 45 15 Quindecillion 48 16 Sexdecillion 51 17 Septen-decillion 54 18 Octodecillion 57 19 Novemdecillion 60 20 Vigintillion 63 21 Centillion 303 101 Grouping Zeros by Threes Many  people  find it easy to understand that the number 10 has one zero, 100 has two zeros, and 1,000 has three zeros. These numbers are used all the time in daily living, whether it is dealing with money or counting something as simple as our music playlist or the mileage on our cars. When you get to million, billion, and trillion, things become a little more complicated. How many zeros come after the one in a trillion? Its hard to keep track of that and count each individual zero, so  these long numbers  have been broken down into groups of three zeros. For example, its much easier to remember that a trillion is written with four sets of three zeros than it is to count out 12 separate zeros. While you might think that ones pretty simple, just wait until you have to count 27 zeros for an octillion or 303 zeros for a centillion. Then you will be thankful that you only have to remember 9 and 101 sets of three zeros, respectively. Powers of 10 Shortcut In mathematics  and science, you  can rely on the powers of 10 to quickly express exactly how many zeros are needed for these larger numbers. For example, a shortcut for writing out a trillion is 1012  (10 to the power of 12). The 12 indicates that the number  needs a total of 12 zeros. You can see how much easier these are to read than if there were just a bunch of zeros: Quintillion 1018 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000Decillion 1033  or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Googol and Googolplex: The Enormous Numbers You are probably very familiar with the search engine and tech company Google. Did you know that the name was inspired by another very large number? Though the spelling is different, the  googol  and the  googolplex  played a role in the naming of the tech giant. A googol has 100 zeros and is expressed as 10100. It is often used to express any large quantity, even though it is a quantifiable number. It makes sense that the largest search engine that pulls a large quantity of data from the Internet would find this word useful. The term googol was coined by the American mathematician Edward Kasner in his 1940 book, Mathematics and the Imagination. The story goes that Kasner asked his then 9-year-old nephew, Milton Sirotta, what to name this ridiculously long number. Sirotta came up with  googol. But why is a googol important if its actually less than a centillion? Quite simply, a  googol is used to define a  googoolplex.  A googolplex is 10 to the power of googol, a number that boggles the mind. In fact, a googolplex is so large that theres really no known use for it. Some say that it even exceeds the total number of atoms in the universe. The googolplex is not even the largest number defined to date. Mathematicians  and scientists have also devised Grahams number and Skewes number. Both of these require a math degree to even begin to understand. Short and Long Scales of a Billion If you thought the concept of a googolplex is tricky, some people cannot even agree on what defines a billion. In the U.S. and most of the world, it is accepted that 1 billion equals 1,000 million. It  is written as 1,000,000,000 or 109. This number is used often in science and finance, and it is called the short scale. In the long scale, 1 billion is equal to 1 million million. For this number, you will need a 1 followed by 12 zeros: 1,000,000,000,000 or 1012. The long scale was first described by Genevieve Guitel in 1975. It is used in France and, for a time, was accepted in the United Kingdom as well.

Cameron Mackintosh's contribution to the development of the Essay

Cameron Mackintosh's contribution to the development of the megamusical - Essay Example This paper further highlights the legacy of Mackintosh’s transformation of musical theatre through the increasing importance attached to the marketing of megamusicals; which in turn has fuelled debate as to the repercussions of the megamusical for the musical as an art form as opposed to a corporate controlled money spinner. In considering Mackintosh’s contribution to the megamusical, it is imperative to consider the contemporary framework for the business of theatre production in London’s West End and Broadway. For example, if we contextually consider the theatre market in the West End, recent hit shows from the Sound of Music to Joseph have driven the reversal in fortune of West End theatres, which had suffered a trend in declining ticket revenue and profits in the last decade. In January 2008, the Society of London Theatre announced a record breaking year in 2007 with more than 13.6 million theatregoers generating total tickets sales of almost  £470 million, passing the  £400 million mark for the first time. Furthermore, the Society’s Chief executive Richard Pulford cited the revenue statistics as an â€Å"annus mirabilis† for London theatre, stating that â€Å"these figures are a wonderful start to our centenary year but we’re under no illusions that we’re going to have to work very hard to maintain this success† (Maev Kennedy., 2008).

Why was Andrew Johnson impeached Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Why was Andrew Johnson impeached - Essay Example Study of history suggests that the act of impeachment of the Political parties is carried out for seeking political gain. Parties use the powers to enforce their cause and it leads to disturbance and conflict between each other. The two party systems in the United States make the process of impeachment a symbolic power struggle between that of the Congress and the President of the United States. The overall nature of the political impeachment may not yield well for the benefit of the nation. Generally in case of impeachment criminal charges are held against the convict, but the case with Andrew Johnson was different .The Congress did not charged any particular sort of criminal offences against the ruling president of America. However it was mentioned in the section 4, of the Article 11 that the crimes of impeachment were based on the treason, bribery or association with other high crimes or transgression. However they alleged the president as a person being criminal and committing a lot of misconduct. Thus the presence of intense partisan politics cannot be ignored in the case of Andrew Johnson. The motives of the Congress were instrumental in deciding the impeachment of Andrew Jonson. It was because of the stubbornness of Johnson which made him unpopular among the radical Congress. Congress had the aim of being popular all over the country and wanted the suffrage of the American which was highly opposed by Johnson which led to his downfall (Political parties and impeachment, n. d). Johnson never tried to enter into an agreement with the Congress and was strict on his decisions which strengthened the opposition of the Congress against him. Lot before the impeachment of Johnson took place, Congress decided to remove Johnson from his position as they were of the view that the reconstruction policy of America undertaken by them will receive severe opposition under Johnson. After the civil war was over, Congress wanted to transform the south in a massive manner. Th ey wanted to revive the economic condition over there and wanted a permanent solution to the class system which was prevalent over there. The Congress was also of the view of providing the freed slaves of the south with a full citizenship of America