One- Creative Writing Essay Example for Free

One- Creative Writing Essay Medic! the cry rang out through the hot street. Another gunshot, and men scrambled for cover like scared rabbits. The man still lay bleeding in the middle of the road. The war had started today, and he was already dying. He made an attempt to crawl for safety. Too late, he looked pleadingly to his comrades. A rifle bullet cut through stifling air and bit deep into the mans backbone. He writhed, screaming in pain. A final shot, this time better aimed. A burst of blood from his neck and a gargle, and he was gone forever. He was dead. His radio crackled. A few miles away someone needed help. Med Evac to grid 647- 321. Landmine detonation. One casualty. Serious. George Robertson lay in the muddy field, in a pool of dirty water and his own blood. Like a Valkyrie coming to claim him, a helicopter buzzed overhead, and two medics kneeling beside him spoke in terse, quiet voices. Of course, George didnt know any of this. George didnt know that his legs were a smoking ruin and that his pelvis had been smashed, fragments forced into his gut and spine. There was no pain, only the purgatory black of unconsciousness. A memory formed in his mind. The morning rally echoed out over the barracks. George woke up and sat on the side of his bed. Still dark outside, he thought, as he glanced at his watch. Five thirty- what was going on? Someone knocked at the door, and came in. It was Mark, Georges best mate. They had joined the army together, about a year back. Mark was from Liverpool and was the funniest person in Georges squad. Whaddya reckons going on then? asked Mark in his thick scouse. Dunno, replied George, still half awake. Might be about that thing in the Novistranos islands. Oh yeah. Yeah, I read abou that. Big time drug dealers rule half the place, I heard George, finally, was dressed. The two men walked out into the warm June night, across the parade ground where they drilled three times a week with that idiot Sergeant Major. Another rally call echoed through the mist. Cmon, were late!, exclaimed Mark loudly. Leg it! The men ran into the briefing hall, and not a moment late. Colonel Smith was stepping to the front. The men sat down. The situation in the Novistranos Island group has changed, gentlemen. A military coup has taken place there, led by a drug dealer called Pedro Alvarez. A picture of the man in question flashed up on the projector- he had a bushy moustache and wore huge sunglasses, with a straw hat on. Some of the assembled men laughed- he hardly looked the billionaire, mass murdering drug dealer he was. Okay, settle down now. He may look comical, but hes anything but. He bribed the army some weeks ago, and took control of most of the country. He sent the tanks into the capital last night. Latest estimates put the death toll in the thousands. The President is dead. The cabinet have either been murdered or defected to the rebels. This is serious. Novistranos has a capable army, with around 150,000 professional soldiers, and an unspecified number of reserves. NATO says we need to act fast. The Prime Minister makes a statement this afternoon. Prep for combat. You leave in 6 hours. You were formed as a rapid reaction force. Today, you fulfil that role. There was a shocked silence in the barracks. Every man attended to his weapons and kit. They sat on their bunks, writing final letters, cleaning firearms, assembling combat gear; webbing, body armour, radio sets. They knew that without proper preparation, they were going home in a cheap wooden box. On the helicopter, George lay on a stretcher, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, unknowing of his weakening pulse and massive blood loss. There were two dressings around what was left of his legs, and a line in his arm. The rotors buzzed like maddened flies, and the medic next to him noted his pulse. George dropped out of the paroxysm of nothing he was in, and lapsed into another flashback. George Robertson woke up. It was too early. Hed got the sack yesterday from the garage where he worked. He remembered how the boss had said something along the lines of an irreparable deficit between costs and sales. George had said to his best friend Mark about how the boss quite possibly had a deficit between his mouth and brain. George had liked his job at the garage- he liked working with machines and going down the local afterwards with his mates. Out of all the jobs in Sheffield, all thirty of em, thought George, that had to be the best one. He had thought about going down the Job Centre, but what would they have for a lad with 5 GCSEs in Sheffield? The steel industry had packed up about twenty years ago, and no office would take him with his qualifications. Damn. Sheffield can offer me no more, he thought aloud. He needed a job where he could travel, and carry on working with mechanical stuff. Preferably without being a gypsy who fixed caravans, he chuckled. Just then, the pho ne rang. Hello?, George answered. He couldnt be bothered with anyone today. A right mate?, answered the voice at the other end, in a thick liverpudlian accent. It was Mark. You got any ideas for a job? Me mams chucked me out again George laughed aloud. Its true what they say about scouse families, then? As a matter of fact, I do have an idea for a job. What would you think about joining the army? Sounds good to me- pay, free house on a base could be just the thing. Hes destabilising! In the hot and damp medical tent, orderlies milled around the man who lay on the table in the centre of the floor. George was dying. He thrashed around on his bed, his mind not registering the pain his body was in. Finally, the surgeon arrived. He wore a bloodstained apron, with scalpels and capped syringes full of morphine hanging out of the pouch like a sinister infant kangaroo. He had a weather-beaten face; hed seen it all before, too many times. Whats going on with him?, the Doctor inquired. Massive internal bleeding he needs surgery now, sir, recommended a senior medic, brandishing x- ray photos at the Doctor, who brushed past him. Uncaring of the swirling melee, like a ghost in the night, the Doctor walked to George, who was still thrashing about on the table. The Doctor took Georges arm, and took a syringe from his pouch. The needle slipped into the skin, like the mouthpiece of a hungry mosquito. A thumb pushed the plunger, and the Doctor shouted Ten millegrams morphine going in. A minute later, the potent opiate did its work and the thrashing stopped. His pulse was still weak, but had slowed to a safer level. His blood pressure, though, the Doctor noted, was through the floor. The room was silent and still. The doctor breathed in long and slow. Get this man to theatre. Im going to do what I can.. The Doctor said, and walked away to get ready. Oh, and contact HQ. They have to inform his family. The shaking stopped as the ramp on the Hercules transport reached its fully open position. The thirty young men checked their parachutes one last time. They looked at the light by the door- still red. The men turned their heads to the standing figure of Lieutenant Lewis. He shouted out the orders that they already knew about and had studied countless times on the way to this god-forsaken place. Stand up! 60 seconds!, he shouted over the whistling wind. The men stood up, unclipping their arrestor hooks from their chutes. Clip on!. The men took the hooks and attached them to the line running the length of the cargo bay. 30 seconds! George looked over at Mark, who was facing forwards, looking at the helmet of the man in front. He heard another man whispering the Lords Prayer; someone else simply closed his eyes and raised his head to look at the ceiling. George thought of all of his friends at home, his family, his little sister, and his girlfriend. He had never had a chance to tell any of them he was shipping out. He thought more of them, imagining their faces, imagining their voices. A huge explosion interrupted his reverie, and the plane lurched to one side. One unfortunate man was thrown out the door screaming, spinning uncontrollably to his death. Another was hit by burning kerosene from an auxiliary fuel tank that exploded next to him, and ran screaming through the door. Missile hit! Repeat, missile hit! Evac, evac, evac!, the pilot screamed through the intercom. Ejecting! There was a roar as the pilot saved himself from certain death. Shocked, George looked at the still red light at the back of the plane. He muttered a hurried prayer. Lets go!, screamed the Lieutenant. No- one needed telling twice. Like lemmings running to a cliff, they charged for the exit. Some of the men got out in time. Others were not so lucky. The planes nose jerked upwards as another explosion severed the arrestor line, and all the men in the plane were thrown out of the door, all spinning. except for the charred remains of what had been the co- pilot, who had been immolated in the first hit. The plane span downwards, hitting the ground with a cataclysmic explosion. George coasted down through the sky. He was still processing what had happened on the plane- it had happened so fast. One second he was thinking of home, next second he had watched two men die. Was this war, he thought? Was this what it was really like, simply watching your friends die completely randomly and without reason? War was hell, he decided, and hed been in one for less than a minute. He wanted to go home. Back in Sheffield, the Robertsons sat watching the TV. They saw the pictures of air strikes on the Novistranos Islands. They saw the British planes roaming the skies, firing missiles at seemingly random intervals at unseen targets. Another year, another war, the correspondents had said. Itll be over soon, they prophesised like fortune tellers, as they always did. The telephone rang. Hello?, said John Robertson, in his gruff voice. Is that Mr Robertson?, inquired the voice. Speaking. What do you want? My son is in a war zone. If youre another double glazing salesman- John was cut off by the insistent voice of the caller. Mr Robertson, could you take a seat please? I have some bad news. Its about your son, George. I cant do any more. Stitch him back up, you. All we can do now is hope. The Doctor took off his gloves and walked away from the dying man. The Doctor knew hed be dead in a few hours. There was so much damage to his arteries. Almost all of them were ruptured. Anyway, the Doctor reasoned with himself, hed never walk again- he had no legs. He would have to have a colostomy bag too- that much damage had been done by bone shards from the pelvis, shattered into hundreds of pieces. The doctor went into his private room, lay face down on his bed, and wept. There were so many dead just so many. All young men with their lives ahead of them. War. War. War. A three-letter word, with so many implications. George thought again. He was drifting away from these thoughts now; he was running out of the energy to think them. He remembered back to when he hit the ground. George unclipped his parachute and took his SA-80 from his pack. He had come down in a clearing, luckily. In training, they had showed the pictures of men who had landed on trees. Nervously, he spoke into his radio microphone. Bravo 2-6 to any friendly units, respondBravo 2-6 to any friendly units, please respond, over Bravo 2-5 here. Whats your status, George? It was Mark. Im OK, he replied. The plane. How many got out alive? Do you know? I saw 12 chutes as I came down, including yours. I was last out. The last thing I saw was the back of the plane completely shearing in two. theyre all dead. Sixteen men hurled to their doom. Sixteen friends. Sixteen families. It all sank in. OK Ive looked at the map. Meet at grid 502-178, said Mark. Roger, see you- George stopped talking. Hed seen something move in the trees to his left. George immediately went prone, and looked around him. He crawled through the undergrowth, and saw a man walking away. He looked in his early twenties maybe the same age as George. He carried an AK-47, and wore a red t shirt, with the words Always Coca Cola emblazoned on the back. George moved again, this time snapping a twig. The man turned around, eyes wild with panic. He lifted his gun to shoot George. George instinctively pulled the trigger on his rifle. A shout of gun, and the man was on the floor. George lay there, stunned. Hed just killed a man. He got up to look at the man. and jogged. The rendezvous couldnt be far away now. A half hour later, George was being briefed by the lieutenant. They had 11 men in the squad, and the main force had landed on the beach a few miles away. Helicopters buzzed overhead.. Now that the war is through with me George stepped forwards. Im waking up I cannot see. His foot hit something metallic.. Deep down inside I feel the scream.. Landmine! shrieked a squaddie. George was in terrible pain. This terrible silence stops me.. The world went white. Now the world is gone, Im just one, Oh God help me.. The pain stopped. George remembered no more. Hes dead, Doctor.

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society Since becoming a prominent part of modern human society, the media has always been a source of controversy. In particular, the media has often been accused as playing a significant part in the so called dumbing-down of society. The term dumbing-down is used to describe the lack of a clear distinction between high culture and popular Pop culture in society today. While high culture were activities, usually relating to the classical arts, that were held in the highest regard by society in the past, and usually practiced by the rich upper-class, it has evolved to appeal to the masses now. Similarly, popular culture which are considered ephemeral and commercial, thus inferior to high culture have gone on to invade parts of our upper-class societies today. In this essay, I am going to investigate the blurring line between the differences in high and popular culture and use this as a pivot to critically assess the medias role in this phenomenon and ultimately determine if the media is inde ed responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Dumbing-down is believed to be present in many spheres of contemporary society, from the arts to even the quality of education that our generation are getting today. This is based on the premise that the Arts such as Theatre Productions and classical music have become more and more commercialised and overly-simplified in order to appeal to larger audiences. Similarly, the study of certain university courses ranging from Sociology to Media Studies and Animal Management have been labelled as inferior to the more traditional courses such as Law, Medicine and Politics. These so called Mickey Mouse degrees (which coincidentally were first made public by the media tabloids), coined by the then UK education minister Margaret Hodge were deemed to be less rigorous and thus unworthy of an actual University degree. Modern media itself is often criticised for putting ratings and audience popularity ahead of quality. Media institutions are run as businesses and are therefore more focused in creating productions that attract widespread interest and thereby maximise the chances of the sell rather than actual high quality productions. This can be seen through a number of examples, notably through news circulating productions such as Newspapers and News Broadcasting. The 1980s saw a sharp rise in the popularity of Tabloid Newspapers. Tabloids are based on the newspaper format seen in traditional Broadsheet Newspapers, but are smaller in size and feature exaggerated and often sensationalised stories. They often include much less hard news such as politics and global affairs to their Broadsheet counterparts, instead focusing on human interests and entertaining news stories (i.e. Celebrity Gossips, Scandals). There are also much fewer words and more pictures in a Tabloid than a Broadsheet. This form of junk food news is best described by researcher and writer Professor Bob Franklin in his book Newszak and News Media as being More bitesize McNugget journalism, which is small, tasty, bright coloured and easy to digest (Marr in Franklin, 1997: 5). Frankin came up with the term Newszak and asserted that there was a growing compulsion within British journalism to retreat from the publishing of hard news in favour of light hearted softer news. The popularity of tabloids has resulted in many broadsheet newspapers adopting numerous characteristics of tabloids. This is evident in UK newspapers such as The Independent, The Times and The Guardian who have switched to the more compact Berliner format used by most tabloid newspapers. Reasons given to this change include that it allows people who commute to easily hold and read it on public transports, and that smaller-sized newspapers would allow for easier reads for other readers as well. These changes have however been criticised by loyal broadsheet readers who have argued that the loss of the traditional broadsheet format have led to a loss in quality of the publishing of news. They reiterated that with Broadsheets adopting tabloid-like characteristics, there is slowly becoming less and less differences between the 2 types of Newspapers. In a 2007 interview with then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Blair commentated about the ongoing struggle in which Broadsheets and Tablo id face to gain readership by becoming more similar to one another. In his words Broadsheets today face the same pressures as tabloids; broadcasters increasingly the same pressures as broadsheets. The audience needs to be arrested, held and their emotions engaged. Something that is interesting is less powerful than something that makes you angry or shocked. (BBC News, 12 June 2007) While the tabloid-like changes that many broadsheets have undergone is a controversial topic even today, Tabloids have also evolved and have become even more tabloidized in recent years. In their study of the Tabloidization of British Tabloids, Rodrigo Uribe and Barrie Gunter discovered that the emergence of tabloids can be attributed to a dominance of soft and home stories. By analysing issues of The Sun and The Mirror that were published between the years 1991 and 2001, Uribe and Gunter learnt that tabloids themselves had become even more simplistic in recent years. They wrote that the amount of column space allocated for text had decreased substantially, whilst the size of space allocated for visuals and pictures had instead increased. (Uribe and Gunter, 2004: 399) Looking back at what I have learnt so far, I believe that when considering whether the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing-down of society, one has to look at the problem from two different perspectives. Yes, the media, owned by giant conglomerates aim to increase financial gain and therefore create products that are popular and sellable to their target audiences. However, one must also note that the reason broadsheets started adopting tabloid-like characteristics in the first place were partly due to the rising popularity of tabloids. In a highly competitive economic market as we have today, the media was simply responding to the ever growing demand for a particular product, in this case, tabloids; and therefore evolved its production of broadsheets to satisfy audience demand. It is therefore unfair to lay the blame solely on the Media when in this particular case; I believe that society is responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Broadcast media is another area within the media that is nowadays criticised as playing a role in the dumbing-down of society. News Broadcasting is often accused as being no longer truly informative and lacking the journalistic quality that was present in the past. With Broadcast Media prioritising audience and consumer ratings today, News Broadcastings are becoming more entertainment orientated, in that part of the appeal of watching the news nowadays is the entertainment value one gains from it rather than the traditional hard news journalistic approach seen in the past. This form of Infotainment, a term used to describe media programmes that combine information with entertainment is seen in numerous News Broadcasting Productions. Many have expressed concerns that the emergence of infotainment has led to an over exposure of soft news, news that often lack importance but are entertaining to audiences at an expense of actual important serious hard news. A clear example of this can be seen on a February 2004 edition of CNN News where the lead story was a feature of the Super Bowl XXXVIII incident in which Janet Jacksons breasts were exposed onstage. The story was then followed by the news of a chemical attack on a member of the US Senate. (Anderson B, 2004: 33) The basis of Infotainment is the assumption that viewers are no longer concern about the informative quality of such programmes but are rather driven to watch and consume something due to superficial reasons such as the entertainment that the programme provides or even by how visually attractive the product looks. The aesthetics of modern News programmes also serves as a means of entertaining viewers. News broadcastings nowadays contain expensive visuals, flashy animations and often elaborate filming sets. The use of such technology in modern news broadcasting allows for more contemporary looking visual presentations and thus attracts audience appeal. In a vastly competitive industry in which different Media Networks vie for control over audience viewership, the quality of presentation often plays an important part of the process. Networks which benefit from higher production values often score higher in viewership numbers and audience share. This would explain why the Big 4 televisi on networks in the US consisting of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX have a significant edge over other smaller networks such as The CW Television Network. In terms of actual substance and quality, there is little difference between one News Channel to another; rather the difference in popularity is often determined by insignificant reasons. An excellent example that clearly illustrates the importance of infotainment in todays Media is the ongoing ratings/ popularity war between two of the most popular News Networks in the US, FOX News and CNN. Though the CNN News Network has had a longer and more illustrious history (est. 1980) compared to the FOX News Network (est. 1996), ratings for CNN has fallen in recent years whilst FOX has seen a steadily increase in audience viewership. In 2009, FOX News officially supplanted CNN to become the No 1 News Network in the US. FOXs ratings increase has been attributed to the fact that it provides opinion and personality-driven programming. FOX slanted views to favour the republican (conservative) party in the US is no secret. It is however ironic that a network that bills itself as Fair Balance, whose slogan happens to be We Report. You Decide does not provide impartial and balanced news reporting. The appeal of FOX News lies in the entertainment it provides for its audience. The ne ws that it broadcast is often colourful, and interesting to audiences. Unlike CNN that features a more global perspective on news stories, reminiscent to the more traditional broadsheet news format, FOX has been known to employ tabloid-like tactics to gain audience receptions and stir controversies. Whilst CNN is in no way a haven of quality and unbiased news reporting, there is a fine line between biased information presented in a fair and proper manner and that of a piece of pure synthesized propaganda (DuBach J 2005, Fox V. CNN: An Observational Comparison). An example in which FOX has deliberately created news-stirring controversy to further its political agenda can be seen in several news reports during the Obama Presidential Campaign in 2008, in which FOX News provided highly bias opinions against Obama and his campaign team, even going as far as to compare him to Joseph Stalin. News Reporters and Journalists are no longer detached personalities from the audience but are instead groomed to become popular and celebrity-like. Rather than employing real hard-line journalists and political analysts (McChesney R), News networks are more interested in hiring celebrity pontificators to provide news commentary as a cost cutting solution that also ensures maximum audience appeal. This is evident by the growing number of so called special guest experts that regularly provide their views on the news at hand. News Commentators such as Bill OReilly, Gleen Beck and Jerry Springer have gone from being news readers to become well respected and popular television personalities that hosts their own talk shows and are regularly watched by a loyal viewership. As a matter of fact, OReillys political commentary program titled The OReilly Factor that airs on FOX News was the most watched cable show between 2007 and 2008. Despite the level of media saturation and the wealth of info rmation we have at our disposal, it is still in the hands of each individual to decide whether consuming a particular media text is indeed beneficial. However, with audiences seemingly enjoying such a skewed and biased view on everyday news reporting, its no wonder that some people believe that the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing down of society. The belief that the media is responsible for the dumbing down of society is rooted in the fear that the audience lack the perception to tell what is right and what is wrong when consuming a media text, thus believing whatever the media projects. It is therefore important to understand the concept of Audience Reception in order to determine how media viewers interpret a particular media text differently from one another. The basis of Audience reception is the understanding that there are two different kinds of audiences; active and passive audience. Active Audiences are people who are not drawn to whatever the media tells them, who constantly filter out what they see in the media and possess the strength of mind to decide whether what they see in the media is true or not. In contrast, Passive Audiences are people who are vulnerable to the words of the media and are seemingly accepting of whatever the media tells them. The belief that the media has the ability to alter audience percept ion and in a way control the way we make decisions and live our lives is one that has existed for decades. The Hypodermic Needle Model, conceived in the 1940s was perhaps the earliest form in our attempts to understand audience reception. The model was based around the assumption that mass media (e.g. the radio and television) had a direct and often profound effect on its viewers. It was believed that the media was able to send messages directly to the viewer thus gaining some measure of control on the viewer. Today, the model is almost unanimously considered obsolete as it perceives all media consumers as passive audiences, and thus believes that the media has the same effect on all people. It perceives on the assumption that people were uniformly controlled by their biologically based instincts and that they react more or less uniformly to whatever stimuli came along (Lowery DefFleur, 1995: 400). More to the point, the hypodermic needle theory is an outdated Audience Reception model that however flawed, reflected the social situation during that time. In an era of political upheaval an d social unrest, fuelled by the World Wars, propaganda emerged as a form of communication utilized by nations to persuade the general public to unite behind the actions of their countries and allies alike. The power of propaganda was regarded as a powerful tool by many, with countries using propaganda to achieve many different aims, from enlisting more men to become soldiers to even attempting to promote public outrage. A more efficient audience reception model which does take both passive and active audiences into account is the Uses and Gratifications Model. Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Model that interpreted its findings based on what the media did to people, the Uses and Gratifications model took a different perspective by placing focus on the viewers instead of the media and basing its findings on what did people do with the Media. The Model was conceived in the 1970s by critical theorists Blumber and Katz, who originally used it to investigate the social and psychological needs of people. The model was based around a more consumer/ audience centred approach whereby it was believed that people consumed media as a form of satisfying their own individual needs. Rather than basing its study that all media viewers were passive audiences who are unable to resists the words of the media (as the hypodermic needle theory had suggested), the theory was based on the belief that the audience did in fact p lay an active part in choosing the type of media text that they were consuming based on their individual needs. The needs of individuals were varied and included but not limited to things such as gaining entertainment (diversion) from the text t or perhaps even gaining more of an insight into themselves (personal identity). Despite the consensus that the Uses and Gratification model is a far better representation of audience reception, compared to the Hypodermic Needle Theory, it has also been criticised by many who state that viewers nowadays do not have any means of control over what the media produces. In my opinion, I would actually argue with that statement, as I believe that the audience make educated choices on the type of media they consume. I believe that the types of medium that are produced today are developed specifically to satisfy the needs of people. Due to the different trends and genres that go in and out of fashion today, media companies create productions that the y know would attract a sizable audience market. Similar to how many Broadsheet Newspapers are adopting the more popular Tabloid-like format and the use of Infotainment in todays News Broadcasting Programmes, the media is simply responding to the audience preferences. In conclusion, I believe that although the media does play a part in the Dumbing down of society, it is not directly responsible for this, and is often conveniently made a scapegoat of the problem due to people take comfort in having someone or something to blame, in this case the media itself. Rather, I think that the media acts as a catalyst for the true culprit behind the degradation of society humans. The dumbing down of society is caused by us; modern people have grown lazy, becoming interested in trivial things and finding quality activities and productions a chore to do and consume. We prefer the simplifying of things as it makes it easier for us to understand and

Existentialism in The Trial by Kafka

Existentialism in The Trial by Kafka The Czech writer FRANZ KAFKA (1883-1924) belonged to a middle class family. His father Herman was disrespectful and ill tempered towards Kafkas escape into the literature work and writing. Kafka became the eldest and only son when his two brothers died and he was aware his role in the family and rest of the life. Franz Kafka is one of the greatest influences on Western literature in the twentieth century. He has inspired a whole range of artists from the creators of the detective story to writers of the television series Twilight Zone. He began work on The Trial in 1914 after a horrendous encounter with his fiancà ©, Felice Bauer, her sister, Erna Bauer, and Grete Bloch (a short-term lover). According to Kafkas friend Max Brod, he never finished the work and gave the manuscript to Brod in 1920. After his death, Brod edited The Trial into what he felt was a coherent novel and had it published, despite the German ban on Jewish literature, in 1925. The manuscript eventually passed from Brods heirs to the German national literary archives in the late 1980s for several million dollars. Since then, new editions have been published and some textual integrity re stored to the English version of the story. He was isolated and subjected to unknown terrifying forces. KAFKA has narrated many stories and novels in his writing. In his novel The Trial he tells the story of a country doctor who goes to check a sick child. When he reaches the sick child home he discovers that child has been consumed by the maggots. In his same novel The Trial, KAFKA relates a story about a man known as Joseph K who has awakened at one night by hammering on his door. He finds that he was under arrest. The Trial in 1926 is his novel with the style of meditations, parable, poetic fragments and sketches. His work is open due to multiple interpretations and difficult categories and reflects the existentialism and modernism. Existentialism is a vast and meticulous philosophy that, in a nutshell, advocates a diverse arsenal of responses and solutions to the existentialist attitude which, essentially, is what an individual feels when confronted by the absurdity of life. Throughout humanity, ruminations and self-proclaimed ultimate truths have assumed various forms: prose, poetry, religion and numerous other doctrines, to name but a few. Kafka has inspired many of the great novelists of the twentieth century. Consequently, there is an incredible amount of literary criticism devoted to his work. The critical material discussing The Trial falls between two poles. On the one hand, Kafka is viewed through a psychological or religious lens that sees the tensions of his work as derived from an oedipal complex or the heritage of the Judaic law. At the other extreme, where few tread, are the positivist approaches of Walter Benjamin, Gilles Deleuze, and Felix Guattari. This latter approach finds a new philosophy, a new politics, in Kafka that is as yet unexplored. Whatever the approach, there is general agreement that Kafka should be praised for his deft depiction of twentieth-century alienation and bureaucracy at the universal level. K., except for a brief friendship with Hasterer, prefers his own company. In the matter of his trial, he didnt want to enlist anyones aid and thus initiate them in the matter even distantly. To do so would be to initiate another person into himself. This is an act he cannot even do in the form of a petition. This is as it should be since the trial is his own, it is his guilt, and no matter what he does or where he goes, that is where the inquiry will be located: he is certainly being treated with strange carelessness. As much as K. desires it, he is not alone. Everyone who knows him also knows about his trial. From his point of view, the entire universe finds him guilty from the casual observer to the men who kill him like a dog. In Kafkas view, there is a way of life for any individual that is the right one, and which is divinely sanctioned. So much is perhaps admitted by most of our moral novelists; but to Kafka this fact itself constitutes a problem of tremendous difficulty, because he believes the dichotomy between the divine and the human, the religious and the ethical, to be absolute. Thus, though it is imperative for us to attempt to follow the true way, it is impossible for us to succeed in doing so. This is the fundamental dilemma that Kafka believes to lie at the basis of all human effort Conclusion Kafka employs the fictional literary elements he constructs to address the very non-fictional, existentialist aspects of society and life. Akin to Dostoyevskys Notes from Underground, it can be interpreted as both a rumination and tirade against impersonal communities, restriction of freedom, and the absurdity of life. It would be foolish to expect that an examination of Kierkegaards argument that religious faith is totally divorced from reason, and of Kafkas private response to it, would lead to a firm conclusion for or against Kierkegaards position. Kierkegaards book assumes that his readers come to it equipped with an attitude of religious belief. Without that, his poetic flourishes would be less effective, and his dialectical proofs would lose force.

Shylock as Helpless Victim in The Merchant of Venice :: Merchant of Venice Essays

Shylock as Helpless Victim in The Merchant of Venice      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1594 the Earl of Essex, an English Nobleman who lived during the Elizabethan period in England, was actively involved in the persecution and trials of Roderigo Lopez.   Lopez was a Jew of Portuguese descent, who was wrongly accused of attempting to poison the Queen of England.   Lopez, being the Queen's royal physician, was in no position to defend himself once he was accused.   Essex, who provided the evidence also presided over the trial of Lopez, leaving Lopez little chance of survival.   The innocent Jew was hanged, drawn, and quartered in Tyburn, England for all to witness.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of Roderigo Lopez is similar to the story of Shylock, although, Palmer tells us "It is not suggested that Shakespeare in portraying Shylock, had any political or social intentions" ( 112-13).   Both Jews were placed in time where "anti-Semitism was in fashion" (Palmer 113), and both thrown into court where they would be tried unjustly.   The story of Roderigo Lopez sets the tone for The Merchant of Venice.   Lopez' incident occurred in 1594, The Merchant of Venice was written only two years later.   Anti-Semitism was prevalent during Shakespeares' time, and therefore we must understand that it was as easy for him to make a Jewish man the villain as it would be for us to make a Nazi the villain.      According to Sylvan Barnet "The Merchant of Venice [shows] the broad outline of a comedy (not merely a play with jests, but a play that ends happily). . . the villain in the comedy must be entirely villainous, or, rather, comically villainous; he cannot for a moment gain the audience's sympathy" (1). Shylock has often been portrayed as the villain in The Merchant of Venice.   From being more concerned with his ducats rather than his daughter, to demanding his pound of flesh, Shylock fits perfectly into the mold of the villain.   However, with   reference to Barnet's comment "he cannot for a moment gain the audience's sympathy" (1), Shylock oversteps the boundaries of his villainous character. The audience cannot and would not have rooted for Shylock during Shakespeare's lifetime, yet, now we do.   Shylock is merely a victim of anti-Semitism.

Teaching ESL Writing (Final Paper) -- Education Learning Essays

Teaching ESL Writing At times the plethora of professional journals and the myriad subjects treated therein seems like little more than a dizzying exercise in redundancy and a forum for education professionals to justify their worth in a competitive job market; however, I would like to think that there is a hidden value for those of us whose brains seem to operate in what some might call a â€Å"spiral† rhetorical pattern, that as we work our way around and around certain issues related to composition instruction, we are moving gradually upward toward broader understanding and better practice. Some studies seem to do little more than show the need for more studies, their authors falling back on such standard phrases as, â€Å"clearly more research is needed,† but that at least is evidence that we’re moving toward something – we’re trying to pinpoint the exact gap between educational practice as we know it and as we sense it might exist in an improved state. So, it is with this hope in mind that I’ve undertaken yet another literature review, consuming the writings of others in order to find a specific gap in (at least my own) understanding of educational practice as it relates to college-level ESL composition students in general, and to college-level ESL students with learning disabilities (LD) specifically. For the purposes of this paper I shall borrow Skinner and Gilespie’s definition of learning disabilities as follows: [Learning disabled persons are those] of average or above average intelligence who have difficulty mastering skills in reading and spelling (often in the form of dis- lexia), and /or writing, or math. ... ...es. March/April 2001, 34, 2. 136-152. Munro, Murray J. and Tracey M. Derwing. â€Å"Foreign Accent, Comprehensibility, and Inteligibility.† Language Learning. June 1999, 49, 2. 285-111. Poon-McBrayer, Kim Feng and Shernaz B. Garcia. â€Å"Profiles of Asian American Students with Learning Disabilities at Initial Referral, Assessment, and Place- ment in Special Education.† Journal of Learning Disabilities. Jan/Feb 2001, 33, 1. 61-71. Skinner, Louise and Phyllis Gillespie. â€Å"The Challenge of Adult Literacy: Students with Learning Disabilities in the ABE Classroom.† Adult Basic Education. Fall 2000, 10, 3. Spack, Ruth. â€Å"Student Meets Text, Text Meets Student: Finding a Way into Academic Discourse.† Reading in the Composition Classroom: Second Language Perspectives. Ed. Joan G. Carson and Ilona Leki. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 1993. 183-196.

Kudler’s Human Resource Information System: Case Study

Kudler’s Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) System is not efficient. Kudler does use Intuit which is one of the best payroll processing software to have. Intuit stores the basic information needed for payroll: personal information, pay rate, tax exemptions, hire date, seniority date and organizational information. In addition to Intuit storing information, the store manager keeps an Excel spreadsheet that displays job analyses, salary surveys and individual compensation decisions (HRIS System, n.d., para 6). All this information is needed the purposes of processing payroll correctly and making sure Kudler is in line with the guidelines given the IRS. In order to change any information within Intuit, a written document must be provided to the accounting clerk. Then the clerk will manually enter the changes into the system. The clerk also maintains a paper file with the tax forms for each employee. This file contains all the original forms for the employee data. Workers’ compensation is managed by a third party company that keeps their own records decisions (HRIS System, n.d., para 6). Employees must manually fill out timesheets each week. This paper document is then approved by the store manager and then is faxed to the accounting department decisions (HRIS System, n.d., para 6). Any corrections made to the timesheets must be approved by the employee’s direct supervisor and store manager. The store manager has the employee files for all employees that work in the store instead of having a central filing area. These paper documents are stored in a locked filing cabinet. The documents that are stored in this filing cabinet consist of: job application/resume, performance reviews, I-9 forms and any disciplinary memos or performance management issues decisions (HRIS System, n.d., para 6). These types of files should not all be contained in one area by the store manager. In order for an employee to ask for time off they must speak with their managers verbally. The managers are then responsible for tracking for any requests since there is no automated system decisions (HRIS System, n.d., para 6). Therefore, depending on the manager dictates what of method they use. Store managers are mostly in charge of hiring new employees with the assistance of the HR recruiter. Then after interviews are done and individuals are hired, the applications of the ones not hired are stored by the HR department. The HR assistants keeps all information about complaints, grievances, etc locked in a file at the HR headquarters. In reviewing the above information about Kudler their overall HRIS is doing more work than necessary. As previously stated Kudler does not have any automated systems to complete any of the work aside from Intuit. Kudler is still using paper documents to store sensitive information. SolutionsKudler will incorporate Accero Cyborg Self Service which consists of three modules: Employee Self-Service, Benefits Self-Service and Manager Self-Service (Empower Employees and Managers with Accero Self Service, n.d., para 2). This product is completely online and will greatly decrease the need for paper documentation.With the introduction of Accero it will alleviate a lot work that the HR department handles (Empower Employees and Managers with Accero Self Service, n.d., para 2). All information that is stored in files on paper will be put input into the system. This will allow for HR to not have to continually fill out paperwork whenever there are any changes within the department.Employee and Benefits Self-Service will allow for employees to update and view their personal information (Empower Employees and Managers with Accero Self Service, n.d., para 2). They will also be able to view paychecks and manage payroll options. Employees will also be able to see their benefits information and update if necessary.Manager Self-Service allows for managers to quickly view employee profiles, access to HR data 24x7x365, access handbooks and procedure manuals (Empower Employees and Managers with Accero Self Service, n.d., para 2).Kudler will also incorporate a new online recruiting system call Kenexa 2x BrassRing. The software will allow Kudler to post jobs and maintain resumes within the system. Applicants will be able to create a profile and apply to jobs. HR will view the applications submitted and contact the appropriate manager. Managers will be able to view the subm itted resumes as well if needed. If the applicant is not chosen, their resume will stay in the system for up to 90 days. Then the applicant will need to resubmit their resume.To help with the vast transition from paper to online Kudler will also incorporate a new online training course system call WebCourse. This will allow for all employees of Kudler to be trained per the specific department they work in.Reference http://www.webcourse.com/elearning.html

Smart Material

â€Å"SMART MATERIALS† ABSTRACT The world has undergone two materials ages, the plastics age and the composite age, during the past centuries. In the midst of these two ages a new era has developed. This is the smart materials era. According to early definitions, smart materials are materials that respond to their environments in a timely manner. The definition of smart materials has been expanded to materials that receive, transmit or process a stimulus and respond by producing a useful effect that may include a signal that the materials are acting upon it. Smart materials cover a wide and developing range of technologies.A particular type of smart material, known as chromogenics, can be used for large areaglazing in buildings, automobiles, planes, and for certain types of electronic display. Smart materials have been around for many years and they have found a large number of applications. There are many types of the materials present some of them listed below: Shape memory alloy 2) Piezoelectric materials 3) Magnetostrictive materials 4) Magneto- and electro-rheological materials 5) Chromic materials Due to the property of responding quickly with environment and many applications in daily life smart materials deserve a great future scope.I. INTRODUCTION Smart materials have been around for many years and they have found a large number of applications. The use of the terms ‘smart' and ‘intelligent' to describe materials and systems came from the US and started in the 1980? s despite the fact that some of these so-called smart materials had been around for decades. Many of the smart materials were developed by government agencies working on military and aerospace projects but in recent years their use has transferred into the civil sector for applications in the construction, transport, medical, leisure and domestic areas.The first problem encountered with these unusual materials is defining what the word† smart? actually means. One di ctionary definition of smart describes something which is a stute or ‘operating as if by human intelligence' and this is what smart materials are. A and back again when you return inside. This coating is made from a smart material which is described as being photochromic. There are many groups of smart materials, each exhibiting particular properties which can be harnessed in a variety of high-tech and everyday applications. These include shape memory smart material is one which reacts to its environment aby itself.The change is inherent to the material and not a result of some change in volume, a change in colour or a change in viscosity and this may occur in response to a change in temperature, stress, electrical current, or magnetic field. In many cases this reaction is reversible, a common example being the coating on spectacles which reacts to the level of UV light, turning your ordinary glasses into sunglasses when you go outside alloys, piezoelectric materials, magneto- rheological and electro-rheological materials, magnetostrictive materials and chromic materials which change their colour in reaction to various stimuli.The distinction between a smart material and a smartstructure should be emphasised. A smart structure incorporates some form of actuator and sensor (which may be made from smart materials) with control hardware and software to form a system which reacts to its environment. Such a structure might be an aircraft wing which continuously alters its profile during flight to give the optimum shape for the operating conditions at the time. II SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are one of the most well known types of smart material and they have found extensive uses in the 70 years since their discoveryWhat are SMAs? A shape memory transformation was first observed in 1932 in an alloy of gold and cadmium, and then later in brass in 1938. The shape memory effect (SME) was seen in the gold-cadmium alloy in 1951, but this was of li ttle use. Some ten years later in 1962 an equiatomic alloy of titanium and nickel was found to exhibit a significant SME and Nitinol (so named because it is made from nickel and titanium and its properties were discovered at the Naval Ordinance Laboratories) has become the most common SMA.Other SMAs include those based on copper (in particular CuZnAl), NiAl and FeMnSi, though it should be noted that the NiTi alloy has by far the most superior properties. How do SMAs work? The SME describes the process of a material changing shape or remembering a particular shape at a specific temperature (i. e. its transformation or memory temperature). Materials which can only exhibit the shape change or memory effect once are known as one way SMAs. However some alloys can betrained to show a two-way effect in which they remember two shapes, one below and one above the memory temperature.At the memory temperature the alloy undergoes a solid state phase transformation. That is, the crystal structur e of the material changes resulting in a volume or shape change and this change in structure is called a„thermoelastic martensitic transformation?. This effect occurs as the material has a martensitic microstructure below the transformation temperature, which is characterised by a zig-zag arrangement of the atoms, known as twins. The martensitic structure is relatively soft and is easily deformed by removing the twinned structure.The material has an austenitic structure above the memory temperature, which is much stronger. To change from the martensitic or deformed structure to the austenitic shape the material is simply heated through the memory temperature. Cooling down again reverts the alloy to the martensitic state as shown in Figure 1. The shape change may exhibit itself as either an expansion or contraction. The transformation temperature can be tuned to within a couple of degrees by changing the alloy composition.Nitinol can be made with a transformation temperature an ywhere between –100? C and +100? C which makes it very versatile. Where are SMAs used? Shape memory alloys have found a large number of uses in aerospace, medicine and the leisure industry. A few of these applications are described below. Medical applications Quite fortunately Nitinol is biocompatible, that is, it can be used in the body without an adverse reaction, so it has found a number of medical uses. These include stents in which rings of SMA wire hold open a polymer tube to pen up a blocked vein , blood filters, and bone plates which contract upon transformation to pull the two ends of the broken bone in to closer contact and encourage more rapid healing . It is possible that SMAs could also find use in dentistry for orthodontic braces which straighten teeth. The memory shape of the material is made to be the desired shape of the teeth. This is then deformed to fit the teeth as they are and the memory is activated by the temperature of the mouth. The SMART exerts enou gh force as it contracts to move the teeth slowly and gradually.Surgical tools, particularly those used in key hole surgery may also be made from SMAs. These tools are often often bent to fit the geometry of a particular patient, however, in order for them to be used again they return to a default shape upon sterilisation in an autoclave. Still many years away is the use of SMAs as artificial muscles, i. e. simulating the expansion and contraction of human muscles. This process will utilise a piece of SMA wire in place of a muscle on the finger of a robotic hand.When it is heated, by passing an electrical current through it, the material expands and straightens the joint, on cooling the wire contracts again bending the finger again In reality this is incredibly difficult to achieve since complex software and surrounding systems are also required. Figure 1 – Change in structure associated with the shape memory effect. NASA have been researching the use of SMA muscles in robots which walk, fly and swim! Domestic applications SMAs can be used as actuators which exert a force associated with the shape change, and this can be repeated over many thousands of cycles.Applications include springs which are incorporated in to greenhouse windows such that they open and close themselves at a given temperature. Along a similar theme are pan lids which incorporate an SMA spring in the steam vent. When the spring is heated by the boiling water in the pan it changes shape and opens the vent, thus preventing the pan from boiling over and maintaining efficient cooking. The springs are similar to those shown in Figure 5. SMAs can be used to replace bimetallic strips in many domestic applications.SMAs offer the advantage of giving a larger deflection and exerting a stronger force for a given change in temperature. They can be used in cut out switches for kettles and other devices, security door locks, fire protection devices such as smoke alarms and cooking safety indicato rs (for example for checking the temperature of a roast joint). Aerospace applications A more high tech application is the use of SMA wire to control the flaps on the trailing edge of aircraft wings.The flaps are currently controlled by extensive hydraulic systems but these could be replaced by wires which are resistance heated, by passing a current along them, to produce the desired shape change. Such a system would be considerably simpler than the conventional hydraulics, thus reducing maintenance and it would also decrease the weight of the system. Manufacturing applications SMA tubes can be used as couplings for connecting two tubes. The coupling diameter is made slightly smaller than the tubes it is to join. The coupling is deformed such that it slips over the tube ends and the temperature changed to activate the memory.The coupling tube shrinks to hold the two ends together but can never fully transform so it exerts a constant force on the joined tubes. Why are SMAs so flexibl e? In addition to the shape memory effect, SMAs are also known to be very flexible or super elastic, which arises from the structure of the martensite. This property Of SMARTs has also been exploited for example in mobile phone aerials, spectacle frames and the underwire in bras. The kink resistance of the wires makes them useful in surgical tools which need to remain straight as they are passed through the body.Nitinol can be bent significantly further than stainless steel without suffering permanent deformation. Another rather novel application of SMAs which combines both the thermal memory and super elastic properties of these materials is in intelligent fabrics. Very fine wires are woven in to ordinary polyester cotton fabric. Since the material is super elastic the wires spring back to being straight even if the fabric is screwed up in a heap at the bottom of the washing basket! So creases fall out of the fabric, giving you a true non-iron garment!In addition the wires in the s leeves have a memory which is activated at a given temperature (for example 38 C) causing the sleeves to roll themselves up and keeping the wearer cool. PIIEZOELECTRIIC MATERIIALS The piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880 by Jaques and Pierre Curie who conducted a number of experiments using quartz crystals. This probably makes piezoelectric materials the oldest type of smart material. These materials, which are mainly ceramics, have since found a number of uses. What is the piezoelectric effect?The piezoelectric effect and electrostriction are opposite phenomena and both relate a shape change with voltage. As with SMAs the shape change is associated with a change in the crystal structure of the material and piezoelectric materials also exhibit two crystalline forms. One form is ordered and this relates to the polarisation of the molecules. The second state is nonpolarised and this is disordered. If a voltage is applied to the non-polarised material a shape change occurs as th e molecules reorganise to align in the electrical field. This is known as electrostriction.Conversely, an electrical field is generated if a mechanical force is applied to the material to change its shape. This is the piezoelectric effect. The main advantage of these materials is the almost instantaneous change in the shape of the material or the generation of an electrical field. What materials exhibit this effect? The piezoelectric effect was first observed in quartz and various other crystals such as tourmaline. Barium titanate and cadmium sulphate have also been shown to demonstrate the effect but by far the most commonly used piezoelectric ceramic today is lead zirconium titanate (PZT).The physical properties of PZT can be controlled by changing the chemistry of the material and how it is processed. There are limitations associated with PZT; like all ceramics it is brittle giving rise to mechanical durability issues and there are also problems associated with joining it with ot her components in a system. Where are piezoelectric materials used? The main use of piezoelectric ceramics is in actuators. An actuator can be described as a component or material which converts energy (in this case electrical) in to mechanical form.When a electric field is applied to the piezoelectric material it changes its shape very rapidly and very precisely in accordance with the magnitude of the field. Applications exploiting the electrostrictive effect of piezoelectric materials include actuators in the semiconductor industry in the systems used for handling silicon wafers, in the microbiology field in microscopic cell handling systems, in fibre optics and acoustics, in ink-jet printers where fine movement control is necessary and for vibration damping.The piezoelectric effect can also be used in sensors which generate an electrical field in response to a mechanical force. This is useful in damping systems and earthquake detection systems in buildings. But the most well know n application is in the sensors which deploy car airbags. The material changes in shape with the impact thus generating a field which deploys the airbag. A novel use of these materials, which exploits both the piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects, is in smart skis which have been designed to perform well on both soft and hard snow. Piezoelectric sensors detect vibrations (i. e. he shape of the ceramic detector is changed resulting in the generation of a field) and the electrostrictive property of the material is then exploited by generating an opposing shape change to cancel out the vibration. The system uses three piezoelectric elements which detect and cancel out large vibrations in real time since the reaction time of the ceramics is very small . By passing an alternating voltage across these materials a vibration is produced. This process is very efficient and almost all of the electrical energy is converted into motion. Possible uses of this property are silent alarms for pagers which fit into a wrist watch.The vibration is silent at low frequencies but at high frequencies an audible sound is also produced. This leads to the concept of solid state speakers based on piezoelectric materials which could also be miniaturised. Do polymers exhibit these effects? Ionic polymers work in a similar way to piezoelectric ceramics, however they need to be wet to function. An electrical current is passed through the polymer when it is wet to produce a change in its crystal structure and thus its shape. Muscle fibres are essentially polymeric and operate in a similar way, so research in this field has focussed on potential uses in medicine. ature of the piezoelectric effect making them invaluable for the niche applications which they occupy. MAGNETOSTRIICTIIVE MATERIIALS Magnetostrictive materials are similar to piezoelectric and electrostrictive materials except the change in shape is related to a magnetic field rather than an electrical field. What are magnetost rictive materials? Magnetostrictive materials convert magnetic to mechanical energy or vice versa. The magnetostrictive effect was first observed in 1842 by James Joule who noticed that a sample of nickel exhibited a change in length when it was magnetised.The other ferromagnetic elements (cobalt and iron) were also found to demonstrate the effect as were alloys of these materials. During the 1960s terbium and dysprosium were also found to be magnetostrictive but only at low temperatures which limited their use, despite the fact that the size change was many times greater than that of nickel. The most common magnetostrictive material today is called TERFENOL-D (terbium (TER), iron (FE), Naval Ordanance Laboratory (NOL) and dysprosium (D)). This alloy of terbium, iron and dysprosium shows a large magnetostrictive effect and is used in transducers and actuators.The original observation of the magnetostrictive effect became known as the Joule effect, but other effects have also been ob served. The Villari effect is the opposite of the Joule effect, that is applying a stress to the material causes a change in its magnetization. Applying a torsional force to a magnetostrictive material generates a helical magnetic field and this is known as the Matteuci effect. Its inverse is the Wiedemann effect in which the material twists in the presence of a helical magnet field.How do magnetostrictive materials work? Magnetic materials contain domains which can be likened to tiny magnets within the material. When an external magnetic field is applied the domains rotate to align with this field and this results in a shape change as. Conversely if the material is squashed or stretched by means of an external force the domains are forced to move and this causes a change in the magnetisation. Where are magnetostrictive materials used? Magnetostrictive materials can be used as both actuators (where a magnetic ield is applied to cause a shape change) and sensors (which convert a move ment into a magnetic field). In actuators the magnetic field is usually generated by passing an electrical current along a wire. Likewise the electrical current generated by the magnetic field arising from a shape change is usually measured in sensors. Early applications of magnetostrictive materials included telephone receivers, hydrophones, oscillators and scanning sonar. The development of alloys with better properties led to the use of these materials in a wide variety of applications.Ultrasonic magnetostrictive transducers have been used in ultrasonic cleaners and surgical tools. Other applications include hearing aids, razorblade sharpeners, linear motors, damping systems, positioning equipment, and sonar. MAGNETO– AND ELECTRO RHEOLOGIICAL MATERIIALS All of the groups of smart materials discussed so far have been based on solids. However, there are also smart fluids which change their rheological properties in accordance with their environment. What are smart fluids? Th ere are two types of smart fluids which were both discovered in the 1940s.Electro-rheological (ER) materials change their properties with the application of an electrical field and consist of an insulating oil such as mineral oil containing a dispersion of solid particles (early experiments used starch, stone, carbon, silica, gypsum and lime). Magnetorheological materials (MR) are again based on a mineral or silicone oil carrier but this time the solid dispersed within the fluid is a magnetically soft material (such as iron) and the properties of the fluid are altered by applying a magnetic field. In both cases the dispersed particles are of the order of microns in size.How do smart fluids work? In both cases the smart fluid changes from a fluid to a solid with the application of the relevant field. The small particles in the fluid align and are attracted to each other resulting in a dramatic change in viscosity as shown in Figure 7. The effect takes milliseconds to occur and is com pletely reversible by the removal of the field. Figure 8 clearly shows the effect of a magnet on such an MR fluid. With ER fluids a field strength of up to 6kV/mm is needed and for MR fluids a magnetic field of less than 1Tesla is needed. Where are smart fluids used?Uses of these unusual materials in civil engineering, robotics and manufacturing Electrodes Suspension fluid Particle Figure 7 – Schematic diagram showing the structure of a electrorheological fluid between two electrodes. The top figure shows the structure in a low field strength where the particles are randomly distributed. When a higher field strength is applied, as in the bottom diagram, the particles align causing a change in the viscosity of the fluid. Figure 8 – A puddle of magnetorheological fluid stiffens in the presence of a magnetic field. courtesy of Sandy Hill / University of Rochester) are being explored. But the first industries to identify uses were the automotive and aerospace industries wh ere the fluids are used in vibration damping and variable torque transmission. MR dampers are used to control the suspension in cars to allow the feel of the ride to be varied. Dampers are also used in prosthetic limbs to allow the patient to adapt to various movements for example the change from running to walking. Future Scope: The future of smart materials and structures is wide open.The use of smart materials in a product and the type of smart structures that one can design are only limited by one’s talents, capabilities, and ability to ‘‘think outside the box. ’’ In an early work5 and as part of short courses there were discussions pertaining to future considerations. A lot of the brainstorming that resulted from these efforts is now being explored. Some ideas that were in the conceptual stage are now moving forward. Look at the advances in information and comforts provided through smart materials and structures in automobiles. Automobiles can b e taken to a garage for service and be hooked p to a diagnostic computer that tells the mechanic what is wrong with the car. Or a light on the dashboard signals ‘‘maintenance required. ’’ Would it not be better for the light to inform us as to the exact nature of the problem and the severity of it? This approach mimics a cartoon that appeared several years ago of an air mechanic near a plane in a hanger. The plane says ‘‘Ouch’’ and the mechanic says ‘‘Where do you hurt? ’’ One application of smart materials is the work mentioned earlier of piezoelectric inkjet printer that serves as a chemical delivery to print organic light-emitting polymers in a fine detail on various media.Why not take the same application to synthesize smaller molecules? With the right set one could synthesize smaller molecules in significant amounts for characterization and evaluation and in such a way that we could design experiments with relative ease. A new class of smart materials has appeared in the literature. This is the group of smart adhesives. We previously mentioned that PVDF film strips have been placed within an adhesive joint to monitor performance. Khongtong and Ferguson developed a smart adhesive at Lehigh University. 0 They suggested that this new adhesive could form an antifouling coating for boat hulls or for controlling cell adhesion in surgery. The stickiness of the new adhesive can be switched on and off with changes in temperature. The smart adhesive also becomes water repellent when its tackiness wanes. 50 The term ‘‘smart adhesive’’ is appearing more frequently in the literature. A topic of research that was in the literature a few years ago was ‘‘smart clothes’’ or ‘‘wearable computers’’ being studied at MIT. The potential of this concept is enormous. This sounds wonderful as long as we learn how to work smart er, not longer.CONCLUSION: From the abilities of the smart material to respond the environmental changes the conclusion arises that ‘‘smart’’ in the name do not meet the definition of being smart, that is, responding to the environment in a reversible manner. Due to their properties they must deserve a great future. REFERENCES [1]Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook: Materials and Mechanical Design, Volume 1, Third Edition. Edited by Myer Kutz. [2]www. memorymetals. co. uk [3] www. nitinol. com [4] www. sma-inc. com [5]www. cs. ualberta. ca/~database/MEMS/sma_mems/sma. html [6]http://virtualskies. arc. nasa. gov/research/youdecide/Shapememalloys. html