Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping

In Housekeeping (1980), Marilyn Robinson provides a sense of women and the space and the domestic constraints of society. The story crosses several generations of women and their lives in a single house in a town named Fingerbone. Ruthie is the main protagonist. She is a young woman who grew up in a household of women, beginning with her grandmother, then her great aunts, her aunt, and her only sister. But the house in which they were all trapped in one way or another was built by and for a man. He was a child of the plains who longed for the mountains, and the site of the house was his dream, not theirs. The isolation of the house physically paralleled the emotional isolation of all the characters. Indeed, the tone of the narration by Ruthie is emotionally flat. Despite the level of tragedy which is continually visited on the family, the language and the flavor of the conversation is highly unemotional and detached. From the perspective of showing an important characteristic of the narrator, her lack of emotion in general, it is rather a boring effect for the reader. It keeps the protagonist distanced from the very audience which should be sympathetic to her. The story is a simple downward progression. Ruthie and her sister Louise came to live in the house after first her grandfather died in a train wreck which pitched the train into a local lake, then her mother committed suicide after dropping the girls off with their grandmother. No reason for this action is given, nor do the characters seem to particularly care. Five years later, their grandmother, who had little emotional connection with the girls also died, leaving her two older sisters-in-law in charge. They equally had no idea what to do with young girls. The first intrusion on the blandness of life was the return of Sylvie, Ruthie's mother's sister who was itinerant and mysterious. Certainly the aunts did not approve of her. But she was a convenience, for when she came the aunts were free to go home and leave matters entirely in her hands. Sylvie is the first person in the novel to show any emotion, and she does show love toward the girls. Sylvie is the breath of fresh air in an otherwise stagnant world. But it quickly becomes apparent that she will probably not stay forever. Lucille is a child who is likely to stay put, but Ruthie responds to Sylvie's suppressed wanderlust. At last they have a source of information about their mother, about the larger world. Sylvie was the opposite of the oppressive atmosphere of the town and the house. Both closed in on a person, making them small. But Sylvie had broken away before, and neither the town nor the house had any real power over her. When spring came shortly after Sylvie's arrival, the town flooded, again cutting the three of them off from other human company and stranding them in the house. With this development, the girls find that they are becoming dependent on Sylvie and for the first time learn that they have something to fear in being separated from her by the state. As always, there is a sense of loss, of the fear of abandonment. The reaction by the local townspeople to the women revealed much of the character of the family and of themselves. Robinson describes them as standoffish, knowing hardly anyone in town. They were self sufficient to themselves, and the house was a symbol of this. It was built alone on a hill so that it did not suffer as the rest of the town did in times of flood. The townspeople came and made sure they were all right and then left to put the town back in order unaided by Ruthie, Sylvie and Lucille. The primary social contact for the girls was the school they attended. But even there, they were isolated. Because of some unpleasantness for Lucille in which she was accused of cheating, both girls played hookey for an extended period of time. It was while they were hiding out that they saw Sylvie try to walk across the narrow, dangerous railroad bridge that spanned the lake. This was the same bridge where the train derailment which killed their grandfather occurred. As a result, both girls were very fearful of the loss they faced if something happened to her. It is at this point that housekeeping comes into the plot. Sylvie talked a lot about it and even did some. But she was very eccentric about the meals she prepared and the cleaning that she did. Lucille was not content with Sylvie, but Ruthie was for Ruthie was a kindred spirit. Lucille began to turn her attention to the town and the more conventional life it held out. By summer, it was clear that Lucille's loyalties lay elsewhere. But for the summer they both stayed out of the house most of the time and hid in the woods. Lucille increasingly found things to dislike about Sylvie, especially her housekeeping which was erratic. She offended Lucille's sense of propriety. By implication, Ruthie lacked one for she and Sylvie seemed to be similar in tastes and goals, or rather lack of goals. Essentially, Sylvie was a transient in the settled world, and Lucille was one who would voluntarily stay put. With time, the girls began to separate, and there arose an us versus them mentality, with us being Ruthie and Sylvie. Lucille invented a mother who was a meticulous housekeeper and a traditional mother. Ruthie had no such illusions, nor did she care. With time, the house under Sylvie's management became increasingly more disheveled, and full of papers and other rubbish. Ruthie adapted and was comfortable with it, as was Sylvie, but Lucille moved out to pursue a more normal life. The climactic series of events which ended up tearing the family apart truly was Ruthie's joining Sylvie in an overnight jaunt which started with a stolen rowboat for a chance to look at the train submerged in the lake holding her grandfather's remains and the eventual ride back into town on a freight train. That set the ladies of the town to trying to see that Ruthie did not herself succumb to being a transient. Under the threat of having the state take Ruthie from Sylvie, both decided to flee together. They first tried to burn down the house, but it did not burn. They escaped by walking at night across the railroad bridge, and were subsequently presumed dead. For the rest of their lives they wandered from place to place, rootless. Ruthie took up the life that Sylvie led, and both drifted around, never seeing Lucille again. There is a great sense of loss and sadness in this book. There is little in the way of close human connection, sympathy, or love. Overall, it is both ghostly and depressing. However, its strength is in the perceptive description of people and places. Robinson is especially vivid with the sense of place, whether of the house or the place in Seattle where the girls lived with their mother before coming to Fingerbone. Her descriptions of people were clear portraits that told as much of their character as their appearance. What the book lacked emotionally was made up in the artistry of the language.

Physics Friction Lab

Friction Page 1 Lab: Friction William Morris Leo Hayes High School Friction Page 2 Purpose: To investigate the coefficient of friction for a given surface and the effects that factors such as weight, surface area and changes to the surface have on the coefficient of friction. Hypothesis: The smaller the amount of normal force (weight), the less friction created and the least surface area and the greaser the surface the less friction is created. With the increase in normal force corresponding with the increase in friction should balance out â€Å"mu†. Materials: Spring scale, string, 4 textbooks, PledgeProcedure: 1. Using a spring scale and some string we hooked through the pages of the text book to find the weight to find the weight of each text book we used and then recorded it. 2. We pulled the first text book across the table then estimated the amount of force we needed to apply to the scale attached to the text book to move it at a constant speed and then recorded our gues s. 3. Using the string and spring scale we pulled the text book across the table at a constant speed keeping the string parallel to the surface of the table and then recorded the data. . From this measured force below, we determined the frictional force that had acted upon the book as we pulled it across the table. 5. Then we pulled the book across the table once more at a different constant speed to ensure accurate friction readings. 6. From the weights of the text book we found earlier we determined the normal force acting on the text book as we pulled it across the table and then recorded it below. 7. We added the second text book, (B), to the first one and pulled them across the table again recording their force of friction. 8.We then repeated this procedure twice more adding a text book each time as recorded below. 9. We then pulled text book, A, on its spine across the table at a constant speed recording the force from the scale. 10. We pledged the table and rubbed it thorough ly with a cloth and then repeated only step 3 on this pledged surface and recorded the force required. Friction Page 3 Questions: 1. Compare the books weight with the force required to pull it horizontally at a constant speed. Which one is larger? In all cases the normal force is larger than the force of friction. 2.It always takes more force to start an object than to keep it moving at a constant speed. Why? Friction is caused by tiny scratches in the smoothness of a surface. The rougher a surface is, the rougher it feels. And the rougher a pair of surfaces are, the harder it is for them to slide past each other. The tiny rough edges grab hold of each other and lock the surfaces into place, so that it takes a great deal of force to make them move. That's the static friction you're trying to overcome. Once you get the surfaces moving the rough edges are already dislodged and as long as you don't stop, they won't have a chance to lock again.Therefore, it's easier to keep something mo ving once you've started than it would be to stop and start again. 3. Does it take more force to move an object at a higher constant speed than a slower constant speed? In our lab the force seemed to stay the same. This could have something to do with our sources of error. The lab did not reveal this. 4. The force of friction was found in part 3. Would it be more or less if you pulled the text book across: (a) Ice(b) Sand(c) Rough Concrete(d) Waxed Floor How is the force of friction affected by changing the surface from smooth to rough? a) Less friction (b) More friction (c) More friction (d) More friction A rough surface has more grooves to grab than a smooth surface therefore creating more friction. Friction Page 4 5. Does the force of friction depend on the speed of motion? In our lab it was impossible to figure this out due to our sources of error. 6. Write an equation showing the relationship between the force of friction and the normal force. Use this equation to calculate the coefficient of friction for each set of readings. 7. What are the units for â€Å"mu† , the coefficient of friction?There is no unit measurement for the coefficient of friction. 8. Plot a full page graph of the force of friction verse the normal force. See graph on following page for the force of friction verse the normal force. 9. Based on your graph what is the relationship between the coefficient of friction verse the normal force. The relationship between the coefficient of friction verse the normal force is such that the coefficient is the same because the increase in normal force corresponds with the then increase in friction creating the same â€Å"mu†. 10.How do the coefficients of friction compare for each of your five trials in the data table? Is this how they should be? With a smoother surface the friction is lowered therefore lowering â€Å"mu†. This is how it should be. Friction Page 5 Data/Results: Books| Normal Force| Friction|  µ| A| 10. 5 N| 2. 5 N| 0. 24| A + B| 20. 5 N| 5. 0 N| 0. 24| A + B + C| 31. 5 N| 7. 5 N| 0. 24| A + B + C + D| 42. 5 N| 10. 0 N| 0. 24| Book A on spine| 10. 5 N| 2. 0 N| 0. 20| Books A on Pledged Surface| 10. 5 N| 2. 0 N| 0. 20| Books| Normal Force (weight)| A| 10. 5 N| B| 10. 0 N|C| 11. 0 N| D| 11. 0 N| Discussion: There are several sources of error in this lab. One being the scales not being accurate and there is no way to fix this except to purchase new scales each time. Another could be the angle we are pulling the book from. There is no way for us to be exactly sure if this force is exactly parallel with the table. When finding our normal force we do not take into consideration the weight of the string and this cannot be fixed as our scales are not this precise. It is unknown if our hand was completely steady while finding our normal force.This could result in our normal force being inaccurate. There is no way to fix this as we are not robots. The same is true for finding the force of frictio n as we are not sure we are pulling the book(s) at the same constant speed. Conclusion: After the lab I found my hypothesis to be true in that the smaller the amount of normal force (weight), the less friction created and the least surface area and the greaser the surface the less friction was created. With the increase in normal force corresponding with the increase in friction it balanced out â€Å"mu†.

SLP 3 HRM - 402 Designing Training Programs Essay

SLP 3 HRM - 402 Designing Training Programs - Essay Example It must be noted that adult learners are rarely passive learners meaning that they tend to work very hard in and out of the classrooms. This is because most of them tend to fund their own studies and some are receiving support from their employers. Time is indeed a very important factors for the learners since they are trying to juggle among many things at the same time. In this case their interaction with the trainers should be very active so as to save on their time and resources. Adult learners have life skills and experiences that are reflected in their coursework and what they expect from their programs. These people have wide range of experiences that they wish to apply in the course of their study as well as questions that they wish to be answered appropriately. Furthermore, the courses must be relevant and timely for such a learner to find them valuable. Time constraints is another factor that need to be taken into consideration when designing training programs for adults. These are people who have to handle many things at the same time hence they do not have much time to spare as opposed to young learners. In many cases, those who design the training programs often mistakenly just factor in time constraint as work hours available during the design phase. This leads to work-around which include cases like holding classes or lectures afterhours or on weekends which does not go well with adult learners. As a result, one need to consider prioritizing the actual work that the adult learners are engaged in and then allocate time in a manner that will be favorable to all the learners (Akhila, et al, 2011). Employers need to provide incentives to employees so as to encourage them to take an active role in the training process. When new information needs to be learned or processes and understanding need revised, it is best to reinforce this learning and provide incentives as well. When someone gets to

In a world of increasing energy demand, decreasing fossil fuel Essay

In a world of increasing energy demand, decreasing fossil fuel supplies and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. What scientific, engineering and technological - Essay Example Many of these technologies and sources of energy have already experienced a significant amount of research and acceptance. The migration from fossil fuels will involve multiple sources, local generation, and a variety of new technologies to power the world into the 21st century. The energy crisis is not a national problem, but is a challenge facing every nation in the world. While eighty percent of the worlds energy needs comes from fossil based fuels, the technologies to sustain the current level of use, reduce the CO2 emissions, and develop cleaner coal are still in their infancy and may eventually prove to be impractical (Evans 2007, p.6). In addition, the existence of large concentrated oil supplies has created an unstable political situation that keeps the worlds supply of energy at risk. Nuclear generated electricity has received some renewed interest in recent years based on improved safety records, but the problem of the safe disposal of nuclear waste is yet to be solved. Our current transportation systems may require substantial modification to run on the fuels of the future. The challenge that faces the world is to move away from the current uses of oil and utilize locally generated energy based on local renewable resources. Solar energy is at the top of the list as an abundant source of sustainable energy. It is available almost everywhere in the world and can be harvested on a local level. Solar power can be used in its direct form as heat and light as well as easily converted to electricity through the use of photovoltaic cells. Solar energy requires relatively little advanced technology or engineering to harness its benefits. Though solar energy is widely distributed throughout the world, it is a low density energy and requires the collection of the suns rays over a large area to be efficient (Evans 2007, p.82). This makes the large scale production and centralized distribution of

Thomson one-business school edition-walt disny prospectus Essay

Thomson one-business school edition-walt disny prospectus - Essay Example To ensure business maturity the company has increased its diversification in a range of products apart from media. The 2008 Disney Walt Prospectus Plan In 2008 the company came up with a plan to its investors or shareholder. The main aim of this plan was to encourage investor confidence by providing long-term stock ownership among the current stock holders and new stock holders. This was through providing a plat form through which shares could be purchased and then re-invested. The administrators of this plan were the Disney Shareholder Services Department. Prior to this public offer the company acknowledged that there were some risks that the investors had to be prepared. In the prospectus, one was eligible if he/she had five common registered shares registered either in his name or in certificate. Suppose one had fewer than five shares registered in his name then he/she had to pay $250 as an initial investment. The minimum and the maximum amount to be invested was from $50 to $ 250 000 this included the initial investment (Craddock& Thomson Gale 2008). The 2008 to 2010 period at Walt Disney The company offered $ 94.00 million as debenture which was to mature after three years. Through the years this value has greatly reduced in terms of value of the debt that the company owed the public. From the information from the data given the 2008 the company had the biggest debt. This explains why the company went to the public borrowing through its prospectus plan. The 2008 prospectus plan was meant to help the Walt Disney Company from debt and bring it back to solvency. This was a bright and ambitious idea that the company had planned (Craddock& Thomson Gale 2008). The Debt to Capital, Comparison to Industry value at (2008- 0.32), (2009- 0.28), (2010- 0.25) , we can deduce the debt that Walt Disney proposed to public helped in a great deal the company to come back to solvency. The idea that comes to one mind is, did the investors who participated in this plan were th ey paid? This is logic because the more profitable a company becomes then the investors are expected to benefit automatically. This is because it means that the company automatically gains more so it should the same to its shareholders who are the owners of the company (Craddock& Thomson Gale 2008). The percentage of the sales price Disney nets after discounts and commissions increased during this period. The increase in discounts meant that the price was slightly lower than normal. This was done essentially to attract more people to come and invest in this ambitious plan. The increase of sales automatically meant that the company had accumulated a lot of capital from the prospectus plan. In any sale the decrease of the commodity price usually leads to more sales, this is because it increases the demand by the people to acquire the commodity as each every one has the power to purchase the commodity (Craddock& Thomson Gale 2008). The company was able to use the funds from the 2008 pr ospectus plan since the company`s debt over time has been decreasing exponentially bringing it back to solvency. The company was able to turn around and it diversified most of its operations, products and services. This shows in entirety that the funds that the investors put in the company were able to be put in good use. The company has now come to solvency though not fully

Hummer, BMW, and Corolla's Brand Personalities Coursework - 2

Hummer, BMW, and Corolla's Brand Personalities - Coursework Example Hummer has a rugged image but to enhance their sales, they decided to change the brand personality to attract the youth and the women. Corolla has a dull image but is keen to give up its conservative approach which projects nothing except dependability. BMW gives rise to feelings of sophistication and yearning and hence is preferred by the wealthy and those who seek importance. It is hence recommended that brand owners should first segment their target market and try to understand the needs of their segment. This would help them design the features as per their requirement and hence would be more appealing to the customers. At the same time, the same brand can appeal to more than one segment and this can be done by appealing to their self-concept.Products and services today are imbued with personality characteristics and are recognized through these characteristics both by the consumers and the marketers. Marketers are trying to project an image of the brand that matches the personal ity of the individual consumer. They try to use marketing material such as advertisements and phrases so that the brand has an emotional appeal to the consumer. This becomes necessary because to buy a product the consumer must have an awareness of the brand. The brand would catch the consumer’s attention if he finds some similarities with his own requirements and personality. This led to the concept of brand personality which has been described by Aaker as a specific mix of human traits that are attributed to a particular brand.   Within a sector, different products and marketers apply different strategies to attract the right customer. Each product has its own specifications and hence they target a particular segment. Thus, the personality of the brand that is projected to the target segment must have similar characteristics and emotional appeal. This paper evaluates how three different automobile manufacturers project their brands to attract the right segment to enhance t heir sales. Online academic journals and some useful websites have been used to study the concept of brand personality in the automobile sector.  

Injustices against Slaves in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Injustices against Slaves in America - Essay Example e ends her speech by saying â€Å"cried out with my mother’s grief† and one repetition of â€Å"ain’t I a woman.† This leaves her audience with a clear image of the violence she faced during slavery. The audience, especially women is able to relate to her suffering more emotionally. Irony is used in her opening remark where she calls her audience â€Å"children.† This refers to the biblical reference to all human beings as God’s children. This is in bid to campaign for equality for all races and gender. She also refers to the first woman in the bible by saying â€Å"if the first woman God ever made.† This calls for unity for all women despite of the race to unite and avoid injustices against blacks. Anaphora is used when he says welcome infidelity! Welcome atheism! Welcome anything! The repetition of the word ‘welcome’ in these phrases signifies the injustices that have been encouraged by religion. The law has gone against the religion it should protect. He finishes the speech with a climax by reciting a poem to give hope to the blacks in America. The poem encourages the slaves by saying that God will bring justice to the country. This justice will liberate them from oppression. Douglass uses sarcasm by referring to the declaration of independence as â€Å"that.† This shows the difference between the free white people and the oppressed black slaves. He uses irony when he refers to America as young. He says â€Å"your nation is so young, seventy six years.† The use of â€Å"your† in the statement shows the difference between the whites and the black slaves. He uses personification by saying â€Å"America is young, and she is still in the impressible stage of her existence.† This gives the country the personality of a woman. According to the declaration of independence... Douglass uses sarcasm by referring to the declaration of independence as â€Å"that.† This shows the difference between the free white people and the oppressed black slaves. He uses irony when he refers to America as young. He says â€Å"your nation is so young, seventy-six years.† The use of â€Å"your† in the statement shows the difference between the whites and the black slaves. He uses personification by saying â€Å"America is young, and she is still in the impressible stage of her existence.† This gives the country the personality of a woman. According to the declaration of independence, â€Å"all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights†. This is ironic since the whites in America had more rights than the blacks. He uses cacophony to refer to the British government for the injustices against the black people in America. He refers to them as blind tyrants that have persisted with injustices since pharaoh and his people drowned in the red sea. Personification is seen when he refers to Washington to live until he has broken the chains of his slaves. Washington had broken the frame of the founders by enslaving others. Rhetoric questions appear when he asks â€Å"what have I to do with your national independence?† he separates himself and other black slaves from the independence of America. According to him, only the whites can celebrate independence. The phrase â€Å"fellow-citizens† has been used in several paragraphs. This repetition refers to all Americans to push for equality for all races in the country.

Health profile assignment - Tonbridge Area Essay

Health profile assignment - Tonbridge Area - Essay Example Health promotions currently available throughout the United Kingdom and the world that address the health need will be identifies and discussed. Linking back to the health need, this health profile will make recommendations on the potential health promotion strategies that could possibly be implemented, which will discuss how this will be evaluated? The conclusion will briefly summarise the main point of the health profile and reflect on the process of health profiling. District: Tonbridge and Malling Locale, County: Kent, Region: South East England, Nation: England, Country United Kingdom. Tonbridge is a historic market town in Kent County located on the River Medway. It is four miles north of Tunbridge Wells, twelve miles from southwest of Maidstone and twenty miles from London. In 2003, eighty one were reported killed or severely injured in road accidents. The Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID2004), which are measures of deprivation for every Super Output Area (lower layer) and local authority area in England, indicates that Tonbridge and Malling ranked at 304 out of 354 local authorities in England, where one was the most deprived area and 354 the least deprived. This rank was derived from the average deprivation score of the Lower Layer Super Out Areas in the local authority. Between 1982 and 2002, the population of Tonbridge and Malling grew by 10%, compared with an increase of 11% for the South East region as a whole. The population density of Tonbridge and Malling in 2002 averaged 453 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 421 for the region and 380 people per square kilometre for England overall. The demographics of the population in Tonbridge reveal that the male population is, proportionally, larger than the female population in the under 65 age group. Normally, the numbers of males and females in this age group to be very similar;

Marketing Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Research Report - Essay Example Consumer awareness on healthy products have therefore changed perceptions and hence buyer behaviour. As a result, businesses have to change their strategies and offer consumers diet food products, as they are commonly known. Tesco PLC has been on a campaign to ensure that it supplies diet products on its shelves. However, as a marketing objective it is important to examine the customer feedback regarding their healthy food products. This study, therefore, examines the extent to which Tesco’s dietary food products have faired on in the market concerning approval ratings of the supermarket chain’s customers. Background The twenty first century business environment has been dynamic especially in the area of consumer behaviour and the availability of awareness information. The views of the general population have been changing with regards to issues of climate change, environmental sustainability and healthy living (Nielsen, Siega-Riz and Popkin, 2002). Consequently, attitu des result into concerted actions by individuals who are consumers in the various markets (Mattes, 2009). On the other hand, with globalization, competition has been rife among enterprises and therefore creating a shift to the issue of customer service performance excellence. In effect, any organization that is able to satisfy its customers through provision of quality products and services will continue to dominate markets. It is therefore important for supermarket chains like Tesco to constantly evaluate their quality objectives so that they are guaranteed of repeat purchases and attraction of new customers. Research has indicated that more households purchase behaviour on food products is dictated by the healthy nature of the products (Ottinger et al., 2003; Hartung and Rovida., 2009). This has raised the stakes for any organization that has been involved in the production and supply of food products. Research objectives To assess the perception of customers towards diet food pro ducts To examine the levels of customer satisfaction on Tesco’s diet food products To identify the demographic characteristics of customers favouring diet food products To predict the future trends in demand for diet food products in the United Kingdom To find out the desirable features in diet food products relative to alternative products Methodology The research will depend on a quantitative design for the investigation of the main variable. The use of quantitative techniques will therefore be employed to help attain the stated study objectives. The study will involve a number of data collection methods. This is to ensure that the studied phenomenon is closely investigated for a more reliable and accurate outcome. First will be the use of questionnaires as discussed in section 2. Secondly, the study will use observation method to closely examine the characteristics or features of the dietary food products and the information provided. Since purchase behaviour is also obser vable in the shelves, direct observation will appropriate. In addition, interviewing will be used in cases where further clarification may be required. The customers as well as retail managers will be investigated on the most popular diet products used currently. To be able to closely investigate the participants and get in depth opinion on the issue under study, the research will also use video recording, written notes or stenography. The instruments are for the purposes of obtaining clarity

Argue whether Jennie Livingston's Paris is Burning is primarily a film Essay

Argue whether Jennie Livingston's Paris is Burning is primarily a film about class, race or gender and why. Argue from two different perspectives - Essay Example The film extensively features the groupings and team formations of the members of the ball culture, with such social formations being the basis of the contestants’ protection strength. Thus, the film features a shift from the ballrooms contesting activities to interviews with the major participants in the contests, to clearly paint the picture of the LGBT community in New York, and summarize the theme of gender, sexuality and social classes as informing the ball culture (Leila and Verta, 44). Further, the themes of racism, homophobia and poverty also features in the film, to complement the experiences of the LGBT community encountered from interacting with the larger heterosexual community. Therefore, this discussion seeks to analyze the major themes exploited in Jennie Livingstons ‘Paris is Burning’, with a view to argue from two different perspectives. The first perspective of the discussion will hold that ‘Paris is Burning’ is primarily a film abou t gender; while the second perspective will argue that ‘Paris is Burning’ is primarily a film about race. Jennie Livingstons ‘Paris is Burning’ is primarily a film about gender, considering that it features the male gender that consistently tries to embrace the female gender’s culture, behavior and mannerisms, predominantly with the black and Latino men being featured in their gay context in New York (Rafferty, n.p.). In the film, the Black and the Latino gay men are involved in a series of competitions, and in them, they have devised cross-gender dressing and fashion style, which they then complement with the founding of the voguing dance style (Dean, 22). The film is primarily a portrayal of the Black and Latino gay men imitating the female poses, dance style, fashion dressing and walking style, which forms part of the gay mannerisms. In this respect, the film is a representation of the

Macbeth Act 3 Scene 5 Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Act 3 Scene 5 Essay This scene takes place in a deserted area where there is thunder which also parallels with act 1 scene 1 where the witches meet each other with thunder and lightning. The scene establishes the mood of darkness and violence and also creates suspense and eerie atmosphere due to the presence of witches. It begins with Hecates monolog where she disapproved the witches for meddling with Macbeths future; this passage foreshadows the appearance of the witches to Macbeth along with his downfall. Her anger is shown at the opening of the scene with the use of three rhetorical questions. In the first rhetoric question, Hecate criticizes the witches in a deeming way. In the second rhetoric question the alliteration trade and traffic emphasizes her upset tone and in the third rhetoric question she asserts her superiority over the witches mistress of your charms, the close contriver of all harms. Through the metaphor, wayward son Hecate gives clues that Macbeth attempted to defy the witches prophecy by trying to destroy Banquos line. It also shows his self-centered ambition, and he is called a wayward son because he is not a genuine devotee of witchcraft and only aims to the profit by it. The lines by Hecate give a clear hint that Macbeths reliance on the witches is misplaced and that he is doomed. After rebuking the witches for the past errors Hecate commands them to make amends of their folly action. Hecate gives out a feeling of betrayal through the use of her language. She uses rhetorical questions, rhyming couplet, and enjambment which disguises her underline message. Hecate also asks the witches to help her manipulate Macbeths emotions and plans to create illusions which will lure Macbeth into a false sense of security. Hecates speech is ironical when she says that the witches tempted Macbeth by saying riddles when they actually prophesied to Macbeth. Euphemism is used in the terms glory of art and great business to refer to the witches plan of destroying Macbeth. The great business also refers to the major illusion that they are going to destroy Macbeth. Imagery is used in the scene were a vivid description of the scheme of the witches plan is described there hangs a vaprous drop profound; Ill catch it ere it come to ground; Hecate intends to lead Macbeth to his doom and distraction by magic spells which will conjure up powerful apparitions that will be able to lead Macbeth to his ultimate doom. As a result Macbeth will defy fate and death and will ignore all warnings of wisdom and fear of consequences security is mortals chiefest enemy, Hecate says that overconfidence is the greatest enemy of man as by depriving of his own wisdom and making him complacent, it sends him to the path of ruin and destruction. These captivating lines encapsulates the fascinating rituals of which craft.

Black Lives Matter Movement and Afrofuturism Comparison

Black Lives Matter Movement and Afrofuturism Comparison A comparison of the Black Lives Matter movement and Afrofuturism is the undertaking herein and follows. It is extremely relevant in terms of one of the constant ethno struggles persisting in society, nay, the world today.  Looking at it in those terms, the subject matter would be relevant any day, and, as Afrofuturism claims, it will remain relevant well into the future. Afrofuturism While the term Afrofuturism is credited to Mark Dery, a cyberculture theorist, attempting to explain the Black culture with internet culture (McNally 2).  Afrofuturism is the mechanism that creates and then portrays endless possibilities to the traditionally oppressed to rise above lifes challenges.  It is a mode through which imbalances are balances and unfairness turned fair, wrong transformed to right, etc.  Remember, the current mindset is that Blacks are not equal; schools are still segregated; whites are especially favored; and the future for Blacks is bleak.  Afrofuturism takes that situation and inserts into a futuristic setting the underlying theme is science fiction.  While the setting is similar to the strife and downtrodden status of Blacks, it reconstructs the expected ending from a continued life of suppression to superhero status and overcoming the odds (McNally 3).  Derys mindset is evident given the question proposed that Afrofuturism attempts to answer:   Can a community whose past has been deliberately rubbed out, and whose energies have subsequently been consumed by the search for legible traces of its history, imagine possible futures? (3). Dery further posits that in order to overcome the obliterated past, a hopeful future must be presented.  The challenge here is how to present a past that does not exist, for all practical purposes.  Thus, when history is depicted in Afrofuturistic conveyances, they are mythical in nature.  Afrofuturism is a dynamic rather than static definition which, at its bare bones, marries technology with storytelling with black.  Although, one definition includes a footnote to the effect that Afrofuturism is blind to color, race, gender, etc.  It is more a tool with which to reconcile the past with an anticipated future (Priforce). Another definition of Afrofuturism is proposed in the spirit of sociology.  That is, Afrofuturism is literary style which puts Black experiences in the central premise which is demonstrated through fantasy and science fiction (Huddleston 2). Still another definition suggests that, while the foundation of Afrofuturism is science fiction, it is science fiction written by Africans or Afrodiasporic which may be in the form of art, literature, music and scholarship (Yaszek 1).  Ã‚  The diasporic nature of the thing promises diversity within a diverse group.  The art is premised on a varied conglomeration of Blacks sprinkled around the world through no choice of theirs, but such that there is a spattering of absorbed cultures, but, unfortunately, providing the same results. Backpedaling for just a moment, another definition is in order that of diaspora.  Diaspora is Greek for to scatter.  Used in this context it means a similarly-region-specific population that has been disbursed across different areas but still have active ties based on the similar origins (What Is A Diaspora? | Idea).  So, African diaspora is that of people from Africa living in other parts of the world.  During the transatlantic slave trades, millions of Blacks were relocated throughout the U.S.  and the Caribbean (African Diaspora Cultures | Oldways) Yaszek considers Afrofuturism from the perspective of the author, artist or professor.  To that end, the main purpose of the telling of the story is, well, to tell a good story science fiction, or not.  The two next best reasons are somewhat political.  First, and as mentioned above, Afrofuturism is a vehicle with which lost history may be recovered, and, then, hopefully, understood.  Next, it also provides a forum within which hope is inspired for the future (2).  This, in a way, is an attempt to circumvent what may be described as foreshadowing or self-fulfilled prophecy in that the Black story is one of doom and gloom past and present.  And, since the future will be the present and the present will be the past, transforming the future (since there really is not anything that can be done in the present) in a positive light (or a powerful one) suggests that not only can history be changed but it challenges the norm. So, it is not surprising that the roots (no pun intended) of Afrofuturism commenced in the 1880s, alongside science fiction as a genre, with the writings of Charles Chestnutt, Susan Griggs and Edward Johnson.  All of whom authored books illustrating the Black plight, issues of slavery, creating a better world, and a society promulgated on Black knowledge and industry (Yaszek 4).  As the genre progressed to and through the 20th century, the separate-but-equal-paradigm wove its threads through the world of science fiction.  Black authors published in Black magazines and white in white.  It is worth mentioning because the distinction was not as the result of the actions of white people but due to the preferences of Black authors.  The reasoning should be unimportant, but for the sake of accuracy the claim is that the white magazines were almost too far-fetched and the Black stories were meant to be taken more seriously as story-telling rather than just science fiction entertai nment.  The afterthought is the perception that the white magazines included racially-motivated storylines. Returning to the underlying premise, that of a promising future and the potential of Blacks to use science to conquer battles and survive disasters, it is during the 1960s the white-washed science fiction intersected with Afrofuturism (Yaszek 7).  Obviously, the timing coincides with the crest of the civil rights movement.  In addition, it was a time when science fiction authors wanted to premise their work on societal relevant issues as well as scientifically modeled. The themes during this time period portrayed hope and a successful integration of two different societies which was reflected in films such as Bloodchild.  Other films were cautious and warned about history repeating itself with films such as The Spacetraders and Zulu Heart, both speculating that either Blacks will be deported from earth, chained together on a ship, or a role reversal such that while it is a replay historically it is the Blacks enslaving the whites.  Neither of which provides a positive takeaway. From 1980 to and through today, global Afrofuturism takes the definition a bit farther, technologically speaking.  This is a society of Afrofuturistics connected via internet from around the world.  The stories are still founded in the future based on the past lost; however, there is a worldwide collaboration such that the resulting stories mix histories, settings, and other region-specific attributes (Yaszek 9). This is probably the most appropriate place to introduce the Black Lives Matter campaign.  It is within this movement where the image of superhero takes on a less science fiction form and demonstrates how technology and black can make things happen, and, yes, possibly change the future. It has been only since 2013 that Alicia Garza posted the note to Facebook after the dismissal of charges against a white man for shooting a black 17 year old assuring others that our (black) lives matter.  It was the tipping point at which time Garza and others decided to change the world (not to sound too dramatic) (Day). This may sound like the atypical rally, protest or bandwagon.  Certainly, and unfortunately, the issue is the same as it has been repeated historically year after year after year.  However, the approach in this century is very different.  There is no single leader.  In movements past, male, black men such as Martin Luther King or Malcolm X played a major role in gaining interest and participation.  This time, they are all leaders.  Further, this movement is not racist it includes lesbians, women, gay, transgenders and bisexuals.  Rather than depending on media or word of mouth on the street to spread the word or organize rallies, Twitter offers a forum upon which news of black injustice may be circulated and Facebook supports the assimilation of rallies.  Photos, the ultimate purveyor of effective messaging, are shared via Tumblr and distributed on Instagram.  Events that had previously gone unnoticed or unknown were now on home pages and cell phones all over the w orld, potentially.  The audio associated with the gasping of the victim of a chokehold inflicted by law enforcement went viral (Day).  YouTube footage of a 14-year-old girl victimized by excessive force by police officers got over 500,000 views.  This is pretty strong, effective campaigning.  But, more importantly, it is real-time awareness.  It is what might change the future.  And, its technologically based.  Science fiction or This is where Black Lives Matter and Afrofuturism intersect.  The common thread is technology and the common goal is to change the future.  Black Lives Matter offers the here-and-now aspect of how Black Lives Matter which has always been missing from the story.  Instead, those stories unfold in history books or in movies long after the fact for obvious reasons.  Certainly, these types of things are not new.  What is new is realizing how broken society is and that the culture has to change. The next common thread is the skill with which these groups utilize technology, social networks and artistic media to work together towards a common goal.  The potential to complement each other is tremendous. If Black lives do not count or matter, it is very much like slavery.  People who were believed to be valueless and therefore mistreated in that vein.  The most important common thread between Black Lives Matter and Afrofuturism is the goal to dissuade racism and white supremacy.  And, to further, contradict those that, while not admitting it out loud, believe that Black people have no soul so it is okay to rape them, hang them, murder them, emasculate them, and torture them.  It was okay to do all of those things because they were thought of as being soulless and of no essential or true value beyond what monetary price they could bring. Another myth that in the past has been difficult to dispel and may have a better chance to dissipating is that of the belier that racism is no longer a factor, especially in the United States because a black President was elected.  People may think that this signals a quasi-release from any further responsibility for injustice in our society based on racism.  The fact is that while we have a black, there are many ways Obama and his family were disrespected further making the case for racism.  Even a perfunctory review of history demonstrates that no other President has been disrespected or disregarded like President Obama. The coalition of Black Lives Matter broadens the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state, society and other individuals. To an extent, Black lives are deprived of basic human rights and dignity. Black poverty should be considered as violence or an assault. So, too, are 2.8 million Black people that are incarcerated the victims of a violent, oppressive condition.  Black Lives Matter brings those circumstances to the forefront and makes them relevant. Forgetting for the moment contributions made by Black people that are sometimes overlooked.  Society would have been deprived of a president.  Daniel Louis Armstrongs jazz and scat would never have been heard.  George Washington Carver would have never improved agriculture or invented adhesives and dyes.  Charles R. Drew would never have come up with the idea of blood banks and a system for preserving plasma long term.  W.E.B. Dubois would not have written Charlottes Web. Chicago may not have been founded if not for Jean-Baptiste-Point Du Sable.  William Henry Johnsons art would be nonexistent.  Martin Luther King, Jr., would be silent.  Contributions to the law and Supreme Court cases by Thurgood Marshall would be mute.  Elijah McCoy could not have improved the rail system or coined the phrase, The real Mccoy, meaning the best of the best.  Traffic signals and gas masks would go uninvented without Garrett Morgan.  If Rosa Parks did not get on the bus, this conv ersation may not be heard.  Mind blowing! Society can only make an educated guess on the number of contributions it missed because racism held back a talented black person or the contributions that the Black person killed by law enforcement may have contributed in his life.  Based on the black people that managed to break the bonds of racism to exhibit their talents, assumedly, society has missed out on millions of inventions, novels, songs, professionals, politicals, etc.  It is something that will never be known as there is no way to know which one of the black men sitting in prison may have invented the cure for leukemia.  This, for all intents and purposes, is part of the movement of Black Lives Matter and Afrofuturism.  A posit to realize the potential from within and without of the Black community.  A reminder that Black Lives Matter does not exist solely on the Black but on other oppressed groups such that it is the true belief that the most profound worth of the black man is that of every man that walks the earth.  Every single human being has potential.  The potential to contribute to the community, whether that community is diasporic or not; the potential to contribute to their own wellbeing and promotion whether in the name of culture, gender, ethnicity or sexual preference; and, the potential to matter. Just think for a moment of the results of forces joined between Afrofuturistics and Black Lives Matter members!  One would have the opportunity to exposure to Black history outside the white wash.  The other could contribute to changing the future by interacting with the real-time, present.  Or, science fiction creations could promulgate the future stories with real facts assimilated without any white washing.  Afrofuturism recovers the histories of counter futures created by hostile societies disapproving the diaspora that is Black.  Regardless Afrofuturistic individuals strive to redefine, translate, rework, restructure and then relate the future without the white-washed lens and based on what should have happened historically such that it could be repeated in the future (Eshun 301). The possibilities are limitless and that returns to the current definition of global Afrofuturism which contends that in this reframing (Science Fiction) of history and policy, those who are systematically oppressed are capable of transcending their less-than-desirable situation.  Nothing not even the sky is limiting.  (McNally 2). Works Cited African Diaspora Cultures | Oldways. Oldways. N.p., 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Day, Elizabeth. #Blacklivesmatter: The Birth Of A New Civil Rights Movement. the Guardian. N.p., 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Eshun, Kodwo. Further Considerations Of Afrofuturism. CR: The New Centennial Review 3.2 (2003): 287-302. Web. Huddleston, Kayla. Afrofuturism As Applied To Self-Perception: An Experimental Vignette. University of Washington (2016): n. pag. Print. McNally, Cayla. Fighting For The Freedom Of A Future Age: Afrofuturism And The Posthuman Body. Lehigh Preserve (2017): n. pag. Print. Priforce, Kalimah. Is Technologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  -à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  A #Blacklivesmatter Superpower? Recognizing #Afrofuturism. Medium. N.p., 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. What Is A Diaspora? | Idea. Diasporaalliance.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Yaszek, Lisa. Race In Science Fiction: The Case Of Afrofuturism. A virtual introduction to science fiction 1 (2013): 1-11. Print.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: An Overview

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: An Overview Pancreatic cancer often goes undetected until its advanced and difficult to treat. In the vast majority of cases, symptoms only develop after pancreatic cancer has grown and begun to spread. Because more than 95% of pancreatic cancer is the adenocarcinoma type, well describe those symptoms first, followed by symptoms of rare forms of pancreatic cancer. Recommended Related to Pancreatic Cancer Understanding Pancreatic Cancer the Basics The pancreas is an organ located behind your stomach next to the top of the small intestine. It is about six inches long but is less than 2 inches wide and functions as two separate organs. It has two big manufacturing jobs in the body: It makes digestive juices that help the intestines break down food. It produces hormones including insulin that regulate the bodys use of sugars and starches. The pancreas is divided into three sections: the head, the body, and the tail. The Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: Location Matters Initially, pancreatic cancer tends to be silent and painless as it grows. By the time its large enough to cause symptoms, pancreatic cancer has generally grown outside the pancreas. At this point, symptoms depend on the cancers location within the pancreas: Pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas tends to cause symptoms such as weight loss, jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine, light stool color, itching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, back pain, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. Pancreatic cancer in the body or tail of the pancreas usually causes belly and/or back pain and weight loss. In general, symptoms appear earlier from cancers in the head of the pancreas, compared to those in the body and tail. Pancreatic Cancer: Gastrointestinal Symptoms Because pancreatic cancer grows around important areas of the digestive system, gastrointestinal symptoms often predominate: Abdominal pain. More than 80% of people with pancreatic cancer eventually experience some abdominal pain as the tumor grows. Pancreatic cancer can cause a dull ache in the upper abdomen radiating to the back. The pain may come and go. Bloating. Some people with pancreatic cancer have a sense of early fullness with meals (satiety) or an uncomfortable swelling in the abdomen. Nausea Diarrhea Pale-colored stools. If the duct draining bile into the intestine is blocked by pancreatic cancer, the stools may lose their brown color and become pale or clay-colored. Urine may become darker. Pancreatic Cancer: Constitutional (Whole-Body) Symptoms As it grows and spreads, pancreatic cancer affects the whole body. Constitutional symptoms can include: Weight loss Malaise Loss of appetite Elevated blood sugars. Some people with pancreatic cancer develop diabetes as the cancer impairs the pancreas ability to produce insulin. (However, the vast majority of people with a new diagnosis of diabetes do not have pancreatic cancer.) Pancreatic Cancer: Skin Symptoms Jaundice: As pancreatic cancer blocks the duct that releases bile into the intestine (common bile duct), the ingredients of bile build up in the blood. This turns the skin and the eyes yellow, a condition called jaundice. The same blockage causes dark urine and light-colored stools. Itching: People with pancreatic cancer sometimes report itching all over. Blockage of the bile ducts is often responsible. Symptoms of Rare Pancreatic Cancers Islet cell tumors, also called neuroendocrine tumors, arise from the cells in the pancreas that make hormones. Islet cell tumors account for only 1.5% of all pancreas tumors. Like pancreatic adenocarcinoma, islet cell tumors may cause abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. Hormones released by an islet cell tumor can also cause symptoms: Insulinomas (excess insulin): sweating, anxiety, lightheadedness, and fainting from low blood sugar. Glucagonomas (excess glucagon): diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, weight loss. Gastrinomas (excess gastrin): abdominal pain, nonhealing stomach ulcers, reflux, weight loss. Somatostatinomas (excess somatostatin): diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, foul-smelling fatty stools. VIPomas (excess vasoactive intestinal peptide): abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea, facial flushing. Pancreatic Cancers Sneaky Symptoms In a very small number of people with pancreatic cancer, early symptoms might be present that could lead to an earlier diagnosis. Unfortunately, researchers have been unable to identify any predictable pattern. One study that surveyed 305 people with pancreatic cancer illustrated the challenge: About 4% reported having a sudden disgust for preferred tastes (like coffee, smoking, or wine) that preceded other symptoms by more than six months. 5% of people had loss of appetite, a feeling of early fullness with meals, or profound weakness, more than six months before more obvious symptoms developed. 1% of people had attacks of acute pancreatitis more than six months before their diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. The rarity and vagueness of these situations points out the difficulty of using early symptoms to catch pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage. That said, symptoms like weight loss, persistent loss of appetite, yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, or light-colored stools should always prompt concern. Consistent or worsening discomfort, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea are also disconcerting. If you feel somethings not right, see your doctor. MedicineNet, 2013 What are the symptoms and signs of pancreatic cancer? Because the pancreas lies deep in the belly in front of the spine, pancreatic cancer often grows silently for months before it is discovered. Early symptoms can be absent or quite subtle. More easily identifiable symptoms develop once the tumor grows large enough to press on other nearby structures such as nerves (which causes pain), the intestines (which affects appetite and causes nausea along with weight loss), or the bile ducts (which causes jaundice or a yellowing of the skin and can cause loss of appetite and itching). Symptoms in women rarely differ from those in men. Once the tumor sheds cancer cells into the blood and lymph systems and metastasizes, more symptoms usually arise depending on the location of the metastasis. Frequent sites of metastasis for pancreatic cancer include the liver, the lymph nodes, and the lining of the abdomen (called the peritoneum). Unfortunately, most pancreatic cancers are found after the cancer has grown beyond the pancreas or has metastasized to other places. 2013 Pancreatic Cancer UK Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms are diagnostic tools that help doctors to work out what is wrong with someone and make a diagnosis. Symptoms are the things that you are experiencing, e.g. pain or loss of appetite that you will tell your doctor about. Signs are what the doctor can see when they examine someone, e.g. someone wincing when they touch a painful area. Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer doesnt usually give rise to any symptoms or signs in the early stages. This is the main reason it can be so difficult to detect and diagnose. As the cancer grows the symptoms it causes will depend on the type of pancreatic cancerand where it is in the pancreas. Any symptoms people do have can be quite vague and may come and go at first. An example is abdominal pain, which may start off as occasional discomfort before becoming more painful and more frequent. The symptoms can also be a sign of other more common, less serious illnesses. This means that people may end up seeing their GP several times or being sent for a number of different testsbefore pancreatic cancer is even considered. It is important to remember that any of the symptoms described here are common for lots of illnesses and may not be a sign of pancreatic cancer. But if you have persistent unexplained symptoms its important for your GP to refer you for tests to explore what is causing them. It can help to note down the frequency of your symptoms and mention anything unusual you are experiencing, even if it seems unrelated. If your symptoms get worse or you develop any new symptoms suddenly you should always get in touch with your GP. Most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer Most pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumours (90%). Their symptoms can be very vague and depend on whether the tumour is in the head, body or tail of the pancreas. à ¯Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¿Abdominal pain Pain is a symptom in about 70% of pancreatic cancer cases. It often starts as general discomfort or pain in the abdomen (tummy) which can spread to the back. It can be worse after eating or when you are lying down. Sitting forward can sometimes relieve the pain. At first the pain may come and go, but over time it may become more constant. If any of the organs (pancreas, liver or gall bladder) in your abdomen are inflamed or enlarged the area may also be tender to touch. Pain is caused by the cancer affecting nerves or organs near the pancreas. It can also be a result of a tumour causing a blockage in the stomach or duodenum (top part of the small intestines). Jaundice Jaundice occurs in about 50% of pancreatic cancer cases. Its an illness where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. Other signs of jaundice include dark urine, pale stools and itchy skin. Jaundice develops when there is a build-up in the blood of a chemical called bilirubin. This chemical is always present in the blood. It usually gets removed from the body in the bile fluid produced by the liver which empties into the small intestines through the bile duct. Cancer growing in the pancreas can block the bile duct so that bile and bilirubin keep building up in the body. This is known as obstructive jaundice. Jaundice can be caused by other non-cancerous conditions, such as a gallstone blocking the bile duct, so its important for all the obvious causes to be explored. Weight loss Losing a lot of weight for no particular reason can be a sign that something is wrong. People may also notice a loss of appetite or changes in what they feel like eating. Pancreatic cancer can affect the ability of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes that help to digest food. This means that the body cant digest food properly or get the nutrients it needs, leading to weight loss. Weight loss is more common with cancers in the head of the pancreas. Other common symptoms of pancreatic cancer These symptoms are also common, though not everyone will have every symptom. People may have these symptoms before a diagnosis, develop them later on, or perhaps not get them at all. Bowel problems A condition called steatorrhoea (stools that are large, pale, oily, floating and smelly) is a common symptom of diseases of the pancreas. It happens because the cancer affects the production of the enzymes needed to digest food, particularly high fat food. Undigested food passing quickly through the body can also cause diarrhoea and subsequent weight loss. Nausea and vomiting Nausea (feeling sick) and sickness can occur for several different reasons. A tumour can block the bile duct or press on the duodenum, which obstructs digestion. It may also cause inflammation around it in the pancreas, or jaundice. Both of these can lead to a chemical imbalance in the body which can make people feel sick. Fever and shivering If the pancreas is inflamed or the ducts are blocked because of the tumour, this can cause a high temperature and shivering. Diabetes Diabetes can develop if a tumour stops the pancreas from functioning properly. This is because the pancreas produces the hormone insulin which the body needs to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. People with diabetes often feel extremely thirsty, pass more urine than normal, lose weight and feel weak and lacking in energy. Diabetes is particularly associated with pancreatic cancer in older people. If someone develops late onset diabetes with no other explanation their GP should consider the possibility of pancreatic cancer. Symptoms of endocrine pancreatic tumours Less than 5% of all pancreatic cancers are endocrine tumours, which develop in the hormone producing cells of the pancreas. They are divided into functioning and non-functioning tumours, depending on whether or not they overproduce hormones and cause a chemical syndrome. Most endocrine tumours do not produce a clinical syndrome (non-functioning) so they do not cause specific symptoms. As they grow or spread they may cause pain, jaundice or a lump that can be felt in the abdomen. Some endocrine tumours overproduce hormones and cause a clinical syndrome (functioning). These give rise to different symptoms depending on the type of tumour and the hormone it produces. Gastrinomas overproduce gastrin, which causes peptic ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. Symptoms include severe pain, black tarry stools and diarrhoea. Glucagonomas overproduce glucagon. Symptoms include a specific type of skin rash (redness, ulceration and scabbing), anaemia (lack of red blood cells), weight loss and inflammation inside the cheeks and lips. Insulinomas overproduce insulin, leading to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels). Symptoms may include weakness, drowsiness, dizziness or lack of energy. Somatostatinomasoverproduce somatostatin, which causes gall stones, diabetes, diarrhoea and steatorrhoea. VIPomas overproduce a hormone called vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Symptoms include watery diarrhoea, high blood pressure and flushing of the face. 2009, Nick James and the late Sally Tweddle Pancreatic cancer symptoms This page has information on the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. You can find the following information A quick guide to whats on this page Early symptoms Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer Symptoms from endocrine pancreatic tumours More information Open box A quick guide to whats on this page Pancreatic cancer symptoms The most common type of cancer of the pancreas are exocrine tumours. The symptoms can be quite vague. And they vary depending on where the cancer is in your pancreas in the head, body or tail. Early symptoms can include weight loss, pain in the stomach area, back pain and jaundice. More than half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their doctor. Jaundice without pain is the most common reason for first going to the doctor in patients who have pancreatic cancer that can be removed with surgery. Symptoms of jaundice can include yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, severe itching, darkened urine, and pale coloured stools (bowel motions). Other symptoms There are other symptoms that you can have with cancer of the pancreas. These include diabetes, itching, sickness, change in bowel motions, fever and shivering. There is an uncommon group of pancreatic tumours called neuroendocrine tumours. About a third of these produce hormones. The symptoms are different for each type, depending on the hormone the tumour makes. You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the about pancreatic cancer section. Back to top Early symptoms The commonest types of cancer of the pancreas are exocrine tumours. The symptoms can be quite vague. And they vary depending on where the cancer is in your pancreas in the head, body or tail. Early symptoms can include Weight loss Pain in the stomach area Jaundice More early symptoms Weight loss People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may have recently lost a lot of weight (at least 10% of their total body weight) for no apparent reason. This symptom is more common in cancers of the head of the pancreas. Pain in the stomach area About 7 out of 10 people with pancreatic cancer first go to their doctors because they have pain. Pain is more common in cancers of the body and tail of the pancreas. People describe it as a dull pain that feels as if it is boring into you. It can begin in the stomach area and spread around to the back. The pain is worse when you lie down and is better if you sit forward. It can be worse after meals. Your abdomen may also be generally tender or painful if your liver, pancreas or gallbladder are inflamed or enlarged. Jaundice More than half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their doctors. Jaundice is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. The urine is darker than normal and bowel motions may be lighter in colour. Jaundice is more common with cancer of the head of the pancreas because the tumour blocks the bile duct. This tube carries bile into the duodenum. If it is blocked the bile ends up in your bloodstream instead. Bile contains a lot of yellow pigments so it turns the skin yellow. Jaundice is a common symptom of many liver and gallbladder diseases. It is often easier to spot in the whites of the eyes rather than the skin. More early symptoms Other early symptoms might include loss of appetite and back pain. Back to top Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer There are other symptoms that you can have with cancer of the pancreas. You may have any of these symptoms from before you are diagnosed. Or you may develop them later. Of course, you may not have all of them. Not everyone has every symptom. But these non specific symptoms are common in pancreatic cancer. You may have Diabetes Itching Sickness Bowel changes Fever and shivering Diabetes Some people diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas are found to be newly diabetic. Some have been diagnosed with diabetes within the previous year. If you have diabetes you are not producing enough insulin. So there is too much sugar in your blood. The sugar is passed out of the body in the urine and takes a great deal of water with it. This causes Thirst Passing a lot of urine Weakness Weight loss and hunger Itching You may have itching if you have bad jaundice. The bile salts in the bloodstream cause itching in the skin. Sickness You may feel or be sick because you have jaundice or an inflamed pancreas. Both these conditions upset the delicate chemical balance of the body, which can make you sick. You may also be sick if the cancer, or inflammation around it, is beginning to block the duodenum. This will stop digested food from passing through to the small bowel. Bowel changes Again, if you have jaundice you may develop a symptom called steatorrhoea. This means fatty stools. You may pass frequent, large bowel motions that are pale coloured and smelly. These bowel disturbances can mean that you are not absorbing your food properly. So this may be a cause of weight loss. Fever and shivering You may have a temperature from time to time because you have jaundice or an inflamed pancreas. When your temperature is high you may feel cold and shivery. Back to top Symptoms from endocrine pancreatic tumours Endocrine pancreatic tumours are uncommon. They are also called neuroendocrine tumours. About a third of these pancreatic tumours produce hormones (functional tumours). The symptoms are different for each type, depending on the hormone the tumour produces. They are Insulinoma Gastrinoma Somatostatinoma VIPoma Glucagonoma Insulinomas Insulinomas produce too much insulin, causing weakness, loss of energy, dizziness and drowsiness. Gastrinomas Gastrinomas produce too much gastrin, causing peptic ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. This leads to severe pain, bleeding causing black tarry stools (faeces), and diarrhoea. Somatostatinomas Somatostatinomas produce too much of a hormone called somatostatin. This causes gallstones, diabetes and diarrhoea with bulky fatty and smelly stools (steatorrhoea). VIPomas VIPomas produce too much of a hormone called VIP. This causes a great deal of watery diarrhoea, flushing of the face, and high blood pressure. Glucagonomas Glucagonomas produce too much of a hormone called glucagon. This causes a very specific type of skin rash (redness, ulceration and scabbing), anaemia, mouth ulcers and diarrhoea. About two thirds of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours do not produce hormones and so do not cause specific symptoms. As these tumours get larger or spread they may cause symptoms such as pain, a lump in the abdomen or jaundice. The average general health article on pancreatic cancer states flatly that there are no early symptoms of pancreatic cancer. People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are typically already in the advanced stage of the disease by the time its caught, and the typical prognosis is death within five years. With pancreatic cancer much on everyones mind due to the untimely death of Steve Jobs, it seems like a good time to ask the question thats on all of our minds:Are there any early warning signs of pancreatic cancer? The answer is yes, there are. But to understand these signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, its important to understand where the pancreas is, and what it does. Located deep inside the abdomen, the pancreas is only 4 to 6 inches long and shaped like a tadpole. In the tail of the pancreas are cells that produce insulin, and tumors at this end are usually endocrine tumors. Theyre easier to diagnose, but are much rarer. At the other end, the head of the pancreas, are cells that produce digestive enzymes, and tumors at this end are called exocrine tumors. These are by far the most common, and are much more difficult to detect. However, the idea that a pancreatic tumor is asymptomatic is a bit of a myth. Dig deep into journal articles and ask patients what they remember and the result is a long list of odd signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to watch out for. Taken one by one, these symptoms could mean many things. But if you find yourself experiencing two or three of these early warning signs of pancreatic cancer, call your doctor and ask for a scan. Imaging techniques such as MRIs can detect pancreatic cancer some of the time, depending on the location of the tumor. Early Warning Signs of Pancreatic Cancer Diabetes, especially if it comes on suddenly. Recently, the Mayo Clinic published startling research showing that 40 percent of pancreatic cancer patients had been diagnosed with diabetes one to two years before discovering they had a pancreatic tumor. Researchers believe the diabetes is caused by tumors that simply havent been detected yet. The problem is, diabetes is very common, and the majority of diabetes isnt pancreatic cancer, so doctors are trying to develop screening tools to tell the difference. Right now, they say family history is an important clue. If youre diagnosed with diabetes that seems to come on suddenly and you have no family history of diabetes, bring this to your doctors attention and ask for further screening for pancreatic cancer. Yellowing of the eyes or skin. Even a small pancreatic tumor can block the bile duct in the head of the pancreas, causing bile to build up. This causes jaundice. Itchy skin, palms, and soles of feet. A little-known side-effect of jaundice is itchy hands and feet. Its due to a skin reaction to the bilirubin, the yellowish brown liver chemical that causes jaundice. Lack of appetite. An Italian study found that six to eight months before being diagnosed with pancreatic tumors, patients reported a sudden drop in their appetite and a tendency to feel full after eating very little. Changes in taste. In the same Italian study, some of the patients surveyed said theyd suddenly lost their taste for coffee, wine, and smoking. In fact, they said, they felt disgust for the smell and taste of coffee and alcohol. Abdominal pain. Pancreatic cancer sufferers remember this pain as a gnawing pain, rather than a sharp cramp or ache, and it radiates toward the back. A characteristic clue: the pain goes away when you lean forward. An enlarged gall bladder. The same blockage of the bile duct that causes jaundice can also cause an enlarged gallbladder, as the bile builds up behind the duct. The good news is that an enlarged gallbladder can be seen on imaging tests, and it may even be possible for a doctor to feel it during a physical exam. Pale, floating, smelly stools. If a pancreatic tumor prevents digestive enzymes from reaching the intestine, the result is an inability to digest fatty foods. So you end up with loose, smelly floaters as a result of the excess fat. Doctors say this symptom, in particular, can be an early clue and is too often overlooked. Dark, tarry stools. Bleeding in the upper intestines causes this symptom. Sudden, unexplained weight loss. Weight loss is not always, as many people mistakenly believe, a sign of advanced cancer thats spread to the liver. It can also happen because a lack of pancreatic enzymes is causing fat to pass through the body undigested. What do you do if youre worried about any of these symptoms? Document all symptoms, and report them to your doctor in as much detail as possible. If your doctor is convinced you have legitimate concerns (and remember, you may have to do some convincing) tests such as an ultrasound, a CT scan, and an endoscopy followed by a biopsy can be used to search for a pancreatic tumor. Theres also a blood test for a biomarker called CA-19-9 that can be used in conjunction with other tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer early. While tragic early deaths like Steve Jobs are the hard reality of pancreatic cancer, there are also people living productive lives thanks to an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Such was the case with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whos still practicing after having a tiny pancreatic tumor surgically removed. Yes, she got lucky, as she put it but she also got a CT scan, which is how the tumor was found. Further Reading: Islet Cell Tumors (Endocrine Pancreas) Treatment (PDQ ®) Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation for Diabetes-Topic Overview Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation for Diabetes-Related Information Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor Islet Cell Carcinoma (Endocrine Pancreas) Islet Cell Carcinoma (Endocrine Pancreas) Islet Cell Carcinoma (Endocrine Pancreas) See All Islet Cell Tumors Topics

Flowers for Algernon :: Free Essay Writer

Flowers for Algernon "Hurting Charlie" When was the last time you wanted something so much, you would sacrifice your life to have it; even if just for a moment? Charlie Gordon, a 37 year old man with a learning disability, did just that. In the story "Flowers for Algernon", by Daniel Keyes, Charlie gets a chance to alter his I.Q. substantially through operation. The only drawback to this is, the long-term outcomes of the operation are unknown. The operation does succeed, but later Charlie is sent on a riveting downward spiral into the life he tried to run away from. The operation hurt Charlie in every imaginable way; and did nothing to help him. Is it not better to do your best than to be the best? Charlie Gordon was a motivated man who always put forth as much effort as he could! He struggled for independence and freedom in a world he desperately wanted to be a part of. A statement such as, "Im gonna try awful hard" is often heard spoken by Charlie. Everybody notices how hard Charlie tries to be what he considers normal. Dr. Strauss described Charlie best when he said, "But most people of his low mentality are hostile and uncooperative. They are usually dull, apathetic, and hard to reach. He has a good nature. He’s interested and eager to please". If a person is doing the best they can for the circumstances, isn’t that the best? Why should a person feel pressured to be what he isn’t capable of being? After the operation, Charlie first doesn’t even want to try, then can’t remember what it means to try, and finally, doesn’t have hope enough to try. His statement changes from, "Im gonn a try awful hard" to, "maybe its just easier not to do what I say Im going to do"! the thought to try his best never even occurs. He lost one of his most valuable qualities due to his need to conform. If a man does not know of hurt and suffering, he should not have to know. Before Charlie knew the truth of his life and was able to look back on it, he didn’t know of some horrible feelings. He never had to feel ugly, unwanted, alone, and most of all, ashamed. After finding out how all of the men he thought were his friends only used him for free laughs, Charlie feels so humiliated.

Hipparcos Mira Variable Stars :: Astronomy Stars Space Essays

Hipparcos Mira Variable Stars ABSTRACT From the visual and infrared light curves we are trying to find the phase changes and correlate them to Infrared shift and magutdes to see what is happing to Mira type stars as they age. Most of the radiation in the star is in the Infrared. The method being used O-C and fitting mean light curves. All mira variables pulsate undergoing rapid mass loss. In the conclusion we show that the magnitude has a positive correlation with the phase shift. I.Introduction Studies of Mira variables are of considerable importance in stellar astrophysics because they are pulsating stars undergoing rapid mass loss. During one cycle, which typically lasts from 200-500 days, these stars undergo significant changes in their observable properties. At some point in their lives, many if not most stars go through an unstable phase that leads to pulsation. They are evolving through the tip of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) in the H-R diagram and are affected by two significant processes. In the interior, helium shell flashes cause large excursions in their luminosity’s and period on a timesscale of ten of thousands of years. In the outer layers, pulsation-enhanced mass loss, which reduces their envelope masses and drives their evolution to the white dwarf. The atmospheres of Mira variables are very deep and there effective diameters change markedly with wavelength because of the opacity effects. The massive winds of Miras are believed to be driven by a combination of dust formation and shocks induced by stellar pulsation. (Willson). Understanding the nature of shocks and measuring their properties is essential to understanding the physics of pulsation and mass loss from pulsating stars. This paper presents an analysis of visible and IR (JHKL) data for 2 Long Period Variables (LPV). The four pulsating variables chosen are classified as Miras. All Miras stars are Long period variables that exhibit a very large change in visible light because they are cool (less than or equal to 3000K), and so most of their radiation lies in the infrared. We are studying the Mira stars instead the irregular stars because to understand any star you must first start with the simplest model then expand upon that, Mira are relatively well-behaved long period variable. II. Data Search For this study we required stars that had already been studied intensively, so that both IR data and visual data were available for many cycles.

The Novel Deliverance as a Prophecy of Man :: James Dickey Deliverance Essays

The Novel Deliverance as a Prophecy of Man A true survivor can only depend on himself. The novel Deliverance is a story about four characters each with different views on surviving. Every man in the world can relate to one of the three secondary characters in the novel Deliverance. Men can relate to Lewis Medlock for his primitive views, Drew for his rationality, or Bobby for his lack of ability to survive. Many people say that Lewis is the man that most men want to be like, Drew is the man that most men are like, and Bobby is the man that most men fear becoming. Lewis is the man most men want to be because he does not depend on anyone or anything. He loves a challenge and will do anything he can to live life to its fullest extent. Ed Gentry, the central character, represents all in the way he looks up to Lewis and strives to be like him. Most men fall into the same category as Drew because their ability to survive has been clouded by rational thoughts. Then there is Bobby. Most men do not want to be linked with Bobby be cause he can not live without help from civilization. Even though these characters posses many of the same traits, their main differences are in their ability to survive life. They also have different views on life. Lewis sees life as a game that you must constantly challenge if you are to survive. Drew sees life as a struggle that should never be challenged. Then there is Bobby who sees life as something he does not have to worry about because their will always be someone their to help him through it. All three of these characters possess traits that can be identified in every man. First there is Lewis, a middle aged man that is at the prime of his life, and fears nothing. He is the strongest character in the book. He is, "†¦ a physical-conditioning perfectionist with misplaces survival-of-the-fittest instincts and cave-man yearnings"(Warren). Lewis is the man that most men want to be like because he needs no one to survive but himself. He constantly demonstrates a primitive l ife-style that no longer exists. The primitive life-style he demonstrates is one of survival. Lewis is an attractive character for males because of his need for no one. He needs no one to life his life for him.

Frankensteins Cat Essay

In China, the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, a new industry is taking shape: the mass production of mutant mice. Peek into the 45,000 mouse cages at Shanghai’s Fudan University and you’ll see a growing collection of misfits. By randomly disabling the rodents’ genes, the scientists here are churning out hundreds of odd animals, assembly-line style. They have created mice studded with skin tumors and mice that grow tusks. There’s a mouse with male-pattern baldness, hair everywhere save for a lonely bare spot on its head. Some of the mice have strange behavioral quirks—they endlessly bury marbles, for instance, or make only left turns. One strain ages at warp speed. Another can’t feel pain. While some of the rodents have obvious abnormalities, others reveal their secrets over time. One variety appears normal on the outside, with thick white fur and healthy pink ears and noses. But the animals are klutzes. They are clumsy and spectacularly uncoordinated. They fail miserably when researchers put them through their paces at a special rodent boot camp. In one test, the mice are tasked with standing on top of a rotating rod for as long as they can manage, the rodent equivalent of a logrolling challenge. It’s not an easy undertaking, but normal mice eventually find their footing. The mutant mice never do. They also have trouble balancing on a narrow wooden beam and keeping their grip when suspended, upside down, from a wire screen. And they have strange gaits—taking abnormally wide steps and holding their tails at odd angles, curved up toward the ceiling, instead of letting them simply drag along the floor behind them, as mice usually do. Even stranger, perhaps, are the Lonely Hearts Club mice. The males of this strain look like regular rodents, but the females consistently refuse to mate with them. The poor guys, lacking some certain je ne sais quoi, simply have no sex appeal, and they are rejected time and time again. These mice are just a small sample of the more than 500 different kinds of mutants the Fudan team has created. Ultimately, the researchers hope to create 100,000 strains of modified mice, each eccentric in its own way. It would be enough to fill a carnival sideshow thousands of times over. * * * As long as we’re dreaming up animal sideshows, we needn’t stop with peculiar mice. Science has given us a whole new toolbox for tinkering with life, and we have the power to modify animals in profound new ways. We are editing their genetic codes, rebuilding their broken bodies, and supplementing their natural senses. Headlines frequently herald the birth of strange new creatures: Bionic beetles! Glowing cats! Spider goats! Roborats! The breakthroughs are simultaneously astounding and puzzling. What are these creatures exactly? What do they look like? Who’s creating them, and why? And are these animals really so novel? Indeed, we have a long history of refashioning animal bodies. Take the varied members of the species Canis lupus familiaris—the modern dog—which are products of millennia of life with humans and bear little resemblance to their ancestors, gray wolves. Exactly how this dog domestication began is a subject of intense debate. Some scientists suggest that we deliberately set out to acquire canine companions, adopting wild wolf pups. Others hypothesize that hungry wolves, attracted to the bones, trash, and scraps produced by early humans, approached our camps on their own terms, and that our tolerance of the least threatening interlopers gave rise to future generations of human-friendly canines. Either way, as wolves became part of human society, moving from cold ground to warm hearth, they lost many of the traits they needed to survive in the wild. Their bodies and heads shrank, their faces and jaws grew more compact, and their teeth decreased in size. As our relationship with canines developed, we began to breed them more carefully, molding dogs that excelled at specific tasks. We created the bulky, barrel-chested mastiff to guard our homes, and the dachshund, a wiggly salami of a dog, to shimmy into badger burrows. The diversity among modern dogs is so astounding that the thirty thousand dogs that strut their canine stuff at Crufts, the largest dog show in the world, don’t even look like members of the same species. One year, the â€Å"Best in Show† contenders included King, a hound with a deer’s build, all legs and lean muscle, and Ricky, a tiny black-and-white fluff ball who could stand easily underneath King’s smooth brown belly. They shared the ring with Donny—a standard poodle whose shaved gray haunches were set off by a thick white mane—and Cruella, an Old English sheepdog whose long, shaggy hair obscured all but the black dot that presumably served as her nose. Today, thanks to us, dogs are the most physically diverse species on Earth. We’ve reshaped other species, too, turning scrawny chickens into plump broiler birds and bristlyhaired wild sheep into producers of soft wool. The list goes on and on. We learned to breed animals that suited our every need, creating hunters, herders, guardians, food sources, and companions. Over the course of generations, the members of many species diverged from their wild ancestors and took their place in a human world. But selective breeding was a blunt instrument, one that required us to transform animals using educated guesswork, breeding desirable hounds together, over and over again, until a puppy we liked squirmed into the world. It took thousands of years to turn wolves into dogs. Now we can create novel organisms in years, months, even days. Today, the tools of molecular biology allow us to target one specific gene, to instantly turn it on or off, to silence or amplify its effects. For instance, the researchers at Fudan University are creating their stunning array of strange mice simply by knocking out a single gene at a time. To do so, they’re relying on a special genetic tool called a transposon or a â€Å"jumping gene,† a segment of DNA capable of hopping around the genome. When the scientists inject a transposon into a mouse embryo, this foreign piece of DNA inserts itself into a random place in the rodent’s genome, disabling whatever gene it finds there. But the real beauty of the system is that when this mouse grows up and mates, the transposon jumps to a different location in the genome of its pups, sabotaging a new gene. With each mating, researchers have no idea where the transposon will end up, what gene it will disrupt, or what the ultimate effects will be. It’s like throwing darts at a genetic dartboard. Blindfolded. Only when the pups are born, and start exhibiting various abnormalities, do the scientists learn what part of the genome has gone haywire. The approach is allowing the researchers to create cages upon cages of novel mutants, simply by playing matchmaker between their amorous rodents. In some cases, the scientists are making furry freaks faster than they can figure out what’s wrong with them. We can also recombine genes in ways that nature never would—just consider a very curious cat skulking about New Orleans. With downy orange fur and a soft pink nose, the feline looks like your average tabby. But flick on a black light, and the cat becomes Mr. Green Genes, his nose turning from soft pink to electric lime, due to a bit of jellyfish DNA tucked into each of his cells. The insides of his ears and the whites of his eyes glow brightly, his face emerging from the dark like a modern-day Cheshire cat. (His son, Kermit, also glows green. ) Meanwhile, nearly two thousand miles away, a barn in Logan, Utah, is home to a strange herd of goats. Thanks to a pair of genes borrowed from a spider, each female goat produces milk that’s chockfull of silk proteins. When the milk is processed in the lab, scientists can extract the spider proteins and spin them into silk. Genetics isn’t the only field providing us with the power to reengineer other species. Advances in electronics and computing make it possible to merge animal bodies with machines, to use tiny electrodes to hijack a rat’s brain and guide the rodent, like a remote-controlled toy, through a complicated obstacle course. Breakthroughs in materials science and veterinary surgery are helping us build bionic limbs for injured animals, and we can train monkeys to control robotic arms with their thoughts. Today, our grandest science fiction fantasies are becoming reality. * * * Some of us may find our growing control over living, breathing beings to be unsettling. After all, biotechnology is the stuff of dystopian nightmares, and many an apocalyptic scenario has been constructed around crazy chimeras or world-conquering cyborgs. Ethicists and activists worry about whether we should be altering other species when we can’t possibly get their consent. Some say that manipulating the planet’s wild things—whether we’re inserting genes or electrodes—is profoundly unnatural, causes animal suffering, and turns other life-forms into commodities. Critics worry that our effort to remake the world’s fauna is the worst example of human hubris, the expression of an arrogant desire to play God. It’s true that remaking other species according to our own wants and needs doesn’t necessarily put animal welfare first. Selective breeding hasn’t always turned out well for animals—we’ve saddled dog breeds with all sorts of hereditary diseases and created turkeys with such gigantic breasts that they can barely walk. And of course, biotechnology gives us new ways to do damage. The Fudan University scientists have created mouse embryos with defects so severe that they die in the womb. Some of their mutant mice are prone to tumors, or kidney disease, or neurological problems. One strain, unable to absorb nutrients from food, essentially starves to death. In fact, a whole industry has sprung up to sell diseased lab animals to scientists, with numerous biotech companies hawking their unique creations. In October 2011, many of these companies converged on St. Pete Beach, Florida, for an international meeting of scientists who work with genetically modified organisms. Representatives from various biotech firms held court from booths ringing a hotel ballroom, advertising animals that had been engineered to suffer from all sorts of medical afflictions. One company was selling pigs with cystic fibrosis and cancer; a brochure from another outlined eleven available strains of rodents, from the NSE-p25 mouse, designed to display Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, to the 11BHSD2 mouse, which has a tendency to drop dead of heart failure. (And just in case nothing there caught your fancy, one company’s poster promised, â€Å"You design the experiment, we’ll design the mice. †) These companies aren’t making sickly animals purely to be cruel, of course; studying these creatures yields valuable insight into human disease. That’s good news for us, but little consolation for a tumor-riddled rodent. If there is peril here, there is also great promise. Biotechnology could do more for animals than it’s given credit for. Sure, we can make animals sick, but we can also choose to deploy our speciesshaping powers to help other species survive and thrive, to create healthier, happier, fitter critters, and some scientists are doing just that. With the sophisticated techniques at our fingertips, we may even be able to undo some of the damage we’ve done to other species, alleviating genetic disorders in dogs, for instance, or bringing wild animal populations back from the brink of extinction. Some forwardthinking philosophers are dreaming of more extreme interventions, such as boosting the brainpower of apes, and using genetic modification and electronic enhancement to help animals transcend the limits of their own bodies. Right now all the options are open. Though biotechnology’s strange new creatures are being created in the world’s labs, they don’t tend to stay there very long, and there are already cutting-edge animals living in fields, homes, and nature preserves across America. Before long, we may all be able to shop for animals the same way that scientists in Florida shopped for carefully engineered mice. Imagine a future in which we can each pick out the perfect animal from a catalogue of endless options. We could create something for everyone. Avid nighttime reader? How about your own Mr. Green Genes so you can stay up late, reading by the light of the cat? For the twelve-year-old who has everything, skip the toy cars and planes at Christmas and wrap up a remote-controlled rodent. Equestrians could order up a foal with the same genes as the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby, while sprinters could get themselves a golden retriever whose artificial carbon-fiber legs would allow it to run as fast as a greyhound. The tools of biotechnology are becoming increasingly accessible to the public; future generations of animal lovers may be able to design their own creatures without fancy lab equipment or advanced scientific training. * * * In the pages that follow, we’ll go on a journey from petri dish to pet store, seeking out the revolutionary breeds of beasts that are taking their places in the world. We’ll venture from the rocky shores of California to the dusty fields of Texas, from the canine clones that live in Korean labs to the pets that sleep in our homes. We’ll delve into genes and brains, into work that seems frivolous and projects that are anything but. We’ll meet an engineer who is turning beetles into stunt planes and a biologist who believes cloning just might save endangered species. And, of course, we’ll come to know the animals themselves—from Jonathan, a sad sack of a seal with hundreds of online friends, to Artemis, a potentially life-saving goat whose descendants could one day take over Brazil. Along the way, we’ll puzzle through some larger questions. We’ll probe how our contemporary scientific techniques are different from what’s come before and whether they represent a fundamental change in our relationship with other species. We’ll consider the relationship we have with animals and the one we’d like to have. Most of us care deeply about some form of animal life, whether it’s the cat or dog curled up on the couch—60 percent of Americans share their homes with pets of one species or another—the chickens laying our eggs, or some exotic predator fighting to survive as its habitat disappears. Now that we can sculpt life into an endless parade of forms, what we choose to create reveals what it is we want from other species—and what we want for them. But even if you feel no special affection for the creatures with whom we share this planet, our reinvention of animals matters for us, too. It provides a peek into our own future, at the ways we may start to enhance and alter ourselves. Most of all, our grand experiments reveal how entangled the lives of human and nonhuman animals have become, how intertwined our fates are. Enterprising scientists, entrepreneurs, and philosophers are dreaming up all sorts of projects that could alter the course of our collective future. So what does biotechnology really mean for the world’s wild things? And what do our brave new beasts say about us? Our search for answers begins with a tank of glowing fish. 1. Go Fish To an aspiring animal owner, Petco presents an embarrassment of riches. Here, in the basement of a New York City store—where the air carries the sharp tang of hay and the dull musk of rodent dander —is a squeaking, squealing, almost endless menagerie of potential pets. There are the spindly-legged lizards scuttling across their sand-filled tanks; the preening cockatiels, a spray of golden feathers atop their heads; and, of course, the cages of pink-nosed white mice training for a wheel-running marathon. There are chinchillas and canaries, dwarf hamsters, tree frogs, bearded dragons, red-footed tortoises, red-bellied parrots, and African fat-tailed geckoes. But one of these animals is not like the others. The discerning pet owner in search of something new and different merely has to head to the aquatic display and keep walking past the speckled koi and fantail bettas, the crowds of goldfish and minnows. And there they are, cruising around a small tank hidden beneath the stairs: inch-long candy-colored fish in shades of cherry, lime, and tangerine. Technically, they are zebrafish ( Danio rerio), which are native to South Asian lakes and rivers and usually covered with black and white stripes. But these swimmers are adulterated with a smidgen of something extra. The Starfire Red fish contain a dash of DNA from the sea anemone; the Electric Green, Sunburst Orange, Cosmic Blue, and Galactic Purple strains all have a nip of sea coral. These borrowed genes turn the zebrafish fluorescent, so under black or blue lights they glow. These are GloFish, America’s first genetically engineered pets. Though we’ve meddled with many species through selective breeding, these fish mark the beginning of a new era, one in which we have the power to directly manipulate the biological codes of our animal friends. Our new molecular techniques change the game. They allow us to modify species quickly, rather than over the course of generations; doctor a single gene instead of worrying about the whole animal; and create beings that would never exist in nature, mixing and matching DNA from multiple species into one great living mash-up. We have long desired creature companions tailored to our exact specifications. Science is finally making that precision possible. * * * Though our ancestors knew enough about heredity to breed better working animals, our ability to tinker with genes directly is relatively new. After all, it wasn’t until 1944 that scientists identified DNA as the molecule of biological inheritance, and 1953 that Watson and Crick deduced DNA’s double helical structure. Further experiments through the ’50s and ’60s revealed how genes work inside a cell. For all its seeming mystery, DNA has a straightforward job: It tells the body to make proteins. A strand of DNA is composed of individual units called nucleotides, strung together like pearls on a necklace. There are four distinct types of nucleotides, each containing a different chemical base. Technically, the bases are called adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, but they usually go by their initials: A, T, C, and G. What we call a â€Å"gene† is merely a long sequence of these As, Ts, Cs, and Gs. The order in which these letters appear tells the body which proteins to make—and where and when to make them. Change some of the letters and you can alter protein manufacturing and the ultimate characteristics of an organism. Once we cracked the genetic code, it wasn’t long before we figured out how to manipulate it. In the 1970s, scientists set out to determine whether it was possible to transfer genes from one species into another. They isolated small stretches of DNA from Staphylococcus—the bacteria that cause staph infections—and the African clawed frog. Then they inserted these bits of biological code into E. coli. The staph and frog genes were fully functional in their new cellular homes, making E. coli the world’s first genetically engineered organism. Mice were up next, and in the early 1980s, two labs reported that they’d created rodents carrying genes from viruses and rabbits. Animals such as these mice, which contain a foreign piece of DNA in their genomes, are known as transgenic, and the added genetic sequence is called a transgene. Encouraged and inspired by these successes, scientists started moving DNA all around the animal kingdom, swapping genes among all sorts of swimming, slithering, and scurrying creatures. Researchers embarking on these experiments had multiple goals in mind. For starters, they simply wanted to see what was possible. How far could they push these genetic exchanges? What could they do with these bits and pieces of DNA? There was also immense potential for basic research; taking a gene from one animal and putting it into another could help researchers learn more about how it worked and the role it played in development or disease. Finally, there were promising commercial applications, an opportunity to engineer animals whose bodies produced highly desired proteins or creatures with economically valuable traits. (In one early project, for instance, researchers set out to make a leaner, faster-growing pig. ) Along the way, geneticists developed some neat tricks, including figuring out how to engineer animals that glowed. They knew that some species, such as the crystal jellyfish, had evolved this talent on their own. One moment, the jellyfish is an unremarkable transparent blob; the next it’s a neon-green orb floating in a dark sea. The secret to this light show is a compound called green fluorescent protein (GFP), naturally produced by the jellyfish, which takes in blue light and reemits it in a kiwi-colored hue. Hit the jelly with a beam of blue light, and a ring of green dots will suddenly appear around its bell-shaped body, not unlike a string of Christmas lights wrapped around a tree. When scientists discovered GFP, they began to wonder what would happen if they took this jellyfish gene and popped it into another animal. Researchers isolated and copied the jellyfish’s GFP gene in the lab in the 1990s, and then the real fun began. When they transferred the gene into roundworms, rats, and rabbits, these animals also started producing the protein, and if you blasted them with blue light, they also gave off a green glow. For that reason alone, GFP became a valuable tool for geneticists. Researchers testing a new method of genetic modification can practice with GFP, splicing the gene into an organism’s genome. If the animal lights up, it’s obvious that the procedure worked. GFP can also be coupled with another gene, allowing scientists to determine whether the gene in question is active. (A green glow means the paired gene is on. ) Scientists discovered other potential uses, too. Zhiyuan Gong, a biologist at the National University of Singapore, wanted to use GFP to turn fish into living pollution detectors, swimming canaries in underwater coal mines. He hoped to create transgenic fish that would blink on and off in the presence of toxins, turning bright green when they were swimming in contaminated water. The first step was simply to make fish that glowed. His team accomplished that feat in 1999 with the help of a common genetic procedure called microinjection. Using a tiny needle, he squirted the GFP gene directly into some zebrafish embryos. In some of the embryos, this foreign bit of biological code managed to sneak into the genome, and the fish gave off that telltale green light. In subsequent research, the biologists also made strains in red—thanks to a fluorescent protein from a relative of the sea anemone—and yellow, and experimented with adding these proteins in combination. One of their published papers showcases a neon rainbow of fish that would do Crayola proud. * To Richard Crockett, the co-founder of the company that sells GloFish, such creatures have more than mere scientific value—they have an obvious aesthetic beauty. Crockett vividly remembers learning about GFP in a biology class. He was captivated by an image of brain cells glowing green and red, thanks to the addition of the genes for GFP and a red fluorescent protein. Crockett was a premed student, but he was also an entrepreneur. In 1998, at the age of twenty-one, he and a childhood friend, Alan Blake, launched an online education company. By 2000, the company had become a casualty of the dot-com crash. As the two young men cast about for new business ideas, Crockett thought back to the luminescent brain cells and put a proposal to Blake: What if they brought the beauty of fluorescence genes to the public by selling glowing, genetically modified fish? At first, Blake, who had no background in science, thought his friend was joking. But when he discovered that Gong and other scientists were already fiddling with fish, he realized that the idea wasn’t far-fetched at all. Blake and Crockett wouldn’t even need to invent a new organism—they’d just need to take the shimmering schools of transgenic fish out of the lab and into our home tanks. The pair founded Yorktown Technologies to do just that, and Blake took the lead during the firm’s early years, setting up shop in Austin, Texas. He licensed the rights to produce the fish from Gong’s lab and hired two commercial fish farms to breed the pets. (Since the animals pass their fluorescence genes on to their offspring, all Blake needed to create an entire line of neon pets was a few starter adults. ) He and his partner dubbed them GloFish, though the animals aren’t technically glow-in-thedark—at least, not the same way that a set of solar system stickers in a child’s bedroom might be. Those stickers, and most other glow-in-the-dark toys, work through a scientific property known as phosphorescence. They absorb and store light, reemitting it gradually over time, as a soft glow that’s visible when you turn out all the lights. GloFish, on the other hand, are fluorescent, which means that they absorb light from the environment and beam it back out into the world immediately. The fish appear to glow in a dark room if they’re under a blue or black light, but they can’t store light for later —turn the artificial light off, and the fish stop shining. Blake was optimistic about their prospects. As he explains, â€Å"The ornamental fish industry is about new and different and exciting varieties of fish. † And if new, different, and exciting is what you’re after, what more could you ask for than an animal engineered to glow electric red, orange, green, blue, or purple thanks to a dab of foreign DNA? Pets are products, after all, subject to the same marketplace forces as toys or clothes. Whether it’s a puppy or a pair of heels, we’re constantly searching for the next big thing. Consider the recent enthusiasm for â€Å"teacup pigs†Ã¢â‚¬â€tiny swine cute enough to make you swear off pork chops forever. Harold Herzog, a psychologist at Western Carolina University who specializes in human-animal interactions, has studied the way our taste in animals changes over time. When Herzog consulted the registry of the American Kennel Club, he found that dog breed choices fade in and out of fashion the same way that baby names do. One minute, everyone is buying Irish setters, naming their daughters Heather, and listening to â€Å"Bennie and the Jets†Ã¢â‚¬â€welcome to 1974! —and then it’s on to the next great trend. Herzog discovered that between 1946 and 2003, eight breeds—Afghan hounds, chow chows, Dalmatians, Dobermans, Great Danes, Old English sheepdogs, rottweilers, and Irish setters—went through particularly pronounced boom and bust cycles. Registrations for these canines would skyrocket, and then, as soon as they reached a certain threshold of popularity, people would begin searching for the next fur-covered fad. Herzog identified a modern manifestation of our long-standing interest in new and unusual animals. In antiquity, explorers hunted for far-flung exotic species, which royal households often imported and displayed. Even the humble goldfish began as a luxury for the privileged classes. Native to Central and East Asia, the wild fish are usually covered in silvery gray scales. But ancient Chinese mariners had noticed the occasional yellow or orange variant wriggling in the water. Rich and powerful Chinese families collected these mutants in private ponds, and by the thirteenth century, fish keepers were breeding these dazzlers together. Goldfish domestication was born, and the once-peculiar golden fish gradually spread to the homes of less-fortunate Chinese families—and households elsewhere in Asia, Europe, and beyond. As goldfish grew in popularity, breeders stepped up their game, creating ever more unusual varieties. Using artificial selection, they created goldfish with freakish and fantastical features, and the world’s aquariums now contain the fantail, the veiltail, the butterfly tail, the lionhead, the goosehead, the golden helmet, the golden saddle, the bubble eye, the telescope eye, the seven stars, the stork’s pearl, the pearlscale, the black moor, the panda moor, the celestial, and the comet goldfish, among others. This explosion of types was driven by the desire for the exotic and exquisite—urges that we can now satisfy with genetically modified pets. We can also use genetic engineering to create animals that appeal to our aesthetic sensibilities, such as our preference for brightly colored creatures. For instance, a 2007 study revealed that we prefer penguin species that have a splash of yellow or red on their bodies to those that are simply black and white. We’ve bred canaries, which are naturally a dull yellow, to exhibit fifty different color patterns. And before GloFish were even a neon glint in Blake’s eye, pet stores were selling â€Å"painted† fish that had been injected with simple fluorescent dyes. With fluorescence genes, we can make a true rainbow of bright and beautiful pets. * Engineered pets also fit right into our era of personalization. We can have perfume, granola, and Nikes customized to our individual specifications—why not design our own pets? Consider the recent rise of designer dogs, which began with the Labradoodle, a cross between a Labrador retriever and a standard poodle. Though there’s no telling when the first Lab found himself fancying the wellgroomed poodle down the street, most accounts trace the origin of the modern Labradoodle to Wally Conron, the breeding director of the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia. In the 1980s, Conron heard from a blind woman in Hawaii, who wanted a guide dog that wouldn’t aggravate her husband’s allergies. Conron’s solution was to breed a Lab, a traditional seeing-eye dog, with a poodle, which has hypoallergenic hair. Other breeders followed Conron’s lead, arranging their own mixed-breed marriages. The dogs were advertised as providing families with the best of both worlds—the playful eagerness of a Lab with the smarts and hypoallergenic coat of the poodle. The rest, as they say, is history. The streets are now chock-full of newfangled canine concoctions: puggles (a pug-beagle cross), dorgis (dachshund plus corgi), and cockapoos (a cocker spaniel–miniature poodle mix). There’s even a mini Labradoodle for doodle lovers without lots of space. Tweaking the genomes of our companions allows us to create a pet that fulfills virtually any desire —some practical, some decidedly not. When I set out to get a dog, I thought I had settled on the Cavalier King Charles spaniel: small, soft, and bred for companionship. Then I discovered a breeder who was crossing Cavaliers with miniature poodles, yielding the so-called Cavapoo. I was sold. I loved the scruffier, shaggier hair of the Cavapoo, and given what I knew about biology, I figured that a hybrid was less likely to inherit one of the diseases that plague perilously inbred canines. A dog that didn’t shed would be an added bonus. Plus, poodles have a reputation for being brainy, and I’m an overachiever; if I was going to get a dog, I wanted to be damn sure he’d be the valedictorian of his puppy kindergarten class.