Ira essays

Ira essays If you're like most people, there's nothing more important to you than your family. As difficult as it is for you to imagine not being there for them, it's a risk we all face. To help be sure your loved ones have the financial protection they'll need, it's important to not only think about the unexpected, but to plan for it. If you were gone, who would provide for your loved ones? Who would help... Cover the cost of raising your children? Life insurance can help give your family the protection they need while providing you with peace of mind. It can help provide continuing income and help pay the billskeeping your family's hopes and dreams alive even after your death. or to find out if you're approved for up to $150,000 of immediate 10-year term life insurance that could save you up to 30%.* Coverage starts today with no medical exam if Or, get more information on other life insurance coverage offered through U.S. Bancorp in higher coverage amounts for maximum coverage at the lowest premiums that can be designed for long-term protection while providing flexibility in terms of premium payments and cash value accumulation. Applying for 10- and 20-year underwritten term and universal life insurance involves an interview and a medical exam (including blood and urine samples). Initially, premiums are lower than those for various forms of whole life insurance, thus allowing you to purchase higher amounts of insurance coverage. It is good for covering specific needs that will disappear in time, such as Premiums will increase as you grow older and at the end of the term of the policy you purchase, such as 10 year term. In the 11th year the premiums will increase. ...

Ishi Living the Way essays

Ishi Living the Way essays Ishi has always strived to help his family; ingrained in him is a responsibility and desire to help protect and provide for them. Life for the remaining Yahi people becomes more and more complicated as their population decreases, and the saldu presence in the Yahi world increases. Ishi and his family are constantly adapting their lifestyle to survive in an ever-changing world. The one constant in Ishis life, weather he is living in the Yahi world or the saldu world, is his endless quest to live in accordance with the way, or in harmony with nature. Imbedded in Ishi is a respect for all the creatures around him. Ishi feels one with the world around him, the animals around him are not lesser beings, and they are an essential part of the world Kaltsuna and Jupka created thousands of years ago. A small cotton-tail rabbit came out of the brush, hopping closer and closer to him...with a last hop, rabbit landed between Ishis hands....I am hungry. My People are hungry. It is the duty of the hunter to take what he can. But this four-footer I shall not take. It came to me without fear, knowing I was not hunting.(Ishi last of his tribe Pg 46) How many could say truthfully, that near starving they would let an easy catch go? Not many. Ishi follows the way and does not take anything he doesnt need, or kill animals that come to him when he isnt hunting no matter how hungry he is. To Ishi what is one night of hunger for the life of a rabbit that trusted him? Ishi shows this kind of respect again while hunting the spring deer with Timawi. They observe the deer eating, and get the attention of the deer. They kill one of the younger males, and when they are finished they cover up all traces of the kill. The Yahi use the entire deer, the meat, the hide and the bones. The other deer and the birds and rabbits which had been close by disappeared into the brush...But there was no panic...nothing wa...

New Opportunities for Women in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

New Opportunities for Women in Society - Essay Example Women have been awarded bachelors degrees for centuries, have the vote, and are not generally victimized in society. Women can now hold any position available to a man, take the same degree courses, and vote in the same elections as men, although there are still some inequalities present. This paper will look at the historical developments that have led to the status of women in society today, including the Seneca Falls convention and the provision of education for women. It will examine how these developments have led to new opportunities for women in the United States, so that now more women than ever have a career (Baker, 1984). It is these historical developments, amongst others, that have allowed women to move out of the domestic sphere and into the working world. 18th Century America and the Salem Witch Trials The situation for women in the late 17th and early 18th centuries is where the discussion of women in the United States will begin. Women at this time were expected to be confined to the domestic sphere and did not generally hold down jobs in the same way that men did. In some states, women did have the ability to vote but these rights were generally lost over the coming years, in some cases because married women did not legally have ownership of anything and therefore were not considered as individuals (Matthaei, 1982). They were expected to run the household, and did not have any educational qualifications (Evans, 1997). Families were also generally larger in this era than they are today, and women were expected to care for their children as part of their homely role. Further than this, childbirth was also far more dangerous and many women did not survive pregnancy because of the poor health provisions (Rosen, 1973). Women of the time were often taught to read for Bible reading purposes, but there was no desire to teach women how to write and there was no formal education for females (Matthaei, 1982). Women were also viewed as being under the cont rol of their father or their husband, or another male figure if these weren't applicable, often being traded for furthering the family status. These problems were further compounded by the fact that the highly Puritanical society in some areas saw females as being more prone to sin than men, casting a shadow over the role of women in society. It was this view that led to the events of the Salem Witch Trials, in which 13 women were hanged. It must be noted here that men were also victim of the accusations, but they were aimed primarily at women. This further highlights the status of women as inferior within the society, and provides a good starting point to show just how far women have moved from this original starting point and how much has been gained for women's rights. It is also interesting to note the role of women in the Revolutionary War. Women were not permitted to fight (although one, Deborah Samson, did fight by disguising herself as a man) but they were permitted to have roles as nurses and cooks, as well as other secondary roles (Segal, 1981). Women were not permitted into the army until much later, but it is interesting that they were allowed to participate in some activities, which would be unheard of in many other countries at the time. It was this Revolution that brought about the idea of Republican Motherhood, placing women in the role of correctly bringing up the children in order for society to

Family business an empirical analysis of their performance and Essay

Family business an empirical analysis of their performance and ownership structure - Essay Example ta connected with this has been presented in this paper along with the analysis to identify how the markets have performed in the United States and elsewhere. Founding Family Controlled Firm (FFCF) was expected to be down and the general conception is that they might not grow beyond a specific size2. But with clear targets and achievable ones being laid out, these firms have been consistently producing results3. This has resulted in more investor confidence. Sharon Nelton also points out that the second generations managers of the Family have seen to that the companies have grown manifold and investments from others were solicited. These FFCF businesses have repeatedly achieved rapid growth over a period of time. This has primarily happened because of the smaller decisions making tree which helps in swift and strong decisions. This way the company was able to respond to market situations swiftly resulting in better bottom line. In addition to these, the FFCFs are mostly professionally supported. They do employ professionals to be as consultants resulting in getting the right kind of employees for their growing business. Therefore, it was no surprise that the companies with a dynamic manager at helm could bring about rapid changes in its structure resulting in swift growth4. The same way, there has been consistent performance betterment wherever there has been a committed leadership in these companies. The performance of the companies typically, in the case of young founders was also analyzed and the reasons behind growth of the companies have to be studied. In order to ensure that the companies are appropriately studied data of various companies fitting into the cross section of FFCFs with younger founders and those FFCFs with descendant leaders in the organizations helm were taken up. This would throw a new light on the working of the FFCFs. For the purpose of our study, a business is considered family business if the controlling interest in the firm is held by

Business Ethics and Rules Essay Example for Free

Business Ethics and Rules Essay Personally, I agree that Solomons ethical fundamentals are a good moral foundation for a business. â€Å"Business ethics is the study of what constitutes right and wrong (or good and bad) human conduct in a business context. † (p25) From the lecture, we know that ethics matters because â€Å"how organizations behave have important implications for how they fulfill their social and economic roles† and â€Å"their success as well as the success of their employees, customers, etc. † Thus, running a business ethically is good for business. Applying Solomon’s three C’s of business ethics and the eight rules of thinking ethics in business make good sense. The three C’s of business ethics include compliance, contributions and consequences. The first C is â€Å"the need for compliance with the rules, including the laws of the land†¦and such general concerns as fairness. †(p36) As a saying goes, â€Å"Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. † Rules in business are intended to assert business structure or to control or influence the behavior of the business. Let’s take EU-Rent for example. EU-Rent is a car rental company owned by EU-Corporation. EU-Rent sets up rules about rentals, returns, servicing and customers. For example, â€Å"EU-Rent keeps records of customers, their rentals, and bad experiences. This information is used to decide whether to approve a rental. † If EU-Rent doesn’t comply with these rules, it may not organize well. The second C is â€Å"the contributions business can make to society, through the values and quality of one’s products or services†¦and usefulness of one’s activities to the surrounding community. † (p36) For instance, economists conventionally assume that organization’s primary goal is to maximize profits. Many successful organizations are gradually aware of the important relationship between profits and contributions to society. Starbucks has seen its profits rise as it has increased its investment in social issues. Those organizations who are making profits and don’t contribute to society may receive criticism from the public. As the article â€Å"The Sichuan Earthquake and the Changing Landscape of CSR in China†, which was written by Ariel McGinnis, James Pellegrin, Yin Shum, Jason Teo, and Judy Wu (University of Pennsylvania), mentioned, â€Å" In the days and weeks following the Sichuan earthquake, many multinational corporations(MNCs) pursued a global CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy in line with their international standard. While some multinationals pledged cash, many others pledged a combination of cash, equipment and services. Domestic firms, by all accounts, out-donated multinationals†¦The popular perception was that international firms relief contributions not only did not match those of local Chinese companies in terms of scale or timeliness, but also were not commensurate with their presence in the Chinese market. Chinese consumers quickly seized upon this disparity by openly attacking major MNCs, calling for a boycott of their products †¦ The Chinese public soon gave these affected MNCs the nickname of ‘international iron roosters. The term refers to a bird that never gives up a single feather, and its usage highlights the perceived stinginess of these international firms†¦Despite their additional donations,’ iron-rooster’ MNCs continued to face angry consumers throughout China, resulting in severe public backlash, including protests at several McDonalds and blo ckades at KFCs throughout Sichuan province and the rest of China. † From this example, we can see how important the contributions that organizations should make to the society are. The third C is â€Å"the consequence of business activity†¦including the reputation of one’s own company and industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p36) Why the consequences of business activity are so important? Let’s have a look at the following example. Once, Sanlu was one of the oldest and most popular brands of infant formula in China. It went into bankruptcy after the â€Å"Sanlu milk scandal†. Based on the media, â€Å"By November 2008 China reported an estimated 300,000 victims, six infants dying from kidney stones and other kidney damage, and a further 860 babies hospitalized. Since the Sanlu Group didn’t solve the problem and recall the products in time, it leaded to a horrible incident. Doubtlessly, what did organizations do may affect their development and even the well-being of the public. Organizations should not blindly pursue for profits only but also be responsive to society. To become successful, a business needs to be driven by strong ethical va lues. If a corporation fails to adopt ethical values and cannot be responsive to society, it will fail, just like the Sanlu Group. Besides the three C’s of business ethics, Solomon also stated the eight rules of thinking ethics in business, which are also good moral foundations for a business. The eight rules include â€Å"consider other people’s well-being, including the well-being of nonparticipants; think as a member of the business community and not as an isolated individual; obey, but do not depend solely on, the law; think of yourself—and your company—as part of society; obey moral rules; think objectively; ask the question ‘What sort of person would do such a thing? and respect the customs of others, but not at the expense of your own ethics. †(p40, 41) Based on the above statements, it is obvious to see that they are mainly about the concept of three C’s. According to the text, thinking ethically means â€Å"thinking in terms of compliance with the rules, implicit as well as explicit, thinking in terms of the contributions one can make as well as oneâ€⠄¢s own possible gains, thinking in terms of avoiding harmful consequences to others as well as to oneself. (p40) In the case of â€Å"Sanlu milk scandal†, one of the main reasons behind

Adrienne Rich Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Poetry of Adrienne Rich Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore, Maryland in the year of 1929. Rich grew up in a household as she describes it as † †¦white, middle-class, full of books, and with a father who encouraged her to write† (Daniel). Her father Arnold Rich was a doctor and a pathology professor and her mother, Helen Jones Rich , was a pianist and a composer. â€Å"Adrienne Rich recalls her growing-up years clearly dominated by the intellectual presence and demands of the male in the family, her father, while correctly marked by the submerged tensions arising from the conflicts between the religious and cultural heritage of the father's Jewish background and her mother's Southern Protestantism† (Pope). In the year of 1951, Rich graduated from Radcliffe University. During this year, Adrienne Rich also won the Yale Younger Poets Prize for her first book, A Change of World. In 1953, Adrienne Rich married Alfred Conrad who was a Harvard economist; during the next five years Rich had three sons. Deborah Pope says that Rich’s journal entries, from these years, state that this was an â€Å"emotionally and artistically difficult period† (Pope). Rich’s poems were mainly influenced by Robert Frost, Yeates, Stevens, and Auden. She became a major influence, through her essays and poetry, in many areas of modern-day women's movements, she had become one of the most provoking voices on the politics of sexuality, race, power, and women‘s culture. Adrienne Rich is a southern Jew who grew up during the forties. Rich lived in a gentle neighborhood and was never taught about her Jewish heritage. She eventually had to deal with conflicts between the religious and cultural heritage of her father’s Jewish background and her mother’s southern Protestantism (Pope). Rich’s father didn’t show any signs of ethnicity in any way. He did this to fit into a society that was against Jewish people. In many of her works, Adrienne Rich talks about being oppressed. In her poem, â€Å"1948: Jews,† Adrienne Rich refers to her college years. At Radcliffe University, she was to stay away from Jews. No matter how much she wanted, she could not unite with them as a group because socially it was less acceptable. She had to avoid her own ethnicity to survive in the American culture. â€Å"A Vision,† is another poem Rich wrote that discusses the issue of... ...s full of sound and fury (Barclay). She has fused politics and poetry and also revitalized the lost American institution of political poetry. Adrienne Rich depicts herself in her early 1980's poem "Sources," "she is a woman with a mission, not to win prizes/but to change the laws of history" (Rothschild). Works Cited â€Å"Adrienne Rich.† Barclay Agency 2004. 31 Oct 2004 . â€Å"Adrienne Rich.† Bedford/St. Martin’s 1999. 27 Oct 2004 . American Literature Web Resources. May 1999. Millikin University. 2 Nov 2004 . Daniel, Meagan. â€Å"Adrienne Rich: To Make the Work Her Life, and Her Life the Work.† Empowerment4Women. 28 Dec 2004 . LITWEB. W.W. Norton & Company. 28 Dec 2004 . Pope, Deborah. â€Å"Rich’s Life and Career.† Modern American Poetry. (2000) 27 Oct 2004 . Pettit, Rhonda. â€Å"Bibliography of Adrienne Rich.† Encyclopedia of American Poetry 2001. Compiled and hyperlinked by Gunnan Bengtsson. AmericanPoems.com. 30 Dec 2004 . â€Å"Rich, Adrienne.† Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature. Ed. 1, 1991, Vol. 1 P909. Tennessee Electronic Library. 29 Oct 2004 . Rothschild, Matthew. â€Å"Rich 1994 Interview from the Progressive.† Modern American Poetry. (2000) 27 Oct 2004 .

Cfa- Economics

ADS It has two variables, share price S and time t. However, there is a second derivative only with respect to the share price and only a first derivative with respect to time. In finance, these type equations have been around since the early seventies, thanks to Fischer Black and Myron Schools. However, equations of this form are very common in physics Physicists refer to them as heat or diffusion equations. These equations have been known In physics for almost two centuries and, naturally. Scientists have learnt a great deal about them.Among numerous applications of these equations in natural sciences, the classic examples are the models of Diffusion of one material within another, like smoke particles in air, or water pollutions; Flow of heat from one part of an object to another. This is about as much I wanted to go into physics of the BBS equation. Now let us concentrate on finance. What Is The Boundary Condition? As I have already mentioned, the BBS equation does not say which financial instrument it describes. Therefore, the equation alone is not sufficient for valuing derivatives.There must be some additional information provided. This additional information is called the boundary conditions. Boundary conditions determine initial or final values of some financial product that evolves over time according to the PDP. Usually, they represent some contractual clauses of various derivative securities. Depending on the product and the problem at hand, boundary conditions would change. When we are dealing with derivative contracts, which have a termination date, the most natural boundary conditions are terminal values of the contracts.For example, the boundary condition for a European call Is the payoff function V(SST,T) = Max( SST-DE) at expiration. In financial problems, it is also usual to specify the behavior of the elution at SO and as S . For example, It is clear that when the share value S , the value of a put option should go to zero. To summaries, equ ipped with the right boundary conditions. It Is possible using some techniques to solve the BBS equation 1 OFF tort various financial instruments. There are a number tot deterrent solution method one of which I now would like to describe to you.Transformation To Constant Coefficient Diffusion Equations Physics students may find this subsection interesting. Sometimes it can be useful to transform the basic BBS equation into something a little bit simpler by a change of variables. For example, instead of the function V(S,t), we can introduce a new function according to the following rule V(S,t) = e ¤x +  ¤Ã‚ ¶LLC(X, 6) where or oh=-1 02 – 10, 2 -0 or 10. 000142 Then IS(x, 6) satisfies the basic diffusion equation D U D 21. 1 = 2 . DXL It is a good exercise to check (using your week 8) that the above change of variables equation.This equation looks much simpler that can be important, for example when simple numerical schemes. Previous ‘partial derivative exercises' f m om r indeed gives rise to the standard diffusion than the original BBS equation. Sometimes seeking closed-form lotions, or in some Green's Functions One solution of the BBS equation, which plays a significant role in option pricing, is 1 You can also read about this transformation in the original paper by Black and Schools, a copy of which you can get from me. 7 ? expo 0 for any S'. (Exercise: verify this by substituting back into the BBS equation. ) This solution behaves in an unusual way as time t approaches expiration T. You can see that in this limit, the exponent goes to zero everywhere, except at S=S', when the solution explodes. This limit is known as a Doric delta function: lime G(S , t) * 6 (S , S Don not confuse this delta function with the delta of delta hedging! ) Think of this as a function that is zero everywhere except at one point, S=S', where it is infinite.One of the properties of is that its integral is equal to one: +m Another very important property en De TA-don ation is where f(S) is an arbitrary function. Thus, the delta-function ‘picks up' the value of f at the point, where the delta-function is singular, I. E. At S'=S. How all of this can help us to value financial derivatives? You will see it in a moment. The expression G(S,t) is a solution of the BBS equation for any S'. Because of the linearity of the BBS equation, we can multiply G(S,t) by any constant, and we get another solution.But then we can also get another solution by adding together expressions of the form G(S,t) but with different values for S'. Putting this together, and taking an integral as Just a way of adding together many solutions, we find that V (S ,t)= If(S (S , t)ads ‘ o m is also a solution of the BBS equation for arbitrary function f(S'). Now if we choose the arbitrary function f(S') to be the payoff function of a given derivative problem, then V(S,t) becomes the value of the option. The function G(S,t) is called the Green's function.The formula abov e gives the exact solution for the option value in terms of the arbitrary payoff function. For example, the value of a European call is given by the following integral c(S , t) = f Max( S E (S , t) ads Let us check that as t approaches T the above call option gives the correct payoff. As we mentioned this before, in the limit when t goes to T, the Green's function becomes a delta-function. Therefore, taking the limit we get T , T) = I Max( S E T , S ‘)ads Max( SST -E ,0). Here we used the property of the delta-function.Thus, the proposed solution for the call option does satisfy the required boundary condition. Formula For A Call Normally, in financial literature you see a formula for European options written in terms of cumulative normal distribution functions. You may therefore wonder how the exact result given above in terms of the Green's function is related to the ones in the literature. Now I'd like to explain how these two results are related. Let us first focus on a Eu ropean call. Let us look at the formula for a call c(S , f Max( S E (S , t)ads We integrate from O to infinity. But it is clear that when S'

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 10 Book

HAND-ON-THIGH STORY-†¦ An occasion cited by Hari Seldon as the first turning point in his search for a method to develop psychohistory. Unfortunately, his published writings give no indication as to what that â€Å"story† was and speculations concerning it (there have been many) are futile. It remains one of the many intriguing mysteries concerning Seldon's career. Encyclopedia Galactica 45. Raindrop Forty-Three stared at Seldon, wild-eyed and breathing heavily. â€Å"I can't stay here,† she said. Seldon looked about. â€Å"No one is bothering us. Even the Brother from whom we got the dainties said nothing about us. He seemed to take us as a perfectly normal pair.† â€Å"That's because there is nothing unusual about us-when the light is dim, when you keep your voice low so the tribesman accent is less noticeable, and when I seem calm. But now-† Her voice was growing hoarse. â€Å"What of now?† â€Å"I am nervous and tense. I am†¦ in a perspiration.† â€Å"Who is to notice? Relax. Calm down.† â€Å"I can't relax here. I can't calm down while I may be noticed.† â€Å"Where are we to go, then?† â€Å"There are little sheds for resting. I have worked here. I know about them.† She was walking rapidly now and Seldon followed. Up a small ramp, which he would not have noticed in the twilight without her, there was a line of doors, well spread apart. â€Å"The one at the end,† she muttered. â€Å"If it's free.† It was unoccupied. A small glowing rectangle said NOT IN USE and the door was ajar. Raindrop Forty-Three looked about rapidly, motioned Seldon in, then stepped inside herself. She closed the door and, as she did so, a small ceiling light brightened the interior. Seldon said, â€Å"Is there any way the sign on the door can indicate this shed is in use?† â€Å"That happened automatically when the door closed and the light went on,† said the Sister. Seldon could feel air softly circulating with a small sighing sound, but where on Trantor was that ever-present sound and feel not apparent? The room was not large, but it had a cot with a firm, efficient mattress, and what were obviously clean sheets. There was a chair and table, a small refrigerator, and something that looked like an enclosed hot plate, probably a tiny food-heater. Raindrop Forty-Three sat down on the chair, sitting stiffly upright, visibly attempting to force herself into relaxation. Seldon, uncertain as to what he ought to do, remained standing till she gestured-a bit impatiently-for him to sit on the cot. He did so. Raindrop Forty-Three said softly, as though talking to herself, â€Å"If it is ever known that I have been here with a man-even if only a tribesman-I shall indeed be an outcast.† Seldon rose quickly. â€Å"Then let's not stay here.† â€Å"Sit down. I can't go out when I'm in this mood. You've been asking about religion. What are you after?† It seemed to Seldon that she had changed completely. Gone was the passivity, the subservience. There was none of the shyness, the backwardness in the presence of a male. She was glaring at him through narrowed eyes. â€Å"I told you. Knowledge. I'm a scholar. It is my profession and my desire to know, I want to understand people in particular, so I want to learn history. For many worlds, the ancient historical records-the truly ancient historical records-have decayed into myths and legends, often becoming part of a set of religious beliefs or of supernaturalism. But if Mycogen does not have a religion, then-â€Å" â€Å"I said we have history.† Seldon said, â€Å"Twice you've said you have history. How old?† â€Å"It goes back twenty thousand years.† â€Å"Truly? Let us speak frankly. Is it real history or is it something that has degenerated into legend?† â€Å"It is real history, of course.† Seldon was on the point of asking how she could tell, but thought better of it. Was there really a chance that history might reach back twenty thousand years and be authentic? He was not a historian himself, so he would have to check with Dors. But it seemed so likely to him that on every world the earliest histories were medleys of self-serving heroisms and minidramas that were meant as morality plays and were not to be taken literally. It was surely true of Helicon, yet you would find scarcely a Heliconian who would not swear by all the tales told and insist it was all true history. They would support, as such, even that perfectly ridiculous tale of the first exploration of Helicon and the encounters with large and dangerous flying reptiles-even though nothing like flying reptiles had been found to be native to any world explored and settled by human beings. He said instead, â€Å"How does this history begin?† There was a faraway look in the Sister's eyes, a look that did not focus on Seldon or on anything in the room. She said, â€Å"It begins with a world-our world. One world.† â€Å"One world?† (Seldon remembered that Hummin had spoken of legends of a single, original world of humanity.) â€Å"One world. There were others later, but ours was the first. One world, with space, with open air, with room for everyone, with fertile fields, with friendly homes, with warm people. For thousands of years we lived there and then we had to leave and skulk in one place or another until some of us found a corner of Trantor where we learned to grow food that brought us a little freedom. And here in Mycogen, we now have our own ways-and our own dreams.† â€Å"And your histories give the full details concerning the original world? The one world?† â€Å"Oh yes, it is all in a book and we all have it. Every one of us. We carry it at all times so that there is never a moment when any one of us cannot open it and read it and remember who we are and who we were and resolve that someday we will have our world back.† â€Å"Do you know where this world is and who lives on it now?† Raindrop Forty-Three hesitated, then shook her head fiercely. â€Å"We do not, but someday we will find it.† â€Å"And you have this book in your possession now?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"May I see that book?† Now a slow smile crossed the face of the Sister. She said, â€Å"So that's what you want. I knew you wanted something when you asked to be guided through the microfarms by me alone.† She seemed a little embarrassed. â€Å"I didn't think it was the Book.† â€Å"It is all I want,† said Seldon earnestly. â€Å"I really did not have my mind on anything else. If you brought me here because you thought-â€Å" She did not allow him to finish. â€Å"But here we are. Do you or don't you want the Book?† â€Å"Are you offering to let me see it?† â€Å"On one condition.† Seldon paused, weighing the possibility of serious trouble if he had overcome the Sister's inhibitions to a greater extent than he had ever intended. â€Å"What condition?† he said. Raindrop Forty-Three's tongue emerged lightly and licked quickly at her lips. Then she said with a distinct tremor in her voice, â€Å"That you remove your skincap.† 46. Hari Seldon stared blankly at Raindrop Forty-Three. There was a perceptible moment in which he did not know what she was talking about. He had forgotten he was wearing a skincap. Then he put his hand to his head and, for the first time, consciously felt the skincap he was wearing. It was smooth, but he felt the tiny resilience of the hair beneath. Not much. His hair, after all, was fine and without much body. He said, still feeling it, â€Å"Why?† She said, â€Å"Because I want you to. Because that's the condition if you want to see the Book.† He said, â€Å"Well, if you really want me to.† His hand probed for the edge, so that he could peel it off. But she said, â€Å"No, let me do it. I'll do it.† She was looking at him hungrily. Seldon dropped his hands to his lap. â€Å"Go ahead, then.† The Sister rose quickly and sat down next to him on the cot. Slowly, carefully, she detached the skincap from his head just in front of his ear. Again she licked her lips and she was panting as she loosened the skincap about his forehead and turned it up. Then it came away and was gone and Seldon's hair, released, seemed to stir a bit in glad freedom. He said, troubled, â€Å"Keeping my hair under the skincap has probably made my scalp sweat. If so, my hair will be rather damp.† He raised his hand, as though to check the matter, but she caught it and held it back. â€Å"I want to do that,† she said. â€Å"Its part of the condition.† Her fingers, slowly and hesitantly, touched his hair and then withdrew. She touched it again and, very gently, stroked it. â€Å"It's dry,† she said. â€Å"It feels†¦ good.† â€Å"Have you ever felt cephalic hair before?† â€Å"Only on children sometimes. This†¦ is different.† She was stroking again. â€Å"In what way?† Seldon, even amid his embarrassment, found it possible to be curious. â€Å"I can't say. Its just†¦ different.† After a while he said, â€Å"Have you had enough?† â€Å"No. Don't rush me. Can you make it lie anyway you want it to?† â€Å"Not really. It has a natural way of falling, but I need a comb for that and I don't have one with me.† â€Å"A comb?† â€Å"An object with prongs†¦ uh, like a fork†¦ but the prongs are more numerous and somewhat softer.† â€Å"Can you use your fingers?† She was running hers through his hair. He said, â€Å"After a fashion. It doesn't work very well.† â€Å"Its bristly behind.† â€Å"The hair is shorter there.† Raindrop Forty-Three seemed to recall something. â€Å"The eyebrows,† she said. â€Å"Isn't that what they're called?† She stripped off the shields, then ran her fingers through the gentle arc of hair, against the grain. â€Å"That's nice,† she said, then laughed in a high-pitched way that was almost like her younger sister's giggle. â€Å"They're cute.† Seldon said a little impatiently, â€Å"Is there anything else that's part of the condition?† In the rather dim light, Raindrop Forty-Three looked as though she might be considering an affirmative, but said nothing. Instead, she suddenly withdrew her hands and lifted them to her nose. Seldon wondered what she might be smelling. â€Å"How odd,† she said. â€Å"May I†¦ may I do it again another time?† Seldon said uneasily, â€Å"If you will let me have the Book long enough to study it, then perhaps.† Raindrop Forty-Three reached into her kirtle through a slit that Seldon had not noticed before and, from some hidden inner pocket, removed a book bound in some tough, flexible material. He took it, trying to control his excitement. While Seldon readjusted his skincap to cover his hair, Raindrop Forty-Three raised her hands to her nose again and then, gently and quickly, licked one finger. 47. â€Å"Felt your hair?† said Dors Venabili. She looked at Seldon's hair as though she was of a mind to feel it herself. Seldon moved away slightly. â€Å"Please don't. The woman made it seem like a perversion.† â€Å"I suppose it was-from her standpoint. Did you derive no pleasure from it yourself?† â€Å"Pleasure? It gave me gooseflesh. When she finally stopped, I was able to breathe again. I kept thinking: What other conditions will she make?† Dors laughed. â€Å"Were you afraid that she would force sex upon you? Or hopeful?† â€Å"I assure you I didn't dare think. I just wanted the Book.† They were in their room now and Dors turned on her field distorter to make sure they would not be overheard. The Mycogenian night was about to begin. Seldon had removed his skincap and kirtle and had bathed, paying particular attention to his hair, which he had foamed and rinsed twice. He was now sitting on his cot, wearing a light nightgown that had been hanging in the closet. Dors said, eyes dancing, â€Å"Did she know you have hair on your chest?† â€Å"I was hoping earnestly she wouldn't think of that.† â€Å"Poor Hari. It was all perfectly natural, you know. I would probably have had similar trouble if I was alone with a Brother. Worse, I'm sure, since he would believe-Mycogenian society being what it is-that as a woman I would be bound to obey his orders without delay or demur.† â€Å"No, Dors. You may think it was perfectly natural, but you didn't experience it. The poor woman was in a high state of sexual excitement. She engaged all her senses†¦ smelled her fingers, licked them. If she could have heard hair grow, she would have listened avidly.† â€Å"But that's what I mean by ‘natural.' Anything you make forbidden gains sexual attractiveness. Would you be particularly interested in women's breasts if you lived in a society in which they were displayed at all times?† â€Å"I think I might.† â€Å"Wouldn't you be more interested if they were always hidden, as in most societies they are?- Listen, let me tell you something that happened to me. I was at a lake resort back home on Cinna†¦ I presume you have resorts on Helicon, beaches, that sort of thing?† â€Å"Of course,† said Seldon, slightly annoyed. â€Å"What do you think Helicon is, a world of rocks and mountains, with only well water to drink?† â€Å"No offense, Hari. I just want to make sure you'll get the point of the story. On our beaches at Cinna, we're pretty lighthearted about what we wear†¦ or don't wear.† â€Å"Nude beaches?† â€Å"Not actually, though I suppose if someone removed all of his or her clothing it wouldn't be much remarked on. The custom is to wear a decent minimum, but I must admit that what we consider decent leaves very little to the imagination.† Seldon said, â€Å"We have somewhat higher standards of decency on Helicon.† â€Å"Yes, I could tell that by your careful treatment of me, but to each its own. In any case, I was sitting at the small beach by the lake and a young man approached to whom I had spoken earlier in the day. He was a decent fellow I found nothing particularly wrong with. He sat on the arm of my chair and placed his right hand on my left thigh, which was bare, of course, in order to steady himself. â€Å"After we had spoken for a minute and a half or so, he said, impishly. ‘Here I am. You know me hardly at all and yet it seems perfectly natural to me that I place my hand on your thigh. What's more, it seems perfectly natural to you, since you don't seem to mind that it remains there.' â€Å"It was only then that I actually noticed that his hand was on my thigh. Bare skin in public somehow loses some of its sexual quality. As I said, its the hiding from view that is crucial. â€Å"And the young man felt this too, for he went on to say, ‘Yet if I were to meet you under more formal conditions and you were wearing a gown, you wouldn't dream of letting me lift your gown and place my hand on your thigh on the precise spot it now occupies.' â€Å"I laughed and we continued to talk of this and that. Of course, the young man, now that my attention had been called to the position of his hand, felt it no longer appropriate to keep it there and removed it. â€Å"That night I dressed for dinner with more than usual care and appeared in clothing that was considerably more formal than was required or than other women in the dining room were wearing. I found the young man in question. He was sitting at one of the tables. I approached, greeted him, and said, ‘Here I am in a gown, but under it my left thigh is bare. I give you permission. Just lift the gown and place your hand on my left thigh where you had it earlier.' â€Å"He tried. I'll give him credit for that, but everyone was staring. I wouldn't have stopped him and I'm sure no one else would have stopped him either, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was no more public then than it had been earlier and the same people were present in both cases. It was clear that I had taken the initiative and that I had no objections, but he could not bring himself to violate the proprieties. The conditions, which had been hand-on-thigh in the afternoon, were not hand-on-thigh in the evening and that meant more than anything logic could say.† Seldon said, â€Å"I would have put my hand on your thigh.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Positive.† â€Å"Even though your standards of decency on the beach are higher than ours are?† â€Å"Yes.† Dors sat down on her own cot, then lay down with her hands behind her head. â€Å"So that you're not particularly disturbed that I'm wearing a nightgown with very little underneath it.† â€Å"I'm not particularly shocked. As for being disturbed, that depends on the definition of the word. I'm certainly aware of how you're dressed.† â€Å"Well, if we're going to be cooped up here for a period of time, we'll have to learn to ignore such things.† â€Å"Or take advantage of them,† said Seldon, grinning. â€Å"And I like your hair. After seeing you bald all day, I like your hair.† â€Å"Well, don't touch it. I haven't washed it yet.† She half-closed her eyes. â€Å"It's interesting. You've detached the informal and formal level of respectability. What you're saying is that Helicon is more respectable at the informal level than Cinna is and less respectable at the formal level. Is that right?† â€Å"Actually, I'm just talking about the young man who placed his hand on your thigh and myself. How representative we are as Cinnians and Heliconians, respectively, I can't say. I can easily imagine some perfectly proper individuals on both worlds-and some madcaps too.† â€Å"We're talking about social pressures. I'm not exactly a Galactic traveler, but I've had to involve myself in a great deal of social history. On the planet of Derowd, there was a time when premarital sex was absolutely free. Multiple sex was allowed for the unmarried and public sex was frowned upon only when traffic was blocked: And yet, after marriage, monogamy was absolute and unbroken. The theory was that by working off all one's fantasies first, one could settle down to the serious business of life.† â€Å"Did it work?† â€Å"About three hundred years ago that stopped, but some of my colleagues say it stopped through external pressure from other worlds who were losing too much tourist business to Derowd. There is such a thing as overall Galactic social pressure too.† â€Å"Or perhaps economic pressure, in this case.† â€Å"Perhaps. And being at the University, by the way, I get a chance to study social pressures, even without being a Galactic traveler. I meet people from scores of places inside and outside of Trantor and one of the pet amusements in the social science departments is the comparison of social pressures. â€Å"Here in Mycogen, for instance, I have the impression that sex is strictly controlled and is permitted under only the most stringent rules, all the more tightly enforced because it is never discussed. In the Streeling Sector, sex is never discussed either, but it isn't condemned. In the Jennat Sector, where I spent a week once doing research, sex is discussed endlessly, but only for the purpose of condemning it. I don't suppose there are any two sectors in Trantor-or any two worlds outside Trantor-in which attitudes toward sex are completely duplicated.† Seldon said, â€Å"You know what you make it sound like? It would appear-â€Å" Dors said, â€Å"I'll tell you how it appears. All this talk of sex makes one thing clear to me. I'm simply not going to let you out of my sight anymore.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Twice I let you go, the first time through my own misjudgment and the second because you bullied me into it. Both times it was clearly a mistake. You know what happened to you the first time.† Seldon said indignantly, â€Å"Yes, but nothing happened to me the second time.† â€Å"You nearly got into a lot of trouble. Suppose you had been caught indulging in sexual escapades with a Sister?† â€Å"It wasn't a sexual-â€Å" â€Å"You yourself said she was in a high state of sexual excitement.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"It was wrong. Please get it through your head, Hari. From now on, you go nowhere without me.† â€Å"Look,† said Seldon freezingly, â€Å"my object was to find out about Mycogenian history and as a result of the so-called sexual escapade with a Sister, I have a book-the Book.† â€Å"The Book! True, there's the Book. Let's see it.† Seldon produced it and Dors thoughtfully hefted it. She said, â€Å"It might not do us any good, Hari. This doesn't look as though it will fit any projector I've ever encountered. That means you'll have to get a Mycogenian projector and they'll want to know why you want it. They'll then find out you have this Book and they'll take it away from you.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"If your assumptions were correct, Dors, your conclusions would be inescapable, but it happens that this is not the kind of book you think it is. It's not meant to be projected. The material is printed on various pages and the pages are turned. Raindrop Forty-Three explained that much to me.† â€Å"A print-book!† It was hard to tell whether Dors was shocked or amused. â€Å"That's from the Stone Age.† â€Å"It's certainly pre-Empire,† said Seldon, â€Å"but not entirely so. Have you ever seen a print-book?† â€Å"Considering that I'm a historian? Of course, Hari.† â€Å"Ah, but like this one?† He handed over the Book and Dors, smiling, opened it-then turned to another page-then flipped the pages. â€Å"Its blank,† she said. â€Å"It appears to be blank. The Mycogenians are stubbornly primitivistic, but not entirely so. They will keep to the essence of the primitive, but have no objection to using modern technology to modify it for convenience's sake. Who knows?† â€Å"Maybe so, Hari, but I don't understand what you're saying.† â€Å"The pages aren't blank, they're covered with microprint. Here, give it back. If I press this little nubbin on the inner edge of the cover- Look!† The page to which the book lay open was suddenly covered with lines of print that rolled slowly upward. Seldon said, â€Å"You can adjust the rate of upward movement to match your reading speed by slightly twisting the nubbin one way or the other. When the lines of print reach their upward limit when you reach the bottom line, that is-they snap downward and turn off. You turn to the next page and continue.† â€Å"Where does the energy come from that does all this?† â€Å"It has an enclosed microfusion battery that lasts the life of the book.† â€Å"Then when it runs down-â€Å" â€Å"You discard the book, which you may be required to do even before it runs down, given wear and tear, and get another copy. You never replace the battery.† Dors took the Book a second time and looked at it from all sides. She said, â€Å"I must admit I never heard of a book like this.† â€Å"Nor I. The Galaxy, generally, has moved into visual technology so rapidly, it skipped over this possibility.† â€Å"This is visual.† â€Å"Yes, but not with the orthodox effects. This type of book has its advantages. It holds far more than an ordinary visual book does.† Dors said, â€Å"Where's the turn-on?-Ah, let me see if I can work it.† She had opened to a page at random and set the lines of print marching upward. Then she said, â€Å"I'm afraid this won't do you any good, Hari. It's pre-Galactic. I don't mean the book. I mean the print†¦ the language.† â€Å"Can you read it, Dors? As a historian-â€Å" â€Å"As a historian, I'm used to dealing with archaic language-but within limits. This is far too ancient for me. I can make out a few words here and there, but not enough to be useful.† â€Å"Good,† said Seldon. â€Å"If it's really ancient, it will be useful.† â€Å"Not if you can't read it.† â€Å"I can read it,† said Seldon. â€Å"It's bilingual. You don't suppose that Raindrop Forty-Three can read the ancient script, do you?† â€Å"If she's educated properly, why not?† â€Å"Because I suspect that women in Mycogen are not educated past household duties. Some of the more learned men can read this, but everyone else would need a translation to Galactic.† He pushed another nubbin. â€Å"And this supplies it.† The lines of print changed to Galactic Standard. â€Å"Delightful,† said Dors in admiration. â€Å"We could learn from these Mycogenians, but we don't.† â€Å"We haven't known about it.† â€Å"I can't believe that. I know about it now. And you know about it. There must be outsiders coming into Mycogen now and then, for commercial or political reasons, or there wouldn't be skincaps so ready for use. So every once in a while someone must have caught a glimpse of this sort of print-book and seen how it works, but it's probably dismissed as something curious but not worth further study, simply because it's Mycogenian.† â€Å"But is it worth study?† â€Å"Of course. Everything is. Or should be. Hummin would probably point to this lack of concern about these books as a sign of degeneration in the Empire.† He lifted the Book and said with a gush of excitement, â€Å"But I am curious and I will read this and it may push me in the direction of psychohistory.† â€Å"I hope so,† said Dors, â€Å"but if you take my advice, you'll sleep first and approach it fresh in the morning. You won't learn much if you nod over it.† Seldon hesitated, then said, â€Å"How maternal you are!† â€Å"I'm watching over you.† â€Å"But I have a mother alive on Helicon. I would rather you were my friend.† â€Å"As for that, I have been your friend since first I met you.† She smiled at him and Seldon hesitated as though he were not certain as to the appropriate rejoinder. Finally he said, â€Å"Then I'll take your advice-as a friend-and sleep before reading.† He made as though to put the Book on a small table between the two cots, hesitated, turned, and put it under his pillow. Dors Venabili laughed softly. â€Å"I think you're afraid I will wake during the night and read parts of the Book before you have a chance to. Is that it?† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon, trying not to look ashamed, â€Å"that may be it. Even friendship only goes so far and this is my book and it's my psychohistory.† â€Å"I agree,† said Dors, â€Å"and I promise you that we won't quarrel over that. By the way, you were about to say something earlier when I interrupted you. Remember?† Seldon thought briefly. â€Å"No.† In the dark, he thought only of the Book. He gave no thought to the hand-on-thigh story. In fact, he had already quite forgotten it, consciously at least. 48. Venabili woke up and could tell by her timeband that the night period was only half over. Not hearing Hari's snore, she could tell that his cot was empty. If he had not left the apartment, then he was in the bathroom. She tapped lightly on the door and said softly, â€Å"Hari?† He said, â€Å"Come in,† in an abstracted way and she did. The toilet lid was down and Seldon, seated upon it, held the Book open on his lap. He said, quite unnecessarily, â€Å"I'm reading.† â€Å"Yes, I see that. But why?† â€Å"I couldn't sleep. I'm sorry.† â€Å"But why read in here?† â€Å"If I had turned on the room light, I would have woken you up.† â€Å"Are you sure the Book can't be illuminated?† â€Å"Pretty sure. When Raindrop Forty-Three described its workings, she never mentioned illumination. Besides, I suppose that would use up so much energy that the battery wouldn't last the life of the Book.† He sounded dissatisfied. Dors said, â€Å"You can step out, then. I want to use this place, as long as I'm here.† When she emerged, she found him sitting cross-legged on his cot, still reading, with the room well lighted. She said, â€Å"You don't look happy. Does the Book disappoint you?† He looked up at her, blinking. â€Å"Yes, it does. I've sampled it here and there. It's all I've had time to do. The thing is a virtual encyclopedia and the index is almost entirely a listing of people and places that are of little use for my purposes. It has nothing to do with the Galactic Empire or the pre-Imperial Kingdoms either. It deals almost entirely with a single world and, as nearly as I can make out from what I have read, it is an endless dissertation on internal politics.† â€Å"Perhaps you underestimate its age. It may deal with a period when there was indeed only one world†¦ one inhabited world.† â€Å"Yes, I know,† said Seldon a little impatiently. â€Å"That's actually what I want-provided I can be sure its history, not legend. I wonder. I don't want to believe it just because I want to believe it.† Dors said, â€Å"Well, this matter of a single-world origin is much in the air these days. Human beings are a single species spread all over the Galaxy, so they must have originated somewhere. At least that's the popular view at present. You can't have independent origins producing the same species on different worlds.† â€Å"But I've never seen the inevitability of that argument,† said Seldon. â€Å"If human beings arose on a number of worlds as a number of different species, why couldn't they have interbred into some single intermediate species?† â€Å"Because species can't interbreed. That's what makes them species.† Seldon thought about it a moment, then dismissed it with a shrug. â€Å"Well, I'll leave it to the biologists.† â€Å"They're precisely the ones who are keenest on the Earth hypothesis.† â€Å"Earth? Is that what they call the supposed world of origin?† â€Å"That's a popular name for it, though there's no way of telling what it was called, assuming there was one. And no one has any clue to what its location might be.† â€Å"Earth!† said Seldon, curling his lips. â€Å"It sounds like a belch to me. In any case, if the book deals with the original world, I didn't come across it. How do you spell the word?† She told him and he checked the Book quickly. â€Å"There you are. The name is not listed in the index, either by that spelling or any reasonable alternative.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"And they do mention other worlds in passing. Names aren't given and there seems no interest in those other worlds except insofar as they directly impinge on the local world they speak of†¦ at least as far as I can see from what I've read. In one place, they talked about ‘The Fifty.' I don't know what they meant. Fifty leaders? Fifty cities? It seemed to me to be fifty worlds.† â€Å"Did they give a name to their own world, this world that seems to preoccupy them entirely?† asked Dors. â€Å"If they don't call it Earth, what do they call it?† â€Å"As you'd expect, they call it ‘the world' or ‘the planet.' Sometimes they call it ‘the Oldest' or ‘the World of the Dawn,' which has a poetic significance, I presume, that isn't clear to me. I suppose one ought to read the Book entirely through and some matters will then grow to make more sense.† He looked down at the Book in his hand with some distaste. â€Å"It would take a very long time, though, and I'm not sure that I'd end up any the wiser.† Dors sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry, Hari. You sound so disappointed.† â€Å"That's because I am disappointed. It's my fault, though. I should not have allowed myself to expect too much.-At one point, come to think of it, they referred to their world as ‘Aurora.' â€Å" â€Å"Aurora?† said Dors, lifting her eyebrows. â€Å"It sounds like a proper name. It doesn't make any sense otherwise, as far as I can see. Does it mean anything to you, Dors?† â€Å"Aurora.† Dors thought about it with a slight frown on her face. â€Å"I can't say I've ever heard of a planet with that name in the course of the history of the Galactic Empire or during the period of its growth, for that matter, but I won't pretend to know the name of every one of the twenty-five million worlds. We could look it up in the University library-if we ever get back to Streeling. There's no use trying to find a library here in Mycogen. Somehow I have a feeling that all their knowledge is in the Book. If anything isn't there, they aren't interested.† Seldon yawned and said, â€Å"I think you're right. In any case, there's no use reading any more and I doubt that I can keep my eyes open any longer. Is it all right if I put out the light?† â€Å"I would welcome it, Hari. And let's sleep a little later in the morning.† Then, in the dark, Seldon said softly, â€Å"Of course, some of what they say is ridiculous. For instance, they refer to a life expectancy on their world of between three and four centuries.† â€Å"Centuries?† â€Å"Yes, they count their ages by decades rather than by years. It gives you a queer feeling, because so much of what they say is perfectly matter-of-fact that when they come out with something that odd, you almost find yourself trapped into believing it.† â€Å"If you feel yourself beginning to believe that, then you should realize that many legends of primitive origins assume extended life spans for early leaders. If they're pictured as unbelievably heroic, you see, it seems natural that they have life spans to suit.† â€Å"Is that so?† said Seldon, yawning again. â€Å"It is. And the cure for advanced gullibility is to go to sleep and consider matters again the next day.† And Seldon, pausing only long enough to think that an extended life span might well be a simple necessity for anyone trying to understand a Galaxy of people, slept. 49. The next morning, feeling relaxed and refreshed and eager to begin his study of the Book again, Hari asked Dors, â€Å"How old would you say the Raindrop sisters are?† â€Å"I don't know. Twenty†¦ twenty-two?† â€Å"Well, suppose they do live three or four centuries.† â€Å"Hari. That's ridiculous.† â€Å"I'm saying suppose. In mathematics, we say ‘suppose' all the time and see if we can end up with something patently untrue or self-contradictory. An extended life span would almost surely mean an extended period of development. They might seem in their early twenties and actually be in their sixties.† â€Å"You can try asking them how old they are.† â€Å"We can assume they'd lie.† â€Å"Look up their birth certificates.† Seldon smiled wryly. â€Å"I'll bet you anything you like-a roll in the hay, if you're willing-that they'll claim they don't keep records or that, if they do, they will insist those records are closed to tribespeople.† â€Å"No bet,† said Dors. â€Å"And if that's true, then it's useless trying to suppose anything about their age.† â€Å"Oh no. Think of it this way. If the Mycogenians are living extended life spans that are four or five times that of ordinary human beings, they can't very well give birth to very many children without expanding their population tremendously. You remember that Sunmaster said something about not having the population expand and bit off his remarks angrily at that time.† Dors said, â€Å"What are you getting at?† â€Å"When I was with Raindrop Forty-Three, I saw no children.† â€Å"On the microfarms?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Did you expect children there? I was with Raindrop Forty-Five in the shops and on the residential levels and I assure you I saw a number of children of all ages, including infants. Quite a few of them.† â€Å"Ah.† Seldon looked chagrined. â€Å"Then that would mean they can't be enjoying extended life spans.† Dors said, â€Å"By your line of argument, I should say definitely not. Did you really think they did?† â€Å"No, not really. But then you can't close your mind either and make assumptions without testing them one way or another.† â€Å"You can waste a lot of time that way too, if you stop to chew away at things that are ridiculous on the face of it.† â€Å"Some things that seem ridiculous on the face of it aren't. That's all. Which reminds me. You're the historian. In your work, have you ever come across objects or phenomena called ‘robots'?† â€Å"Ah! Now you're switching to another legend and a very popular one. There are any number of worlds that imagine the existence of machines in human form in prehistoric times. These are called ‘robots.' â€Å"The tales of robots probably originate from one master legend, for the general theme is the same. Robots were devised, then grew in numbers and abilities to the status of the almost superhuman. They threatened humanity and were destroyed. In every case, the destruction took place before the actual reliable historic records available to us today existed. The usual feeling is that the story is a symbolic picture of the risks and dangers of exploring the Galaxy, when human beings expanded outward from the world or worlds that were their original homes. There must always have been the fear of encountering other-and superior-intelligences.† â€Å"Perhaps they did at least once and that gave rise to the legend.† â€Å"Except that on no human-occupied world has there been any record or trace of any prehuman or nonhuman intelligence.† â€Å"But why ‘robots'? Does the word have meaning?† â€Å"Not that I know of, but it's the equivalent of the familiar ‘automata.' â€Å" â€Å"Automata! Well, why don't they say so?† â€Å"Because people do use archaic terms for flavor when they tell an ancient legend. Why do you ask all this, by the way?† â€Å"Because in this ancient Mycogenian book, they talk of robots. And very favorably, by the way.-Listen, Dors, aren't you going out with Raindrop Forty-Five again this afternoon?† â€Å"Supposedly-if she shows up.† â€Å"Would you ask her some questions and try to get the answers out of her?† â€Å"I can try. What are the questions?† â€Å"I would like to find out, as tactfully as possible, if there is some structure in Mycogen that is particularly significant, that is tied in with the past, that has a sort of mythic value, that can-â€Å" Dors interrupted, trying not to smile. â€Å"I think that what you are trying to ask is whether Mycogen has a temple.† And, inevitably, Seldon looked blank and said, â€Å"What's a temple?† â€Å"Another archaic term of uncertain origin. It means all the things you asked about-significance, past, myth. Very well, I'll ask. It's the sort of thing, however, that they might find difficult to speak of. To tribespeople, certainly.† â€Å"Nevertheless, do try.†

Urban Studies Research Paper Basic Recommendations on How You Can Cope with One

Urban Studies Research Paper Basic Recommendations on How You Can Cope with One Urban studies is a broad field of study that involves engineering, architecture, planning, social, and political factors. Thus, writing a research paper on urban studies is challenging for students because of the broad topics that fall under the area of study. The process takes not only a significant time to craft a paper but also requires profound research, in-depth understanding of the subject, intricate data analysis, and proficient writing skills. Writing a research paper may not be your strong forte, but your ability to put together a comprehensible scholarly paper will influence the outcome of your final grade. This urban studies research paper writing guide provides you with a step-by-step process that will help you improve your research paper writing skills and enhance the likelihood of your attaining high grades in your urban studies assignment. Each step is important in the writing process. Thus, take note of every guideline. Selecting a Topic for Your Urban Studies Research Paper Writing The first challenge in your writing process is choosing an interesting research topic. Students whose lecturers assign research paper assignments based on a particular topic do not face the topic selection challenge. However, it is common for professors to provide students with the freedom and flexibility to choose topics that interest them within the urban studies field of study. Here are some tips to help you choose a topic for your research paper: The research paper will be more informative and relevant if you care about the topic. Hence, select the topic you are interested in. The interest may be based on the need to explore a certain idea, to provide a solution to an urban development issue or be based on issues affecting your daily experiences such as poverty in the metropolitan cities. Narrow your ideas to come up with a manageable topic: If the topic is too broad, use limiters to narrow it down to ensure it has a specific focus. Limiters may be based on geographical location, periods in the history of urban development, or populations. The topic should not be too narrow or too broad as it will lose focus. Background research of existing literature on urban studies can help you choose and limit the scope of your topic. If your assignment has guidelines regarding the topic selection, review them and choose topics based on the guideline. Better still, ask your instructor for possible suggestions. If brainstorming for topic ideas does not yield any results, refer to your lecture notes and texts on urban studies to refresh your knowledge of the urban studies unit. Talking to peers may help you acquire knowledge of issues that you did not consider. Peer discussion can help focus your topic. Think and analyze the who, what, when, where and why questions that guide in formulating an appropriate topic: Why did I choose this topic? What interests me about it? Do I have an idea and opinion about the issues involved in the topic? Why is the topic relevant? Who are the information providers on this topic? Who does the topic affect? What are the likely major questions for this topic? Is the topic controversial or of interest to the intended population? What are the range of issues and viewpoints to consider under the topic? Where is the topic important: at the local, national, or international level? When is the topic significant? Is it a current occurrence or a historical aspect? Possible topics for your urban studies research paper may include: Urban Marginality and Public Transit Politics: Trains and Automobiles; Exclusionary Housing Measures and Their Influence on Segregation: a Case of Baltimore; Social Justice and Urban Economic Development; Social Determinants of Urbanization and Health Disparities in Manhattan; Recreational Planning in Urban Ecology. Important Pre-Writing Tips for your Urban Studies Research Paper Decide on a topic. As highlighted in the topic selection section, choosing a topic is the first important aspect of the research paper writing process. Ensure the topic you select falls within the urban studies subject and is interesting to you. The topic and the research paper content should add some value to you and the reader by introducing ideas and approaches, persuading adoption of certain practices, or reinforcing claims and opinions. Conduct research. The research step is important as it directly influences your research paper content and equips you with a basis for your arguments, and evidence to support articulated claims. It is appropriate to research both primary and secondary sources to obtain a diversity of ideas. Take notes. While conducting your research, take notes of the important arguments, themes, theories, statistics, and facts documented in your sources. Taking notes ensures you do not forget major issues. Besides, it helps during the paper writing process by providing quotes and accurate reference and citation pages. It would be unprofessional to submit a research paper with inaccurate citations or without proper quotes, whether direct or in parenthesis. However, do not overuse quotes unless the professor requires you to do so. Clustering and outlining. On a piece of paper, write your major points and use links to put together matching or related ideas. Clustering helps you to develop themes that create more focus. Once you have completed clustering, outline why the topic and research are significant, identify relevant background material, the thesis and purpose statements, and the organizational plan for major and supporting ideas. Creating an Appropriate Title and Thesis Statement for Your Urban Studies Research Paper Research Paper Title A research paper title is the first thing that draws the readers’ attention and determines whether the reader will be interested in the paper or not. Therefore, an effective and appropriate research paper title should: Summarize the paper content in a few words; Capture the readers’ attention; Differentiate the research paper from other papers of the urban studies subject area. Here are the basic urban studies research paper writing tips to consider while writing a title for your urban studies research paper: Keep the title attractive, brief, and simple. Keep the title brief and clear since it will serve as a precise summary of the paper content. Avoid unnecessary details and complex noun-based phrases and use active verbs. A good research paper title should have 10 to 12 words. In other words, it should not be too short or too long. A lengthy title takes the readers’ attention away because it is unfocused while a short title may be too broad. Use appropriate descriptive words. Use keywords that define the nature of your research and those used in the manuscript. Use terms people would use to search for your research paper and have them as part of your title. Keep in mind that they should add meaning to the research paper topic and content. Avoid jargon and abbreviations. Unless the abbreviations are well known and common in the urban studies field of study, avoid their use. In this case, leave out lesser known terms or abbreviations not familiar to the intended audience. Thesis Statement The thesis statement should present a summary of your research paper topic in one or a few sentences. It should also provide the readers with your papers argument and direction of what to expect. In other words, craft a thesis statement that informs your readers about the subject of your paper and the position you will take in the discussion. A good thesis statement should: Make a limited, clear, and definite assertion that should be explained and supported by scholarly evidence; Have a specific point that provides the direction of your argument; Not be too big for your paper such that it would be impossible to explore every aspect of your claim; Present an argument that can be proven or argued against. Ensure your intended audience does not instantly accept your thesis statement; Show your perspective and position on the urban studies topic and direction of your argument; Allude to the methods you will use to provide evidence to support your arguments. Writing an Outline for Your Urban Studies Research Paper: Top Picks from Our Writers Writing the Introduction The introduction of your research paper should provide your readers with an overview of the entire paper but should be slightly different from the abstract. It should introduce the topic of the paper and set it in a broader context. When crafting your introduction, narrow down the topics gradually to a research issue, thesis statement, and hypotheses or research questions, depending on the nature of the research paper and topic of discussion. If your urban studies research paper is based on providing solutions to a pressing issue, the introduction should explain how you intend to solve the research question, and should create ‘leads’ that entice the reader to want to delve further into your research paper. You should assume the paper is aimed at people with a good working knowledge and understanding of the urban studies field. However, it is important to provide some working definition for the terms specific to the research paper topic. You will need to ensure your introduction includes the following elements: Contextual material or relevant background of the discussion topic; Definition of concepts and terms where necessary; Explanation of the paper focus and its specific purpose; Your organization plan for the main themes and major points in the paper. Moreover, the introduction may include the background or history section if the chosen urban studies topic requires one. This type of information is not a mandatory part of a paper involving research. However, it is often necessary to explain the development of a particular issue that may help put your topic within the required context. Writing the Body The body forms the largest part of your research paper. This is where you write the information you have gathered and arrange the relevant evidence to support the claims you make. The evidence is aimed at convincing the reader of your argument. Thus, it should be organized logically. The body of the research paper can have partitions depending on its length and the number of issues being discussed. The partitions are in the form of headings and sub-headings. As noted above, the body paragraphs in your research paper focus on research and are broken down into sections that focus on particular aspects of your research. You should have the following goals in mind when writing the body paragraphs: Incorporation of relevant and current (five to seven years) research as it pertains to your chosen urban studies topic; Presentation of evidence in a balanced and objective manner; Appropriate use and acknowledgment of primary and secondary sources. Remember the outline made during the preparation phase of your research writing process? Use the outline as a flexible guide into the ideas that should be written in each body paragraph. Moreover, analyze, summarize, explain, and evaluate the primary and secondary sources you use in your research paper rather than reporting their content. Move from the generalization of concepts to varying levels of presenting relevant information about the topic of the discussion. Unless it is necessary to use direct quotes from the existing literature on urban studies, stick to using parenthetical citations when referencing another authors work in the body of your text. Writing the Conclusion The conclusion of your research paper should summarize the major points and arguments of the paper and restate the thesis statement in different words. You can also highlight the significance of your research findings. If you adopt an inductive approach in your research, add your opinions and explain their impacts and significance to the research. Importantly, transit from details to a generalized consideration of the topic. You can also recommend further research of the topic if you feel it needs further exploration. Post Writing Tips to End It Up The post writing tips focus on revising the final draft of your research paper. When proofreading, check the organization of the paper to ensure coherence, logical flow of information, and in-depth discussion of ideas. You should also revise the sentence structure and ensure there is consistent use of appropriate citations.

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Great Reviews

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Great Reviews Does a career spent reviewing movies, music, books, TV shows, or restaurants seem like nirvana to you? Then you’re a born critic. But writing great reviews is an art, one that few have mastered. Here are some tips: Know Your Subject Too many beginning critics are eager to write but know little about their topic. If you want to write reviews that carry some authority, then you need to learn everything you can. Want to be the next Roger Ebert? Take college courses on the history of film, read as many books as you can and, of course, watch lots of movies. The same goes for any topic. Some believe that in order to be a truly good film critic you must have worked as a director, or that in order to review music you must have been a professional musician. That kind of experience wouldn’t hurt, but it’s more important to be a well-informed layman. Read Other Critics Just as an aspiring novelist reads the great writers, a good critic should read accomplished reviewers, whether it’s the aforementioned Ebert or Pauline Kael on film, Ruth Reichl on food, or Michiko Kakutani on books. Read their reviews, analyze what they do, and learn from them. Don’t Be Afraid to Have Strong Opinions Great critics all have strong opinions. But newbies who aren’t confident in their views often write wishy-washy reviews with sentences like â€Å"I sort of enjoyed this† or â€Å"that was okay, though not great.† They’re afraid to take a strong stand for fear of being challenged. But there’s nothing more boring than a hemming-and-hawing review. So decide what you think and state it in no uncertain terms. Avoid â€Å"I† and â€Å"In My Opinion† Too many critics pepper reviews with phrases like â€Å"I think† or â€Å"In my opinion.† Again, this is often done by novice critics afraid of writing declarative sentences. Such phrases are unnecessary; your reader understands that it’s your opinion you’re conveying. Give Background The critic’s analysis is the centerpiece of any review, but that’s not much use to readers if she doesn’t provide enough background information. So if you’re reviewing a movie, outline the plot but also discuss the director and his previous films, the actors, and perhaps even the screenwriter. Critiquing a restaurant? When did it open, who owns it and who’s the head chef? An art exhibit? Tell us a little about the artist, her influences, and previous works. Don’t Spoil the Ending There’s nothing readers hate more than a film critic who gives away the ending to the latest blockbuster. So yes, give plenty of background information, but dont give away the ending. Know Your Audience Whether you’re writing for a magazine aimed at intellectuals or a mass-market publication for average folks, keep your target audience in mind. So if you’re reviewing a film for a publication aimed at cineastes, you can wax rhapsodic about the Italian neo-realists or the French New Wave. If you’re writing for a wider audience, such references might not mean much. That’s not to say you can’t educate your readers in the course of a review. But remember – even the most knowledgeable critic won’t succeed if he bores his readers to tears.

Nintendo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nintendo - Case Study Example Apart from this, the ease with which customers can adapt to the games is also a driving force and making the competition more intense within the industry. 4. Nintendo is focusing on delivering products which are unique and are not being used in the industry by others. As such, it is focusing on the differentiation strategy by producing gaming consoles which are radically different from the competitors. Nintendo has been using differentiation strategy however, it is using it relatively defensive manner. 6. One of the key strengths of the firm is its ability to manufacture technologically simple gaming consoles and other products. However this not guarantees the competitive position for the firm as big giants like Sony and Microsoft. Though it has a competitive advantage in producing handheld gaming consoles however, its advantage is not sustainable as it requires consistent improvements in technology to dominate the market. 8. It needs to further develop its existing markets by diversifying into other and related products in the existing markets. It needs to improve its existing markets by launching new products in the same markets it is serving

Eye of the Albatross Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eye of the Albatross - Assignment Example A sharp contrast also exists between the perception of sea usage by the Albatross and the Humans. While the Albatross uses the sea as their lifetime habitat, obtain food and shelter from the seas and oceans, the human usage of the sea is quite different. They use the seas to obtain gifts, though piracy, where they capture and terrorize other humans in order to achieve their goals, goals to enrich themselves from the properties and at the expense of others (Mancke, 225). While the Humans perceive the Albatross, as a burden to them, similarly is the Amelia’s perception of human, as a burden to the albatross, they capture them and other sea birds, and then slaughter them for food, sports, or feathers. Any interaction of Humans and the Albatross is of a destructive nature, where the humans capture and kills the birds while taking their eggs, thus threatening their survival. Humans use the hooking lines to capture and kill the Albatrosses for their food. The perception of the sea d iffers between the Albatrosses and the Humans, in that Humans perceive the sea as a trash bin where they can dispose all their wastes. This in turn affects the life of the sea birds by polluting their habitats and eventually causing them inhabitable and poisonous. This further risks the lives of the sea birds and threatens their survival (Safina, 151). While the Albatrosses uses the sea to survive and thrive, owing to it being their habitable environment, Human have always perceived and used the seas and the oceans as a territory through which to exercise their power, eventually controlling the other humans. The Europeans used the sea and the oceans to exercise their powers and eventually colonized the Africans and the Asians (Mancke, 227). The comparison between Amelia and the human perception of the sea is that both utilize it for one goal, surviving and thriving. The proletarians, the poor, and the peasants engage in sea activities to seek for food and other means of survival. Th is is however different from the other group of humans; the politicians, the diplomats and the military who uses the sea and oceans as a platform to obtain dominance over the others. The relationship between humans with each other and Albatrosses with each other sharply defers. While the relationship between the Albatrosses is that of support and assistance, the human relationship is that of master-servant, with the powerful and the well off dominating over their subordinates. The perception on the importance of seas and oceans differs between the Albatrosses and humans. While the albatrosses views the seas and the oceans as the only source of livelihood, with the dry land being used for procreation only, to humans the reverse is true (Lewis, 192). Human perceives the mass of dry land as the most important of the two, since this is where he lives and undertakes all his life activities. To human, the seas, and oceans, if anything, serves to supplement the source of livelihood that ma n has, the land. No wonder therefore, humans have always tried to reduce the size of seas and oceans by increasing the masses of dry land. While the entire Albatrosses population lives and co-exists in the seas and oceans, only a few of the human population lives or even depends on the sea for their livelihoods (Lewis, 212). The few humans that depend on the seas and oce