The Pbs Frontline Interview, Digital Demands, By Sherry...

Two people walk down the street side by side, each looking down into his hands attentively. Both occasionally sneak glances upwards, so as not to run into anyone. They walk in silence until it is time for them to go their separate ways; they then mutter hasty goodbyes, and turn to face their pixelated companions once more. A seemingly morbid depiction, perhaps, but one that is increasingly more representative of our modern reality. In the PBS Frontline interview Digital Demands, Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and researcher, examines this new trend. Her sage advice to youth: tread carefully on the Data Highway, for its overages are far costlier than estimated. Turkle s thesis: a lack of precise deliberation in the use of technology†¦show more content†¦Erikson s theories were formulated, in part, on the back of his own adolescent experiences; growing up in fascist Germany as the child of a German father and Jewish mother, he agonized over his own cultural label in the face o f the Third Reich. At the age of 37, he voiced his self-affirmation by renaming himself Erik Homburger Erikson. Literally, he redefined himself as his son; metaphorically, he redesigned himself as the culmination of the experiences of the first four decades of his life. Torn between his own unsteady conscience and the strident, crippling strains of Nazi propaganda, Erikson struggled to identify with his own notion of himself. This same dichotomy - the notion of a struggle between the inner self that one conceives, and the self-thrust upon us by the world - is the very fight that Turkle argues is necessary for the emergence of a purposeful, mature self. Today s adolescents, she says, bombarded by the beeps, hums, and whirs of technology, have become co-dependent with the piece of metal of their choosing, unable to complete even the most basic human functions of prioritization, organization, and independent thought. Instead of enabling, technology effectively becomes a crutch -- an un witting maneuver to postpone, conceal, and disingenuously morph. The price of quick-and-easy, Turkle contends, has been a debilitating mental servitude. Creating technology is in the hands of the people, and

Understanding the Glow of Noctilucent Clouds

Each summer, people who live at high latitudes north and south of the equator are treated to a fantastically beautiful phenomenon called noctilucent clouds. These arent clouds in the normal way we understand them. The clouds were more familiar with are generally made of water droplets that have formed around particles of dust. Noctilucent clouds are generally made of ice crystals that formed around tiny dust particles in fairly cold temperatures. Unlike most clouds that float fairly close to the ground, they exist at heights up to 85 kilometers above the surface of our planet, high in the atmosphere that sustains life on Earth. They may look like thin cirrus that we can see throughout the day or night but are generally only visible when the Sun is no more than 16 degrees below the horizon. Clouds of the Night The term noctilucent means night-shining and it describes these clouds perfectly. They cant be seen during the day due to the brightness of the Sun. However, once the Sun sets, it illuminates these high-flying clouds from below. This explains why they can be seen in deep twilight. They typically have a bluish-white color and look very wispy. The History of Noctilucent Cloud Research Noctilucent clouds were first reported in 1885 and are sometimes linked with the eruption of the famous volcano, Krakatoa in 1883. However, its not clear that the eruption caused them — theres no scientific evidence to prove it one way or another. Their appearance may simply be coincidental. The idea that volcanic eruptions cause these clouds was heavily researched and eventually disproved in the 1920s. Since then, atmospheric scientists have studied noctilucent clouds using balloons, sounding rockets, and satellites. They seem to occur pretty frequently and are quite beautiful to observe. How Do Noctilucent Clouds Form? The ice particles that make up these shimmering clouds are quite small, only about 100 nm across. That many times smaller than the width of a human hair. They form when tiny particles of dust—possibly from bits of micro-meteors in the upper atmosphere—are coated with water vapor and frozen high in the atmosphere, in a region called the mesosphere. During local summer, that region of the atmosphere can be quite cold, and the crystals form at about -100 ° C. Noctilucent cloud formation seems to vary as the solar cycle does. In particular, as the Sun emits more ultraviolet radiation, it interacts with water molecules in the upper atmosphere and breaks them apart. That leaves less water to form the clouds during times of increased activity. Solar physicists and atmospheric scientists are tracking solar activity and noctilucent cloud formation to better understand the connection between the two phenomena. In particular, they are interested in learning why changes in these peculiar clouds dont show up until about a year after UV levels change. Interestingly, when NASAs space shuttles were flying, their exhaust plumes (which were nearly all water vapor) froze high in the atmosphere and created very short-lived mini noctilucent clouds. The same thing has happened with other launch vehicles since the shuttle era. However, launches are few and far between. The phenomenon of noctilucent clouds predates launches and aircraft. However, the short-lived noctilucent clouds from launch activities provide more data points about the atmospheric conditions that help them form. Noctilucent Clouds and Climate Change There may be a connection between the frequent formation of noctilucent clouds and climate change. NASA and other space agencies have been studying Earth for many decades and observing  the effects of global warming. However, the evidence is still being gathered, and the link between the clouds and warming remains a relatively controversial suggestion. Scientists are following up on all the evidence to see if there is a definite link. One possible theory is that methane (a greenhouse gas implicated in climate change) migrates to the area of the atmosphere where these clouds form. Greenhouse gases are thought to force temperature changes in the mesosphere, causing it to cool down. That cooling would contribute to the formation of ice crystals that make up the noctilucent clouds. An increase in water vapor (also due to human activities that produce greenhouse gases) would be part of the noctilucent cloud connection to climate change. Much work needs to be done to prove these connecti ons. Regardless of how these clouds form, they remain a favorite of sky watchers, particularly sunset-gazers and amateur observers. Just as some people chase eclipses or remain out late at night to see meteor showers, there are many who live in the high northern and southern latitudes and actively seek out the sight of noctilucent clouds. Theres no doubt of their magnificent beauty, but they are also an indicator of activities in our planets atmosphere.

After A Long Seven-Hour Day, Have You Ever Noticed A...

After a long seven-hour day, have you ever noticed a kindergartner who seems extremely exhausted? Their brains have been powered on all day and haven’t had the time to fully recharge. Are they sleep deprived, we wonder? Therefore, while researching many sources, a study was found which focused on four and five-year-old’s memory following a nap. According to Kurdziela, Duclosb, Spencer (2013), study results demonstrated that children had better memory recall following a nap than when they had been kept awake. Therefore, the study concluded that children functioned better when they received a nap during the day. Young children between the ages of five and six benefit emotionally, cognitively, socially, and physically after brief rest†¦show more content†¦Choice of Topic In 2012, my son attended Kindergarten; the school day started at 8:30 a.m. and school dismissed at 3:15 p.m. At pick up time, he displayed a tired look from his face and his body posture indicated that he was very tired. However, I understood why he was tired. He had attended school for seven hours and did not receive a nap or time to relax his brain. Although he did not receive a nap during the school day, he managed to get a nap before bedtime. Occasionally, the nap before bedtime caused other issues; he was not sleepy when it was time for bed. Therefore, on certain nights he did not receive more than 10 hours of sleep. The lack of sleep, my son suffered caused him to become moody throughout the day. Therefore, the mood swings lead to emotional and behavioral outbursts that lasted throughout the school day. However, I catered to his lack of sleep. At bedtime, he would say he was thirsty, so I would give him a glass of water. Five minutes later, he was back in the room with another excuse. Yet over the years, the excuse became more clever, but limitations had to be set. I searched many websites for answers on how to assist a Kindergartener who is transitioning from receiving a nap to receiving no nap at all. Research suggests I set an earlier bedtime, create a consistent wake up time and, if that did not work, my next step was

President Washington s Phenomenal Tactics And Confidence Essay Example For Students

President Washington s Phenomenal Tactics And Confidence Essay The United States would have never been established without General Washington’s phenomenal tactics and â€Å"confidence† in the Revolutionary War. According to http://www.dictionary.com/, â€Å"confidence†, â€Å"is full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing,† and in fact, it is one of the hardest virtues people can attain (Dictionary.com). In life, we are aware of the many celebrities and successful people across multiple fields. We often ask the question why and how those people can reach the success, apart from the virtues, the qualities needed as hardworking, talented and flexible communication, or luck. To earn the same success as those people, we need to have a quality that is very important, â€Å"confidence†. Indeed, the word â€Å"confidence† helps people understand more about themselves, overcome life’s difficult situations, and easily archive their goals. Originally, â€Å"confidence† is the belief in ourselves, in our values or great qualities that exists within human beings. Moreover, self-confidence is something that cannot be taught. It is up to the individual to decide how much belief that they possess inside of themselves. Further, the more people believe in success and in the achievements that they have accomplished in the past, the more they can firmly embrace new challenges in the future. In contrast, â€Å"confidence† is opposite to some of people’s negative personalities such as cowardness, timidity, and it can lead them to be afraid to fail, or do not dare to pursue their dreams. Throughout life, â€Å"confidence† can be expressed from the smallest action as a student presenting or contributing ideas to the class lessons, or a scientist announcing his inventions, or even a writer publishing his books. . . iliar with their real-life children, more emphasis on psychological counseling adolescence, and future orientation for students. In summary, â€Å"confidence† is the key to know more about a person, to confront difficulties, and to easily success in life. So, everyone should practice it now to become a dynamic person, bravery in the society when there exists a strong belief in the thorns before life itself. â€Å"Confidence† also concerns people’s attitudes. Being calm and analyzing themselves leads people to know what their weaknesses and what is their strong points are. Psychological analysis always has an important influence on success, so â€Å"confidence† should make people being strong psychologically. The purpose of self-confidence is to maximize a person’s ability and future potential. Therefore, it has nothing to do with other people because it has to come from their own.