Friday, September 6, 2019
Fredrick Jackson Turner Essay Example for Free
Fredrick Jackson Turner Essay Fredrick Jackson Turner was an American Historian who examined the unique characteristics that defined American Culture. Turner was a well educated man receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884 and his Masters Degree in 1888. He continued his education at John Hopkins University and received a PhD in history. He taught most of his professional life at the University of Wisconsin and then Harvard in 1910. Rise of the West, and Significance of Sections in American History for which he received the Pulitzer Prize have become standards in the study of American History.  He is most well known for his â€Å"Frontier Thesis†which he developed in 1893. Shortly, after the United States Census Bureau in 1890 declared the American Frontier officially closed, Jackson’s interest was peaked and he set out to study and analyze America’s relationship with it’s own frontier. In 1893 he publicly spoke about this thesis in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition. He stated â€Å"Up to our own day American history has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West.† In 1921, Fredrick Jackson Turner published a full length text titled The Frontier in American History. In it he explores his thesis which stated The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development (Turner 1)            Turner’s fascination with the frontier and probably his inspiration for studying and understanding the importance of the American Frontier in American History stems back to his childhood. He grew up in in Portage, Wisconsin. His backyard bumped right against the meeting of two bodies of water Fox River and Wisconsin River. The small town had many characteristics that would have been found in frontier town. When he describes his childhood he tells of the Native American teepees where he fished as a boy. Native Americans were often in town to sell various pieces of craft and jewelry to the local stores.            To understand America and its culture it was extremely important to understand the frontier and America’s connection to it. Turner believed that the frontier â€Å"Americanized Americansâ€Å". This Americanization lasted close to 300 years, starting at the colonization of the New England coast and continuing until the west was completely settled. The free land offered in the west, the frontier, was a safety net which offered property ownership opportunities to people who traditionally could no afford to own anything. In the text of The Frontier of American History, he comments â€Å"So long as free land exists, the opportunity for a competency exists, and economic power secures political power†(Turner 32). Discontent and poverty revolts were almost unheard in those 300 years. He argues that the frontier produces and shapes a particular type of man who is full â€Å"of coarseness and strengthacuteness and inquisitiveness, (of) that practical and inventive turn of mind(full of) restless and nervous energy that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Turner 37). Turner’s believed that the western movement was the main factor contributing to the basis of American’s institutions and culture. Conditions of living and conquering the wilderness permanently altered the European settlers of the New England coastline to a new national breed.            Turner goes on to compare the American Frontier to Europe. In explaining their similarities, he states†What the Mediterranean Sea was to the Greeks, breaking the bonds of custom, offering new experiences, calling out new institutions and activities, the   ever-retreating frontier has been to the United States directlyâ€Å" (Turner 38). Turner continues to explain that to the while Europe had it’s own frontiers, it effected them â€Å"more remotelyâ€Å". Turner believed that the frontier shaped the American character and the closing of the Western Frontier signified the United States graduating from it’s initial development into something much more mature. Turner summaries by commenting â€Å" four centuries from the discovery of America, at the end of a hundred years of life under the Constitution, the frontier has gone, and with its going has closed the first period of   American history†(Turner 38). In The Frontier of American History, while he writes about America as an example he gives a detailed general explanation that he believes could be used in understanding other nation’s cultural growth patterns. Fredrick Turner believes that the growth and settlement is the first period of progress in any nation’s development. This expansion is followed by followed by periods of social and economic development. Each of which is frontier all it’s own. Turner explains with an example: Stand at Cumberland Gap and watch the procession of civilization, marching single filethe buffalo following the trail to the salt springs, the Indian, the fur-trader and hunter, the cattle-raiser, the pioneer farmerand the frontier has passed by. Stand at South Pass in the Rockies a century later and see the same procession with wider intervals between (Turner 12)                He believed that the American West created the first truly free man. The European Frontier was nothing more than people recreating Old World values and deferring to authority. The frontier in America had no law, no authority, and men lived by their wits. America thinks of it’s frontier as being within the country not at the edge. There is no line which separates the frontier from settled land. America’s frontier is transient and terrestrial.  However, the European frontier is fixed, and completely permanent.            Turner’s research and thesis contrasted strikingly with his historic contemporaries who believed that America was based on Europe. And it was the European historical legacy brought over with the colonists that gave America it’s uniqueness. Fredrick Turner believed that the American Frontier and the surrounding experiences should be respected and spoke about of with dignity.            Of course there are several flaws in his thesis. He failed to speak about the effect of the American Frontier on women and minorities. Turner’s theory was deemed ethnocentric and nationalistic. His premise also showed a large separation between rural American and the future urban or city culture.  Another problem with his safety net proposal is that it is not true for anything after the Civil War. In the slavery ridden South many blacks sought refuge in the frontier before the Civil War. However, after the Civl War, the poverty stricken south it was impossible for people to have enough money for transportation, and setting up homesteads in the West. It is important to note that Turner’s Frontier Thesis goes head to head with the theory that slavery was the defining factor in American history. The government actually gave away more free land after the official closing of the American Frontier than in all the years preceding 1890. Turner’s thesis and research were not, at the time of it’s original, publication embraced.  Much of that coldness he received from his peers was due to his blunt, forceful nature and writing style. When he spoke about his â€Å"Frontier Thesis†, he commanded his fellow historians to turn their mindset from European history to the American West. He comments often that American Historians ‘had it all wrong’ and he was right. His aggressive preaching may have turned other researchers off to even considering his thesis.            Fredrick Jackson Turner does a good job of fleshing out his thesis. I do agree that the American Frontier had a huge effect on defining what America is and who Americans are. I do think that Turner’s â€Å"Frontier Thesis†has it’s problems which I stated above. I think it is important to point out that understanding the birth of truly American Ideals you must look at several different theories developed by various Historians. I agree with the points that Fredrick Turner makes. Especially concerning how settlers of the frontier needed to be self sufficient and self governing.            Regardless, if historians agree with Turner or agree to disagree the impact of his â€Å"Frontier Thesis, is indisputable. He introduced the idea that daily events of regular people make up history that is it is true history. He nurtured and detailed his belief that the physical land can be a major factor in defining and shaping a culture, particularly the American Culture. Fredrick Jackson Turner breathed life into the American Western landscape, letting the Frontier transform from a mere setting to a powerful tool in chiseling the America’s historical and cultural legacy.  Bibliography Hutton, T.R.C. Beating a Dead Horse?: The Continuing Presence of Frederick Jackson Turner in Environmental and Western History. International Social Science Review (2002): 47+. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000838961. Ritchie, Robert C., and Paul Andrew Hutton, eds. Frontier and Region: Essays in Honor of Martin Ridge. 1st ed. San Marino, CA: Huntington Library Press, 1997. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=10400476. Turner, Frederick Jackson. The Frontier in American History. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1921. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=10376565. White, Richard, and Richard White. Chapter Ten When Frederick Jackson TurnerAnd Buffalo Bill Cody BothPlayed Chicago in 1893. Frontier and Region: Essays in Honor of Martin Ridge. Ed. Robert C. Ritchie and Paul Andrew Hutton. 1st ed. San Marino, CA: Huntington Library Press, 1997. 201-211. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=10400690.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Culture And Training And Development Management Essay
Culture And Training And Development Management Essay Culture is a group, which shapes a persons values and identity. A single term used to define a particular culture is often exclusive. Cultural identities can stem from the following differences: race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, country of origin, and geographic region. Culture is the lens through which you view the world. It is central to what you see, how you make sense of what you see, and how you express yourself. It is recognized by all multinational companies that global human resource management is critical for success in todays competitive world. The reasons for this are many including their integral involvement in facilitating the success of expatriate assignments (Bonache and Fernandez, 1999; Scullion, 1999; Stroh and Caligiuri, 1998). The picture comparing to 1990s have changed radically, rapid globalization of companies has brought the need for effective international assignments and relatively increased need of expatriates. There are three major factors that effect this change; first is the changing nature of international companies with joint ventures with global companies and emergence of small and medium size companies as the key industry players. Secondly the change in host locations decreases the number of expatriates that are ready to move with various concerns. Thirdly, the changing nature of international assignment themselves (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989) Success and failure of a global assignment is greatly influenced by an expatriates cross cultural adjustment to the host country. For instance cross cultural adjustment is positively related to performance on the employees assignment and negatively related to premature termination of the assignment (Black, 1988; Caligiuri, 1997). There are many companies in this modern and developed technology world that prefer to train the employees prior to assign them an international work. According to Ashamalla (1997) for more than twenty years cross-cultural training had been advocated as a means of facilitating effective cross-cultural interactions and adjustments. Training can be defined as an intervention that is aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of individuals, so as to help them perform better and professionally. There are many types of training practices in todays world; the type of practice in a company depends on the kind of industry and technological needs of the company. Out of many methods the most crucial and important training is intercultural training process (Kealey, D. J, Protheroe, D, 1995) The development of effective international strategies is termed as the major determinant of success of an international business. A research on expatriate management by Harvey (1998) indicates that, any kind of underperformance of an international assignee could be extremely costly for employees in career terms. It is also suggested that companies with global operations need implement sophisticated policies while pre move in certain areas like selection procedures for international assignments and cross-cultural training for both employees and their dependents. Failure in pay enough attention to either of the areas could lead to failure in the expatriation. Training in cross-cultural context can be defined as a procedure that is intended to improve individuals ability to cope up and adjust in a foreign environment (Baliga and Baker, 1985). The reasons given by many companies for not providing proper cross-cultural training to their employees before international move or provide the s tudy on a selective basis is lack of proven effectiveness. Course design using the learning diamond [online image] Tung (1982) has classified the training programs in cross-cultural contexts into six categories that include: Training on factual information about geography, climate, schools etc. Cultural orientation training i.e. information about cultural institutions and country values Cultural assimilation training, with brief episodes of intercultural encounters Language training Sensitivity training Training for managing emotional stress of living and working with people from different cultures. Another essential element to be considered for a cross-cultural training as a process is to understand the regulated steps to be followed in making the process successful. Objectives of training- Why Train? A well planned and tailored goal needs are needed for companies to analyze before setting up the training process (Ronen, 1990; Rhinesmith, 1993). Cross-cultural training should be designed ensuring that the performance, adjustment and development areas are covered. Many training programs these days are primarily focusing on the adjustment factor, that is, any employee with lot of patience and has lot of adjustment nature is considered as qualified for the international move. But adjustment does not necessarily ensure that they adapt to the culture and perform according to the business objectives. Organization need to draw dimensions that require employees to develop trust relationships with people of different backgrounds and values, their ability to communicate well, collaborative approach, ability to negotiate and cultural competence play a key role in setting task objectives (Gerrity, 1993). In the need of success and to avoid failure cross-cultural program objectives should be crafted to help assignees to (1) manage change-personal-professional transition (2) Manage the cultural differences; and (3) Manage their professional responsibilities (Marquardt Engel, 1993). Managing change includes the ability of the assignee in being flexible and adjustments towards culture. The impact of the change on the employee, family and friends includes creation of a personal and professional action plan to manage change. The plan also adds to make the employee aware that repatriation plan is also a part of managing his/her assignment. Managing the cultural differences includes; understanding of culture, shapes of culture, expectations and assumptions, understanding and applying frameworks basing on the cultural interactions and develop skills to reconcile differences, gaining practical information about host country are the important aspects in managing cultural differences Managing professional responsibilities include; applying information and insights required in the program to accomplish the objectives, understanding business objectives and job responsibilities in the host country, adapting the individual style and effective local approach. Trainees-Who should be trained? For any international assignment is very important for the family of the assignee should be trained along with the assignee as a supportive family atmosphere plays a very important role in a successful international assignment. The spouse of the assignee more certainly faces lot of challenges in the host county while the employee usually sustains himself with the routine job functions. The challenges involves in setting up households, negotiation with local shops, transportation, services etc with an unfamiliar language which are basing on the confidence levels of the partner. Duel career issue makes the situation more critical when faced with displacement and uncertainty; the partner may feel ambivalent about the changes and the chances of getting worried to find employment, or acceptable substitutes for employment, in the very likely event that work will not be available abroad. Childrens education and social adaption also effect the familys ability to adjust in the host country (P ascoe, 1992, Osland, 1995). All the above needs of the family to understand the culture makes it important to undergo training prior to the assignment. Program components-Cross-Cultural training programs There are many major key elements to make a successful training program at a cross-cultural context that includes assessment of basic needs, content, design and methodology, duration and timing, trainers and quality of end result. A through need of the employee, spouse, children and HR liaison is suggested requirement for a company to conclude on the training needs (Brislin Yoshida, 1994). It is also required to assess the assignees past international experience, job role and responsibilities, family dynamics, special interests etc. to make the training objective more clearly in both verbal and written forms. The content of the program should include general awareness, planning of placement, transition and stress management, life style adjustment, repatriation process (Kohls Brussow, 1995) A deductive approach to cross cultural training method is preferred as the information can be applier more logically and reasonably to specific situations, whereas with an inductive approach, generalizations made from specific information may be invalid, and lead to inappropriate choices and behaviors on the part of the assignees (Andersen, 1985). A variety of methods can be used to train the assignees and family basing on the needs of assessment like role plays, case studies, presentations, filed work, lectures etc. Immersion approach Assessment centre Field Experiments Simulations Sensitivity training Extensive language training Affective approach Culture assimilator training Role playing Critical incidents Cases Stress reducing training Moderate language training Information-giving approach Area briefing Cultural briefings Films/books/videos Use of interpreters Survival-level language training Low Moderate High Length 1 month 2-12 1-3 of stay or less months years High Level of rigor Low Length of training 1-2 months+ 1-4 weeks Less than a week Training can be provided prior to departure or after the arrival in the destination or both depending on the necessity. Pre departure training allows the family to have a realistic knowledge about the host country with basic understanding of culture and ethics. Post arrival training allows the family to clarify internal, geographical social queries. HR can reduce the possibility of expatriates failures by flying out the employee and family over to location to check out if they would like to stay. Based on the duration of the assignment HR can put up various training schedules based on the tenure of the assignment as shown in figure below, by Mendenhall, E. Dunbar, and G. Oddou, (1987) Studies indicate that the essential components of pre-departure training programs that contribute to a smooth transition to a foreign location include cultural awareness training, preliminary visits, language instruction and assistance with practical day-to-day matters. Trainers and training team include specialists and are experts to develop and deliver a program. The trainer act as the coach, educator, facilitator, counselor, moderator, and cultural role model for the participants. Quality assurance include results and outcomes of the program that include program evaluations, written documentation of results and liaison meeting between employees and trainers to justify the report. Many leading firms recognized that while there existing numbers of good training firms and many excellent training consultants to choose from, it is important to investigate carefully these credentials and capabilities. If the process is competently managed and executed well developed, training will become a key intervention in promoting success to the assignment and increase the return on investment for employees, family members and companies abroad. Training Measurement One of the key important elements of providing an effective learning is the ability to identify the training participants have changed their behavior according to the prescribed course objectives and as a continuation weather they will be able to transfer their behavior to the work environment (Hilary H and Savita K, 2000). A well designed training initiative may enhance the learning process of international assignee and thus facilitate cross-cultural interactions and cross-cultural adjustment (Black Gregersen, 1991; Caligiuri, Phillips, Lazarova, Tarique, Burgi, 2001). To understand a systematic approach in designing cross-cultural training initiatives Tarique and Caligiuri (2003) propose a five-phase process as a general strategy to follow in designing effective cross-cultural training initiatives. The five phases are: Understanding and identifying the type of global assignment for which the training is needed? Determining the cross-cultural training needs from the view of organization, assignment and individual Establishing the training needs basing on the goals and objectives of the organization. Finalizing the training program Ultimate effectiveness of the cross-cultural training program and results. Gudykunst, et al., (1996) proposes that future research on these phases is the important area of investigation when performing a training program. A better understanding on the limits and generalizability across organizational cultural, national and individual context for cross-cultural training is also an important area. The strength of the discussion tightens when the individuals high on openness to global experience, extroversion and agreeableness and early international travel experience adds value for more effective training and development comparing to individuals that are less on these traits. According to the recent review of cross-cultural training evaluation studies Mendenhall et al, (2004) stated that Cross-cultural training seems to be effective in enhancing knowledge and trainee satisfaction but seems to be less effective in changing behaviors and attitudes, or in improving adjustment and performance. Conclusion When going for an overseas assignment there are various considerations to be made. Often seen is that the expatriate receives the training but not the spouse and family. It has to be understood that spouse and family are the major contributors for the assignment success. Some companies do not impart cross culture training for the spouse and family as they think its an added cost and not essential. This is a wrong thinking. Cross-cultural training provides incoming and outgoing expatriate families a chance to study up on what is coming, and how best to approach the new reality. One of the reasons for the expatriate assignment failure is that the family and spouse cannot cope with the new environment. This coping up of the new environment occurs when there is no cross culture training given. From the above scenarios it can be seen or concluded that cross culture training is important for the spouse and family and it leads to the expatriate assignment a success in any part of the world. To sum up Cross Culture Training has to be imparted to the spouse and family for an overseas assignment. Companies need to invest more on cross-cultural training especially in terms of the immersion and affective approaches. The value of providing a comprehensive training program could reduce the failure of assignments or pre-mature assignments. Cross-cultural training enhanced peoples ability to deal with conflicts that arise within multicultural teams. To ensure success in business, many organizations used cross-cultural training to improve their managers cross- cultural effectiveness and enhance their communication skills. From the research it is discovered that crossing cultures is extremely difficult and requires the right kind of training. Cultural diversity in a work group provides both impunities and difficulties. When manages successfully, it brings economic benefits. For organizations that send managers on foreign assignments. The cost can be high, as those managers need to adjust to their new environment. Cross-cultural training is useful and worthy which can deal with conflicts that arise within multicultural.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Eaton :: essays research papers
The Eaton Corporation is a corporation committed to implementing and advancing the technology they use throughout the companies four-business segments Automotive, Fluid Power, Electrical, and Truck. However Eaton isn’t solely committed to the advancement and implementation of technology in the products they design and create, Eaton also works to implement technology in their everyday business practices such as Production, Sales and Marketing, and Human Resources. Production is a large part of the Eaton Corporation, â€Å"Eaton is a global leader in fluid power systems and services for industrial, mobile and aircraft equipment; electrical systems and components for power quality, distribution and control; automotive engine air management systems, power train solutions and specialty controls for performance, fuel economy and safety; and intelligent truck drive train systems for safety and fuel economy.†With Eaton’s broad range of products efficiency in the production process is extremely important to Eaton. To maximize efficiency in the production process Eaton uses the Eaton Lean Six System this system helps allow Eaton increase the performance of the company by eliminating waste, simplifying processes, reduce cycle times, and more effectively deploy resources to it’s business segments all of which work to help Eaton increase their profits. Another system Eaton uses is known as PROLaunch, this system allows Eaton to speed of the production process of its products. PROLaunch guides Eaton’s production of new products from concept to completion using a, â€Å"set of integrated processes†to help speed up the development process of Eaton’s new products. Eaton also uses technology in their approach to Sales and Marketing. Eaton has to approach Sales on an incredibly large scale, with Eaton’s sales in 2004 topping $9.8 Billion and the company selling their products to customers in over 125 countries Eaton has developed a very successful Sales strategy. By using technology such as the Internet Eaton’s vast line of products are constantly available to any potential buyers. Using the companies website www.Eaton.com the Eaton Co. allows it’s potential customers to view and access information about all of Eaton’s products and also allows those customers to make inquiries to the division of Eaton that produces those products. Eaton also uses it’s website to allow customers the opportunity of E-Business transactions giving it’s customers nearly instantaneous access to purchase products from Eaton rather than having buy the product from an Eaton supplier. Eaton also uses it’s website to help in the Marketing of their products and services.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Themes of Violence and Conflict are Central to Romeo and Juliet by Shak
Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare who was born in 1564 and died in 1616, during his time he wrote many plays which were prolific including Macbeth, Othello and The Tempest. Theatre in Elizabethan times was marvellous entertainment. Plays would be performed almost anywhere, the theatres were new and extremely popular places for people to meet up socialise. All sorts of people went to watch plays, from the poorest people to the richest. The poor people would stand at the front while the richest would sit down and watch from a more comfortable place. During 1592-93, Shakespeare wrote long poems instead of plays as the theatres were closed due to the plague. The people in this time were very religious and wouldn?t have allowed love stories or anything other than violence and conflict, this is why Romeo and Juliet is superseded with much violence and conflict which covers the love story in Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet violence and conflict are very important as a result of the fact that two families in this play dislike each other and are feuding. This causes much friction in the play leading to a huge amount of violence and conflict. A prologue is an introduction or foreword which is used to prepare the audience for the violence and conflict in the play. This is done when it states: ?Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean? this informs the audience that a high class family?s blood is spilt by another high class citizen. Another part of the prologue states: ?A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, ?Doth with their death bury their parents? strife.? This explains to the audience that two lovers kill themselves and when they die they end their parent?s trouble. Throughout Act 1, S... ...s is shown when she says: ?Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.? I think Shakespeare made his play violent because in those times people were very religious and they wouldn?t have watched his plays if they wasn?t violent. This is why he couldn?t write Romeo and Juliet as just a love story as that wouldn?t have been allowed in those times, therefore he covered up the love in the play with violence and conflict. The violence in the play has the effect of turning it into a tragedy due to the amount of conflict and the death of Romeo and Juliet. It also creates the image of violence being unfair because of the deaths of so many in the play and the tragic end of the two lovers. The violence in the play has the effect of exciting the audience, causing them to worry and think about what will happen to Romeo and Juliet.
Monday, September 2, 2019
What is Nuclear Power? Essay -- essays research papers fc
The process used was to gather information from books, the Internet, and interviewing my father who works at a nuclear power plant.      There are many forms of energy. Coal, gas, oil, and nuclear power are the most common forms of energy used in the United States. Three of these energies are limited: coal, gas, and oil. Nuclear power is unlike the other three because it uses the fission process instead of combustion. This form of power is unlimited. It produces heat energy like the others, but does not produce Carbon Dioxide and other particulate emissions.      Nuclear Power is made by Nuclear Fission. To create fission you must split a nucleus (usually Uranium) with a neutron. This starts a chain reaction that continues endlessly. In the reaction the splitting creates energy, as the energy bonds that tie the sub-atomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons) together are broken. Only a small amount of energy is released by each fission, but billions of fissions are occurring, adding up to a lot of heat energy. This is a very powerful energy that makes up 20% of electricity generation in the US. Fission Process      A byproduct of Nuclear Power is Radiation. There are three types of radiation. One is called Gamma Rays. It is very dangerous to your skin and organs. Gamma Rays can be stopped by several feet of concrete and a few inches of lead. To reduce the harm exposure to Gamma radiation can ...
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The Lost Symbol Chapter 83-85
CHAPTER 83 In the moist air of the Jungle, the Architect of the Capitol could feel the sweat now rolling down his back. His handcuffed wrists ached, but all of his attention remained riveted on the ominous titanium briefcase that Sato had just opened on the bench between them. The contents of this case, Sato had told him, will persuade you to see things my way. I guarantee it. The tiny Asian woman had unclasped the metal case away from Bellamy's line of sight, and he had yet to see its contents, but his imagination was running wild. Sato's hands were doing something inside the case, and Bellamy half expected her to extract a series of glistening, razor- sharp tools. Suddenly a light source flickered inside the case, growing brighter, illuminating Sato's face from beneath. Her hands kept moving inside, and the light changed hue. After a few moments, she removed her hands, grasped the entire case, and turned it toward Bellamy so he could see inside. Bellamy found himself squinting into the glow of what appeared to be some kind of futuristic laptop with a handheld phone receiver, two antennae, and a double keyboard. His initial surge of relief turned quickly to confusion. The screen bore the CIA logo and the text: SECURE LOG-IN USER: INOUE SATO SECURITY CLEARANCE: LEVEL 5 Beneath the laptop's log-in window, a progress icon was spinning: ONE MOMENT PLEASE . . . DECRYPTING FILE . . . Bellamy's gaze shot back up to Sato, whose eyes were locked on his. â€Å"I had not wanted to show you this,†she said. â€Å"But you've left me no choice.†The screen flickered again, and Bellamy glanced back down as the file opened, its contents filling the entire LCD. For several moments, Bellamy stared at the screen, trying to make sense of what he was looking at. Gradually, as it began to dawn on him, he felt the blood draining from his face. He stared in horror, unable to look away. â€Å"But this is . . . impossible!†he exclaimed. â€Å"How . . . could this be!†Sato's face was grim. â€Å"You tell me, Mr. Bellamy. You tell me.†As the Architect of the Capitol began to fully comprehend the ramifications of what he was seeing, he could feel his entire world teetering precariously on the brink of disaster. My God . . . I've made a terrible, terrible mistake! CHAPTER 84 Dean Galloway felt alive. Like all mortals, he knew the time was coming when he would shed his mortal shell, but tonight was not the night. His corporeal heart was beating strong and fast . . . and his mind felt sharp. There is work to be done. As he ran his arthritic hands across the pyramid's smooth surfaces, he could scarcely believe what he was feeling. I never imagined I would live to witness this moment. For generations, the pieces of the symbolon map had been kept safely apart from one another. Now they were united at last. Galloway wondered if this was the foretold time. Strangely, fate had selected two non-Masons to assemble the pyramid. Somehow, this seemed fitting. The Mysteries are moving out of the inner circles . . . out of darkness . . . into the light. â€Å"Professor,†he said, turning his head in the direction of Langdon's breathing. â€Å"Did Peter tell you why he wanted you to watch over the little package?†â€Å"He said powerful people wanted to steal it from him,†Langdon replied. The dean nodded. â€Å"Yes, Peter told me the same thing.†â€Å"He did?†Katherine said suddenly on his left. â€Å"You and my brother spoke about this pyramid?†â€Å"Of course,†Galloway said. â€Å"Your brother and I have spoken on many things. I was once the Worshipful Master at the House of the Temple, and he comes to me for guidance at times. It was about a year ago that he came to me, deeply troubled. He sat exactly where you are now, and he asked me if I believed in supernatural premonitions.†â€Å"Premonitions?†Katherine sounded concerned. â€Å"You mean like . . . visions?†â€Å"Not exactly. It was more visceral. Peter said he was feeling the growing presence of a dark force in his life. He sensed something was watching him . . . waiting . . . intending to do him great harm.†â€Å"Obviously he was right,†Katherine said, â€Å"considering that the same man who killed our mother and Peter's son had come to Washington and become one of Peter's own Masonic brothers.†â€Å"True,†Langdon said, â€Å"but it doesn't explain the involvement of the CIA.†Galloway was not so sure. â€Å"Men in power are always interested in greater power.†â€Å"But . . . the CIA?†Langdon challenged. â€Å"And mystical secrets? Something doesn't add up.†â€Å"Sure it does,†Katherine said. â€Å"The CIA thrives on technological advancement and has always experimented with the mystical sciences–ESP, remote viewing, sensory deprivation, pharmacologically induced highly mentalized states. It's all the same thing–tapping the unseen potential of the human mind. If there's one thing I've learned from Peter, it's this: Science and mysticism are very closely related, distinguishable only by their approaches. They have identical goals . . . but different methods.†â€Å"Peter tells me,†Galloway said, â€Å"that your field of study is a kind of modern mystical science?†â€Å"Noetics,†Katherine said, nodding. â€Å"And it's proving man has powers unlike anything we can imagine.†She motioned to a stained-glass window depicting the familiar image of the â€Å"Luminous Jesus,†that of Christ with rays of light flowing from his head and hands. â€Å"In fact, I just used a supercooled charge-coupled device to photograph the hands of a faith healer at work. The photos looked a lot like the image of Jesus in your stained-glass window . . . streams of energy pouring through the healer's fingertips.†The well-trained mind, Galloway thought, hiding a smile. How do you think Jesus healed the sick? â€Å"I realize,†Katherine said, â€Å"that modern medicine ridicules healers and shamans, but I saw this with my own eyes. My CCD cameras clearly photographed this man transmitting a massive energy field from his fingertips . . . and literally changing the cellular makeup of his patient. If that's not godlike power, then I don't know what is.†Dean Galloway let himself smile. Katherine had the same fiery passion as her brother. â€Å"Peter once compared Noetic Scientists to the early explorers who were mocked for embracing the heretical notion of a spherical earth. Almost overnight, these explorers went from fools to heroes, discovering uncharted worlds and expanding the horizons of everyone on the planet. Peter thinks you will do this as well. He has very high hopes for your work. After all, every great philosophical shift in history began with a single bold idea.†Galloway knew, of course, that one needn't go to a lab to witness proof of this bold new idea, this proposal of man's untapped potential. This very cathedral held healing prayer circles for the sick, and repeatedly had witnessed truly miraculous results, medically documented physical transformations. The question was not whether God had imbued man with great powers . . . but rather how we liberate those powers. The old dean placed his hands reverently around the sides of the Masonic Pyramid and spoke very quietly. â€Å"My friends, I do not know exactly where this pyramid points . . . but I do know this. There is a great spiritual treasure buried out there somewhere . . . a treasure that has waited patiently in darkness for generations. I believe it is a catalyst that has the power to transform this world.†He now touched the golden tip of the capstone. â€Å"And now that this pyramid is assembled . . . the time is fast approaching. And why shouldn't it? The promise of a great transformational enlightenment has been prophesied forever.†â€Å"Father,†Langdon said, his tone challenging, â€Å"we're all familiar with the Revelation of Saint John and the literal meaning of the Apocalypse, but biblical prophecy hardly seems–â€Å" â€Å"Oh, heavens, the Book of Revelation is a mess!†the dean said. â€Å"Nobody knows how to read that. I'm talking about clear minds writing in clear language–the predictions of Saint Augustine, Sir Francis Bacon, Newton, Einstein, the list goes on and on, all anticipating a transformative moment of enlightenment. Even Jesus himself said, `Nothing is hidden that will not be made known, nor secret that will not come to light.'†â€Å"It's a safe prediction to make,†Langdon said. â€Å"Knowledge grows exponentially. The more we know, the greater our ability to learn, and the faster we expand our knowledge base.†â€Å"Yes,†Katherine added. â€Å"We see this in science all the time. Each new technology we invent becomes a tool with which to invent new technologies . . . and it snowballs. That's why science has advanced more in the last five years than in the previous five thousand. Exponential growth. Mathematically, as time passes, the exponential curve of progress becomes almost vertical, and new development occurs incredibly fast.†Silence fell in the dean's office, and Galloway sensed that his two guests still had no idea how this pyramid could possibly help them reveal anything further. That is why fate brought you to me, he thought. I have a role to play. For many years, the Reverend Colin Galloway, along with his Masonic brothers, had played the role of gatekeeper. Now it was all changing. I am no longer a gatekeeper . . . I am a guide. â€Å"Professor Langdon?†Galloway said, reaching out across his desk. â€Å"Take my hand if you will.†Robert Langdon felt uncertain as he stared across at Dean Galloway's outstretched palm. Are we going to pray? Politely, Langdon reached out and placed his right hand in the dean's withered hand. The old man grasped it firmly but did not begin to pray. Instead, he found Langdon's index finger and guided it downward into the stone box that had once housed the golden capstone. â€Å"Your eyes have blinded you,†the dean said. â€Å"If you saw with your fingertips as I do, you would realize this box has something left to teach you.†Dutifully, Langdon worked his fingertip around the inside of the box, but he felt nothing. The inside was perfectly smooth. â€Å"Keep looking,†Galloway prompted. Finally, Langdon's fingertip felt something–a tiny raised circle–a minuscule dot in the center of the base of the box. He removed his hand and peered inside. The little circle was virtually invisible to the naked eye. What is that? â€Å"Do you recognize that symbol?†Galloway asked. â€Å"Symbol?†Langdon replied. â€Å"I can barely see anything at all.†â€Å"Push down on it.†Langdon did as he asked, pressing his fingertip down onto the spot. What does he think will happen? â€Å"Hold your finger down,†the dean said. â€Å"Apply pressure.†Langdon glanced over at Katherine, who looked puzzled as she tucked a wisp of hair behind her ears. A few seconds later, the old dean finally nodded. â€Å"Okay, remove your hand. The alchemy is complete.†Alchemy? Robert Langdon removed his hand from the stone box and sat in bewildered silence. Nothing had changed at all. The box just sat there on the desk. â€Å"Nothing,†Langdon said. â€Å"Look at your fingertip,†the dean replied. â€Å"You should see a transformation.†Langdon looked at his finger, but the only transformation he could see was that he now had an indentation on his skin made by the circular nubbin–a tiny circle with a dot in the middle. â€Å"Now do you recognize this symbol?†the dean asked. Although Langdon recognized the symbol, he was more impressed that the dean had been able to feel the detail of it. Seeing with one's fingertips was apparently a learned skill. â€Å"It's alchemical,†Katherine said, sliding her chair closer and examining Langdon's finger. â€Å"It's the ancient symbol for gold.†â€Å"Indeed it is.†The dean smiled and patted the box. â€Å"Professor, congratulations. You have just achieved what every alchemist in history has strived for. From a worthless substance, you've created gold.†Langdon frowned, unimpressed. The little parlor trick seemed to be no help at all. â€Å"An interesting idea, sir, but I'm afraid this symbol–a circle with a round dot in the middle–has dozens of meanings. It's called a circumpunct, and it's one of the most widely used symbols in history.†â€Å"What are you talking about?†the dean asked, sounding skeptical. Langdon was stunned that a Mason was not more familiar with the spiritual importance of this symbol. â€Å"Sir, the circumpunct has countless meanings. In ancient Egypt, it was the symbol for Ra–the sun god–and modern astronomy still uses it as the solar symbol. In Eastern philosophy, it represents the spiritual insight of the Third Eye, the divine rose, and the sign of illumination. The Kabbalists use it to symbolize the Kether–the highest Sephiroth and `the most hidden of all hidden things.' Early mystics called it the Eye of God and it's the origin of the All-Seeing Eye on the Great Seal. The Pythagoreans used the circumpunct as the symbol of the Monad–the Divine Truth, the Prisca Sapientia, the at-one-ment of mind and soul, and the–â€Å" â€Å"Enough!†Dean Galloway was chuckling now. â€Å"Professor, thank you. You are correct, of course.†Langdon now realized he had just been played. He knew all that. â€Å"The circumpunct,†Galloway said, still smiling to himself, â€Å"is essentially the symbol of the Ancient Mysteries. For this reason, I would suggest that its presence in this box is not mere coincidence. Legend holds that the secrets of this map are hidden in the smallest of details.†â€Å"Fine,†Katherine said, â€Å"but even if this symbol was inscribed there intentionally, it doesn't bring us any closer to deciphering the map, does it?†â€Å"You mentioned earlier that the wax seal you broke was embossed with Peter's ring?†â€Å"That's correct.†â€Å"And you said you have that ring with you?†â€Å"I do.†Langdon reached into his pocket, found the ring, took it out of the plastic bag, and placed it on the desk in front of the dean. Galloway picked up the ring and began feeling its surfaces. â€Å"This unique ring was created at the same time as the Masonic Pyramid, and traditionally, it is worn by the Mason in charge of protecting the pyramid. Tonight, when I felt the tiny circumpunct on the bottom of the stone box, I realized that the ring is, in fact, part of the symbolon.†â€Å"It is?†â€Å"I'm certain of it. Peter is my closest friend, and he wore this ring for many years. I am quite familiar with it.†He handed the ring to Langdon. â€Å"See for yourself.†Langdon took the ring and examined it, running his fingers over the double-headed phoenix, the number 33, the words ORDO AB CHAO, and also the words All is revealed at the thirty-third degree. He felt nothing helpful. Then, as his fingers traced down around the outside of the band, he stopped short. Startled, he turned the ring over and eyed the very bottom of its band. â€Å"Did you find it?†Galloway said. â€Å"I think so, yes!†Langdon said. Katherine slid her chair closer. â€Å"What?†â€Å"The degree sign on the band,†Langdon said, showing her. â€Å"It's so small that you don't really notice it with your eyes, but if you feel it, you can tell it's actually indented–like a tiny circular incision.†The degree sign was centered on the bottom of the band . . . and admittedly looked to be the same size as the raised nubbin in the bottom of the cube. â€Å"Is it the same size?†Katherine moved closer still, sounding excited now. â€Å"There's one way to find out.†He took the ring and lowered it into the box, aligning the two tiny circles. As he pushed down, the raised circle on the box slid into the ring's opening, and there was a faint but decisive click. They all jumped. Langdon waited, but nothing happened. â€Å"What was that?!†the priest said. â€Å"Nothing,†Katherine replied. â€Å"The ring locked into place . . . but nothing else happened.†â€Å"No great transformation?†Galloway looked puzzled. We're not done, Langdon realized, gazing down at the ring's embossed insignia–a double- headed phoenix and the number 33. All is revealed at the thirty-third degree. His mind filled with thoughts of Pythagoras, sacred geometry, and angles; he wondered if perhaps degrees had a mathematical meaning. Slowly, heart beating faster now, he reached down and grasped the ring, which was affixed to the base of the cube. Then, slowly, he began turning the ring to the right. All is revealed at the thirty- third degree. He turned the ring ten degrees . . . twenty degrees . . . thirty degrees– What happened next, Langdon never saw coming. CHAPTER 85 Transformation. Dean Galloway heard it happen, and so he didn't need to see it. Across the desk from him, Langdon and Katherine were dead silent, no doubt staring in mute astonishment at the stone cube, which had just transformed itself loudly before their very eyes. Galloway couldn't help but smile. He had anticipated the result, and although he still had no idea how this development would ultimately help them solve the riddle of the pyramid, he was enjoying the rare chance to teach a Harvard symbologist something about symbols. â€Å"Professor,†the dean said, â€Å"few people realize that the Masons venerate the shape of the cube– or ashlar, as we call it–because it is a three-dimensional representation of another symbol . . . a much older, two-dimensional symbol.†Galloway didn't need to ask if the professor recognized the ancient symbol now lying before them on the desk. It was one of the most famous symbols in the world. Robert Langdon's thoughts churned as he stared at the transformed box on the desk in front of him. I had no idea . . . Moments ago, he had reached into the stone box, grasped the Masonic ring, and gently turned it. As he rotated the ring through thirty-three degrees, the cube had suddenly changed before his eyes. The square panels that made up the sides of the box fell away from one another as their hidden hinges released. The box collapsed all at once, its side panels and lid falling outward, slapping loudly on the desk. The cube becomes a cross, Langdon thought. Symbolic alchemy. Katherine looked bewildered by the sight of the collapsed cube. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid relates to . . . Christianity?†For a moment, Langdon had wondered the same thing. After all, the Christian crucifix was a respected symbol within the Masons, and certainly there were plenty of Christian Masons. However, Masons were also Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and those who had no name for their God. The presence of an exclusively Christian symbol seemed restrictive. Then the true meaning of this symbol had dawned on him. â€Å"It's not a crucifix,†Langdon said, standing up now. â€Å"The cross with the circumpunct in the middle is a binary symbol–two symbols fused to create one.†â€Å"What are you saying?†Katherine's eyes followed him as he paced the room. â€Å"The cross,†Langdon said, â€Å"was not a Christian symbol until the fourth century. Long before that, it was used by the Egyptians to represent the intersection of two dimensions–the human and the celestial. As above, so below. It was a visual representation of the juncture where man and God become one.†â€Å"Okay.†â€Å"The circumpunct,†Langdon said, â€Å"we already know has many meanings–one of its most esoteric being the rose, the alchemical symbol for perfection. But, when you place a rose on the center of a cross, you create another symbol entirely–the Rose Cross.†Galloway reclined in his chair, smiling. â€Å"My, my. Now you're cooking.†Katherine stood now, too. â€Å"What am I missing?†â€Å"The Rose Cross,†Langdon explained, â€Å"is a common symbol in Freemasonry. In fact, one of the degrees of the Scottish Rite is called `Knights of the Rose Cross' and honors the early Rosicrucians, who contributed to Masonic mystical philosophy. Peter may have mentioned the Rosicrucians to you. Dozens of great scientists were members–John Dee, Elias Ashmole, Robert Fludd–â€Å" â€Å"Absolutely,†Katherine said. â€Å"I've read all of the Rosicrucian manifestos in my research.†Every scientist should, Langdon thought. The Order of the Rose Cross–or more formally the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis–had an enigmatic history that had greatly influenced science and closely paralleled the legend of the Ancient Mysteries . . . early sages possessing secret wisdom that was passed down through the ages and studied by only the brightest minds. Admittedly, history's list of famous Rosicrucians was a who's who of European Renaissance luminaries: Paracelsus, Bacon, Fludd, Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Newton, Leibniz. According to Rosicrucian doctrine, the order was â€Å"built on esoteric truths of the ancient past,†truths which had to be â€Å"concealed from the average man†and which promised great insight into â€Å"the spiritual realm.†The brotherhood's symbol had blossomed over the years into a flowering rose on an ornate cross, but it had begun as a more modest dotted circle on an unadorned cross– the simplest manifestation of the rose on the simplest manifestation of the cross. â€Å"Peter and I often discuss Rosicrucian philosophy,†Galloway told Katherine. As the dean began outlining the interrelationship between Masonry and Rosicrucianism, Langdon felt his attention drawn back to the same nagging thought he'd had all night. Jeova Sanctus Unus. This phrase is linked to alchemy somehow. He still could not remember exactly what Peter had told him about the phrase, but for some reason, the mention of Rosicrucianism seemed to have rekindled the thought. Think, Robert! â€Å"The Rosicrucian founder,†Galloway was saying, â€Å"was allegedly a German mystic who went by the name Christian Rosenkreuz–a pseudonym obviously, perhaps even for Francis Bacon, who some historians believe founded the group himself, although there is no proof of–†â€Å"A pseudonym!†Langdon declared suddenly, startling even himself. â€Å"That's it! Jeova Sanctus Unus! It's a pseudonym!†â€Å"What are you talking about?†Katherine demanded. Langdon's pulse had quickened now. â€Å"All night, I've been trying to remember what Peter told me about Jeova Sanctus Unus and its relationship to alchemy. Finally I remembered! It's not about alchemy so much as about an alchemist! A very famous alchemist!†Galloway chuckled. â€Å"It's about time, Professor. I mentioned his name twice and also the word pseudonym.†Langdon stared at the old dean. â€Å"You knew?†â€Å"Well, I had my suspicions when you told me the engraving said Jeova Sanctus Unus and had been decrypted using Durer's alchemical magic square, but when you found the Rose Cross, I was certain. As you probably know, the personal papers of the scientist in question included a very heavily annotated copy of the Rosicrucian manifestos.†â€Å"Who?†Katherine asked. â€Å"One of the world's greatest scientists!†Langdon replied. â€Å"He was an alchemist, a member of the Royal Society of London, a Rosicrucian, and he signed some of his most secretive science papers with a pseudonym–`Jeova Sanctus Unus'!†â€Å"One True God?†Katherine said. â€Å"Modest guy.†â€Å"Brilliant guy, actually,†Galloway corrected. â€Å"He signed his name that way because, like the ancient Adepts, he understood himself as divine. In addition, because the sixteen letters in Jeova Sanctus Unus could be rearranged to spell his name in Latin, making it a perfect pseudonym.†Katherine now looked puzzled. â€Å"Jeova Sanctus Unus is an anagram of a famous alchemist's name in Latin?†Langdon grabbed a piece of paper and pencil off the dean's desk, writing as he talked. â€Å"Latin interchanges the letters J for I and the letter V for U, which means Jeova Sanctus Unus can actually be perfectly rearranged to spell this man's name.†Langdon wrote down sixteen letters: Isaacus Neutonuus. He handed the slip of paper to Katherine and said, â€Å"I think you've heard of him.†â€Å"Isaac Newton?†Katherine demanded, looking at the paper. â€Å"That's what the engraving on the pyramid was trying to tell us!†For a moment, Langdon was back in Westminster Abbey, standing at Newton's pyramidical tomb, where he had experienced a similar epiphany. And tonight, the great scientist surfaces again. It was no coincidence, of course . . . the pyramids, mysteries, science, hidden knowledge . . . it was all intertwined. Newton's name had always been a recurring guidepost for those seeking secret knowledge. â€Å"Isaac Newton,†Galloway said, â€Å"must have something to do with how to decipher the meaning of the pyramid. I can't imagine what it would be, but–â€Å" â€Å"Genius!†Katherine exclaimed, her eyes going wide. â€Å"That's how we transform the pyramid!†â€Å"You understand?†Langdon said. â€Å"Yes!†she said. â€Å"I can't believe we didn't see it! It has been staring us right in the face. A simple alchemical process. I can transform this pyramid using basic science! Newtonian science!†Langdon strained to understand. â€Å"Dean Galloway,†Katherine said. â€Å"If you read the ring, it says–â€Å" â€Å"Stop!†The old dean suddenly raised his finger in the air and motioned for silence. Gently, he cocked his head to the side, as if he were listening to something. After a moment, he stood up abruptly. â€Å"My friends, this pyramid obviously has secrets left to reveal. I don't know what Ms. Solomon is getting at, but if she knows your next step, then I have played my role. Pack up your things and say no more to me. Leave me in darkness for the moment. I would prefer to have no information to share should our visitors try to force me.†â€Å"Visitors?†Katherine said, listening. â€Å"I don't hear anyone.†â€Å"You will,†Galloway said, heading for the door. â€Å"Hurry.†Across town, a cell tower was attempting to contact a phone that lay in pieces on Massachusetts Avenue. Finding no signal, it redirected the call to voice mail. â€Å"Robert!†Warren Bellamy's panicked voice shouted. â€Å"Where are you?! Call me! Something terrible is happening!â€
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Overpopulation Problems
Before we move on to overpopulation problems, we need to know about the various factors that are responsible for this incessant rise in population. Significant improvement in quality of life and basic health services has resulted in decline in death rate, and at the same time has caused an increase in the birth rate. Continuous migration of people from underdeveloped areas to developed areas has triggered an unnatural growth in population in developed areas, thus, putting immense pressure on available resources. Our failure in understanding the problems caused by overpopulation in urban areas is reflected in unplanned growth of newer towns and cities. More importantly, a look at the projected population growth is even more horrendous, which in itself stresses on the fact that we are not learning from our mistakes. Read more oncauses of overpopulation. Problems Caused by Overpopulation Overpopulation problems refer to a series of interwoven problems which are basically caused due to population explosion. The worst thing about these problems is that they act as major hindrances in the process of development. Though restricted to the urban areas as of now, these problems have already begun and it will be just a matter of time before they engulf the entire planet. Scarcity of Resources Available resources will not be sufficient to meet the demand of rising population. Only 3% of water on the planet is potable, so overpopulation problems will start with the lack of drinking water for millions of people across the globe. Land available for agricultural production is also shrinking, which means the amount of crop produced will decrease with time. If population increases and crop production decreases, a large part of population will be left to die of hunger. In fact, Thomas Malthus had predicted this problem of food shortage due to rise in population two centuries ago through his theory of population. Scarcity of resources will not just be restricted to food and water, it will also affect various other walks of life, including health services, jobs and many basic amenities. Health Problems The amount of waste produced by increasing population will hamper the waste management program in several countries. Untreated waste and poor hygiene will result in the spread of diseases. A large population will make the spread of contagious diseases even more easier. Health resources available with us will not be sufficient enough to cater to the needs of the huge population in case of an epidemic, and the death toll will be difficult to handle. Entire planet will experience large scale outbreaks of diseases, which will wipe out a large part of population by itself. Environmental Issues Increase in population will also increase the anthropogenic activities which cause global warming and related climate change. Larger the population, more will be the environmental issues that we will have to deal with like pollution and deforestation. We have proved time and again that we won't hesitate to encroach upon the natural surroundings and destroy them if we don't have a place to stay. This will result in loss of habitat for various species and cause a severe ecological imbalance on the planet. It would be foolish to expect that we will be safe from these overpopulation effects, as all lifeforms subsisting on this planet, including humans, are dependent on each other, either directly or indirectly. These overpopulation problems would not have affected us if we had unlimited land and resources, but that is not the case. Already limited resources are being continuously divided into smaller and smaller portions, especially the land. Perhaps we are yet to understand the hazards of overpopulation, or maybe we will continue to turn a blind eye to them until it causes some serious calamity. The need of the hour is to identify the solutions for these
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