Pros and Cons Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons Essay 1) Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little. Between mining the uranium, refining and enriching fuel, and finally to building and operating the plant, a big 1,250 250-megawatt nuclear facility produces an estimated 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. In contrast, coal-fired plants produce close to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year in the U. S. alone while also emitting lots of other pollution: soot that causes lung diseases; sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that cause smog and acid rain; and mercury that contaminates fish. In fact, coal kills 4000 times as many people as nuclear power, according to one analysis. 2) It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. 3) This technology is readily available. Disadvantages 1) Uranium Waste- The chief danger lies with the mining waste; it contains radium, which is highly radioactive. Radon gas (one of the products that occur after radium undergoes radioactive decay) can expose workers and nearby and nearby communities to an array of health risks like lung cancer, bone cancer and lymphoma. 2) The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium, which is a scarce resource. It’s supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual demand. 3) Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for terrorist attacks. 4) Risk of Catastrophe- Fukushima has joined Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in the vocabulary of dangerous nuclear mishaps. The explosion at Chernobyl’s nuclear plant in the Ukraine showed how nuclear energy could just as easily destroy us as it nurtures our everyday needs.  While nuclear power would allow Singapore to achieve energy self sufficiency, the risks and

The Duchess of Malfi Essay examples -- Duchess of Malfi Webster Papers

The principal characters and their roles We follow after bubbles, blown in th'air. Pleasure of life, what is't? Only the good hours of an ague The Jacobean age was one of questioning and uncertainty about many issues, such as religion, politics and law. At the same time it was rediscovering the potency of Classical texts of Rome and Greece, and reinterpreting tragic form to suit its own ends. The Duchess of Malfi is a revenge tragedy, but Webster has used the form for much more than just its entertainment value; he has used it as a vehicle for the exploration of some themes relevant to the society of his time. Webster based his plot on a true story set in Italy, and kept the Italian setting because like Shakespeare and other playwrights of his day, he had to use politically-acceptable foreign settings in which to explore ideas such as those presented in The Duchess of Malfi, (which were really commentaries on the England of their own era), to do with inequality, injustice, and corruption, without causing outrage in response to his work. Antonio and The Duchess The fact that Antonio can never have an equal relationship with the Duchess has prompted some readers to feel that his importance as a character in the play is limited, while others suggest that his main role is as a mouthpiece for Webster's own judgements and opinions. To assess the importance of his role we need to consider it relation to the Duchess, and in the context of the play as a whole. Inequalities of power associated with gender and social status are highlighted in the relationship between The Duchess and Antonio, and the reactions of others towards their relationship. In Antonio's self-deprecating dying speech, Antonio: We follow afte... ... been pointed out that The Duchess of Malfi is a flawed play. For example Ferdinand reveals to Bosola a possible motive for wanting his sister to be murdered: Ferdinand: To have gain'd an infinite mass of treasure by her death. [Act 5, Scene ii] But this sounds unconvincing, as Malfi is little more than a poor fishing village. Moments such as these in the play have led it to be criticised for its plot, and it has other flaws. For example is it plausible that the Duchess could marry Antonio and have children in secret? Webster tends to neglect the importance of The Duchess' sons, and in Act 5 we see Delio apparently with a false heir. But in spite of these flaws The Duchess of Malfi has lasted and remained popular, not just for its potent entertainment value and Webster's masterful use of language, but also for the insights it gives us into Jacobean society.

Frankenstein and Bladerunner Table

IdeaFrankensteinContextBladerunnerContext Doppelganger, defining qualities of humans and monsters†¢Doppelgangers confront †¢Ambiguity of narrative: M not real unless F story verified > connection between the two (Gothic) †¢Quest for knowledge, revenge, masculinity, eloquence, love of nature: M: â€Å"The very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal nature bade me weep no more† and F: â€Å"my spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature† †¢Humanity vs. ambition †¢Solidarity vs. connection Blurring between the two – creativity, logic, beauty, abhorrence †¢Abomination as human > moral dilemma. Isolated, Laconian figure during monologue evokes pity. Rhetorical questions â€Å"Why should I pity man more than he pities me? Shall I respect man when he condemns me? † †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"the sun shone upon me as upon man†Ã¢â‚¬ ¢City vs. Country, industrial revolution †¢Gothicism – nature, horror, monsters within society †¢Science overthrowing God – still human? †¢Doppelgangers confront †¢Knowledge vs. instinct †¢Group vs. isolated genius †¢Deckard ‘becomes’ a replicant Replicants positioned as logical, responsive , intuitive, beautiful: Z: vitality; L: revenge, fear, brutality; P: Roy’s kiss, positioning of tongue, immature, instinctive, honest kiss with R in front of S; R: instinct, reason, curiosity, humour, understanding and acceptance †¢Z: public place: mash of culture with their hats on, no connection except murder and death †¢L: D’s doppelganger? R (empathy and connection to D) shoots him †¢P: death of abandoned toy: materialism killed her: laughing doll †¢R: renewal, baptism, dove, blue light sky, lasting connection to D†¢Impersonal information society †¢Migration – different cultures > globalisation Contraception†¢ Responsibility of creator and ethical responsibilitie s of scientists†¢F vs. M †¢Tacit deal – F made M so he is responsible for him †¢M = empathy, F = selfishness, ambition †¢V: greatest good for greatest number †¢Progress needs to be tempered by human empathy †¢Pride and ambition lead to suffering †¢Usurpation of God contradicts responders beliefs and highlight ethical breach â€Å"I should have been your Adam, but I am the fallen angel [Lucifer]† †¢F pleads for a mate. Foucaulian shift: M more human â€Å"You must create a mate for me†¦ I demand it as a right to which you must concede† > â€Å"You are my creator but I am you master – obey! †¢empiricism and modernism †¢scientific development and industrial revolution – no questioning of morals – pantheism †¢well received because of hierarchical society – F tells all levels to â€Å"seek happiness in tranquillity and avoid ambition† – confirmation of values†¢ Tyrell vs. Roy †¢Created seeks out creator – dopplegangers †¢Created more perfect than creator †¢Created still dependant though independent of creator †¢Ethereal vs. physical/ sensual †¢Creations ‘more human than human’ †¢Science and progress at detriment of humanity †¢Impersonal and personal connections Tyrell objectifies replicants: â€Å"she is an experiment, nothing more,† â€Å"you are the prodigal son†Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Consumerism †¢Globalisation – transnationalism †¢Capitalism †¢Loss of identity through loss of culture †¢Mass migration †¢Technology as a part of life Criticism of genius†¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœgenius’ > pride, ambition > downfall †¢Genius removes you from human connection > God complex †¢Progress must not give way to indulgence †¢M. objectified in the quest for scientific advancement †¢Superficiality of society and lack of concern for human suffering †Å"If you could precipitate me into one of those ice- rifts†¦ you would not call it murder. †¢F’s creation and pride is corruption of God’s work (storm) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"the cup of life was poisoned forever, and although the sun shone upon me, as upon the happy and gay of heart, he saw around him noting but a dense and frightful darkness† †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump†¦ entirely reduced to thin ribbons of wood† foreshadowing †¢Destruction of innocence and family – Elizabeth, Clerval, William†¢Scientists, philosophers and historians elevated to great levels of importance †¢Reactionaries to change †¢Man creating own destiny – Reformation Effects of industrial revolution – science at the cost of humanity – grave robbers †¢Setting: distinction between nature and human society, the sublime, Romanticism – Byron a nd Percy (criticism – applies both F and M to nature), comfort, science lab and university. †¢Questions pantheism and ‘casual’ science, galvanism†¢Being removed from being human > holding yourself above others > detriment †¢Instinct and logic is greater than intellect (more human) †¢Overcrowded, paradoxical city, C’s inhospitable lab, T’s Godlike palace, S’s dilapidated and pathetic home†¢Impersonal corporatism, mass media †¢Migration – take over of minority groups Archetypical evil genius – society moe used to impersonal figures of power The agony of isolation and the Outsider†¢Progress – isolation †¢Don’t take human connection for granted †¢Destruction of Bride: M’s last hope of connection destroyed (setting) lose hope †¢Humanity vs. M †¢M vs. F†¢Shelley affair > socially shunned †¢Prejudice when revealed she was author (young, 19yo woman)â⠂¬ ¢Genius > isolation †¢Knowledge = power †¢Safety in numbers†¢Tough military life, searching for stability, wanting what’s impossible †¢Impersonal corporate worlds

Can Lack of Sleep Really Damage Your Brain

Researchers have long known that lack of sleep can be bad for your health, affecting everything from immune function to cognitive acuity. Now, new research suggests that long periods of wakefulness can actually result in long-term damage to the brain. Research Suggests Lack of Sleep Can Kill Neurons There is a long-held notion that missing out on regular sleep creates something of a sleep debt. If you are a nurse, doctor, truck driver, or shift worker who regularly misses out on sleep, you might just assume that you can catch up on your Zzzzz’s on your days off. But according to one neuroscientist, extended periods of wakefulness and sleep loss can create real damage - brain damage, even - that simply cannot be undone by sleeping in for a few hours on the weekends. While you might know that missing out on sleep is bad for your health, you might not be aware of just how risky regularly losing sleep might be for your brain. Research has long demonstrated that there are serious short-term cognitive declines after sleep loss, but some more recent research has shown that repeated periods of missing sleep can damage and even kill neurons. Extended Wakefulness Can Damage Critical Neurons Of particular interest in the study were sleep-sensitive neurons in the brain stem that are known to be active when we are awake, but not active when we are asleep. In general, we’ve always assumed full recovery of cognition following short- and long-term sleep loss, explained Dr. Sigrid Veasey, a professor at the University Of Pennsylvania Perelman School Of Medicine and one of the authors of the study.  But some of the research in humans has shown that attention span and several other aspects of cognition may not normalize even with three days of recovery sleep, raising the question of lasting injury in the brain.  We wanted to figure out exactly whether chronic sleep loss injures neurons, whether the injury is reversible, and which neurons are involved. These neurons play a critical role in various areas of cognitive functioning, including mood regulation, cognitive performance, and attention. â€Å"So if there’s an injury to these neurons, then you may have poor ability to pay attention and you might also have depression,† Veasey suggested. Examining the Effects of Sleep Loss on the Brain So how did the researchers study the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain? Mice were separated into three groups.The first group was allowed to sleep normally.The mice in the second group were kept awake for an addition three hours.The third group of mice were kept awake during the time they typically slept for an additional eight hours over the course of three days. After collecting brain tissue samples, the surprising results revealed: Mice in the first and second groups (those who had slept normally or only lost out on a few hours of sleep) showed an increase in a protein known as sirtuin type 3 (SirT3). This protein helps protect individual neurons from damage.The mice in the third group that were kept awake for extended periods showed no such increase of this protein. The Shocking Results of Sleep Deprivation Even more surprising - the mice in the extended wakefulness group showed a 25 to 30 percent loss of certain neurons. The researchers also observed an increase in what is known as oxidative stress, which can cause problems with neural communication.   Veasey notes that further research needs to be done to see if the phenomenon has the same impact on humans. Particularly, she notes, it is important to establish if the damage might vary among different individuals and whether things such as aging, diabetes, high-fat diets, and sedentary lifestyles might make people more susceptible to neural damage from sleep loss. This news might be of particular interest to shift workers, but also to students who regularly miss sleep or stay up late. The next time you are thinking about staying up late to cram for an exam, just remember that chronic sleep-deprivation might result in damage to your brain. Source Zhang, J., Zhu, Y., Zhan, G., Fenik, P., Panossian, L., Wang, M. M., Reid, S., Lai, D., Davis, J. G., Baur, J. A., Veasey, S. (2014). Extended wakefulness: Compromised metabolics in and degeneration of locus ceruleus neurons. The Journal of Neuroscience, 34(12), 4418-4431; doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5025-12.2014.