William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

William Shakespeares Macbeth - Essay Example Thus, there are spectacular evidences all through the characterisation and the plot of the play which suggest the importance of the Elizabethan culture in the representation of 'gender' in Macbeth. Therefore, a paradox of sexual confusion and gender roles is evident at the heart of the play. "'Macbeth, a virile warrior-hero, is at the same time an 'unfinished man' who murders because he has been convinced by his wife that only through violence will he achieve a state of heroism. His manhood, displayed in the utterly 'masculine' form of bloodshed, is not self-determined or innate, but rather infused into him by Lady Macbeth." (Sch'rkhuber, 2007, p. 75). Therefore, this paper analyses Shakespeare's representation of 'gender' in Macbeth and compares it with the representation of 'gender' in the 21st Century referring to current literature, media, and poetry. One of the central concerns of the critics of the play Macbeth has been the author's representation of feminism in the play which is noted for the reversal of gender roles. Thus, one finds that the playwright has been interested in representing females as dominating their counterparts and the major characters and themes of the play depict the difference in the sexual representation of males and females. Whereas both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are obsessed by the same passion of ambition, the playwright represents its effect differently in males and females. Lady Macbeth, the chief representative of females in the play, evidently violates the natural law concerning gender roles and the character of Macbeth enhances the reversal of gender roles in the play. "Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are fired by the same passion of ambition. However, while Macbeth is presented as violating moral law, Lady Macbeth seems to violate natural law: she is unfeminine. By eliminating in herself and her hus band tenderness, pity and vulnerability to feeling - human qualities her culture tends to associate with women - Lady Macbeth becomes half man herself. Through his efforts to be supreme among all men, Macbeth re-enacts the ambivalence of his sexual identity: the more he tries to prove his masculinity, the greater his fusion with Lady Macbeth." (Sch'rkhuber, 2007, p. 75). Therefore, it is palpable to a careful reader of the tragedy that Lady Macbeth makes an essential attempt to assume masculine characteristics which can make herself a stronger person. In addition, she also disparages her male counterpart, Macbeth, by attacking his own masculinity. "Macbeth shows a reversal in gender roles. The play questions what constitutes masculinity and femininity. It is important to Macbeth to be seen as a strong, powerful man. Lady Macbeth taunts him and mocks his sexuality to force him to get the courage to kill Duncan." (Thacker, 2008). In a careful analysis of the representation of feminism and masculinity in the play, one recognises that there is an evident reversal of gender roles by the playwright which can be comprehended as an attempt to identify with the contemporary Elizabethan culture.

Aboriginal native of canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aboriginal native of canada - Essay Example ossible for the government to determine the land base for these groups in the form of reserves, and defined who qualified to an Indian in the form of Indian status. The governing structures on Aboriginal communities used the Indian Act to come up with band councils that has control over the rights of Indians to practice their culture and tradition. However, this legislation in now regarded as obsolete since what it stood for in the past does not apply in the modern world. Modern land claim settlement have been formulated which has overshadowed the authority of the Indian Act over specific Indigenous groups. The Indian Act has been the cornerstone for the Aboriginal natives in Canada since its inception into the parliament in 1876 (Steckley & Cummins, 2008). The Act continues to be an important element in the management of Aboriginal affairs in the country. However, the act was legislated without the Indian consent, participation or meaningful consultation. The act became a means to separate the indigenous people from the rest of Canadian society by members of the dominant society until they are ready for transition. The government gave itself authority over the lives of Aboriginal people in order to control their lands and lives, denying them of their basic Canadian civil and personal rights. The Aboriginal people got the Indian status under the act, which gave them membership to the Indian bands created and recognized under the act. The government appointed Indian Agents who however had more powers than the Aboriginal officials did. The indigenous people also had fewer rights than the Canadians, which meant that they could not get the opportunity to vote. The government tried to make the act work by introducing the concept of enfranchisement, which involved the removal of an individual from the list of status Indians. The government considered these individuals ready for entry into the Canadian mainstream. They enjoyed the freedom of being a Canadian citizen.

Sample Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Sample Research Paper Essay The world is moving on. Everything has changed and will still continue to change. One of the major contributors of these changes is the unending discovery of new advances such as tools and information technologies worldwide, from conventional Information System (IS) to computer-based IS, even become web-based IS. These advancements have been widely absorbed to improve efficiency of the organization’s operation and effectiveness in providing service to its employees and customers for them to survive in the realm of business world. Organizations such as universities have increasingly adopted advanced technologies to automate their information systems. It includes tools that are used to create, retrieve, store, change and transmit information. Online services have been offered by universities to provide information and applications for various stakeholders such as students, parents, benefactors and school personnel in timely manner and with greater ease (Lee Kim, 2010). The Southern Leyte State University- San Juan spent considerable resources and efforts in applying computer-based information system in some transactions in school. The university has a computer-based system for accounting, enrolment and grading. Students, parents and benefactors ask for grades, schedule, statement of 2 account and other relevant information. Though the computerization automates the abovementioned processes but some of the students claimed that sometimes the releasing of requested information took hours or even days for some operations like retrieval of data since it is still done semi-automatically or manually. Aside from that, the university also collects a processing fee for grade inquiry. Truly, indeed, there is a call for improving student’s information system such as in students academic performance monitoring and billing system to satisfy the information needs of the clients. One of the responsibilities of the university is to inform the parents and/or sponsors about the academic performance of the students and it is usually done by sending grades through the post office. The problem is some of the parents and/or sponsors will not be able to receive the grades in timely manner or will never reach their hands. For any reason and maybe to facilitate decision making purposes, some of the parents and/or sponsors will personally visit the University Registrar to follow up the student’s performance. Undeniably, it is a burden to the parents to do such. That is why it is necessary for the university to find ways to aid the personnel in the Registrar’s Office in handling the student’s permanent record and to deliver accurate data pertinent to some clients. The academic performance of the university scholars has been also monitored by the school. The scholar’s grade is evaluated manually by the Guidance Counselor every semester if it still meets the qualification standards. Also, reports are to be generated for recognized private sponsors and for institutional purposes. During evaluation, the Guidance Counselor will require the scholars to submit their grades and so the students will also collect their grades from their instructors or at the registrar’s office. The thought of accessing data directly from the centralized database will speed up the evaluation process. The plus factor for university’s financial growth is how committed the sponsor an d the parents pay the fees of the students. But in the present situation, paying bills on time can never be realized for the university fails to issue statement of account to the students every after payment is made. As a result, parents or sponsors are not updated of their dues and no assurance that the students pay the fees religiously. Though the students are required to pay before midterm and final, the parents or sponsors have no idea how much are they going to pay for each term. As part of the university, it is the earnest desire of the researcher to contribute something to address the problems encountered by the clients of the university with regard to academic performance monitoring and generating of an updated statement of account. Since the problem concerns the delivery of information such as updated report of grades and billing statements to the parents and/or sponsor of the students in the university, the researcher found it helpful to have a Web-based Student Information System. The availability of Internet Service Providers such as Smart and Globe Broadband in Southern Leyte will make the designed system more accessible to the clients especially those students who are from other towns which constitute 66 percent of the total population at SLSU-San Juan. Aside from that, it will give the university personnel-in-charge in Grading, Scholarship, and Billing the capability to organize and present student information that suit the specific needs of the clients. Theoretical Background This study is based on the theory of Shelly et al (2005) which states that webbased systems are popular because they offer ease of access, cost effectiveness and worldwide connectivity, all of which are vital to companies that must compete in a global economy. Both personal and organizational processes influence a culture of innovation. In a culture of innovation, people will have a habit of constantly looking for ways to improve things (Denning, 2004). Continuous search for innovative ways has been made to cater the need of the people to access and share information resources worldwide. As what Newell and Turner (2006) said, Innovation means change: sometimes radical change and sometimes incremental change. This incremental change refers to the movement of change from traditional IS to computer-based IS and even now to the recent trend which is the web-based IS that runs through an internet technology. The explosive growth of the Internet is making available radical new means of communication that affect such diverse areas as business, entertainment and education. Network technology supports distributed systems and until today, the most popular system that is currently being used to make such systems possible is the World Wide Web and they even claim that this web technology is â€Å"fundamentally a new medium of human communications† (cited in Carstensen Vogelsang, 2001). True enough that in areas of education, Internet offers a medium that has the potential to be more responsive to students, to encourage greater participation in their own learning, and to give greater access to different sources of information than what traditional methods can offer (Brooks, 1997). The anchor theory is also supported by Young (1999) who argue that the Internet is the most cost-efficient medium for business-to-consumer dealings (cited in Voiculescu, 2005). Beller and Or (2003) also added that the decreasing costs of internet services, coupled with availability and convenience are likely to accelerate adoption of internet-based technologies. According to Shelly et al. (2005), Internet is a worldwide network that integrates many thousands of other networks, which in turn link millions of government, business, educational and personal users around the globe. Levine (2003) also added that internet technologies can reduce the time burden and provide easy-to-use and helpful information to the end user. These features of internet technology are vital to any organization for them to be globally competitive. Chae and Poole (cited in Brown Cooke, 2005) discussed that requirements and accountability have become more stringent and require better reporting for higher education. Additionally, mechanisms for evaluation and reporting have a growing role in university management. Traditionally, information sharing among university members has relied on a range of printed materials. Computer technology created opportunities on university campuses for sharing data and information among the staff and the students, and has been deployed since the late fifties (cited in Semiawan and Middleton, 1999). These information systems range from library systems, registration systems and financial systems, to campus-housing systems and other university service systems. Student Information System incurs such application software designed for educational establishments to manage student data. It is an application that keeps track of student records such as name, address, teacher, classes, grades and other pertinent information. Once the information is inputted into the database, it will provide the ability to quickly get information related to a particular student and print out their vital records (Freewareseek, 2009). As cited in Ngoma (2009), Barrett also encapsulates the essence of a student management information system (SMIS). He defines SMIS as â€Å"an integrated software package that maintains, supports, and provides inquiry, analysis, and communication tools that organize student accountability data into information to support the educational process†. From this so called student information system (SIS), the idea of developing a student information system specifically in academic performance monitoring and generating of statement of account for SLSU- San Juan was conceived. Student Information System development moved from mainframes to a network or workstation environment and the tools has also been changed from the traditional IS platforms to tools with support such as Gopher, World Wide Web and multimedia systems. Because of these developments, methods and procedures by which users obtain information are changing rapidly. Daily, hundreds of thousands of individuals use the Internet and Web browsers to obtain a much broader range of information than has previously been possible. According to Kitchens (cited in Brown Cooke, 2005), web-based student information systems have been widely adopted by institution to facilitate a range of operations such as grading, attendance, demographic data and reporting. Advantages of such a system is that information is accessible anywhere by using a standard internet browser; instructional management such as tracking student performance and monitoring progress can be handled through the online tool; teachers can define each assessment used in their courses and; the system makes individual student data available. A centralized web based system also enables educators to collect, analyze and communicate student information through desktop computers, however good databases also require data integrity so the information is consistent and valid. Many schools have online systems for managing classes, requesting financial aid, and performing other routine tasks. In these institutions, people can access school grades online once they enter the dashboard area where they manage other schoolrelated tasks, and the dashboard is accessed with a username and password. These types of systems can be very useful for parents who may want to keep a close watch on the progress of their children, and for students who want to keep an eye on their grades. The advantage of viewing school grades online is that it is usually possible to do so as soon as grades are received and posted. By viewing grades immediately, people dont have to wait for weeks while report cards are generated and mailed, which can relieve stress and tension. There may also be other reasons for wanting to see grades online, like wanting to check midterm grades to monitor progress in a class, or needing to know grades for the purpose of reporting them to colleges as quickly as possible. (Smith, 2008). Academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. The indicator of how well the students perform in the class is the student grades. Grade availability and immediate distribution through the use of SIS, which is called by Knievel (2001) as â€Å"full disclosure†, is of importance to concerned party mostly to the students and parents. Liao et al. (2007) asserts that SIS process within such technological sophistication does create precise knowledge edge, that such SIS application can be appealing to students and to the academic faculty as well as the parents. Student data acquired is usually used for effective decision making purposes. It is also an enduring belief in the academy that knowing one’s grade will change student’s negative behaviors or sustain positive ones (Knievel, 2001). Specifically, web-based student information systems have helped improve student records management, and school improvement plans. According to The Journal (2000), â€Å"Administrators no longer need to run from classroom to classroom or search from file to file to get the information they need, as the system (PowerSchool) provides instant access to all student records with a simple point and click†. SchoolWorks (2009) student information systems enable complete tracking and management of student data. The complete student information system includes student activities, daily attendance, period or classroom attendance, discipline, health and immunizations, grades, schedules, and more! SchoolWorks student information system manages your student data with a browser-based user interface. This allows platform independent student data entry. SchoolWorks student information system includes standard reports and allows custom report creation. The data structure is easily customized to match your state board of educations requirements for electronic submission of student data. At Westside Community Schools in Nebraska, Bird (2006) argues that there were significant improvements as a direct result of the adoption of the new SIS. â€Å"Since the implementation of the SIS, attendance at Westside is better than ever, discipline reports are down, and, instead of declining test scores that are common in schools with similar demographics, test scores are consistently above the national average and among the highest in the state of Nebraska. School administrators attribute this in good part to the SIS†. Bernhardt (2005) analyzed student demographic and perceptual data of elementary, middle, and high schools of Canyon View School District (an 8,000 student district) and concluded that fact-driven decision making can provide each district, each school, each class and each student with a reliable way to facilitate breakthrough performance and continuous education improvement. Her findings revealed that effective use of school data leads to more objective education-enhancement decisions. In North Carolina, a vast number of school teachers, administrators, leaders, parents, and students are using NCWISE to access and manage student data. NCWISE is described as a web-based, integrated, and secure tool for effectively managing student information and improving instruction in North Carolina schools. It was designed to provide teachers, principals, counselors, nurses, central office staff, and others with direct and immediate access to a full spectrum of data on a students entire career in the North Carolina school system. (Ngoma, 2009) As cited in Ngoma (2009), North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCPDI) report lists some of the features of NCWISE which include â€Å"the ability to move student transcripts immediately when a student transfers from one school to another; produce progress reports and report cards; share student grades and emergency information with appropriate school employees; and more quickly and accurately report student grades, attendance, and information used to support public school business processes†. The reason given for the adoption of NCWISE is that SIMS, which was the official public schools data collection source for more than 20 years and relied on antiquated technology. Let it be noted that NCWISE replaced SIMS. De La Salle University (DLSU), Manila created a My.LaSalle (MLS) university portal to extend efficient services to its clientele. Students can enroll online, thus, no more lining up at the Registrars Office. They can enroll anywhere within their scheduled period, in their preferred course and section, provided it is still open. Students can always view the actual enrollment count per course and section. Students can also inquire through the portal, information about course schedule, account balance, grades for the term, schedules of final exams and course card distribution. However, transactions could be denied due to unsettled accountabilities such as payables in the accounting or registrar’s offices, or library dues. These records will be reflected in a student’s personal account and they are updated as frequently as needed. On the other hand, faculty members can submit final grades and request for change of grade online even in the comforts of their own homes. (DLSU, 2010) University of the East, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Inc., Manila developed a UERM portal for their students and employees. The portal contains Faculty Portal and Student Portal. Faculty Portal is an exclusive gateway for UERM faculty members for online information, faculty evaluation, faculty load, uploading lectures, quizzes and other materials for dissemination to their classes. It also provides access to profound discussions among faculty about lesson and other topics for the creation of knowledge. The Student Portal is for online student information, lectures, discussions, resources and other services exclusive to UERM students. It aims to enhance and extend the students learning experience through information technology beyond the bound of the classroom. (UERMMMC, 2010) The University of Baguio (UB) E-Reservation System is an extended feature of the UB enrollment System wherein transactions are done via the internet. The student is allowed to reserve schedules and be evaluated by the college dean. Grades are available for viewing online using UB-Online Information Service. Final grades for a given term may be viewed in a Final Grade Report or in an Unofficial Academic Transcript (UB, 2010). All business transactions revolve around one thing- payments. Many ecommerce websites integrate all the possible payment gateway modes for customers choice so that payments never get delayed. Through technologies the organization business operations have become easier and fast. Billing is the process of sending bills for payment (Macmillan English Dictionary, 2010). The term E-billing is the electronic delivery of financial documents to the customer, that represents and replaces the conventional paper based document (Email connection, 2001). Universities adopt this so called on-line billing for its perceived advantages than traditional billing system. Southerns eBill offers both students and parents a number of advantages over traditional paper bills, including: students can authorize others (parents, spouse, etc.) to view and pay bills; easy to read online history of past statements and payments; ability to schedule future payments; ease of use and convenience (Southern Connecticut State University, 2009). The Students Accounts Office at Macalester College implemented a new billing process. This change in process has taken place for several reasons. One reason and advantage of the change in process is that students and authorized users may view information relating to billing accounts, statements, and account activity at their convenience. The change in process correlates directly with the leadership role Macalester College has taken in sustainability for higher education. This change also will not only save paper by not having to print statements but will also reduce the need for other paper products such as two forms of envelopes. For students monthly billing, the student and authorized users will receive email notification announcing that the newest electronic eBill statement is ready to view. All students and authorized users must go online to view the statements. If a paper statement is required, the student or authorized user must print it at their convenience (Macalester College, 2009) In San Diego State University, they used a billing system wherein student billing statements are sent out on a monthly basis when money is due to the University. Student statements will be delivered in electronic format. Students are sent an email directing them to a secure website to review their bill, so it is important that their email address be kept up to date in their Portal account. Another feature is that the student may set up a parent PIN so that in addition to the student receiving the email, the parent may also receive an email (San Diego State University, 2009). Another motivation for online technologies as emphasized by Kemelgor, Johnson and Srinivasan (2000) is that â€Å"to attract good students, educational institutions must continue to innovate.† Technology is a tool recognized by many institutions that can be utilized to improve levels of service while aiming to personalize and extend the relationship with students (as cited in Savarese, 2004). Therefore effective student systems need to be student oriented and designed so administrative requirements don’t negatively impact on the student. It is in the light of these theories and related literature that inspired the researcher to develop web-based student information system specifically on student performance monitoring and generating statement of account in Southern Leyte State University-San Juan to keep pace with the above-mentioned innovations and of course to be able to cater the information needs of the stakeholders. 14 THE PROBLEM Statement of the Problem This study aimed to analyze, design and develop a prototype Web-Based Student Information System for Southern Leyte State University- San Juan, Southern Leyte. Specifically, it sought to: 1. analyze the services provided by the university as they relate to 1.1 1.2 student academic performance monitoring and; generating statement of account; 2. determine the status of the present student information system in terms of 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 relevance; accessibility; reliability and; timeliness; 3. identify the problems encountered by the students, parents, benefactors and personnel-in-charge in the present student information system; 4. determine the features of a good Student Information System; and 5. design and develop a prototype of a Web-Based Student Information System. Significance of the Study The results of the study would benefit the following entities: Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This study will help CHED, as a governing body to all education institutions, to encourage colleges and universities to implement research and development for the purpose of delivering quality service to each of its clients. SLSU. This study would enable the university to improve their student information system. It will give them the opportunity to give quality service to their clients. Students. The developed system would benefit the students for they can inquire their information needs with regard to their academic performance and billing statements at their convenient time and place. Parents. The output of this study would allow the parents to monitor the academic status and billing account of their child by accessing the records through the internet. Benefactors. The student information such as grades and statement of account that is extracted from the system would facilitate the sponsors for their decision making purposes. Also, they would be guided constantly with their bills. Student Affairs Office. The output of this study would significantly give ease to the Guidance Counselor in performing his tasks especially in monitoring, record keeping and generating reports. Registrar’s Office. Through the system, the work of the personnel in the Registrar’s office in disseminating grades to the students will be lessened for the records are now available online. Accounting Office. The staff in Accounting Office will not be disrupted with students who constantly inquire their statement of account. This study would give an opportunity for the researcher to gain more knowledge in programming and enhance his/her skill in designing and solving analytical problems. Aside from that he/she will gain confidence from her experiences in the making of this research. Future Researchers. The future researchers would greatly benefit from this study for the findings of this study would encourage them to design an improved system. Other HEI’s. The output of this provides insights to other higher education on how to disseminate information to their clients in a better way. This study may also assist them in achieving successful outcomes in similar projects. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The study will utilize the descriptive research method using a researcherconstructed questionnaire to gather data from various stakeholders such as students, parents, benefactors and some personnel in charge in Scholarship, Registrar, and Accounting at SLSU- San Juan. The questionnaire simply asked the respondents to examine the current information system in the university and suggest some good features of a good student information system. The data that will be collected from identified respondents will be presented, analyzed and interpreted. The results and findings of the research study will serve as the basis for the design and development of the Web-based Information System for SLSU- San Juan.

A Look At British History History Essay

A Look At British History History Essay It was a turbulent century in British history. A brief study of the era of 1550 to 1650 clearly illustrates why. This was a period of invention, scientific advancement and astrological discoveries, yet it remained filled with supernatural notions, superstition, mythology and plain ignorance. During this era, Britain embarked on an age of great world exploration and mighty conquests while fighting bloody wars of religion, class and political dominance at home. This century was marked by a great rebirth of the arts in which intellectuals and artists flourished in Britain, yet it was also a time of strife, hardship, disease and hunger. It was during this chaotic era that Britain came to be known as the center of Western civilization under the humane and rational rule of Queen Elizabeth I (World). It was also during this time that the poet and playwright William Shakespeare lived, worked and wrote some of historys most remarkable literary works having been influenced by and having drawn upon the social thought, religious conviction and political landscape of this tumultuous era (World). Prior to and during the time of Queen Elizabeth and the time of the Renaissance, Britain was a breeding ground for religious and political unrest. Beginning in 1531, the countrys official religion changed five times in accordance with the choice of the King or Queen who was in power at the time (Elizabethan). Since most of the English common people believed that Kings and Queens were directly connected to God and must be obeyed at all times, the monarchs chosen religion was also followed by most of the monarchs subjects (Time). Britains official religion was Catholic until 1531, then it was Protestant until Queen Mary took the throne after which it became Catholic again and then back to Protestant during Queen Elizabeths reign (Time). Each change in power led to a change in the nations official religion which, in turn, led to persecution of the non-ruling religious group. The political thinking during this period was controlled by a small number of powerful ruling families and jealou sies and rivalries within these families made these political conflicts even more severe (Time). During this era, England was a leader in world exploration and soon became a major commercial power. It was also a time of advancements in technology and invention. All of the unrest and uncertainty, however, left the common people feeling discontent and afraid of the many changes that were happening to their nation. The era in British history between 1550 to 1650 during the time that Queen Elizabeth held the throne has been characterized by British people as one of the best epochs the country ever had (World). While it is true that during her time in power Queen Elizabeth calmed religious unrest, established Britain as a leading world power and ushered in the age of the Renaissance or rebirth of new ideas and new thinking, the life of ordinary citizen was harsh. The majority of the population, referred to as common people, lived short lives filled with hard labor, little food, no schooling, rampant disease, poverty, violence, crime, high infant mortality and inequality between men and women (Time). In cities, life was particularly filthy, brutal and short. There was no running water in homes and so most people were dirty and smelly. Human and animal waste was thrown out directly onto the streets (Time). These unclean conditions formed a breeding ground for the spread of diseases such as typhus, bubonic plague, tuberculosis and influenza (Time). Rogues and vagabonds roamed the roads begging and stealing (Time). Riots were common and could turn violent. Such harsh conditions at home were one of the reasons that many British common people chose to travel to the colonies in the New World in search of a better way of life. It is, therefore, no surprise that entertainment was extremely important to the common people. Even the poorest of the people enjoyed entertainment from acting troupes, dancing, jugglers, strolling players, and plays. Theatre was especially popular with the common people and it was inexpensive to attend (Tudor). It was during this time that open air playhouses first came to be in the cities of Britain, including the Rose, the Swan, and the Globe Theatre in London which was owned, in part, by Shakespeare (Tudor). William Shakespeare fed upon the atmosphere and the feelings occurring during this turbulent era of British history and he used them extensively in his plays and other literary works. One such example is a speech by a character named John of Guant in Shakespeares 1601 play, Richard II, expressing his love for England and his concerns about the countrys future (Time). All of the major events, people, places and problems of this era, including class structure, religious discont ent, fate, rebellion against authority and prominent figures of the time, influenced Shakespeare and provided inspiration and background for his literary works (Who). In his plays, Shakespeare chose to write about many of the periods topics of conversation and disagreement, including classical Greek and Roman tales, superstition, love, revenge and rebellion. The works of playwrights such as Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe contributed to Londons eventual rise as a center of culture and art. Their contributions to this time period will forever mark the social, religious and political thinking of the time and illustrate the conflicts that made the era of 1550 to1650 one of the most turbulent eras in British history. Works Cited Elizabethan Period. ELIZABETHAN ERA. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Time Travellers Guide to Tudor England. Channel 4. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . The Tudor Church. UK Travel and Heritage Britain Express UK Travel Guide. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Who Was around in 1550 to 1650 in Great Britain? WikiAnswers The QA Wiki. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . World History of 1550 to 1650. 2020 Site Wedding Invitation Wording, Family Crests, Trees and Other Eclectic Information at 2020. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .

Essay --

In 1931, Samuel Kistler created aerogel, the least dense solid in the world. Known for its ultra lightweight and incredible insulating ability, recent developments have shown aerogel’s potential in a wide variety of areas. Recently NASA for has used it to insulate Mars rovers and space suits. In addition to this, its extremely low density was utilized to catch dust particles in space, which would otherwise vaporize if they came in contact with solids at high speeds. Its insulating ability combined with its hygroscopic nature allow it to be very useful in both spacecraft and aircraft maintenance, as they keep ice from forming on the wings of the vehicle. Due to its incredible versatility and ultra lightweight, aerogel is a material of the future that will be utilized heavily in years to come. In the 1930’s Samuel Kistler removed all liquid from a silicon gel to produce an ultra-light material that functioned as an extremely efficient insulator, and named his discovery aerogel. It was initially marketed as an insulator, but due to developments in efficient insulation not being of priority in the 30’s, Aerogel development stalled. In the 1980’s, Aerogel development resumed as energy efficiency became a salient issue in America. (Aerogel Crystal Structure, 2005) Although it was deemed too costly for domestic use as insulation, the development of aerogels for commercial and military use has since taken off. Aerogel is produced by making a gel out of a desired material such as silicon, and replacing the liquid in a gel with a pure solvent. Then, the liquid in the gel is heated and pressurized so that it enters a supercritical state, where it can expand and compress like a gas, but has the density and thermal conductivity of a liquid. (H... ... greatly reduce the weight of planes and other military equipment. (DARPA Awards Aspen Aerogels, 2004) Due to their relatively high cost, the main consumers of aerogels are government agencies and large companies. The incredible capabilities and extreme versatility of aerogels provide a bright future for this technologically advanced material. As space exploration expands, lightweight insulation will be at a premium, and demand for aerogels will grow exponentially. In addition, its applications in the military and environmental uses will keep this material relevant for years to come. I believe that as research and development of aerogels continues, the cost of this material will decline to the point that it will become accessible to the average consumer, and could be used in protective gear or as originally conceived, as a cost efficient insulator for domestic uses.

The Perfect Gesture :: essays research papers

The Perfect Gesture. The perfect form football tackle, that is the perfect gesture. The person that made this gesture was Gary Kmiec. I witnessed this event for the first time, Labor Day, at the junior varsity football game against North Park College. The day was hot and humid, like a regular Chicago summer. The North Park Viking's field was hardly appealing to the eye. The field was one of those contraptions of a baseball/football field combination. It was the third quarter of a very intense game, the score was 8-6 we were winning. Both teams were relying on their defenses to stop the opposing offense and in our case to score. From what I have heard through the â€Å"grape vine† is that the offense of North Central isn't the greatest, but we have one of the best defenses. The stands, like every other junior varsity game, had only a handful of people in them. Most of the die-hard fans were either family or girlfriends. Unlike the North Park Vikings, who suited up over 60 players in their royal blue, our junior varsity team had suited up about 29 players total. Out of those 29 select few, only 13 were on the defensive side of the ball. North Park was on offense. The cardinal defense stood strong. It was second down and North Park needed five more yards to get the first down. I was not in the game at this time so I had an exceptional view. The Viking quarterback dropped back 2 steps then he handed the ball off to the half back. Kmiec, like he had always been taught, mirrored the half back shuffling parallel with him. Kmiec accelerated towards the ball carrier. Then it happened. The perfect gesture, the perfect tackle. This was it. Kmiec had reached top speed when he met the ball carrier. When they met, Kmiec placed his right shoulder pad in the gut of the running back, making him lose his breath. Kmiec then wrapped his hands around the back of the ball carrier and pinned him to the ground. His helmet hit the ball directly, causing the pigskin to fly free from the running backs grip. Our free safety, Bob Goins, was right behind Kmiec and recovered the fumble on the North Park 25 yard line. The North Central crowd cheered and the North Central sidelines were in an uproar.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 1 Mathematician

CLEON I-†¦ The last Galactic Emperor of the Entun dynasty. He was born in the year 11,988 of the Galactic Era, the same year in which Hari Seldon was born. (It is thought that Seldon's birthdate, which some consider doubtful, may have been adjusted to match that of Cleon, whom Seldon, soon after his arrival on Trantor, is supposed to have encountered.) Having succeeded to the Imperial throne in 12,010 at the age of twenty-two, Cleon I's reign represented a curious interval of quiet in those troubled times. This is undoubtedly due to the skills of his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, who so carefully obscured himself from public record that little is known about him. Cleon himself†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica [1] 1. Suppressing a small yawn, Cleon said, â€Å"Demerzel, have you by any chance ever heard of a man named Hari Seldon?† Cleon had been Emperor for just over ten years and there were times at state occasions when, dressed in the necessary robes and regalia, he could manage to look stately. He did so, for instance, in the holograph of himself that stood in the niche in the wall behind him. It was placed so that it clearly dominated the other niches holding the holographs of several of his ancestors. The holograph was not a totally honest one, for though Cleon's hair was light brown in hologram and reality alike, it was a bit thicker in the holograph. There was a certain asymmetry to his real face, for the left side of his upper lip raised itself a bit higher than the right side, and this was somehow not evident in the holograph. And if he had stood up and placed himself beside the holograph, he would have been seen to be 2 centimeters under the 1.83-meter height that the image portrayed-and perhaps a bit stouter. Of course, the holograph was the official coronation portrait and he had been younger then. He still looked young and rather handsome, too, and when he was not in the pitiless grip of official ceremony, there was a kind of vague good nature about his face. Demerzel said, with the tone of respect that he carefully cultivated, â€Å"Hari Seldon? It is an unfamiliar name to me, Sire. Ought I to know of him?† â€Å"The Minister of Science mentioned him to me last night. I thought you might.† Demerzel frowned slightly, but only very slightly, for one does not frown in the Imperial presence. â€Å"The Minister of Science, Sire, should have spoken of this man to me as Chief of Staff. If you are to be bombarded from every side-â€Å" Cleon raised his hand and Demerzel stopped at once. â€Å"Please, Demerzel, one can't stand on formality at all times. When I passed the Minister at last night's reception and exchanged a few words with him, he bubbled over. I could not refuse to listen and I was glad I had, for it was interesting.† â€Å"In what way interesting, Sire?† â€Å"Well, these are not the old days when science and mathematics were all the rage. That sort of thing seems to have died down somehow, perhaps because all the discoveries have been made, don't you think? Apparently, however, interesting things can still happen. At least I was told it was interesting.† â€Å"By the Minister of Science, Sire?† â€Å"Yes. He said that this Hari Seldon had attended a convention of mathematicians held here in Trantor-they do this every ten years, for some reason-and he said that he had proved that one could foretell the future mathematically.† Demerzel permitted himself a small smile. â€Å"Either the Minister of Science, a man of little acumen, is mistaken or the mathematician is. Surely, the matter of foretelling the future is a children's dream of magic.† â€Å"Is it, Demerzel? People believe in such things.† â€Å"People believe in many things, Sire.† â€Å"But they believe in such things. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the forecast of the future is true or not. If a mathematician should predict a long and happy reign for me, a time of peace and prosperity for the Empire-Eh, would that not be well?† â€Å"It would be pleasant to hear, certainly, but what would it accomplish, Sire?† â€Å"But surely if people believe this, they would act on that belief. Many a prophecy, by the mere force of its being believed, is transmuted to fact. These are ‘self-fulfilling prophecies.' Indeed, now that I think of it, it was you who once explained this to me.† Demerzel said, â€Å"I believe I did, Sire.† His eyes were watching the Emperor carefully, as though to see how far he might go on his own. â€Å"Still, if that be so, one could have any person make the prophecy.† â€Å"Not all persons would be equally believed, Demerzel. A mathematician, however, who could back his prophecy with mathematical formulas and terminology, might be understood by no one and yet believed by everyone.† Demerzel said, â€Å"As usual, Sire, you make good sense. We live in troubled times and it would be worthwhile to calm them in a way that would require neither money nor military effort-which, in recent history, have done little good and much harm.† â€Å"Exactly, Demerzel,† said the Emperor with excitement. â€Å"Reel in this Hari Seldon. You tell me you have your strings stretching to every part of this turbulent world, even where my forces dare not go. Pull on one of those strings, then, and bring in this mathematician. Let me see him.† â€Å"I will do so, Sire,† said Demerzel, who had already located Seldon and who made a mental note to commend the Minister of Science for a job well done. 2. Hari Seldon did not make an impressive appearance at this time. Like the Emperor Cleon I, he was thirty-two years old, but he was only 1.73 meters tall. His face was smooth and cheerful, his hair dark brown, almost black, and his clothing had the unmistakable touch of provinciality about it. To anyone in later times who knew of Hari Seldon only as a legendary demigod, it would seem almost sacrilegious for him not to have white hair, not to have an old lined face, a quiet smile radiating wisdom, not to be seated in a wheelchair. Even then, in advanced old age, his eyes had been cheerful, however. There was that. And his eyes were particularly cheerful now, for his paper had been given at the Decennial Convention. It had even aroused some interest in a distant sort of way and old Osterfith had nodded his head at him and had said, â€Å"Ingenious, young man. Most ingenious.† Which, coming from Osterfith, was satisfactory. Most satisfactory. But now there was a new-and quite unexpected-development and Seldon wasn't sure whether it should increase his cheer and intensify his satisfaction or not. He stared at the tall young man in uniform-the Spaceship-and-Sun neatly placed on the left side of his tunic. â€Å"Lieutenant Alban Wellis,† said the officer of the Emperor's Guard before putting away his identification. â€Å"Will you come with me now, sir?† Wellis was armed, of course. There were two other Guardsmen waiting outside his door. Seldon knew he had no choice, for all the other's careful politeness, but there was no reason he could not seek information. He said, â€Å"To see the Emperor?† â€Å"To be brought to the Palace, sir. That's the extent of my instructions.† â€Å"But why?† â€Å"I was not told why, sir. And I have my strict instructions that you must come with me-one way or another.† â€Å"But this seems as though I am being arrested. I have done nothing to warrant that.† â€Å"Say, rather, that it seems you are being given an escort of honor-if you delay me no further.† Seldon delayed no further. He pressed his lips together, as though to block of further questions, nodded his head, and stepped forward. Even if he was going to meet the Emperor and to receive Imperial commendation, he found no joy in it. He was for the Empire-that is, for the worlds of humanity in peace and union but he was not for the Emperor. The lieutenant walked ahead, the other two behind. Seldon smiled at those he passed and managed to look unconcerned. Outside the hotel they climbed into an official ground-car. (Seldon ran his hand over the upholstery; he had never been in anything so ornate.) They were in one of the wealthiest sections of Trantor. The dome was high enough here to give a sensation of being in the open and one could swear-even one such as Hari Seldon, who had been born and brought up on an open world-that they were in sunlight. You could see no sun and no shadows, but the air was light and fragrant. And then it passed and the dome curved down and the walls narrowed in and soon they were moving along an enclosed tunnel, marked periodically with the Spaceship-and-Sun and so clearly reserved (Seldon thought) for official vehicles. A door opened and the ground-car sped through. When the door closed behind them, they were in the open-the true, the real open. There were 250 square kilometers of the only stretch of open land on Trantor and on it stood the Imperial Palace. Seldon would have liked a chance to wander through that open land-not because of the Palace, but because it also contained the Galactic University and, most intriguing of all, the Galactic Library. And yet, in passing from the enclosed world of Trantor into the open patch of wood and parkland, he had passed into a world in which clouds dimmed the sky and a chill wind rued his shirt. He pressed the contact that closed the ground-car's window. It was a dismal day outside. 3. Seldon was not at all sure he would meet the Emperor. At best, he would meet some official in the fourth or fifth echelon who would claim to speak for the Emperor. How many people ever did see the Emperor? In person, rather than on holovision? How many people saw the real, tangible Emperor, an Emperor who never left the Imperial grounds that he, Seldon, was now rolling over. The number was vanishingly small. Twenty-five million inhabited worlds, each with its cargo of a billion human beings or more-and among all those quadrillions of human beings, how many had, or would ever, lay eyes on the living Emperor. A thousand? And did anyone care? The Emperor was no more than a symbol of Empire, like the Spaceship-and-Sun but far less pervasive, far less real. It was his soldiers and his officials, crawling everywhere, that now represented an Empire that had become a dead weight upon its people-not the Emperor. So it was that when Seldon was ushered into a moderately sized, lavishly furnished room and found a young-looking man sitting on the edge of a table in a windowed alcove, one foot on the ground and one swinging over the edge, he found himself wondering that any official should be looking at him in so blandly good-natured a way. He had already experienced the fact, over and over, that government officials-and particularly those in the Imperial service-looked grave at all times, as though bearing the weight of the entire Galaxy on their shoulders. And it seemed the lower in importance they were, the graver and more threatening their expression. This, then, might be an official so high in the scale, with the sun of power so bright upon him, that he felt no need of countering it with clouds of frowning. Seldon wasn't sure how impressed he ought to be, but he felt that it would be best to remain silent and let the other speak first. The official said, â€Å"You are Hari Seldon, I believe. The mathematician.† Seldon responded with a minimal â€Å"Yes, sir,† and waited again. The young man waved an arm. â€Å"It should be ‘Sire,' but I hate ceremony. It's all I get and I weary of it. We are alone, so I will pamper myself and eschew ceremony. Sit down, professor.† Halfway through the speech, Seldon realized that he was speaking to the Emperor Cleon, First of that Name, and he felt the wind go out of him. There was a faint resemblance (now that he looked) to the official holograph that appeared constantly in the news, but in that holograph, Cleon was always dressed imposingly, seemed taller, nobler, frozen-faced. And here he was, the original of the holograph, and somehow he appeared to be quite ordinary. Seldon did not budge. The Emperor frowned slightly and, with the habit of command present even in the attempt to abolish it, at least temporarily, said peremptorily, â€Å"I said, ‘Sit down,' man. That chair. Quickly.† Seldon sat down, quite speechless. He could not even bring himself to say, â€Å"Yes, Sire.† Cleon smiled. â€Å"That's better. Now we can talk like two fellow human beings, which, after all, is what we are once ceremony is removed. Eh, my man?† Seldon said cautiously, â€Å"If Your Imperial Majesty is content to say so, then it is so.† â€Å"Oh, come, why are you so cautious? I want to talk to you on equal terms. It is my pleasure to do so. Humor me.† â€Å"Yes, Sire.† â€Å"A simple ‘Yes,' man. Is there no way I can reach you?† Cleon stared at Seldon and Seldon thought it was a lively and interested stare. Finally the Emperor said, â€Å"You don't look like a mathematician.† At last, Seldon found himself able to smile. â€Å"I don't know what a mathematician is suppose to look like, Your Imp-â€Å" Cleon raised a cautioning hand and Seldon choked off the honorific. Cleon said, â€Å"White-haired, I suppose. Bearded, perhaps. Old, certainly.† â€Å"Yet even mathematicians must be young to begin with.† â€Å"But they are then without reputation. By the time they obtrude themselves on the notice of the Galaxy, they are as I have described.† â€Å"I am without reputation, I'm afraid.† â€Å"Yet you spoke at this convention they held here.† â€Å"A great many of us did. Some were younger than myself. Few of us were granted any attention whatever.† â€Å"Your talk apparently attracted the attention of some of my officials. I am given to understand that you believe it possible to predict the future.† Seldon suddenly felt weary. It seemed as though this misinterpretation of his theory was constantly going to occur. Perhaps he should not have presented his paper. He said, â€Å"Not quite, actually. What I have done is much more limited than that. In many systems, the situation is such that under some conditions chaotic events take place. That means that, given a particular starting point, it is impossible to predict outcomes. This is true even in some quite simple systems, but the more complex a system, the more likely it is to become chaotic. It has always been assumed that anything as complicated as human society would quickly become chaotic and, therefore, unpredictable. What I have done, however, is to show that, in studying human society, it is possible to choose a starting point and to make appropriate assumptions that will suppress the chaos. That will make it possible to predict the future, not in full detail, of course, but in broad sweeps; not with certainty, but with calculable probabilities.† The Emperor, who had listened carefully, said, â€Å"But doesn't that mean that you have shown how to predict the future?† â€Å"Again, not quite. I have showed that it is theoretically possible, but no more. To do more, we would actually have to choose a correct starting point, make correct assumptions, and then find ways of carrying through calculations in a finite time. Nothing in my mathematical argument tells us how to do any of this. And even if we could do it all, we would, at best, only assess probabilities. That is not the same as predicting the future; it is merely a guess at what is likely to happen. Every successful politician, businessman, or human being of any calling must make these estimates of the future and do it fairly well or he or she would not be successful.† â€Å"They do it without mathematics.† â€Å"True. They do it by intuition.† â€Å"With the proper mathematics, anyone would be able to assess the probabilities. It wouldn't take the rare human being who is successful because of a remarkable intuitive sense.† â€Å"True again, but I have merely shown that mathematical analysis is possible; I have not shown it to be practical.† â€Å"How can something be possible, yet not practical?† â€Å"It is theoretically possible for me to visit each world of the Galaxy and greet each person on each world. However, it would take far longer to do this than I have years to live and, even if I was immortal, the rate at which new human beings are being born is greater than the rate at which I could interview the old and, even more to the point, old human beings would die in great numbers before I could ever get to them.† â€Å"And is this sort of thing true of your mathematics of the future?† Seldon hesitated, then went on. â€Å"It might be that the mathematics would take too long to work out, even if one had a computer the size of the Universe working at hyperspatial velocities. By the time any answer had been received, enough years would have elapsed to alter the situation so grossly as to make the answer meaningless.† â€Å"Why cannot the process be simplified?† Cleon asked sharply. â€Å"Your Imperial Majesty,†-Seldon felt the Emperor growing more formal as the answers grew less to his liking and responded with greater formality of his own, â€Å"consider the manner in which scientists have dealt with subatomic particles. There are enormous numbers of these, each moving or vibrating in random and unpredictable manner, but this chaos turns out to have an underlying order, so that we can work out a quantum mechanics that answers all the questions we know how to ask. In studying society, we place human beings in the place of subatomic particles, but now there is the added factor of the human mind. Particles move mindlessly; human beings do not. To take into account the various attitudes and impulses of mind adds so much complexity that there lacks time to take care of all of it.† â€Å"Could not mind, as well as mindless motion, have an underlying order?† â€Å"Perhaps. My mathematical analysis implies that order must underlie everything, however disorderly it may appear to be, but it does not give any hint as to how this underlying order may be found. Consider-Twenty-five million worlds, each with its overall characteristics and culture, each being significantly different from all the rest, each containing a billion or more human beings who each have an individual mind, and all the worlds interacting in innumerable ways and combinations! However theoretically possible a psychohistorical analysis may be, it is not likely that it can be done in any practical sense.† â€Å"What do you mean ‘psychohistorical'?† â€Å"I refer to the theoretical assessment of probabilities concerning the future as ‘psychohistory.' â€Å" The Emperor rose to his feet suddenly, strode to the other end of the room, turned, strode back, and stopped before the still-sitting Seldon. â€Å"Stand up!† he commanded. Seldon rose and looked up at the somewhat taller Emperor. He strove to keep his gaze steady. Cleon finally said, â€Å"This psychohistory of yours†¦ if it could be made practical, it would be of great use, would it not?† â€Å"Of enormous use, obviously. To know what the future holds, in even the most general and probabilistic way, would serve as a new and marvelous guide for our actions, one that humanity has never before had. But, of course-† He paused. â€Å"Well?† said Cleon impatiently. â€Å"Well, it would seem that, except for a few decision-makers, the results of psychohistorical analysis would have to remain unknown to the public.† â€Å"Unknown!† exclaimed Cleon with surprise. â€Å"It's clear. Let me try to explain. If a psychohistorical analysis is made and the results are then given to the public, the various emotions and reactions of humanity would at once be distorted. The psychohistorical analysis, based on emotions and reactions that take place without knowledge of the future, become meaningless. Do you understand?† The Emperor's eyes brightened and he laughed aloud. â€Å"Wonderful!† He clapped his hand on Seldon's shoulder and Seldon staggered slightly under the blow. â€Å"Don't you see, man?† said Cleon. â€Å"Don't you see? There's your use. You don't need to predict the future. Just choose a future-a good future, a useful future-and make the kind of prediction that will alter human emotions and reactions in such a way that the future you predicted will be brought about. Better to make a good future than predict a bad one.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"I see what you mean, Sire, but that is equally impossible.† â€Å"Impossible?† â€Å"Well, at any rate, impractical. Don't you see? If you can't start with human emotions and reactions and predict the future they will bring about, you can't do the reverse either. You can't start with a future and predict the human emotions and reactions that will bring it about.† Cleon looked frustrated. His lips tightened. â€Å"And your paper, then?†¦ Is that what you call it, a paper?†¦ Of what use is it?† â€Å"It was merely a mathematical demonstration. It made a point of interest to mathematicians, but there was no thought in my mind of its being useful in any way.† â€Å"I find that disgusting,† said Cleon angrily. Seldon shrugged slightly. More than ever, he knew he should never have given the paper. What would become of him if the Emperor took it into his head that he had been made to play the fool? And indeed, Cleon did not look as though he was very far from believing that. â€Å"Nevertheless,† he said, â€Å"what if you were to make predictions of the future, mathematically justified or not; predictions that government officials, human beings whose expertise it is to know what the public is likely to do, will judge to be the kind that will bring about useful reactions?† â€Å"Why would you need me to do that? The government officials could make those predictions themselves and spare the middleman.† â€Å"The government officials could not do so as effectively. Government officials do make statements of the sort now and then. They are not necessarily believed.† â€Å"Why would I be?† â€Å"You are a mathematician. You would have calculated the future, not†¦ not intuited it-if that is a word.† â€Å"But I would not have done so.† â€Å"Who would know that?† Cleon watched him out of narrowed eyes. There was a pause. Seldon felt trapped. If given a direct order by the Emperor, would it be safe to refuse? If he refused, he might be imprisoned or executed. Not without trial, of course, but it is only with great difficulty that a trial can be made to go against the wishes of a heavy-handed officialdom, particularly one under the command of the Emperor of the vast Galactic Empire. He said finally, â€Å"It wouldn't work.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"If I were asked to predict vague generalities that could not possibly come to pass until long after this generation and, perhaps, the next were dead, we might get away with it, but, on the other hand, the public would pay little attention. They would not care about a glowing eventuality a century or two in the future. â€Å"To attain results,† Seldon went on, â€Å"I would have to predict matters of sharper consequence, more immediate eventualities. Only to these would the public respond. Sooner or later, though-and probably sooner-one of the eventualities would not come to pass and my usefulness would be ended at once. With that, your popularity might be gone, too, and, worst of all, there would be no further support for the development of psychohistory so that there would be no chance for any good to come of it if future improvements in mathematical insights help to make it move closer to the realm of practicality.† Cleon threw himself into a chair and frowned at Seldon. â€Å"Is that all you mathematicians can do? Insist on impossibilities?† Seldon said with desperate softness, â€Å"It is you, Sire, who insist on impossibilities.† â€Å"Let me test you, man. Suppose I asked you to use your mathematics to tell me whether I would some day be assassinated? What would you say?† â€Å"My mathematical system would not give an answer to so specific a question, even if psychohistory worked at its best. All the quantum mechanics in the world cannot make it possible to predict the behavior of one lone electron, only the average behavior of many.† â€Å"You know your mathematics better than I do. Make an educated guess based on it. Will I someday be assassinated?† Seldon said softly, â€Å"You lay a trap for me, Sire. Either tell me what answer you wish and I will give it to you or else give me free right to make what answer I wish without punishment.† â€Å"Speak as you will.† â€Å"Your word of honor?† â€Å"Do you want it an writing?† Cleon was sarcastic. â€Å"Your spoken word of honor will be sufficient,† said Seldon, his heart sinking, for he was not certain it would be. â€Å"You have my word of honor.† â€Å"Then I can tell you that in the past four centuries nearly half the Emperors have been assassinated, from which I conclude that the chances of your assassination are roughly one in two.† â€Å"Any fool can give that answer,† said Cleon with contempt. â€Å"It takes no mathematician.† â€Å"Yet I have told you several times that my mathematics is useless for practical problems.† â€Å"Can't you even suppose that I learn the lessons that have been given me by my unfortunate predecessors?† Seldon took a deep breath and plunged in. â€Å"No, Sire. All history shows that we do not learn from the lessons of the past. For instance, you have allowed me here in a private audience. What if it were in my mind to assassinate you? Which it isn't, Sire,† he added hastily. Cleon smiled without humor. â€Å"My man, you don't take into account our thoroughness-or advances in technology. We have studied your history, your complete record. When you arrived, you were scanned. Your expression and voiceprints were analyzed. We knew your emotional state in detail; we practically knew your thoughts. Had there been the slightest doubt of your harmlessness, you would not have been allowed near me. In fact, you would not now be alive.† A wave of nausea swept through Seldon, but he continued. â€Å"Outsiders have always found it difficult to get at Emperors, even with technology less advanced. However, almost every assassination has been a palace coup. It is those nearest the Emperor who are the greatest danger to him. Against that danger, the careful screening of outsiders is irrelevant. And as for your own officials, your own Guardsmen, your own intimates, you cannot treat them as you treat me.† Cleon said, â€Å"I know that, too, and at least as well as you do. The answer is that I treat those about me fairly and I give them no cause for resentment.† â€Å"A foolish-† began Seldon, who then stopped in confusion. â€Å"Go on,† said Cleon angrily. â€Å"I have given you permission to speak freely. How am I foolish?† â€Å"The word slipped out, Sire. I meant ‘irrelevant.' Your treatment of your intimates is irrelevant. You must be suspicious; it would be inhuman not to be. A careless word, such as the one I used, a careless gesture, a doubtful expression and you must withdraw a bit with narrowed eyes. And any touch of suspicion sets in motion a vicious cycle. The intimate will sense and resent the suspicion and will develop a changed behavior, try as he might to avoid it. You sense that and grow more suspicious and, in the end, either he is executed or you are assassinated. It is a process that has proved unavoidable for the Emperors of the past four centuries and it is but one sign of the increasing difficulty of conducting the affairs of the Empire.† â€Å"Then nothing I can do will avoid assassination.† â€Å"No, Sire,† said Seldon, â€Å"but, on the other hand, you may prove fortunate.† Cleon's fingers were drumming on the arm of his chair. He said harshly, â€Å"You are useless, man, and so is your psychohistory. Leave me.† And with those words, the Emperor looked away, suddenly seeming much older than his thirty-two years. â€Å"I have said my mathematics would be useless to you, Sire. My profound apologies.† Seldon tried to bow but at some signal he did not see, two guards entered and took him away. Cleon's voice came after him from the royal chamber. â€Å"Return that man to the place from which he was brought earlier.† 4. Eto Demerzel emerged and glanced at the Emperor with a hint of proper deference. He said, â€Å"Sire, you have almost lost your temper.† Cleon looked up and, with an obvious effort, managed to smile. â€Å"Well, so I did. The man was very disappointing.† â€Å"And yet he promised no more than he offered.† â€Å"He offered nothing.† â€Å"And promised nothing, Sire.† â€Å"It was disappointing.† Demerzel said, â€Å"More than disappointing, perhaps. The man is a loose cannon, Sire.† â€Å"A loose what, Demerzel? You are always so full of strange expressions. What is a cannon?† Demerzel said gravely, â€Å"It is simply an expression I heard in my youth, Sire. The Empire is full of strange expressions and some are unknown on Trantor, as those of Trantor are sometimes unknown elsewhere.† â€Å"Do you come to teach me the Empire is large? What do you mean by saying that the man is a loose cannon?† â€Å"Only that he can do much harm without necessarily intending it. He does not know his own strength. Or importance.† â€Å"You deduce that, do you, Demerzel?† â€Å"Yes, Sire. He is a provincial. He does not know Trantor or its ways. He has never been on our planet before and he cannot behave like a man of breeding, like a courtier. Yet he stood up to-â€Å" â€Å"And why not? I gave him permission to speak. I left off ceremony. I treated him as an equal.† â€Å"Not entirely, Sire. You don't have it within you to treat others as equals. You have the habit of command. And even if you tried to put a person at his ease, there would be few who could manage it. Most would be speechless or, worse, subservient and sycophantic. This man stood up to you.† â€Å"Well, you may admire that, Demerzel, but I didn't like him.† Cleon looked thoughtfully discontented. â€Å"Did you notice that he made no effort to explain his mathematics to me? It was as though he knew I would not understand a word of it.† â€Å"Nor would you have, Sire. You are not a mathematician, nor a scientist of any kind, nor an artist. There are many fields of knowledge in which others know more than you. It is their task to use their knowledge to serve you. You are the Emperor, which is worth all their specializations put together.† â€Å"Is it? I would not mind being made to feel ignorant by an old man who had accumulated knowledge over many years. But this man, Seldon, is just my age. How does he know so much?† â€Å"He has not had to learn the habit of command, the art of reaching a decision that will affect the lives of others.† â€Å"Sometimes, Demerzel, I wonder if you are laughing at me.† â€Å"Sire?† said Demerzel reproachfully. â€Å"But never mind. Back to that loose cannon of yours. Why should you consider him dangerous? He seems a naive provincial to me.† â€Å"He is. But he has this mathematical development of his.† â€Å"He says it is useless.† â€Å"You thought it might be useful. I thought so, after you had explained it to me. Others might. The mathematician may come to think so himself, now that his mind has been focused on it. And who knows, he may yet work out some way of making use of it. If he does, then to foretell the future, however mistily, is to be in a position of great power. Even if he does not wish power for himself, a kind of self-denial that always seems to me to be unlikely, he might be used by others.† â€Å"I tried to use him. He would not.† â€Å"He had not given it thought. Perhaps now he will. And if he was not interested in being used by you, might he not be persuaded by-let us say-the Mayor of Wye?† â€Å"Why should he be willing to help Wye and not us?† â€Å"As he explained, it is hard to predict the emotions and behavior of individuals.† Cleon scowled and sat in thought. â€Å"Do you really think he might develop this psychohistory of his to the point where it is truly useful? He is so certain he cannot.† â€Å"He may, with time, decide he was wrong in denying the possibility.† Cleon said, â€Å"Then I suppose I ought to have kept him.† Demerzel said, â€Å"No, Sire. Your instinct was correct when you let him go. Imprisonment, however disguised, would cause resentment and despair, which would not help him either to develop his ideas further or make him eager to help us. Better to let him go as you have done, but to keep him forever on an invisible leash. In this way, we can see that he is not used by an enemy of yourself, Sire, and we can see that when the time comes and he has fully developed his science, we can pull on our leash and bring him in. Then we could be†¦ more persuasive.† â€Å"But what if he it picked up by an enemy of mine or, better, of the Empire, for I am the Empire after all, or if, of his own accord, he wishes to serve an enemy-I don't consider that out of the question, you see.† â€Å"Nor should you. I will see to it that this doesn't happen, but if, against all striving, it does happen, it would be better if no one has him than if the wrong person does.† Cleon looked uneasy. â€Å"I'll leave that all in your hands, Demerzel, but I hope we're not too hasty. He could be, after all, nothing but the purveyor of a theoretical science that does not and cannot work.† â€Å"Quite possibly, Sire, but it would be safer to assume the man is-or might be-important. We lose only a little time and nothing more if we find that we have concerned ourselves with a nonentity. We may lose a Galaxy if we find we have ignored someone of great importance.† â€Å"Very well, then,† said Cleon, â€Å"but I trust I won't have to know the details-if they prove unpleasant.† Demerzel said, â€Å"Let us hope that will not be the case.† 5. Seldon had had an evening, a night, and part of a morning to get over his meeting with the Emperor. At least, the changing quality of light within the walkways, moving corridors, squares, and parks of the Imperial Sector of Trantor made it seem that an evening, a night, and part of a morning had passed. He sat now in a small park on a small plastic seat that molded itself neatly to his body and he was comfortable. Judging from the light, it seemed to be midmorning and the air was just cool enough to seem fresh without possessing even the smallest bite. Was it like this all the time? He thought of the gray day outside when he went to see the Emperor. And he thought of all the gray days and cold days and hot days and rainy days and snowy days on Helicon, his home, and he wondered if one could miss them. Was it possible to sit in a park on Trantor, having ideal weather day after day, so that it felt as though you were surrounded by nothing at all-and coming to miss a howling wind or a biting cold or a breathless humidity? Perhaps. But not on the first day or the second or the seventh. He would have only this one day and he would leave tomorrow. He meant to enjoy it while he could. He might, after all, never return to Trantor. Still, he continued to feel uneasy at having spoken as independently as he had to a man who could, at will, order one's imprisonment or execution-or, at the very least, the economic and social death of loss of position and status. Before going to bed, Seldon had looked up Cleon I in the encyclopedic portion of his hotel room computer. The Emperor had been highly praised as, no doubt, had all Emperors in their own lifetime, regardless of their deeds. Seldon had dismissed that, but he was interested in the fact that Cleon had been born in the Palace and had never left its grounds. He had never been in Trantor itself, in any part of the multi-domed world. It was a matter of security, perhaps, but what it meant was that the Emperor was in prison, whether he admitted the matter to him self or not. It might be the most luxurious prison in the Galaxy, but it was a prison just the same. And though the Emperor had seemed mild-mannered and had shown no sign of being a bloody-minded autocrat as so many of his predecessors had been, it was not good to have attracted his attention. Seldon welcomed the thought of leaving tomorrow for Helicon, even though it would be winter (and a rather nasty one, so far) back home. He looked up at the bright diffuse light. Although it could never rain in here, the atmosphere was far from dry. A fountain played not far from him; the plants were green and had probably never felt drought. Occasionally, the shrubbery rustled as though a small animal or two was hidden there. He heard the hum of bees. Really, though Trantor was spoken of throughout the Galaxy as an artificial world of metal and ceramic, in this small patch it felt positively rustic. There were a few other persons taking advantage of the park all wearing light hats, some quite small. There was one rather pretty young woman not far away, but she was bent over a viewer and he could not see her face clearly. A man walked past, looked at him briefly and incuriously, then sat down in a seat facing him and buried himself in a sheaf of teleprints, crossing one leg, in its tight pink trouser leg, over the other. There was a tendency to pastel shades among the men, oddly enough, while the women mostly wore white. Being a clean environment, it made sense to wear light colors. He looked down in amusement at his own Heliconian costume, which was predominantly dull brown. If he were to stay on Trantor as he was not he would need to purchase suitable clothing or he would become an object of curiosity or laughter or repulsion. The man with the teleprints had, for instance, looked up at him more curiously this time-no doubt intrigued by his Outworldish clothing. Seldon was relieved that he did not smile. He could be philosophical over being a figure of fun, but, surely, he could not be expected to enjoy it. Seldon watched the man rather unobtrusively, for he seemed to be engaged in some sort of internal debate. At the moment he looked as if he was about to speak, then seemed to think better of it, then seemed to wish to speak again. Seldon wondered what the outcome would be. He studied the man. He was tall, with broad shoulders and no sign of a paunch, darkish hair with a glint of blond, smooth-shaven, a grave expression, an air of strength though there were no bulging muscles, a face that was a touch rugged-pleasant, but with nothing â€Å"pretty† about it. By the time the man had lost the internal fight with himself (or won, perhaps) and leaned toward him, Seldon had decided he liked him. The man said, â€Å"Pardon me, weren't you at the Decennial Convention? Mathematics?† â€Å"Yes, I was,† said Seldon agreeably. â€Å"Ah, I thought I saw you there. It was-excuse me-that moment of recognition that led me to sit here. If I am intruding on your privacy-â€Å" â€Å"Not at all. I'm just enjoying an idle moment.† â€Å"Let's see how close I can get. You're Professor Seldon.† â€Å"Seldon. Hari Seldon. Quite close. And you?† â€Å"Chetter Hummin.† The man seemed slightly embarrassed. â€Å"Rather a homespun name, I'm afraid.† â€Å"I've never come across any Chetters before,† said Seldon. â€Å"Or Hummins. So that makes you somewhat unique, I should think. It might be viewed as being better than being mixed up with all the countless Haris there are. Or Seldons, for that matter.† Seldon moved his chair closer to Hummin, scraping it against the slightly elastic ceramoid tiles. â€Å"Talk about homespun,† he said, â€Å"What about this Outworldish clothing I'm wearing? It never occurred to me that I ought to get Trantorian garb.† â€Å"You could buy some,† said Hummin, eyeing Seldon with suppressed disapproval. â€Å"I'll be leaving tomorrow and, besides, I couldn't afford it. Mathematicians deal with large numbers sometimes, but never in their income.-I presume you're a mathematician, Hummin.† â€Å"No. Zero talent there.† â€Å"Oh.† Seldon was disappointed. â€Å"You said you saw me at the Decennial Convention.† â€Å"I was there as an onlooker. I'm a journalist.† He waved his teleprints, seemed suddenly aware that he was holding them and shoved them into his jacket pouch. â€Å"I supply the material for the news holocasts.† Then, thoughtfully, â€Å"Actually, I'm rather tired of it.† â€Å"The job?† Hummin nodded. â€Å"I'm sick of gathering together all the nonsense from every world. I hate the downward spiral.† He glanced speculatively at Seldon. â€Å"Sometimes something interesting turns up, though. I've heard you were seen in the company of an Imperial Guard and making for the Palace gate. You weren't by any chance seen by the Emperor, were you?† The smile vanished from Seldon's face. He said slowly, â€Å"If I was, it would scarcely be something I could talk about for publication.† â€Å"No, no, not for publication. If you don't know this, Seldon, let me be the first to tell you-The first rule of the news game is that nothing is ever said about the Emperor or his personal entourage except what is officially given out. It's a mistake, of course, because rumors fly that are much worse than the truth, but that's the way it is.† â€Å"But if you can't report it, friend, why do you ask?† â€Å"Private curiosity. Believe me, in my job I know a great deal more than ever gets on the air.-Let me guess. I didn't follow your paper, but I gathered that you were talking about the possibility of predicting the future.† Seldon shook his head and muttered, â€Å"It was a mistake.† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Well, prediction-accurate prediction-would interest the Emperor, or any man in government, so I'm guessing that Cleon, First of that Name, asked you about it and wouldn't you please give him a few predictions.† Seldon said stiffly, â€Å"I don't intend to discuss the matter.† Hummin shrugged slightly. â€Å"Eto Demerzel was there, I suppose.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"You've never heard of Eto Demerzel?† â€Å"Never.† â€Å"Cleon's alter ego-Cleon's brain-Cleon's evil spirit. He's been called all those things-if we confine ourselves to the nonvituperative. He must have been there.† Seldon looked confused and Hummin said, â€Å"Well, you may not have seen him, but he was there. And if he thinks you can predict the future-â€Å" â€Å"I can't predict the future,† said Seldon, shaking his head vigorously. â€Å"If you listened to my paper, you'll know that I only spoke of a theoretical possibility.† â€Å"Just the same, if he thinks you can predict the future, he will not let you go.† â€Å"He must have. Here I am.† â€Å"That means nothing. He knows where you are and he'll continue to know. And when he wants you, he'll get you, wherever you are. And if he decides you're useful, he'll squeeze the use out of you. And if he decides you're dangerous, he'll squeeze the life out of you.† Seldon stared. â€Å"What are you trying to do. Frighten me?† â€Å"I'm trying to warn you.† â€Å"I don't believe what you're saying.† â€Å"Don't you? A while ago you said something was a mistake. Were you thinking that presenting the paper was a mistake and that it was getting you into the kind of trouble you don't want to be in?† Seldon bit his lower lip uneasily. That was a guess that came entirely too close to the truth-and it was at this moment that Seldon felt the presence of intruders. They did not cast a shadow, for the light was too soft and widespread. It was simply a movement that caught the corner of his eye-and then it stopped.