Process Analysis in Richard Selzers Essay The Knife

Process Analysis in Richard Selzers Essay The Knife An accomplished surgeon and a professor of surgery, Richard Selzer is also one of Americas most celebrated essayists. When I put down the scalpel and picked up a pen, he once wrote, I reveled in letting go. The following paragraphs from The Knife, an essay in Selzers first collection, Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery  (1976), vividly describe the process of the laying open of the body of a human being. Selzer calls the pen the distant cousin of the knife. He once said to author and artist Peter Josyph, Blood and ink, at least in my hands, have a certain similarity. When you use a scalpel, blood is shed; when you use a pen, ink is spilled. Something is let in each of these acts (Letters to a Best Friend  by Richard Selzer, 2009). from "The Knife"* by Richard Selzer A stillness settles in my heart and is carried to my hand. It is the quietude of resolve layered over fear. And it is this resolve that lowers us, my knife and me, deeper and deeper into the person beneath. It is an entry into the body that is nothing like a caress; still, it is among the gentlest of acts. Then stroke and stroke again, and we are joined by other instruments, hemostats and forceps, until the wound blooms with strange flowers whose looped handles fall to the sides in steely array. There is sound, the tight click of clamps fixing teeth into severed blood vessels, the snuffle and gargle of the suction machine clearing the field of blood for the next stroke, the litany of monosyllables with which one prays his way down and in: clamp, sponge, suture, tie, cut. And there is color. The green of the cloth, the white of the sponges, the red and yellow of the body. Beneath the fat lies the fascia, the tough fibrous sheet encasing the muscles. It must be sliced and the red beef of the muscles separated. Now there are retractors to hold apart the wound. Hands move together, part, weave. We are fully engaged, like children absorbed in a game or the craftsmen of some place like Damascus. Deeper still. The peritoneum, pink and gleaming and membranous, bulges into the wound. It is grasped with forceps, and opened. For the first time we can see into the cavity of the abdomen. Such a primitive place. One expects to find drawings of buffalo on the walls. The sense of trespassing is keener now, heightened by the worlds light illuminating the organs, their secret colors revealedmaroon and salmon and yellow. The vista is sweetly vulnerable at this moment, a kind of welcoming. An arc of the liver shines high and on the right, like a dark sun. It laps over the pink sweep of the stomach, from whose lower border the gauzy omentum is draped, and through which veil one sees, sinuous, slow as just-fed snakes, the indolent coils of the intestine. You turn aside to wash your gloves. It is a ritual cleansing. One enters this temple doubly washed. Here is man as microcosm, representing in all his parts the earth, perhaps the universe.    * The Knife, by Richard Selzer, appears in the essay collection Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery, originally published by Simon Schuster in 1976, reprinted by Harcourt in 1996.

How to Make a Fruit Battery

How to Make a Fruit Battery If you have a piece of fruit, a couple of nails, and some wire, then you can generate enough electricity to turn on a light bulb. Making a fruit battery is fun, safe, and easy. What You Need To make the battery you will need: Citrus fruit (e.g., lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)Copper nail, screw, or wire (about 2 in. or 5 cm long)Zinc nail or screw or galvanized nail (about 2 in. or 5 cm long)Small holiday light with 2 in. or 5 cm leads (enough wire to connect it to the nails) Make a Fruit Battery Heres how to make the battery: Set the fruit on a table and gently roll it around to soften it up. You want the juice to be flowing inside the fruit without breaking its skin. Alternatively, you can squeeze the fruit with your hands.Insert the zinc and copper nails into the fruit so that they are about 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart. Dont let them touch each other. Avoid puncturing through the end of the fruit.Remove enough insulation from the leads of the light (about 1 in. or 2.5 cm) so that you can wrap one lead around the zinc nail and the other lead around the copper nail. You can use electrical tape or alligator clips to keep the wire from falling off the nails.When you connect the second nail, the light will turn on. How a Lemon Battery Works Here are  the science and chemical reactions regarding a lemon battery (you can try making batteries from other fruits and from vegetables): The copper and zinc metals act as positive and negative battery terminals (cathodes and anodes).The zinc metal reacts with the acidic lemon juice (mostly from citric acid) to produce zinc ions (Zn2) and electrons (2 e-). The zinc ions go  into solution in the lemon juice while the electrons remain on the metal.The wires of the small light bulb are electrical conductors. When they are used to connect the copper and zinc, the electrons that have built upon the zinc flow into the wire. The flow of electrons is current or electricity. Its what powers small electronics or lights a light bulb.Eventually, the electrons make it to the copper. If the electrons didnt go any farther, theyd eventually build up so that there wouldnt be a potential difference between the zinc and the copper. If this happened, the flow of electricity would stop. However, that wont happen because the copper is in contact with the lemon.The electrons accumulating on the copper terminal react with hydrogen ions (H) floating free in the acidic juice to form hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen atoms bond to each other to form hydrogen gas. More Science Here are additional opportunities for research: Citrus fruits are acidic, which helps their juices to conduct electricity. What other fruits and vegetables might you try that would work as batteries?If you have a multimeter, you can measure the current produced by the battery. Compare the effectiveness of different types of fruit. See what happens as you change the distance between the nails.Do acidic fruits always work better? Measure the pH (acidity) of the fruit juice and compare that with the current through the wires or brightness of the light bulb.Compare the electricity generated by fruit with that of juices. Liquids you can test include orange juice, lemonade, and pickle brine.

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Paper - Essay Example The monism argues that the body and the mind make one physical being. This is the basis of this research project. Dualists assert that human beings are a combination of two different units, the mind and the body. Dualists claim that the body and the mind are not connected and therefore, do not influence the working of each other. Dualists argue that after the death, the mind continues to existing on its own but in incorporeal form while the body putrefies or decays (Wingerter, 2011). One such dualist is Rene Descartes, who is one of the most modern philosophers. He believes that the body an the mind are two distinct elements. He formulated the Cartesian dualism theory that was named after him. The theory was put on the method and the meditation. Descartes, in the Cartesian dualism, claims that a human being is made up of two different elements: the body and the mind. This has been used as a proof why the mind has no immortality. Descartes argue that a human being is totally discrete and different to their material body. Descartes believed that the powers of human reason, a faculty of the mind, is the sole basis of knowledge. According to him, faculties of reason through intuition and deduction are natural characteristics of the human mind. Descartes also argues that the body is similar to a machine that is maneuvered by mechanical schemes, and that the mind has nothing to do with the processes underwent by the physical body. Mind and body and not connected to each other, just like the oyster has no connection with the pearl. To further this, Descartes believes that animals are just â€Å"automata† and act without the use of mind or consciousness, and are merely driven by mechanical schemes. This mechanical scheme, as discussed by Descartes, furthers the reasoning that the mind is totally independent of the body. Descartes claims that the brain controls the body mechanically by sending fluids through the neurotransmitters of the brain. This analogy reduce s the brain and the body to pure mechanical objects and puts into context that the it is possible for the mind to exist without the body, and the body to exist without the mind. He states that while the body is a non-thinking, extended thing, the mind is the complete opposite as it is a thinking, non-extended thing. Descartes has also given more evidence to prove that the body and mind are two different and disconnected elements but working in partnership. He argues that the body is by itself dividable while the mind does not have such divisible capability. â€Å"There is a great difference between the mind and the body in as much as the body is by its very nature always divisible, while the mind is utterly indivisible† (First meditation). This was the case in the transplantation of organs. If a person was to receive a heart from another person, where the heart is considered as the key organ for a human being’s body existence, the person does not become a new different person because of this. Transplantation shows how the body can be divided into different parts due to donation of body organs. Descartes argues that a person is made of different molecular structures, a variety of fluids, numerous nerves and body networks. Conversely, if a person dies, we are unable to form a construction of their mind. We cannot detach their thoughts into one part and their personality into another part. This shows therefore, that the mind is not dividable. Critics of this view

Unit 2 Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit 2 Individual Project - Essay Example n influences others, is obeyed by, works hard in a crisis situation and has a clear idea of what the company wants to achieve and why it wants to achieve this. Leadership models that have been used for long include the four main categories: trait, behavioral, contingency and transformational. There is McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y, McGregor made two basic assumptions about employee behavior and categorized it as X and Y. Theory X workers are not hard-working and dislike work while Theory Y workers are the opposite. A research done at The Ohio State University states that successful leaders have two behavioral dimensions: initiating structure and consideration. The research at the University of Michigan is somewhat similar; they said that leaders are either employee oriented or production oriented. The Leadership Grid gives an idea of how the five types of leadership styles are segmented across two factors which is either concern for people or concern for production. The continuum of leadership describes two types of leadership: boss-centered and employee-centered. This model is on the basis of choices managers make regarding subordinated involvement in the decision making process. Whenever problems such as those faced by companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and ImClone are encountered most of the responsibility falls upon the CEO’s shoulders and she is the one who is held accountable. The CEO holds a lot of formal power through the virtue of his position; this power is measured by duality with the Chairman of the Board position. Informal power comes from the prestige factor of the job. The power of the CEO is more immediate than the Board, as the Board does not meet on a regular basis. Day to day handling of the company is done by the CEO. The Board elects the CEO and trusts him to carry out her job to the best of his abilities. The CEO has power to set the agenda and assemble the meetings for the board. The CEO is responsible for setting the aims and

An Illusion for the Masses Essay Example for Free

An Illusion for the Masses Essay â€Å"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.† So said 18th Century British writer Samuel Johnson. One can start to think about patriotism in its many forms but still arrive at the same juncture, it is simply people’s need to align themselves with a larger identity. This larger identity could range from a neighbourhood to a sports team to a nation. Finding security, seeking pleasure, are, in my humble opinion, the most basic of human motives, which patriotism helps indulge. It evokes a sense of belonging, instilling the illusion of safety among a mass. Patriotism in its present form, surely, is a human construct. True, it could be argued that it is derived from the primeval habit of being territorial, but territorialism has never really reached the giddying heights or (depending on how you look at it) the appalling depths of patriotism. What does it mean to be patriotic? Amman Madan, writes in the wake of the immensely violent Godhra riots, â€Å"Today when the burnt heaps in Gujarat are still smouldering, when Ayodhya promises to catch fire any day, it is necessary to examine a central question: what is patriotism? Where do its roots lie?† (Madan, Para 1) The dictionary definition of the term covers all manners of sins devoted love, support, and defence of ones country; national loyalty. With the gross amount of connotations both political and emotional attached to that word, one is bound to be confused whether it is sheer naà ¯vety on the general public’s part or a sizeable chunk of cynicism on mine. After more than 60 years of independence one feels the need to rethink and redefine patriotism, is it a sign of loyalty to the nation or a misused sentiment? In a very direct yet in a seemingly deceptive way, nationalism is by all regards, an illusion. I use the word illusion in relation to patriotism in the literal sense that it is a tool wielded by many a manipulators to influence and corrupt an impressionable mind into doing their bidding. In his seminal lecture â€Å"Is Patriotism a Virtue?† Alasdair Macintyre contrasts patriotism with the liberal commitment to certain universal values and principles. He states that Patriotism is not the idea of loving\fighting for one’s country. It is but simply, â€Å"A loyalty to a particular nation which only those possessing that nationality can have.† He goes on to talk about how â€Å"patriotism is a not a virtue because it is not to judge form an impersonal standpoint. An impersonal standpoint involves judging independently of ones own interests, affections, and social position. In this, one must abstract oneself from particularity and partiality.† In modern times patriotism is often used out of context or in a convolutedly romanticised way. The Jihad, the American â€Å"War on Terror†, the Arab -Israeli conflict, The Indo-Pak conflict and many other current scenarios are an effect of a (usually) misplaced sense of patriotism present in large pockets throughout the organisation, which is again exploited by their respective political heads. While ploughing through pages of information on patriotism online for this paper, I found a rather disconcerting article on a seemingly innocent website titled â€Å"India Parenting†; the article was titled â€Å"Do You Instil Patriotism in Your Children?† It `goes on to say that â€Å"Children have to be told the significance of their country. Otherwise, they are bound to grow up without any special fond feelings for their country. Such discipline helps to shape them into responsible citizens†. However, it fails to state anywhere in the article as to how exactly one is supposed to believe that knowing the national anthem, or the date of independence makes one socially responsible. When looking at patriotism it is especially important to distinguish it from nationalism. India as a â€Å"nation† never existed before August 15, 1947, so the structure of nationalism, as we know it today, began only since. The patriotism that existed pre-independence was one f uelled by a desire to rid India of the British Raj. What composes todays patriotism, with insignia like the National Flag and the National Anthem? Can streams of plastic imitation flags which are soon strewn across the school playground or discarded in dustbins be symbols of India? (Rajagopal,H. Para 3) â€Å"Nothing could be more calamitous than for patriotism to become established with the religion of a country.† (Eastman, Para 1) Written in 1917, these prophetic words were horrifically realized during the Partition of the Sub-Continent. In a couple of months in the summer of 1947, close to a million people were slaughtered on both sides in the religious rioting, all in the name of two distinct nations for different religions. This tumultuous time blurred the line irreversibly between religion and patriotism in the sub -continent, to this day quite a large chunk of religious slurs that are hurled around are essentially contriv ed forms of an â€Å"anti-national† or vice versa. Patriotism, over time has acquired a fair share of critics including Russian novelist and thinker Leo Tolstoy, who is famous to have stated that patriotism: â€Å"..Is stupid because every patriot holds his own country to be the best of all whereas, obviously, only one country can qualify. It is immoral because it enjoins us to promote our countrys interests at the expense of all other countries and by any means, including war, and is thus at odds with the most basic rule of morality, which tells us not to do to others what we would not want them to do to us† I find myself being very sceptical of people, or â€Å"patriots who say they would die for their country, it’s important not to misunderstand me at this juncture, I do not mean to trivialise the millions that have died, but my problem with that statement is a simple one. We humans are, quintessentially, selfish and we constantly seek pleasure or personal gain, so the idea of one’s profound sacrifice for one’s country just for the betterment of one’s â€Å"nation† is a rather sketchy one. There is always that stench of a sneaky ulterior motive behind seeking martyrdom, it could be the promise of 7 virgins waiting in heaven to fulfil one’s fantasies or even just the lure of possible immortality associated with a death, â€Å"Men willingly believe what they wish.†(Caesar, Julius) It is the self- delusion that they indulge themselves in, constantly hiding beneath the broad banner of patriotism is something that doesn’t really work for me. Fundamentally, I’m saying that one needn’t try to fool themselves and others (however romantic it may sound) of their motives, just look at it for what it really is, it is all but just another glorified way to get what you want. The immensely successful (and one might even have the cheek to say patriotic) General George S. Patton, in all his honesty, is famous to have said, â€Å"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.† Bibliography Macintyre, Alasdair. â€Å"Is Patriotism a Virtue?† (The Lindley Lecture), of Kansas. Reprinted in Primoratz (ed.) (2002). Lawrence: University Madan, Amman. â€Å"What is Patriotism?† The Hindu, April (2002): 7 Tolstoy, Leo and â€Å"Patriotism, or Peace?† Society http://www.salsa.net/peace/conv/8weekconv7-3.html. Philadelphia: New India Parenting, â€Å"Do You Instil Patriotism in Your Children?†, 8-03-11 http://www.indiaparenting.com/raisingchildren/253_1357/do-you-instill-patriotism-in-your-children.html Rajagopal, Harini, â€Å"Patriotism: an alternative view† The Hindu Online, September 01, 2001http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/09/01/stories/13011106.htm 15-03-11 Eastman, Max, â€Å"The Religion of Patriotism†, Marxist, July 1917 http://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/eastman/works/1910s/patriot.htm 15-03-01

Analysis of Sherman Alexies The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Hea

Analysis of Sherman Alexie's 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven' and 'Smoke Signals'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sherman Alexie based on some short stories included in his book, 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,' wrote the screenplay for the movie 'Smoke Signals.' Both the movie and the book portray problems that Indians had to deal with, and how they dealt with it. The book is far more complex than the movie, showing a wider variation of characters facing different situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie there is Victor, the main character, which tries to be the typical Indian, or maybe just a typical man. He shows just hate towards his father, who left Victor and his mother alone and fled to Phoenix. The picture Victor has about his father is that he was an alcoholic and always tried to talk with his fists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand there is Thomas, the other main character. He lives a mystical life and is far more emotional than Victor. Thomas has also another point of view about Victor?s father. He remembered him as a nice guy, who took him to Denny?s once.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Victor?s father died, Thomas offered money to help Victor to get to Phoenix and get his father?s ashes and belongings, as long as he could go with Victor. On this part of the movie, it is easy to understand how Victor sees the Indians before the whites. On the bus, he tells Thomas that the only way that white people would respect them is by being serious; showing no feelings, not even a smile, being ...

Disc Brake System: How Does It Work Essay

Brake system is a device that creates frictions to slow down and eventually to stop the movement of an object. There are a few different types of brakes; however, they are all built on the same principle of friction. In automotive, the most common type of brake today is the disc brake because it provides higher efficiency and more safety to users. Disc brake consists of brake fluid, a piston, a caliper, brake pads, a rotor, and a hub. The following is a basic description of a disc brake’s mechanism. 1.When the brake pedal is pressed, the brake fluid is forced to enter the caliper cylinder where the piston is sitting in. In turn, that fluid pushes the piston, which is attached with a brake pad on the other end, toward the rotor. 2.Once the brake pad is in contact with the rotor, the caliper contracts to bring the other brake pad to contact with the other side of the rotor as well. The pushing of both brake pads against the rotor generates a friction force that will slow the rotation of the rotor and eventually bring it to a stop. 3. Because the wheel attaches to the hub and the hub attaches to the rotor, thus, when the rotor is slowed down, the wheel is also slowed down. 4.Meanwhile, the friction between the tire and the surface of the road also acts to slow the rotation of the wheel. Disc brake can generate a significant amount of friction. This is why its main applications usually involve movement with great velocity such as cars and aircraft. Because disc brake does require more maintenance than other simpler brake and because brake is directly related to your safety when driving, it is recommended to have your brakes checked regularly by a licensed brake technician/specialist.