The Importance Of Sustainable Infrastructure Design Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of Sustainable Infrastructure Design Environmental Sciences Essay Infrastructure is the key to creating a healthy, happy and thriving economic climate in communities around the world. It is important to our future success and plays a critical role in creating and enhancing sustainability based on ESEM principles. By tradition, the leading concern among engineers has been the safety and reliability of major infrastructure entities. Until recently, sustainability has not been included in most infrastructure organisms on any level. However, the engineering organization, along with the community as a whole, is recognizing the importance of sustainable infrastructure design. Yet combining these ideas into the engineering design procedure as a primary goal remains uncertain to many engineers. This research paper seeks to provide a platform for upcoming sustainable engineering of civil infrastructure design. Introduction: The definition behind this research paper is the sustainable design of new infrastructure, re-design, rehabilitation, re-use or optimization of current infrastructure, which is consistent with the ESEM principles of sustainability. Sustainable infrastructure design is a great modern solution that will greatly reduce the life cycle cost of an infrastructure and also less negative effect on the environment. The main goal of this research paper is to define sustainable infrastructure, the need for infrastructure sustainability design, the scope of sustainable design, how to promote and implement it and the impact of it in society. US infrastructure demographic: Lets pull up the infrastructure demographic in the US: $2.2 trillion is the total investment amount needed in next five years to bring the infrastructure up to top,  according to the ASCE recent report. $1.57 is the amount  from each tax payer spent on infrastructure. There is four million miles of  roads  in the U.S and 90,000 miles found to be in dangerous state.150, 000 miles of roads are on the agenda to be repaired under the newly $50 billion infrastructure stimulus. $350 to $750 is the average dollar amount each driver in the US pays in annual vehicle maintenance costs  related to poor road state. 600,000  is the number of  bridges  in the U.S and 71,000  of those bridges are found to be in alarming state. 140,000 miles of  railway track  in the national freight rail network. $8 billion is the dollar amount the U.S.  plans to spend  on developing high speed rail in the next two years. The need for sustainable infrastructure design As you may notice from this infrastructure demographic was conducted by the American Society of Civil Engineers recently. The US spends a couple of trillions of dollars every year in building, maintaining, repairing and research in infrastructure. Infrastructure development is a vital part of society and economy which develop the need to develop a sustainable infrastructure design to reduce the life cycle cost of the structure and reduce the negative impact on the environment. Let analyze the definition of sustainable infrastructure which is an infrastructure that enable a society evolution towards the goal of sustainable living. More Consideration should be brought to technical and government policies that allow the engineers to target at sustainable infrastructure design and ingenuities that promote sustainable living in modern society. Rationally, a sustainable design clues to the expansion of sustainable societies. The main purpose is to reduce a persons ecological footprint acco rding to the ESEM principles and sustainable expansion. Commonly speaking, sustainable infrastructure includes public transport, production and distribution of power, buildings for living, office spaces and public utilities, such as airports, stations, roads and marine ports, etc†¦In a metropolitan environment, buildings ingest about 40% of power and thus, they are a main supplier to carbon emissions. Sustainable Infrastructure scope Design and manufacture of sustainable buildings can address climate change matters to a large degree. It is projected that each 1 million sq. ft. of constructed sustainable building area will decrease 12 to 17 thousand tons of CO2 each year. Societies ought to improve their sustainable infrastructure design in order to simplify economic development; and its capability to develop on a sustainable source depends on how positively it pacts with environmental challenges rising from the development of building a sustainable infrastructure. It is very significant for the US to dynamically chase sharp emission reduction goals. There are enormous resources at our disposal; The US can establish the possibility and attraction of low-carbon development to other societies by establishing a sustainable infrastructure design based upon the ESEM principles. Sustainable infrastructure design is critical to a sustainable US. Expansion of the population and economic growth pressure the countrys limited resources of land, water, food, and power. To conserve and develop class of life there is a need to develop sustainable infrastructure design an improvement that meets human necessities for infrastructures while saving and guarding environmental quality and the economic and social resources critical for future growth. Sustainable infrastructure design is not luxurious like some might think. There are many examples that can be cited where sustainable infrastructure design has helped significantly reduce life cycle cost, help the environment and promote economic growth. Todays Infrastructure consist of built facilities and shelter and support most human activities: infrastructures of all types, power supply, water supply and waste treatment and management. Infrastructure is crucial socially and economically. In the U.S building and renovating the current infrastructure totals to about 1/8 of the GDP. To create a sustainable infrastructure design we need applicable practices, training, and study of infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and rejuvenation or elimination. The practice, training and study for Sustainable Infrastructure design is one of the creativity of the U.S. infrastructure society. Contribution is exposed to all establishments that harvest, use, study or teach for practices for infrastructure in general. Sustainable infrastructure design outlook supports a great and sustainable quality of life for all individuals in a changing world. Sustainable infrastructure design goal is to progress and integrate ideas and information of sustainability into the principles and practices used throughout the life cycle of any infrastructure structures. ESEM principles will balance, and build upon, significant continuing activities linked to a sustainable infrastructure design such as sustainable building rules and practices for safety from natural, conscious and accidental hazards. Sustainable Infrastructure designs scope is divided in four aspects: -All principles and practices used in the life cycle analysis of all infrastructure organizations from urban and regional development, which mixes infrastructure systems, to those for essential materials and constituents and for process and maintenance; -Involving the private sector establishments that create and maintain the practices used for infrastructure systems and whose affiliates put in place these practices; -Using severe life cycle analysis measures to deliver reliable signs of environmental, economic and social consequences; and -Producing plans for application of top practices, development of practices to use current information, identify research needed to seal serious gaps in knowledge, and training for infrastructure specialists and operators. Figure 1 below represent the main types of infrastructure as well as main topics for research in design. Helping training platforms at college and universities in design, construction, engineering and planning, in integrating principles for sustainable infrastructure design in their curriculum, and reinforce K-12 training to develop a community understanding of sustainable infrastructure design and to invite qualified youth to infrastructure professions. Figure Launch a lasting platform of research to deliver critically wanted information for enhancement of practices for sustainable infrastructure design. Involve the U.S. infrastructure society in a worldwide effort for sustainable infrastructure design. A summary of the scope of sustainable infrastructure design based of ESEM principles using the three spheres of sustainability which are environmental, social and economic. (figure 1) Figure Impact of Sustainable Infrastructure Design Sustainable infrastructure design influences all type of industries today. Even a superficial look at todays environmental defies aids us to recognize that sustainable infrastructure design is a great defy and a crucial one for that issue. The past of industrialization societies shapes us that design of infrastructure continuously leads economic development. A society must develop its infrastructure system to ease economic development; and its aptitude to propagate on a sustainable foundation is subject to on how effectively it treats with environmental defies ascending from the procedure of building infrastructure. The benefits of sustainable infrastructure design increase through incorporating with buildings and across several infrastructure entities. For example, a landscaped exposed space can manage storm water, ease heat islands, deliver shading so that air conditioners need to run less often, and create a public facility. Sustainable infrastructure design can be effective in mixed-use localities. Varied land uses and structure types even out the demand for service. For example, people tend to use electricity, water and other utilities in the early AM and late PM, while commercial use heights in the daytime. Diverse uses also create chances for resource re-use and interactions. The end result is urban localities that are more self-sufficient. Sustainable infrastructure design is efficient. For example, new wastewater treatment machinery combines biological processes with innovative process checking and control to improve efficiency, from both energy and treatment outlooks. There is a necessity to assume a consciousness determination to inform one and all to sustainability and the necessity to improve infrastructure system that can resist a test of sustainability. Its essential to implement a general tactic that should include sustainable infrastructure design growth guidelines and strategies. It should consider eco-efficiency conceptions and comprise systems related to water preservation and control. The methodology should also be comprehensive of public utility services such as mass transportations and production of power. The Federal Government and lawmakers should think about a sustainability financial plan that would offer more incentives for use of minimal natural resources and encourage investments in sustainable infrastructure designs. 64% of Americans are disposed to pay more nowadays for a national sustainable infrastructure that is energy-efficient and less inefficient in order to save money and resources in the upcoming, up from 58 percent last November. About 96% of Americans approve that all new infrastructures should be sustainable designs. Whether its on transportation amenities, like highways and bridges, or in buildings, were discovering that sustainability has turned to be a requirement for many agencies nowadays who are expecting sustainable structures. Nevertheless of the method, most of the US sees the importance in sustainable infrastructure design as an initiative. About76% senses that large-scale infrastructure expansions with sustainability in mind are a significant investment for future generations. The necessity for more well-organized and flexible transportation systems to provision the nations economy and class of life remains to be a main concern in the US. At the same time, climate change, power security, shrinking natural resources, and queries about continuing transportation financing increase fears about the lasting practicality of our present methods to designing, constructing and maintaining our infrastructure. The transportation industrys development to sustainable practices is being led by political and the public, which is asking the industry to get closer with those that, are further advanced in sustainability. The U.S. transportation organizations are attaining sustainability in two methods: -Developing design and construction practices taking more in consideration natural resources, and applying practices that decrease greenhouse gas emissions. In the construction industry, old highways materials are frequently recycled and reused in new highway asphalt and concrete. Reflective orange barrels made of recycled plastic are placed in construction zones nowadays instead of battery-powered flashers. Sustainable infrastructure design practices can offer the data and information needed to make critical resolution, manage risk more efficiently, and eventually work in the direction of sustainable goals. However, sustainable infrastructure design plays a crucial significant part in assisting to generate a sustainable community. Sustainable infrastructure design practices permit us to frequently improve and launch improved control for sustainability. Sustainability today is measured using a diversity of signs, standards, reviews, guides, accounting and reporting organizations, which can be applied at all scales. Some of these measurements, principally the environmental ones, are already based on assessable measurements. These include the Air Quality Index, the Environmental Vulnerability Index. Other measurements such as the Corruption Perception Index, the Education Index, and the Happy Planet Index are more socio-economic, in nature, and are often based on a combination of assessabl e and qualitative measurements. Regardless of the kind of measurement used to assess sustainability, they are all based on some sort of quantitative measurements, and data analysis techniques. Conclusions: The purposes of this research paper on sustainable infrastructure design is be to bring awareness to the engineering community to keep a sustainable design in mind when design, planning and construction of new infrastructure systems. There is an abundant need for research activities related to both new and existing sustainable infrastructure design. New types of sustainable infrastructure design have to be developed which will need less use of resources in the construction phase, more energy efficient buildings, new types of sustainable infrastructure design for construction and supply of power and for transport and communication. There is also a necessity for a more efficient use of resources by development of new sustainable materials, new construction principles and methods and by recycling infrastructure materials using ESEM principles. Also using life cycle assessments and costing to optimized infrastructure prices. Implementing and developing and promoting sustainable infrastru cture design at all level in our society will have a great positive impact in the environment, social benefit and economic growth while preserving our ecosystems.

The Salk Institute :: essays papers

The Salk Institute Dr. Jonas Salk commissioned Louis Kahn to design the Salk Institute of Biological Research near La Jolla, California. Salk believes that medical research should not be confined to science alone. In response to Salk's view, Kahn saw the possibility of uniting art and architecture with the functional aspect of the design. He agrees with Salk that someone with a mind in art, like himself, could contribute in creating a mental environment of scientific research. Kahn's pursue of this vision is apparent in his design process. The earliest massing strategy was to place a linear group of vertical towers parallel to the face of the cliff (diagram 1a). In the second version, a year later, the towers were replaced by four rectilinear, two-storey blocks set perpendicular to the sea (diagram 1b). In this version, the four blocks of laboratories were made up of clear span spaces, made possible by five box girders running across each rectangle, with a 'V'-shaped folded plate system perpendicular to the girders, spanning between them. Later, Kahn simplified the configuration of the laboratories, from four rectangular blocks to two, upon Salk's request (diagram 1c). In the process, Kahn kept he basic idea of the scheme, which was to place scientists' studies away from the laboratories in the central garden and to place auxiliary spaces in vertical towers on their external walls. However, he increased the number of floors to three, including the basement, and replaced the 'V'-shaped folded plates above each of the three floors with concrete Vierendeel beams. Stringent seismic criteria related to construction in the San Diego area made it difficult for Kahn's structural engineer to convince local building officials, who wanted him to use steel frame, that concrete, Vierendeel truss system would have the required flexibility. They agreed only after a 400 page report of undoubtedly integrated deflection computations that shows how post-tensioned columns would provide the main resistance to lateral seismic forces. These columns absorb both dead and live load compression plus vertical post-tensioning forces. They were also designed to maintain zero tension if subjected to lateral movements by earthquake. The trusses are 9 ft deep, spaced 20 ft on center and have a clear span of 65 ft (diagram 2). He made use of the 9 ft high resultant space as service area, allowing pipe chases to be dropped to the 65x 245 ft floor below with more latitude than before.

Michael Jordan :: essays research papers

Michael Jordan is the Chicago Bulls superstar who beat Charles Barkley and Akeem Olajuwon for Rookie of the Year Honors in 1985. Perhaps, he is the greatest player to ever play the game....he even has six championship rings to back up his claim, including 3 straight from 1991-1993, and 3 more in 1996-1998. Michael was named the NBA Finals MVP in all of those titles. He's won them all with Scottie Pippen. In 1991, Jordan's Bulls finally overcame the greatest impediment to their team's success, Isiah Thomas' Detroit Pistons, who had regularly eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs. In 1993 he averaged 41.0 ppg in the finals, for a record. This 6-6 superstar guard is a perennial NBA first teamer (10 times from 1987-1993 and 1996 and again as a unanimous selection in 1997 and 1998). He was once again an All-NBA First Team member in 1996 after making his return from baseball. You can always pencil Mike in as the starting guard for the all-star game (13 appearances in 1985 and from 1987-1 993, 1997-1998 and again in 2002). He started for the ninth time in 1997, as the first player EVER to receive more that 2 million votes. In the 1997 Game he became the first player ever to record a triple double in the all-star game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 asssists. Jordan was not named MVP that year (Glen Rice received that honor), but he did win the Game's MVP award in 1988 after scoring 40 points and again in 1996. Jordan was once again elected to start (10th time in 12 appearances) in 1998 after leading the eastern conference in voting. After coming out of retirement, Jordan was elected to start again for the eastern all-stars in 2002. Jordan holds the record for most career scoring titles with eight, including 7 straight, also a record. He scores so many points that it is almost unfair to compare him with other players. On November 6, 1996 Michael scored 50 points for the 36th time in his career! Jordan eclipsed the 25,000 career points total, and he continues to dominate in that statistical category. He was the tenth player to score that many points, accomplishing the feat against San Antonio on November 30, 1996, with his 35th point of the game. On January 4, 2001 Michael Jordan scored his 30,000 career point, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to reach the 30,000 point milestone.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty

IAN WOKE ME THE NEXT MORNING with a super-early phone call. At first, I thought maybe he hoped to sneak in before the other Alchemists woke up, but it turned out he just wanted to get breakfast beforehand. Seeing as he'd managed to get me access, I couldn't very well refuse. He'd originally wanted to go to the facility in the late morning, but I talked him into going closer to noon. It meant lingering longer over breakfast, but it was worth the sacrifice. However, I was strictly back to khakis and a linen top. Espionage aside, cocktail dresses and breakfast buffets just didn't mix. As a concession, however, I unbuttoned two buttons at the top of my shirt. Openly wearing that into the facility was practically R-rated, and Ian seemed thrilled by the â€Å"scandalous† act. Sunday at the facility was much quieter than the previous night. Although Alchemists never really got a break from their duties, most of the center worked normal weekday business hours. I had no difficulties checking in through the main reception again, but as predicted, we had a small delay in getting to the secure area. The guy on duty wasn't the friend who owed Ian a favor. We had to wait for him to come out from the back room, and even then, it took Ian a bit of cajoling to convince his colleague to let me in. I think it was obvious to both of them that Ian was just trying to impress me, and finally, the first guy relented to what seemed like a harmless errand. After all, I was a fellow Alchemist, and I was only going on a tour of a library. What could possibly go wrong? They searched my purse and made me walk through a metal detector. I had two spells in mind that I could perform without physical components, so at least I didn't have to explain any crystals or herbs. The trickiest part was a thumb drive I'd hidden in my bra. They might not have questioned me carrying one in my purse, but I hadn't wanted to risk it being called out. That being said, if the thumb drive did show up on the scan, I was going to have a much more difficult time explaining why I was hiding it. I tensed as I stepped under the scanner, bracing myself to either run or attempt a Wolfe move. But, as hoped, it was too small to find, and we were waved through. That was one obstacle down, though it didn't make me any less tense. â€Å"Did you end up trading this for the money he owed you?† I asked once Ian and I were descending toward the archives. â€Å"Yeah.† He made a face. â€Å"I tried to just swap it out for half of what he owed, but it was all or nothing for him.† â€Å"So how much is this trip costing you?† â€Å"Fifty dollars. It's worth it, though,† he added quickly. Dinner had cost about the same. This was turning into an expensive weekend for Ian, particularly since I was the only one truly reaping the rewards. I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty and had to remind myself again and again that this was for an important cause. I would've offered to pay him back for it all, but something told me that would counteract everything I'd been working to achieve with my â€Å"womanly charms.† The archives were sealed with electronic locks that opened when Ian scanned his card key. As we stepped inside, I nearly forgot that coming in here was just a cover for the larger plan. Books and books and books surrounded me as well as scrolls and documents written on parchment. Old and delicate items were sealed under glass, with notes and signs against a far wall on how to access digital copies of them on computers. A couple of Alchemists, young like us, worked at tables and were transcribing old books into their laptops. One of them looked excited about her job; the other guy looked bored. He seemed to welcome the distraction of us entering. I must have worn an appropriately awed expression because when I turned to Ian, he was watching me with pride. â€Å"Pretty cool, huh?† Apparently being a glorified librarian had just become a much more exciting job for him. â€Å"Follow me.† He didn't have to tell me twice. We began by exploring the full extent of the archives room, which stretched back much farther than I initially realized. The Alchemists prized knowledge, and it was obvious from this collection, which dated back centuries. I lingered at the shelves, wanting to read every title. They came in different languages and covered a full range of topics useful to our trade: chemistry, history, mythology, the supernatural . . . it was dizzying. â€Å"How do you organize it?† I asked. â€Å"How can you find anything?† Ian pointed to small placards on the shelves that I hadn't noticed. They bore alphanumeric codes that were part of no filing system I recognized. â€Å"These catalog it all. And here's the directory.† He led me to a touch screen panel embedded in the wall. I pressed it and was presented with a menu of options: AUTHOR, TIME PERIOD, SUBJECT, LANGUAGE. I touched SUBJECT and was led through a series of more and more specific topics until I finally realized I'd been searching for â€Å"Magic† in the supernatural section. It gave me a list of titles, each with its own code in the organizational system. To my surprise, there were actually a number of books on magic, and I burned with curiosity. Did the Alchemists have records of witches? Or was it all speculation? Most likely these were moral books preaching the wrongness of humans even considering such feats. â€Å"Can I browse some of the books?† I asked him. â€Å"I mean, I know I can't sit and read all afternoon, but there's so much history . . . I just kind of want to be a part of it. I'd be so, so grateful.† I really didn't think that would work twice, but it did. â€Å"Okay.† He pointed toward a small office in the back. â€Å"I need to catch up on a few things. Do you want to meet back here in an hour?† I thanked him profusely and then returned to the touch screen. I yearned to investigate the magic books but had to remind myself why I was here. As long as I was in the archives, I might as well do some research that would help our cause. I flipped through the menus until I located the section on the Alchemists' early history. I'd hoped to find a reference to vampire hunters in general or the Warriors specifically. No luck. The best I could do was follow the codes to shelves and shelves detailing our group's formation. Most of the books were dense and written in an antiquated style. The really old ones weren't even in English. I skimmed a few and soon realized a task like this would take longer than an hour. The newer books had no mention of the Warriors, which didn't surprise me, seeing as that information was now covered up. If I was going to locate any references to vampire hunters, it would be in the oldest books. They didn't have much in the way of tables of contents or indices, and there was no way I could do a full read. Remembering my real mission here, I put the books away after about ten minutes and sought out Ian. That earlier tension returned, and I began to sweat. â€Å"Hey, is there a restroom in here?† I prayed there wasn't. I'd seen one down the hall when we'd come to this level. Part of my plan depended on getting out of the archives. â€Å"Down the hall, by the stairs,† he said. Some work issue had required his attention, and if my luck held, it would keep his eyes off the clock. â€Å"Knock on the door when you get back. I'll tell the scribes to let you in.† I'd had a knot of anxiety in my stomach all day that I'd been trying to ignore. Now there was no getting around it. It was time for the unthinkable. Subtlety had no role in Alchemist security. The hallway contained cameras at each end. They faced each other, providing a long, continuous shot of the corridor. The restrooms were located at one end of the hall, almost directly under a camera. I went inside the ladies' room and verified there were no other people – or cameras – within. At least the Alchemists allowed some privacy. Casting the invisibility spell was easy. Getting out was a little more difficult. The cameras' position made me think the restroom door was too flush with the wall for either camera to really get a good look at it. The door opened inward, so I was able to slip out and feel confident no camera had picked up a ghostly door opening. The door to the stairs was the real beast. It was in the range of one of the cameras. Ms. Terwilliger had told me the invisibility spell would protect me from video and film. So, I had no fear of being spotted. I simply had to take the risk of the camera recording the door opening by itself. Although I knew security guards watched live feeds of the cameras, there were too many for them to scrutinize every second. If no sudden movement appeared on this one, I doubted any guard would notice. And if things stayed tame on this level, no one would have any reason to review the footage. But the operations level . . . well, if everything went according to plan, this sleepy Sunday was about to get a lot more exciting there. I slipped in and out of the stairwell, opening the door with absolutely as little space as possible. The operations level was even more secure than the archives, with heavy, industrial-looking doors that required both key cards and codes. I had no illusions about cracking any of it. Entry into the security office, much like the rest of this task, relied on an odd mix of logic and luck. The one thing you could count on with Alchemists was reliability. I knew how schedules tended to work. Lunch breaks were taken on the hour at typical lunch times: eleven, twelve, and one. This was why I'd asked Ian to schedule our visit to this time, when I could be relatively certain workers would be moving in and out of the room. Noon was five minutes away, and I crossed my fingers someone would exit soon. As it turned out, someone entered. A man came whistling down the hall. When he reached the door, the smell of fast-food hamburgers gave away his lunch choice. I held my breath as he scanned his card and punched in the numbers. The lock clicked, and he pushed the door open. I scurried in behind him and cleared the door without having to catch it or open it farther. Unfortunately, he came to a halt sooner than I expected, and I brushed against him. I immediately shrank away, and he scanned around, startled. Please don't think there's an invisible person here. How terrible would that be to have made it this far, only to be detected now? Fortunately, magical subterfuge wasn't the first thing Alchemists turned to as a reason for anything. After a few more puzzled moments, he shrugged and called a greeting to one of his coworkers. Wade had described the room perfectly. Monitors covered one wall, flipping back and forth between different camera views. A couple of guards kept an eye on the footage, while others worked away at computers. Wade had also told me which workstation contained the files I needed. I approached it – careful to avoid any other contact mishaps. A woman was already seated at the station. â€Å"I was thinking of Thai carryout,† she told one of her coworkers. â€Å"I've just got to finish this report.† No! She was about to take her lunch break. For my plan to work, that couldn't happen. If she left, she would lock her computer. I needed it accessible for this plan to work. She was running late on her lunch, which meant I had to act now. This room wasn't exempt from surveillance. Even the watchers had watchers. Fortunately, there was only one camera. I selected an empty computer with a screen facing the camera and stood behind it. Wires and cords snaked out of the computer's panel, and the fans whirred steadily inside. I rested my hand on the panel and did one more quick assessment. The computer's back was out of the camera's view, but it would do no good if it was in the middle of someone else's line of vision. Everyone seemed preoccupied, though. It was time to act. I created a fireball – a small one. I kept it in the palm of my hand and rested it right next to the panel. Despite its size, I summoned as much heat as I could. Not quite blue, but getting there. It took effect quickly, and within seconds, the cords and panel began to melt. The scent of burnt plastic rolled over me, and smoke drifted upward. It was enough. I let the fireball fade, and then I sprinted away from the computer just in time. Everyone had now noticed the burning computer. An alarm went off. There were cries of surprise, and someone yelled for a fire extinguisher. They all rose from their chairs to hurry over and look – including the woman who'd been at the computer I needed. There was no time to waste. I sat immediately in her chair and plugged in the thumb drive. With gloved hands, I grabbed hold of the mouse and began clicking through directories. Wade hadn't been able to help much at this point. We'd just hoped finding the files would be intuitive. All the while, I was conscious of the time – and that someone might notice a mouse moving by itself. Even after they put out the fire, the Alchemists hovered around the smoking computer, trying to figure out what had happened. Overheating wasn't uncommon, but a fire happening that quickly definitely was. And these were computers that contained highly sensitive information. I felt like there were a million directories. I checked a few likely candidates, only to hit a dead end. Each time I hit a dead end, I would silently swear at the wasted time. The other Alchemists weren't going to stay away forever! Finally, after more stressful searching, I found a directory of old surveillance footage. It contained folders linked to every camera in the building – including one marked MAIN CHECKPOINT. I clicked it open and found files named by date. Wade had told me that eventually these files were cleared and moved to archives, but the day I needed was still here. The cameras recorded one frame every second. Multiplied by twenty-four hours, that made for a huge file – but not nearly the size continuous filming would create. The file would fit on my thumb drive, and I began copying it over. The connection was fast, but it was still a big transfer. The screen told me it had ten seconds to go. Ten seconds. The computer's owner could be back by then. I allowed myself another peek at the Alchemists. They were all still puzzling out the mystery. The thing about scientists like us was that a technological failure like this was fascinating. Also, it never occurred to any of them to look for a supernatural explanation. They tossed around theories with each other and started to take the melted computer apart. My file finished copying, and I sprang out of the chair, just as the woman began walking back toward it. I'd been fully prepared to risk another â€Å"ghost door† while they were distracted, but the fire alarm had summoned others in the hallway. People moved in and out with such frequency that I had no trouble holding the door open just long enough for me to sneak through. I practically ran back to the archives level and had to calm myself when I reentered the restroom. I uncast the invisibility spell and waited for my breathing to slow. The thumb drive was back in my bra, the gloves back in my purse. Studying myself in the mirror, I decided that I looked innocent enough to return to the archives. One of the scribes let me in. It was the engrossed girl, and she gave me a look that said opening the door was a waste of her time. Ian still appeared to be engulfed with work in the back, which was a relief. I'd been gone far longer than a bathroom trip would require and had worried he'd wonder where I was at. Things could've gone badly if he'd sent the girl to find me, both because I wasn't in the restroom and because she'd be really annoyed at the interruption. Over in the history section, I sat on the floor with a book picked at random, which I only pretended to read. I was too anxious and keyed up to parse the words, no matter how many times I tried to reassure myself. There was no reason for the Alchemists to suspect me of causing the fire. There was no reason for them to think I'd stolen data. There was no reason for them to think I was connected to any of this. Ian found me when the hour was up, and I feigned disappointment at having to leave. In reality, I couldn't get out of this building fast enough. He drove me to the airport and chattered nonstop about the next time we'd get to see each other. I smiled and nodded appropriately but reminded him our work had to come first and that my post was particularly consuming. He was obviously disappointed but couldn't deny the logic. The Alchemist greater good came first. Even better, he didn't try one of those awful kisses again – though he did suggest we set up some times for video chatting. I told him to email me, secretly vowing I'd never open up any message from him. I didn't relax until the plane took off, when the potential for an Alchemist raid seemed pretty low. The most paranoid part of me worried there could be a party waiting for me at the Palm Springs airport, but for now I had a few hours of peace. I'd just assumed I'd deliver the drive to Marcus and leave it at that. But now, with it in my possession, my curiosity got the better of me. I had to get to the bottom of this mystery. Was the Z. J. who'd visited the Alchemists really Master Jameson? With fresh coffee in hand, I opened the file on my laptop and began to watch. Even with one frame per second, the footage went on forever. Most of it was nothing but a quiet checkpoint, with the most exciting parts being when the guards changed position or took breaks. Plenty of Alchemists passed in and out, but relative to the overall time span, they were few and far between. Ian actually showed up once, off to start his shift. I wasn't even halfway through when the plane began its descent. Disheartened, I resigned myself to an evening of more of the same when I got back to the dorm. At least I'd be able to make some decent coffee to get me through. I was almost tempted just to push the file off on Marcus tomorrow and let him deal with reviewing it . . . but that nagging voice urging me to find out for myself won. It wasn't just because of my curiosity either. I didn't really think Marcus would fabricate anything, but if I could see for sure that – There he was on the screen. He wasn't in those over-the-top robes, but there was no mistaking Master Jameson's old-fashioned beard. He wore business casual clothing and seemed to be smiling at something a man beside him was saying. The man had a lily on his cheek but was no one I knew. Master Jameson. With the Alchemists. Marcus and his Merry Men's conspiracy had panned out. A suspicious part of me wanted to believe this was a setup, that maybe they'd altered and planted this. But, no. I'd taken it myself, off an Alchemist server. It was possible Marcus had more insiders running errands for him, but this hadn't been easy for me, even with magical assistance. Besides, why would Marcus go to so much trouble to make me believe this? If it was some twisted way to get me to join him, there were a million other ways he could have attempted it, with evidence much easier to fake. Something in my gut told me this was real. I hadn't forgotten the similarities in our rituals or how the Warriors had wanted our groups to merge. Maybe the Alchemists and the Warriors weren't best friends yet, but someone had at least humored Master Jameson with a meeting. The question was, what had happened at that meeting? Had the Alchemist in the footage sent Jameson packing? Were the two of them together right now? Regardless of the outcome, this was undeniable proof that the Alchemists and Warriors were still in contact. Stanton had told me we merely kept an eye on them and had no interest in hearing them out. Once again, I had been lied to.

Phenomenology and the sociology of knowledge Essay

Phenomenology can both be understood to be a discipline and a movement in the history of philosophy. As a discipline, Phenomology can be defined to be the study of structures of experience and consciousness. Ontology, epistemology, logic and ethics are other disciplines which are related to Phenomology though they are distinct (Schulz, Wagner, 1997). In a different perspective, Phenomology can be defined as a historical movement which was launched by great thinkers such as Edmund Husserl among others in the 20th century. Phenomenology and social science Common theories present in social science are based in the real world. This leads to my conviction that phenomenological research can be used in the future studies of some methods which are in use in social science. Phenomenology can further be used in social science to facilitate the understanding of some phenomenon’s which are often taken for granted. For instance, man is assumed to be social being and language and communication systems do exist. Methods in social science fail to address why there is mutual understanding and communication and why men are motivated by certain experiences. Moreover, the social science methods fail to describe the underlying assumption and their implications in the interpretation of social interrelationship (Collins, 1998). All these can only be addressed through philosophical analysis which Husserl referred to as phenomenological philosophy. Phenomenology can also be used to bring meaning and insights to the study of grief, anxiety and pain which are some social issues which affect the very existence of man. Through phenomenology, social scientists can account and analytically describe the acts of intentional consciousness. Finally, phenomenology creates a bridge for the phenomenological sociology which provides an understand ding of the formal structures common in everyday day life. Sociology of knowledge Sociology of knowledge refers to the study of the social sources of knowledge and its impact on the society. In the study, knowledge is assumed to be a cultural product which can only be understood in the social context of its origin. The study is important to Collins in that it provides an explanation to most of the philosophical ideas which exist. In his book, he asserts that great and philosophical ideas are only produced through interaction between humans whose construction relies on the social structure of the intellectual world. Through the sociology of knowledge, Collins is able to explain that the rationalization process of Western, Indian and Asian philosophies has only been achieved through conceptual framework and social knowledge. He uses the sociology of knowledge to explain that social processes have an explanation as to why what is said to whom which he calls the sociology of thinking (Geoffrey, 2003). He also asserts that through the sociology of knowledge one is in a capacity to predict the conversation between two individuals if only their characteristics and the emotional synergies are known. He further uses the sociology of knowledge to explain how it is possible to predict the thinking process of an individual. Though thinking is an internalized conversation, Collins asserts that what we think is often a reflection of what we write on paper or we talk with other people. Collins believes that emotional energy and what we anticipate for the future determines our thinking process (Collins, 1998). Finally, the sociology of knowledge has enable Collins to describe the philosophical transformations which have been achieved in modern Europe, Japan and china. References Collins, R. (1998). The Sociology of Philosophies: A Global Theory Of Intellectual Change Harvard University press, USA ISBN 0-674-00187-7 Geoffrey, L. (2003). Modern Philosophy. London: Routledge Schulz, A. & Wagner, H. (1997). On Phenomenology and Social Relations: Selected Writings. University of Chicago press. London ISBN 0-226-74153-2

Panopticism he states that the development of discipline Essay

In Michel Foucault’s (1975) excerpt, Panopticism he states that the development of discipline in the 18th and 19th centuries came from he emergence of prison as the form of punishment for every crime. During these times the major crimes committed were from the French Revolution and the major riots and civil unrest in the French society. In these prisons the Panopticon puts the inmates in a different state in which each one is there own separate individual. Foucault states that the major effect of these Panopticon are that they â€Å"induce the inmate in a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power.† †Such a structure allows individuals to be seen and restricts their ability to communicate with the security, the warden, or other prisoners.† In this case, crowds are nonexistent and each person is confined to their cell where they can be viewed by the watcher. He states that this new form of punishment lead to th e development of a whole new kind of individuality for bodies. The brilliance of this prison is that the Panopticon forces blindness onto the prisoner where he or she is never sure if someone’s watching or not, inducing a harmless form of paranoia, keeping people in place. When a person is accused of a crime, society finds upon itself the responsibility of punishing him or her. The question of morality, however, is finding the perfect punishment in compensation of the crime that was committed. With the Panopticon, rather than breaking them down physically by using tortures like the thumbscrew or whips, prisoners can be broken down mentally, which allows the reconstruction of their mentality. This entire theory is effective due to the natural desire that people in general have to conform to society’s pressures. After all, it is ingrained in the natural being of humans to know that in order to survive, everyone needs a place in society whether it is as the businessman or as a joker. The fear of complete abandonment from this institution allows the system to work properly. Next, the Panopticon is essential to society in its ability to give a prisoner the chance of redeeming himself or herself to become a crucial part of society again. Instead of seeing revenge on the prisoners, this system allows them to be reformed through a force of habit. As prisoners get used to the idea that they’re being watched at all times with or without their knowledge, they adjust their behavior to meet society’s standards and norms. Thus, with a strong sense of paranoia, once the prisoner comes out of the Panopticon, he or she will rethink any decisions of breaking the rules. Once the person goes through that phase of the Panopticon imprisonment, he or she is set for a regular life in the real world with human interaction. In addition, with the Panopticon, power isn’t centralized in the hands of the warden or prison guards. The mere concept of being spied on causes others to display normal behavior, one that they want to portray to society. The real punishment that the prisoner goes through is one within his or her own mind where due to paranoia, the person shapes up to meet the rules of society in what is right rather than wrong. In this case, no one has power over another and even the amount of guards can be lessened; the prisoner is unable to tell the difference as to who is watching or how many people are watching. Power isn’t given to people but is within the architecture of the Panopticon. There will be no more vicious beatings of prisoners and no more degradation of them. In the end, they’re like everyone else, another everyday person in today’s world. Panopticism creates self-discipline forced into play through one’s own mentality of paranoia and fear, allowing criminals to be broken down mentally instead of physically, to redeem themselves as a part of society again, and to allow power to not be centralized in the hands of the warden or prison guards. It’s not only an effective system but it’s also efficient in the way that those separated from society may still have the ability to blend back in after undergoing this type of imprisonment. As a result, the concept of a Panopticon would certainly be better than the status quo where punishment is used and people are locked away behind bars without given a chance to prove that they’re reformed. Any cruel and unusual punishments that may occur are abolished and finally, for those who have made a mistake or two, redemption is finally possible.

Standard Chartered marketing communication strategy and competitive Lab Report

Standard Chartered marketing communication strategy and competitive position - Lab Report Example According to the research findings Standard Chartered discovered marketing as the group expanded its operations from local perspective to a global perspective across diverse-cultural set of markets, Asia, Africa and Middle East for onstance. The bank admits the fact that it serves multiple geographies, different people with diverse values and significant cultures. This has enabled standard chartered to develop a strategy that focus on understanding of its markets’ core values to offer distinguished products and services to consumers with respect to their local requirements. The bank claims that it has developed a ‘consistent marketing strategy’ through constancy of efforts, stanch commitment to miscellaneous values and cultures and focused on relationships with local customers across the target markets. Standard chartered asserts that the bank has an unambiguous straight forward strategy that revolves around the market and consumers it serves. It has classified it s marketing strategy on two major areas: standard chartered for consumers and standard chartered as the corporate brand. Amongst consumers there are two set of markets: the individual consumers, who consume bank services for themselves; and second set is of business/commercial consumers, who utilize bank services for commercial purposes. Standard chartered has developed wholesale banking for commercial consumers’ category and consumer banking for individual consumers’ category. Marketing is an ever changing and sprouting discipline of businesses; companies always have a room for development and advancement. (Vanhuele and Wright, 2008). The bank has to broaden the base of its marketing communication strategy to effectively converse the different marketing messages, to different set of consumers it serves, in the most appropriate manner which could influence the target audience and trigger the desired response out of each target group. There are three marketing strategie s that fit Standard Chartered intent to serve the market: push, pull and profile strategies. The bank has to adopt these strategies as each meets a separate objective using a separate approach, thus, supporting the overall mission. Push strategy requires the bank to direct marketing activities to propel the products to consumers. It is more a selling concept, supports the sale organization of the bank and helps them design sales programs over push strategy (Kotler, 2009). It requires the bank to encourage and motivate the consumer, direct selling and negotiating with the prospects, emphasize point of sale promotions and advertisements, and performing other promotional activities to forcefully throw the banks’ offers and services to the consumer. It is appropriate for standard chartered as the retail banking structure in its target market: Asia, Africa and Middle East enable the bank to push its offers to consumers. Products/Services Push Consumers Pull strategy involves the b ank to design marketing activities in a manner that would fetch the consumers to the products and services themselves by enhancing their visibility (Kotler, 2009). It is more a branding concept for it supports the organization to design more customer-driven marketing programs that would develop strong bank-consumer rapport which is the ultimate objective of Standard chartered bank. It requires the bank to establish consumer associations with the bank through mass communication programs, mass-advertising campaigns, sales incentives and buzz marketing campaigns to create word of mouth influence. Pull strategy supports standard chartered ideology of understanding local consumers and markets, and their respective cultures, consequently, its attractive for effective communication strategy. Products/Services Pull Consumers Finally, the third marketing strategy which encompasses a broader marketing perspective is profile strategy. This strategy reveals the corporate reputation of an organi zation. It has deep orientation in corporate branding which identifies what an organization is