Eastern Coral Snake Facts

Eastern Coral Snake Facts The eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius) is a highly venomous snake found in the southeastern United States. Eastern coral snakes are brightly colored with rings of red, black, and yellow scales. Folk rhymes to remember the difference between the coral snake and the nonvenomous king snake (Lampropeltis  sp.) include red on yellow kills a fellow, red on black venom lack and red touching black, friend of Jack; red touching yellow, youre a dead fellow. However, these mnemonics are unreliable because of differences between individual snakes and because other species of coral snakes do have adjoining red and black bands. Fast Facts: Eastern Coral Snake Scientific Name: Micrurus fulviusCommon Names: Eastern coral snake, common coral snake, American cobra, harlequin coral snake, thunder-and-lightning snakeBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 18-30 inchesLifespan: 7 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Southeastern United StatesPopulation: 100,000Conservation Status: Least Concern Description Coral snakes are related to cobras, sea snakes, and mambas (family Elapidae). Like these snakes, they have round pupils and lack heat-sensing pits. Coral snakes have small, fixed fangs. The eastern coral snake is medium-sized and slender, generally ranging between 18 and 30 inches in length. The longest reported specimen was 48 inches. Mature females are longer than males, but males have longer tails. The snakes have smooth dorsal scales in a colored ring pattern of wide red and black rings separated by narrow yellow rings. Eastern coral snakes always have black heads. The narrow heads are nearly indistinguishable from the tails. Habitat and Distribution The eastern coral snake lives in the United States from coastal North Carolina to the tip of Florida and west into eastern Louisiana. The snakes prefer the coastal plains, but also inhabit wooded areas further inland that are subject to seasonal flooding. A few snakes have been documented as far north as Kentucky. Also, there is controversy regarding whether the Texas coral snake (which extends into Mexico) is the same species as the eastern coral snake. Coral snake species and range in the United States. HowardMorland, public domain Diet and Behavior Eastern coral snakes are carnivores that prey upon frogs, lizards, and snakes (including other coral snakes). The snakes spend most of their time underground, usually venturing out to hunt in the cooler dawn and dusk hours. When a coral snake is threatened, it elevates and curls the tip of its tail and may fart, releasing gas from its cloaca to startle potential predators. The species is not aggressive. Reproduction and Offspring Because the species is so secretive, relatively little is known about coral snake reproduction. Eastern coral snake females lay between 3 and 12 eggs in June that hatch in September. The young range from 7 to 9 inches at birth and are venomous. The life expectancy of wild coral snakes is unknown, but the animal lives about 7 years in captivity. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies eastern coral snake conservation status as least concern. A 2004 survey estimated the adult population at 100,000 snakes. Researchers believe the population is stable or perhaps slowly declining. Threats include motor vehicles, habitat loss and degradation from residential and commercial development, and issues with invasive species. For example, coral snake numbers declined in Alabama when the fire ant was introduced and preyed upon eggs and young snakes. Venom and Bites The Mexican kingsnake is a nonvenomous snake that resembles the eastern coral snake. Paul Starosta, Getty Images Coral snake venom is a potent neurotoxin. A single snake has enough venom to kill five adults, but the snake cannot deliver all of its venom at once plus envenomation only occurs in about 40% of bites. Even then, bites and fatalities are extremely rare. The most common cause of snakebite comes from mistaking a coral snake for a similarly-colored nonvenomous snake. Only one death has been reported since the antivenin became available in the 1960s (in 2006, confirmed in 2009). Since then, coral snake antivenin production has been discontinued due to lack of profitability. An eastern coral snake bite may be painless. Symptoms develop between 2 and 13 hours after the bite and include progressive weakness, facial nerve palsy, and respiratory failure. Since antivenin is no longer available, treatment consists of respiratory support, wound care, and antibiotic administration to prevent infection. Pets are more likely than humans to get bitten by coral snakes. They often survive if given prompt veterinary care. Sources Campbell, Jonathan A.; Lamar, William W. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates (2004). ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.Davidson, Terence M. and Jessica Eisner. United States Coral Snakes. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 1,38-45 (1996).Derene, Glenn. Why Snakebites Are About to Get a Lot More Deadly. Popular Mechanics (May 10, 2010).Hammerson, G.A. Micrurus fulvius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T64025A12737582. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64025A12737582.enNorris, Robert L.; Pfalzgraf, Robert R.; Laing, Gavin. Death following coral snake bite in the United States – First documented case (with ELISA confirmation of envenomation) in over 40 years. Toxicon. 53 (6): 693–697 (March 2009). doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.01.032

Part III Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Part III Marketing Plan - Essay Example Through sites such as Facebook and Twitter, I will post pictures of Lagree Fitness facility`s new product that is â€Å"The Megaformer â„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  with detailed information on the efficiency and importance of this machine as opposed to others. Through likes and positive comments on social sites, I will determine the success of Facebook and Twitter in advertising my products. I will also monitor the traffic to the page of the advert to determine its success. As a result, I will increase sales of my products and services. Social media advertisement is free. Thus, I will not have major things about it in the budget. Equally important, it advisable to use sales promotion as a strategy for increasing sales of products and profit margin. Most companies promote their goods or services through various channels such as media and non-media. Moreover, according to Kazmi and Batra (2009), efficient and appropriate sales promotion results in increased value of products since it is used to persuade and inform the audience of the importance and purpose of the product and services. Similarly, through sales promotion I can reach a wider audience and educate them on the importance of going to the gym. I will encourage free visits to Lagree Fitness Facility by various people to give them an overview of what I offer and its advantages over other similar services in the market. Through these free visits, they will have a feel the new service that is â€Å"The Lagree Fitness Method†and give an immediate response. Thus, I will immediately know the reaction of my target customers and get vital information on whether to alter some elements in my services or not. Furthermore, through promotion I will also get an opportunity to sell some of my services to various people at a subsidized fee. Additionally, I will evaluate the success of this marketing strategy through observing the number of visits

Reputation and Privacy Issues in Distributed Computing Research Proposal

Reputation and Privacy Issues in Distributed Computing - Research Proposal Example However, researchers like Katsikas argue that the domain attained an independent identity only during the past 20 years and that there is a wide scope for further research and development (126). While current distributed models are capable of delivering high-speed, on-demand services via a shared pool of resources and can operate with minimal interaction or management, such recent advances have introduced several more dimensions into factors like privacy and data security that are critical when sharing information. Thus, distributed computing is widely regarded as a new programming paradigm that needs further research for better flexibility together with the identification and resolution of all outstanding issues related to information privacy and reputation (Katsikas 54). The proposed study aims to analyze and understand some of these issues and provide some useful solutions that may be incorporated in future implementations of distributed systems. The reasons for undertaking this r esearch and the necessity to understand this specific segment of distributed computing is elaborated in the subsequent sections. ... e element of trust that cannot be controlled by networks themselves becomes a crucial factor and is necessary for authorized and meaningful interaction among users (Hubner 195). Thus, the proper sharing of information across distributed networks is a challenge to network designers and engineers. Petkovic notes that the question of data privacy i.e., how to share information with accurate representation while maintaining privacy and designated delivery is one of the major questions currently being explored by researchers (187). While many studies have devised effective solutions that tackle privacy or reputation (trust) related issues, Subramanian argues that most of these have explored only a specific area (92). Thus, there is not much insight when it comes to evaluating both privacy and trust related methodologies that are capable of collectively solving the overall problem of proper information sharing. Questions remain on the robustness of current privacy framework and trust model s and the extent to which they can cope with a varying range of attacks. Dubitsky adds that existing techniques are not capable of utilizing any human characteristics or transcending beyond the use of trust as a validation of rules (165). The rapid surge in the use of mobile devices in distributed computing has introduced another important complexity into the equation besides raising new issues on reusable identity, ad-hoc access and transient communication. The growth of social networking over the past 5-6 years has also raised questions on the validity of identities and trust. Umar further adds that in a decentralized environment such as in distributed computing, human involvement is prone to introducing challenges in areas like human-computer interaction (HCI) (86). These

Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Human Resource - Essay Example It is important for all organisations to ensure that proper strategic human resource planning is implemented in their firm. Proper job descriptions need to be developed so that the right type of employees can be hired and all work operations take place smoothly. If Twinkle Toe proper makes investments of time on the recruitment and selection policies, then the right staff can be hired and the day care may face success. Training and career planning for employees is a very important element for remaining a competitive firm. Twinkle Toe has been suggested to implement training programs so that employee performance can improve. Career progression is important for employees as they look forward for achieving growth and success in their career life, therefore Twinkle Toe needs to provide the career progression opportunities for its employees so that they remain interested in working with the day care centre. The industry of the day care centre is booming due to the increase in the number of women who are willing to walk through their career paths without it being distracted by their personal family lives. The industry includes a number of day care centres, each with their own idea of how the children should be brought up or the importance of having children to develop their skills around other children. A major concern for the parents is to find the right day care that they can afford. All day care centres are not that affordable for every parent and hence, they do consider other alternatives such as hiring help within their own home, which has its own risks as well. The risks of hiring a babysitter at home and actually having the child admitted at a day care centre must be evaluated before a final decision is made. Another concern for the parents is the minds of their children. The minds of the children at the age of five tend to be like a sponge where they can absorb absolutely all facts and figures that they are

Fire protection Essay Example for Free

Fire protection Essay The research is to determine the fire protection education programs that need top be organized in a town. This town is a very busy town that is characterized by a population of about 12,000 people and is a major host of light industries, good climatic and environmental conditions that attracts tourist’s ant some points of the year. This town has a rapidly growing population with an above average income and good agricultural lands. Being posted as a volunteer in the fire department there is need to educate the public on the fire protection and life safety programs. This has been facilitated by the recent fire attacks. The training curriculum and the procedure for the entire town needs to be made and organized into groups, these groups need to check at the social, economical, age and religious settings of the town. The trainings should be both for the prevention and the escape. For the school going children and the Pre School aged children the trainings and drillings should include the exit drills that can help them in case of f ire attacks, smoke detectors testing and the actions that they need to take if the detectors sound alarms and the stop, drop and roll techniques. This will help the kids and school going children to escape some light fire attacks. Since in many cases the main course of fire is open flames the kids should be educated on the effects of playing with matches the lighters and fire. ( PEAP, 1980) The education package for the adults should be very much extensive and well detailed. This is because of all the businesses and the developments in the growing town; they are involved and invest in them. Their training for fire prevention and life safety should involve the use of fire extinguishers, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) , keeping their homes and businesses safe from attack and the need to install to install their homes with fire and smoke detectors. ( http://www. usfa. dhs. gov/fireservice/subjects/fireprev/) As a volunteer in the fire department I would be able to advice the town council to identify and develop public, private and fire community partnership that would be used and be instrumental in the enhancement and awareness of fire prevention activities. For this busy growing town, that is living above average class I would advocate for the for the inclusion of fire prevention and detection technology and design in construction and the architecture of the . physical facilities. This would improve the safety of the business buildings and the lives of the citizens. (http://www. usfa. dhs. gov/fireservice/subjects/fireprev) The whole town should be involved in a public fire awareness program, to get the educations and the skills for fire prevention and protection. To check at the effective ness of this program of installing fire detection machines there should be a drill at different points of the town to test the effectiveness of such machines. Reference: Fire Marshal, Public Education Assistance Program Steering Committee (PEAP,- Alaska,1980) SN publishers Alaska http://www. usfa. dhs. gov/fireservice/subjects/fireprev/ Retrieved on the 19th July 2008

The Internet And The Network Society Media Essay

The Internet And The Network Society Media Essay Throughout the past three decades, a plethora of major social, technological, economic, and cultural transformations (Castells, 2010: p. xvii) have combined resulting in the emergence of a new society the network society (see Castells, 2001a, 2001b, 2008, 2009. 2010; Hardt and Negri, 2000; van Dijk, 2006). Despite some commentators suggesting that the etymology of the term network society is extremely vague (Cavanagh, 2007), it is important, at this point, to provide a definition before proceeding to the subsequent discussion of changes which have occurred within and as a consequence of the network society. Manuel Castells (2001a), arguably the most significant theorist in this field, provides in my view the most concrete definition describing the network society as a society where the key social structures are organised around electronically processed information networks (p. 4). In this sense, the infrastructure of the network society is determined by the relationship between so cial, technical and media networks (van Dijk, 2006). It is beyond the scope of this paper to provide an all-embracing, comprehensive review of the network society and all of its components, therefore, the fundamental changes which have occurred vis-à ¡-vis communication will form the focus of this section. In the network society, face-to-face interaction remains the most prevalent and, arguably, the most important form of communication for various reasons. However, a number of technological devices have supplemented and, in part, replaced this form of communication (van Dijk, 2006). It is important to note that the rise in wireless devices, such as the mobile phone, have had a profound effect on the methods by which social beings interact. For example, in 2009, mobile phone use in the United Kingdom was almost ubiquitous (81%) (Office for National Statistics, 2010). In regards to mobile phone use amongst children, it was reported that more than half (56%) of those aged 8 11 had used a mobile device in 2007, primarily for text messaging (61%). Meanwhile, for those aged 12 15, mobile phone use was near ubiquitous (90%) with a significant majority (87%) sending at least one text message per week (Office for National Statistics, 2008). Thus, with the rise of wireless networks have enable d people to apply the telephone for communicatory purposes in alternative ways; for example the mobile phone allows and is increasingly used for text messaging, multimedia messaging, and Internet access. According to Castells (2010), we have witnessed an increasing technological convergence between the Internet and wireless communication and multiple applications that distribute communicative capacity throughout the wireless networks, thus multiplying points of access to the Internet (p. xxvi). A key example of such expansion is the recent proliferation of the iPhone which is estimated to surpass 100 million sales in 2011 (Chen, www.wired.com, 2010), and whose users define it as divine (Campbell and La Pastina, 2010), the Jesus phone, and the holy grail of all gadgets (Danneskjold, 2007; also see Campbell and La Pastina, 2010); as Apple proclaim when advertising the recently launched iPhone 4, This changes everything. Again (Apple, www.apple.com, 2010). However, the iPhone does not fundamentally change communicatory practices, but rather much like the Internet it supplements them offering itself as a tool which one can apply when seeking alternative routes of communication. Thus, communication is supplemented rather than replaced by the rise in technological devices, in this sense, technological devices do not influence social change (Castells, 2010), but rather, create a pathway through which social change can occur. This ideology rests upon the premise that a reciprocal relationship exists between people and technology, after all, technology would cease to exist without the presence of people. Let me now turn to the proliferation in Internet use which has occurred over the past decade, its profound influence on communication, and its position within the network society. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, Internet use has grown exponentially by almost 444 per cent (Internet World Stats, www.internetworldstats.com, 2010). As of this writing, approximately 29 per cent of the global population are currently connected to the Internet; furthermore, in the United Kingdom, a recent survey found that Internet use currently stands at 70 per cent, an increase from 58 per cent in 2003 (Dutton et al., 2009). As a result, the Internets role in the mediation of everyday practices and activities is expanding, for example, various studies have reported that we are increasingly using the Internet for banking (Wood and Williams, 2007), shopping (Wood and Williams, 2007), listening to and purchasing music (Jooyoung Lee, 2008), dating or e-dating (Couch and Liamputtong, 2008), and communication particularly through blogging (Stern, 2007; Ekdale et al., 2010) and social networking (Boyd, 2001, 2007, 2008; Boyd and Ellison, 2008; Houghton and Joinson, 2010; Patc hin and Hinduja, 2008, 2010). In regards to communication, the Internet amalgamates both data communication and mass communication (van Dijk, 2006). In particular, such integration has occurred since the emergence of the World Wide Web which has resulted in the mass communicative character of the Internet becoming increasingly visible, for example, one need only examine the explosion of web pages created by organisations (.org), corporations (.com and .co.uk), governing bodies (.gov), institutions, and the increasing field of user-created content (i.e. blogs, forums, bulletin-board systems (BBS), and non-profit sites such as Wikipedia.org or Wiki Leaks). Thus, under the paradigm of the network society one can posit that the Internet presents itself as an integrated network (Castells, 2001a, 2001b, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010; van Dijk, 2006). EXPLAIN INTEGRATED NETWORK HERE. The Internet thus fundamentally changes the character of communication through the integration of text, images, and sounds in the same system, interacting from multiple points, in chosen time (real or delayed) along a global network, in conditions of open and affordable access (Castells, 2010: p. 356). Despite its fairly recent proliferation, an expansive body of literature has emerged analysing the effects of increased Internet use particularly concerning communication and sociability -, the following section will now engage in a critical overview of the salient arguments put forth. Identity has been subject to widespread theoretical and empirical inquiry for over half a century, dating back to Eriksons (1950) path-breaking work (Schwartz et al., 2010). Eriksons work triggered a wave of academic inquiry into identity development, most of which attempted to delineate personal identity (Cà ´tà ©, 2006). However, despite an expansive database of literature on the subject, identity is still recognised as an ambiguous and slippery term (Buckingham, 2007: p. 1). Its ambiguity arises from its application in many different contexts and for many different purposes (ibid, 2007), as a result, divergent accounts of identity have emerged which lead to confusion over what identity actually constitutes. For the purposes of this essay, the conception of the self will be examined and the ways in which the self is presented and the impression managed in social situations. Primarily grounded in contemporary Western culture, cultural practices (Boyd, 2001), and Western ideology, a plethora of conceptions of the self have emerged. The concept of identity frequently refers to, at least, two conflicting aspects of the self. First, there exists the internalised self, and second that which is the projected version of ones internalised self (ibid, p. 21). This distinction has been constructed by researchers in various ways, for example, political economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith (1976/1760) divides identity into the object self and the acting self, Mead (1934), meanwhile, distinguishes between the I and the me whereby the me connotes an individuals social identity of which the I become conscious in the early psychological development of the child, or as Giddens (1991) puts it, the I is, as it were, the active primitive will of the individual, which seizes on the me as the reflection of social ties (p. 52). Psychoanalysis has also concerned itself wi th conceptions of identity, for example, the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud (1974/1923) . . . insert Freud In spite of the evident differences which persist between these quite divergent accounts of identity, they all recognise that the self is a complex, muddled concept due to its separation between internal notions and external ones. However, an alternative model proposed by French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan (1968) puts forth a suggestion that no internal self actually exists, but rather individuals only possess external selves. Writing in the 1950s, Erving Goffman (1959/1990, 1963) provided a dramaturgical account of social interaction whereby face-to-face interactions, in an array of social settings, were hypothesised as akin to a theatrical performance. Goffmans model suggests that all social interactions can be hypothesised as a series of interactive performances, where the actors and their presentations are in a flux altering their presentation of selves (Goffman, 1990) based upon their assumptions of what is acceptable in a particular situation and the feedback they receive from their audience (Boyd, 2001). Moreover, people perform all aspects of themselves, not just their ideas. An example of this can be located in the writings of Judith Butler (1990) who suggests that whilst sex is a biological trait and thus cannot be altered unless one undergoes a medical operation to remove genitalia people perform their gender (Butler, 1990). Thus, Drawing from Goffmans dramaturgical model, two fundamental components exist concerning the passage of social information between individuals (Boyd, 2001). The ability of an individual to convey information explicitly rests upon the expression that he gives and the expression he gives off (Goffman, 1990: p. 14). The first connotes traditional communication practices such as verbal symbols in order for the actor to convey the information in a coherent manner. The second involves a wide range of action that others can treat as symptomatic of the actor (ibid, p. 14). This may include body language, facial expressions, gestures, or interaction with the immediate environment. Thus, social messages are not simply a set of factual data (Boyd, 2001), but an ongoing negotiation in communication relying on both the signals presented by the actor as well as the signs perceived by the observer (p. 23). A further component of Goffmans theory is the concept of the body. Indeed, in everyday interact ions the body is of integral importance when we perform our identity. Primarily occurring in face-to-face interactions, we utilise our bodies as tools whereby, conveying to other people, we use our bodies to project information about ourselves (Boyd, 2007: p. 11). In doing so, we wear appropriate clothing, make considered movements, make important use of objects or props in Goffmans terminology in our immediate environment, and convey messages through suitable gestures, facial expressions, and body language. Erving Goffman defines these processes as impression management (Goffman, 1959). When one is indulging in impression management, albeit unconsciously at times, they are attempting at best presenting themselves as what the audience Among the most notable developments which have occurred on the Internet over the past decade, and particularly the past few years, is the exponential increase in social network sites (SNSs) (Choi et al., 2010). Sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Netlog, and Bebo have attracted millions of users across the globe, many of whom integrate this form of social networking into their everyday practices (Boyd and Ellison, 2008; Kreps, 2008). In the recent Oxford Internet Survey, for example, social networking emerged as the most popular new application amongst Internet users (aged 14+) in the United Kingdom with almost half (49%) of users reporting the creation or update of a social networking profile, up from only 17 per cent in 2007 (Dutton et al., 2009). In regards to children and teenagers, Lenhart et al., (2010a) discovered that the use of social network sites had increased significantly since 2006 where just over half of teens (aged 12 to 17) (55%) indulged in on-line social networking co mpared to almost three-quarters (73%) as of 2010 (Lenhart et al., 2010). On the basis of such widespread diffusion, commentators have suggested that the explosion in the popularity of SNSs is due to the freedom with which an individual can construct a personal profile page to represent themselves and interact with others (Patchin and Hinduja, 2008, 2010). At a basic level, social network sites allow individuals to create digital representations of themselves (Patchin and Hinduja, 2010: p. 199) through posting biographical information, compiling personal journals and blogs, indicating likes and dislikes, demonstrating their interests, and embedding multimedia (i.e., video, pictures, and music or audio). Thus, SNSs centre on the profile (Tufekci, 2008), within this profile the most significant point where identity is managed and performed is an individuals About Me section. The about me section is a reserved space on a profile where a user can . CONTINUE As has already been noted, in an effort to make a good impression, individuals survey the immediate area, examine how other people are acting, and make a rational choice on the appropriate performance for that particular social situation this rational choice may indeed be drawn from an established repertoire of performances which have been applied in the past (Goffman, 1959, 1967; Boyd, 2007, 2008). During the performance, people mould their behaviour depending on the feedback and reactions they receive, thus attempting to increase the likelihood of being perceived by their audience as they intend. These processes are what Erving Goffman (1959/1990, 1967) defines as impression management and the presentation of self. Mediated environments, such as those that the Internet produces, like social network sites formalise and fundamentally alter the identity processes of self-presentation and impression management (Boyd, 2008: p. 119). As a result, children and teenagers in particular face a complex challenge whereby they must formally write themselves into being (Sunden, 2003: p. 5) through the elaborate task of creating profiles which complicates impression management processes due to the limited nature of feedback in on-line environments such as MySpace and Facebook. In his groundbreaking text, The Presentation of Self (1959), Goffman exquisitely formulates a theory of social interaction in which he details the methods individuals apply to take into account the social environment and the role which they are functioning in it to use body language, gestures, speech, facial expressions, and other people in order to convey an impression. However, primarily due to the time period, what Goffman does not account for or, indeed, foresee is the impact technology would have and the way in which mediated situations will fundamentally impact upon the traditional art of impression management and presentation of the self. A key point here, is, the embodiment aspect of Goffmans theory. In the borderless world (OÃÅ'ˆqvist, 2009) of the Internet, bodies, in the corporal sense, do not exist thus obscuring the immediate, physical identity of the individual in question, moreover, CONTINUE!. Thus, in order to exist in mediated environments, for the first time in history, humans have to write themselves into being (Sunden, 2003). For social network sites, this entails the formation of a profile page and adding and fleshing out the fields as an act of self presentation. The sexual grooming of children is not a new phenomenon, neither is the conceptual application of the term grooming. In fact, the term has been in circulation for a considerable period of time, for the most part applied by psychologists in efforts to analyse patterns of deviant sexual behaviour (McAlinden, 2006). The The findings support the view that the Internet is establishing itself as a powerful tool for the formation of new social relationships by enabling some individuals to meet new people and make new friends, whom otherwise they would not have met. (Dutton and Di Gennaro, 2007: p. 593) For the purpose of this paper I will concentrate on only one component of the network society which is experiencing radical change, that is, communication.

Rene Descartes :: essays research papers

Rene Descartes Rene Descartes was born March 31, 1596 in La Haye, Touraine. Descartes was the son of a minor nobleman and belonged to a family that had produced a number of learned men. At the age of eight, he was enrolled in the Jesuit school of La Fleche in Anjou, where he remained for eight years. Besides the usual classical studies, he received instruction in math and in Scholastic philosophy. Roman Catholicism exerted a strong influence on Descartes throughout his life. Upon graduation from school, he studied law at the University of Poitiers, graduating in 1616. He never practiced law, however--in 1618 he entered the service of Prince Maurice of Nassau at Breda, Netherlands, with the intention of following a military career. In succeeding years Descartes served in other armies, but his attention had already been attracted to the problems of mathematics and philosophy to which he was to devote the rest of his life. He made a pilgrimage to Italy in 1623-24, and spent the years from 1624 to 1628 in France. While in France, he devoted himself to the study of philosophy and also experimented in optics. In 1628, having sold his properties in France, he moved to the Netherlands, where he spent most of the rest of his life. He lived for varying periods in a number of different cities in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Deventer, Utrecht, and Leiden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was probably during the first years of his residence in the Netherlands that Descartes wrote his first major work, Essais philosophiques, published in 1637. The work contained four parts: an essay on geometry, another on optics, a third on meteors, and Discours de la methode (Discourse on Method), which described his philosophical theories. This was followed by other philosophical works, among them Meditationes de Prima Philosophia (Meditations on First Philosophy, 1641) and Principia Philosophiae (The Principles of Philosophy, 1644). The latter volume was dedicated to Princess Elizabeth Stuart of Bohemia, who lived in the Netherlands and with whom Descartes had formed a deep friendship. In 1649, Descartes was invited to the court of Queen Christina of Sweden in Stockholm to give the queen instruction in philosophy. The rigors of the northern winter brought on the pneumonia that caused his death on February 1, 1650.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most notable contribution that Descartes made to mathematics was the systematization of analytic geometry. He was the first mathematician to attempt to classify curves according to the types of equations that produce them. He also made contributions to the theory of equations and succeeded in proving the impossibility of trisecting the angle and doubling the cube.