Impact of Hydrological Cycle on Earths Surface Processes

Impact of Hydrological Cycle on Earths Surface Processes The impact of a changing hydrological cycle on  Earth’s surface processes Introduction The hydrological cycle is the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.(Website 1) Throughout this essay I will emphasise the importance of this cycle together with the factors that affect the water quality correlated with the climate change and the direct impact upon three Earth geological surfaces. The importance of the Hydrological Cycle Figure 1 : the hydrological cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration and transpiration and the transitions of water between the solid, liquid and gas phases) (website 2) This process is extremely important for the biosphere, as it sustains all the life on Earth. Although water is continuously recycled, recent studies confirm that direct or indirect human activities (fossil fuels burning, factory pollution, etc.) have a huge impact upon the environment and continuous pollution may cause serious changes on the hydrological cycle, affecting both water quality and the processes that take place on Earth’s surface. Factors that influence the water quality Rapid growth of population and heavy industrialisation coupled with a weak effort to find a more suitable way of waste disposal are the main factors that induce water pollution.( Hennigan, 1969) Figure 2: various sources of water pollution (website 3) Chemical pollution The chemical industry is one of the most important threats to water contamination. For example the most dangerous wastes that come from the fertilizer manufacturing plants are nitrogen and phosphorous and their varying chemical forms. Nitrates can increase eutrophication, leading to the promotion of algae and macrophytes growth affecting thus the water quality. As for humans, the health hazards related to nitrates present in water are considered to be infant methemoglobinemia and cancer appearance. Phosphates can affect the growth rate of aquatic plants that may fix atmospheric nitrogen. Under these circumstances, phosphate becomes the growth-limiting agent, and programmes to control eutrophication have generally sought to reduce available phosphate limits, to prevent excessive algal and macrophyte growth, with subsequent increase in nutrient retention. ( Bahadori et al,2013) Biological pollution Bacterial pollution of water is the most serious threat, as diseases can be transmitted very easily through the underground water system. It only can be removed by filtration through a thick layer of porous and permeable sediments, but this happens only in certain areas. If the biological hazard will occur in one spot, it will be transmitted several kilometres from the initial place through water circulation, affecting a large area. That’s why it is very important to have a sewerage system carrying the human wastes away from the source, or to have a piped water supply. Journal (American Water Works Association, 1957) Changes of the hydrological cycle affecting Earth’s surfaces The chemical or biological pollution of water can lead to changes in climate and temperature that can affect the Earth’s surface processes. Chemical Weathering Weathering is the chemical or physical process that changes the rock structures located on Earth surface. In order to occur, the rocks must be directly exposed to water and air. The weathering disintegration takes place at the sub-microscopic level, and therefore exposed rocks that contain complex pore systems, fracture surfaces and grain boundaries provide the perfect surface where the chemical weathering occurs. However, as the concentration of chemicals in the atmosphere increases, the process is accelerated. ( Siegesmund et al, 2002) Chemical weathering rate depends on three main factors: temperature, amount of surface area and availability of water or natural acid. So, the rocks in the tropical environments experience the most severe weathering.( Siegesmund et al, 2002) Figure 3: Cube dimensions versus surface area (website 4) Because water is a dipolar molecule, it is categorized as a good solvent being able to dissolve many chemical compounds.(Mahhafy) In addition to this effect, water aids decomposition through acid action, hydrolysis and oxidation. A good example is the weathering of silicate minerals by carbonic acid that forms by the interaction of water with carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The reaction is given below: 2KAlSi3O8+ H2O + 2H2CO3= Al2Si2O5(OH)4+ 2K+++4SiO2(aq)+ 2HCO3 Other minerals that dissolve easily in water are halite and calcite. In particular, structures made out of limestone and marble contain calcite and are prone to chemical weathering by dissolution.(for example marble tombstones ) Erosion Erosion refers to the transportation of rock particles and minerals from the initial location to another. It is different from weathering as it is a dynamic element. The main force that induces erosion is gravity and the main agents are: wind, rain, running water, and glaciers. As the temperature increases, the amount of rain is also increased so the transportation of sediments is faster. The result is the rapid erosion of the river banks, producing a wider channel. A good example of this process can found in the testimonies of Kansas residents. They stated that Cimarron River, which was a small meandering stream in 1914, began to increase after the flood from the same year. The channel at Point of Rocks was 66feet in 1874, but in 1916, a bridge of 644 feet was necessary to be built in order to cross the channel at that point. By 1939, the width was measured as being 1400 feet, so many houses were engulfed by the channel in 1944. (McLaughlin, 1947) Figure 4: Aerial view of Cimarron River in the vicinity of Point of Rocks(lower left corner at N) and Elkhart bridge (upper right center) (McLaughlin, 1947) Deposition The final step in the weathering-erosional system is deposition. The rock particles that are picked up and transported by an eroding agent will be deposited in a final location and the erosion agents will become deposition agents. The deposited sediments will then be arranged from largest to smallest, process known as horizontal sorting. The main factor that influence the sorting of the rocks is water. However if the flow is high, small particles like clay, sand and silt will be found in the depositional basin together with a large quantity of bigger sediment, including boulders, cobbles and pebbles.( The International Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1997) Diameter(mm) Particle type 256 mm and up Boulders 64-256 mm Cobbles 2-64 mm Pebbles 0.0625-2 mm Sand 0.002-0.0625 mm Silt 0.002mm and smaller Clay Table 1 : The diameter of various sediments that can be found in depositional basins(Grotzinger et al, 2010) Conclusion The chemical and biological pollution of water is in a direct relation with the changes that occur in the processes on Earth’s surface. The release of toxic gases in the atmosphere contributes to the increase in temperature that directly affects the hydrological cycle. As the temperature is increased, the amount of water that is precipitated is also increased and surface processes such as weathering, erosion and deposition are accelerated causing rock decomposition, alteration of river banks or the high abundance of large sediments in the depositional basins. Bibliography Books and Journals Water Pollution Robert D. Hennigan BioScience Vol. 19, No. 11 (Nov., 1969) (pp. 976-978) Alireza Bahadori Malcolm Clark and Bill Boyd,2013. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology Essentials of Water Systems Design in the Oil, Gas, and Chemical Processing Industries, Siegesmund, S., Weiss, T. Vollbrecht, A. (eds) 2002. Natural Stone, Weathering Phenomena, Conservation Strategies and Case Studies. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 205 The American Water Works Association, (April 1957) Pollution of Ground Water World Health Organization Report Journal Vol. 49, No. 4 (pp. 392-396) The International Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1997.Rain erosion hazard evaluation by soil surface micro-topographic features A case of the soil loss plots at ChiangDao experiment station, northern Thailand. (pp. 45-58.) Thad G. McLaughlin, (Mar., 1947). The Accelerated Channel Erosion in the Cimarron Valley in Southwestern Kansas. Journal of Geology Vol. 55, No. 2 (pp. 76-93) Grotzinger, J, Jordan, T H, Press, F and Siever, R (2010). Understanding Earth (6th Edition) pp Webpages http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/water-cycle http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html http://visual.merriam-webster.com/images/earth/environment/water-pollution.jpg http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~lanbo/G229Lect06121Weathering.pdf

Stereotypes and Stereotyping in Invisble Man :: Invisible Man Essays

Powerful Stereotypes in Invisble Man Ellison creates many stereotypes of African Americans of his time. He uses this to bring less informed readers to understand certain characters motives, thoughts, and reasoning. By using each personality of an African American in extremes, Ellison adds passion to the novel, a passion that would not be there if he would let individualism into his characters. Individualism, or lack there of is also significant to the novel. It supports his view of an anti-racial America, because by using stereotypes he makes his characters racial these are the characters that the Americans misunderstand and abominate. Dr. Bledsoe is the stereotypical submissive African American. He seemingly is peremptory, but this is just a façade. Though all of the African Americans in his community hold him in a high regard, he has no such respect in the "white-mans" world. College students tell stories about how when in the north, he is called Mr. Doctor Bledsoe. Yet in his letter addressed to Mr. Emerson, he ended the letter with, "I am your humble servant." It is this cowardly submission that Bledsoe uses to "gain power." He enjoys what little power he has in the African American community, so much in fact that he says that he would rather see every black man in the country lynched than give up his "power." Ras the Exhorter (later the Destroyer) is the stereotypical black supremacist. One of the most memorable characters to me, Ras battles for social equality; literally. Literally meaning prince in one of Ethiopia's languages and mimicking the sound of Ra, the Egyptian sun God, Ras encompasses the stereotypical black-nationalist. By using these allusions, Ellison is establishing the character's personality even before he acts. Ras's philosophy, one that was unorthodox at the time of publishing, is that blacks should cast off oppression and prejudice by destroying the ability of white men to control them. This inevitably leads to violence. This anti-segregation from blacks was unheard of. These two offer the reader a sense of variety and contrast. Both causes conflict with the Invisible Man, yet they also offer an inspiration and wisdom. Bledsoe taught him to not be so naïve, even to his own people.

What is forensic science?

Forensic science is one of the three applications of medical knowledge applied to solving crime, over recent years forensics has become more advanced and better technology used to assist in criminal cases. Forensics alone is not a preventative to crime but can be seen as a hindrance to criminal activity. Unless criminals become clever and become forensically aware, it would be impossible to leave some trace evidence at a crime scene. Forensics is not only just about finding the perpetrator(s) of a crime but can also be used to prove a persons innocence using DNA and forensic evidence. I'm sure those who have suffered a mis-carriage of justice fully appreciate being cleared of a crime they didn't commit thanks to the use of DNA and other forensic techniques. Forensics used in conjunction with policing can provide vital evidence along with eyewitness statements, alibis etc to provide prosecution teams with the necessary evidence to convict. Collating information obtained from other crime scenes and producing a database for cross-reference is a major break-through. This allows police and other agencies to compare similar cases and possibly find links to previous unsolved cases. All the information is collected and placed on various databases stored for future reference. A forensic investigator must be impartial and assume no one is guilty unless the evidence states otherwise. They are not there to find the assailant but to collate any evidence from a crime scene, which is vital to naming the perpetrator. It certainly is a tool most useful in crime prevention and detection and in time will save the police a lot of time on cases trying to piece together all the evidence when specialist forensic teams can speed up this process through experience and knowledge. In turn moving on to other cases, spending less time on each case but still providing the same outcome. More cases solved, criminals will no doubt think twice about crime unless they want to get caught. With the help of the police and a pathologist (a scientist who is skilled in identifying the cause and progress of diseases by examining tissue and fluid from the body. Especially one who determines the cause of someone's death by conducting an autopsy), together they investigate the cause of death with suspicious circumstances. The forensic scientist assists the pathologist by determining the blood type, DNA profile, identifying other samples such as hair, fibres, semen, and any other substances found on the body, which may have been deposited by the assailant. All evidence collected is vital in proving guilt or innocence. Other forms of forensic identification include: * Fingerprints – scraping debris from under the nail beds can sometimes contain relevant DNA. * DNA – DNA can be collected from blood samples or blood spatter and compared to the national DNA database where matches can be found. * Forensic Odontology – from teeth marks and bites, matches can be found through dental records or identification can be made from moulds made of teeth if no identity is known. * Facial Recognition system – this is identifying person(s) from photographs or video footage. By analysing specific actions i.e. style of walk. * Voice Recognition – if audio recording available, this can be analysed and compared to other voice samples for comparison. * Handwriting Analysis – by studying styles of writing, loops, height of letters etc it can be established if a signature is fake or real. * Ballistics analysis – identifying weapons used from bullet cartridges found, and looking for unusual markings that can tie a bullet to a particular weapon. Markings found on shell casings are like fingerprints but in the ballistics world, each weapon fired leaves distinctive markings. * Document Analysis – characterising the composition of the type of paper used and ink. The age of the paper can be established and the manufacturer. * Typewriters – the type can be identified by minor variations to the positioning and wear and each letter. * Paper shredders – unless a cross shredder is used; it is easy to piece together relevant documents for information. * Copiers – computer printers each have an identification number, which is embedded on printouts. Also computer printers have an individual banding pattern, which helps to identify a particular machine used to print a document. * Network Analysis – this involves using bank records, telephone records and postal records to check financial status and/or phone records to trace last phone numbers called or retrieve vital messages. * Radio Transceivers – can be identified by minute variations of their output signal. * CCTV – this is very useful as CCTV has been used in most major town centres and known hot spots where there is trouble. CCTV has been used to solve a number or valuable cases and is also useful in identifying automatic number plates recognition as it is linked to the DVLA database. * Computer Analysis – identification can be made via an IP address or MAC address. Using criminal psychology that uses psychological theories and methods of understanding, explaining and predicting criminal behaviour can assist the police in determining an assailant's guilt or innocence. By examining their motivation and extreme behavioural habits they can assess the complexity and severity of what they are dealing with. Criminal psychologists do not work on the understanding that a person is solely driven by inner thoughts or ideas or controlled by other means. Mostly they concentrate on the theory of experience and learning as the main principle to explain their actions and accepting that their social conditions, unconscious motivations and their biological pre-dispositions are all factors. Many still pursue research into the theory of genetics relating to human behaviour. Is it possible that our genetic make-up is responsible in some way for our behaviour? It has been found that psychopaths have an extra Y chromosome instead of having the XY chromosome they have XYY, but this is not conclusive. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) looked at the theory of psychoanalysis arguing that unconscious forces drive behaviour and criminal behaviour is the result of these unresolved conflicts. He states that the force of the ID (the instinctive part of the mind) is not sufficiently controlled by the ego (the mediator between our desires and prohibitions of the superego, the area that controls our impulses). This is why he based all his theories on crime being a psychic rather than materialistic need. Freud originally tried to explain his workings of the mind in terms of physiology and neurology thinking as a scientist would. Freud's methods of psychoanalysis were based on his theory that people have repressed, hidden feelings. The psychoanalyst's goal is to make the patient aware of these subconscious feelings. Childhood conflicts that are hidden away by the patient become revealed to both the analyst and the patient, allowing the patient to live a less anxious, healthier life. Methods of hypnosis were originally used by Freud to find the cause for anxiety, but he dismissed them as being too inaccurate. He started to use methods of free association to delve into the patient's sub-conscious. By assessing the patient's reactions to the analyst's suggestions, Freud saw that the analyst could help the patient become consciously aware of his repressed childhood conflicts and impulses. By interpreting the patient's dreams, the analyst can provide an insight into the patient's conflicts as well. The therapist's interpretations of the patient's free associations and dreams are known as psychoanalysis. Freud's theory of psychoanalysis, however, does have its problems. One of its drawbacks is that it is based on the assumption that repressed conflicts and impulses do in fact exist. Today this assumption is being challenged, and is provoking intense debate. Freud first developed these methods of psychoanalysis when he met with patients whose disorders did not make neurological sense. A patient, for example, may have suddenly gone blind. The problem is that there is no damage to either of his eyes. Freud began to wonder if this disorder might be psychological rather than physiological. A patient not wanting to see something that aroused anxiety might have caused his own blindness, he hypothesized. In order to find out what the anxiety stemmed from, he used methods of free association where the patient would say whatever came into his mind. Through the slips made when the patient was told to carry out the free-association process, and some of the patient's beliefs and habits, Freud could delve into the patient's subconscious. These thoughts produced a chain directly into the patient's subconscious, and unearthed memories and feelings. This process soon became known as psychoanalysis. Freud also believed that dreams were an important way of getting into the patient's subconscious. By analyzing dreams, he could reveal the basis of conflict within the patient. Freud believed the mind was made up of three main parts: the conscious, the preconscious, and the subconscious. The conscious region is the part that people are most aware of and what others can see. The preconscious region holds thoughts and feelings that a person can become aware of but that are mostly hidden away. Finally, the subconscious region consists of thoughts and feelings which are completely hidden away and which one is mostly unaware of. Some believe that the preconscious region is really a small part of the much larger subconscious region. Freud said that the mind is like an iceberg, with most of it, the subconscious, hidden away, and only a small part, the conscious, showing above the water, able to be seen. Why, then, would the majority of the mind be hidden; why is the subconscious region so much larger than the conscious region? Freud explained that the answer is that one forcibly blocks thoughts and feelings that he does not want others to become aware of. Although the person is not fully aware of these feelings, he still expresses them in disguise through the way he makes his choices. Using psychoanalytic methods, Freud was able, he said, to learn what feelings the patient had blocked and hidden in his subconscious. Freud developed one of his most famous theories of the mind when he realized the source of conflict in a person. He theorized that there were three interacting systems within the mind: the id, ego, and superego. The id is the largest part of the unconscious, and operates mainly on the need to gain pleasure and satisfaction. The ego can be seen as the moderator between the id and superego. Finally, the superego is the region of the mind that is mostly conscious. The superego forces the ego to consider the most ideal way of dealing with a problem. It is made up of morals, values, and culture's influence on a person. The superego's demands are very much opposed to those of the id, and it is the ego that must struggle to balance the ideas of the two. To live in a society one must be able to control the sexual impulses of the id. The roots of the anxiety in most of Freud's patients, he discovered, had usually come from conflicts that they had been subject to in early childhood. He concluded that in a growing child, the id begins to focus on certain pleasure-seeking areas of the body. These areas Freud called the erogenous zones. So it seems that using a combination of forensic techniques, psychoanalysis and criminal profiling, together this makes a more accurate way to crime solving than just plain policing. As crimes become more creative in some cases, police and forensics need to have the means to manage and cope with the never-ending original scenarios. So as some criminals become more creative and aware of new technologies with forensics, so must the forensic teams ensure they are always one step ahead when it comes to analysing evidence and finding improved techniques and use technology to enhance an ever-increasing field. It has been suggested by many that maternal deprivation is a factor in producing criminals. Being deprived of any attachments and bonding create emotionless and non-affectionate individuals. Child-rearing techniques is an important area of research and seen as a preventative towards breeding more criminals. Forensics may be seen as a preventative in today's society because it has become so vast that virtually anything can be analysed and identified by scientists. Ensuring you don't leave any form of physical evidence at a crime scene is not impossible to get away with crime, but you would either have to have extensive knowledge of forensic science or be very meticulous or take time and a lot of preparation to ensure no DNA or trace evidence is left at the crime scene. I'm sure there are those that feel it is possible to create the perfect crime and never be caught, as we know some crimes remain unsolved due to lack of evidence or witnesses not reliable enough.

D.A.R.E. Report Essay

While participating with D.A.R.E., I learned that drugs and alcohol are not good for you. I also learned that tobacco and alcohol and any other drug can hurt different parts of your body. Marijuana causes breathing problems, short term memory loss, slows coordination and reflexes, and effects ones ability to judge distance, speed and reaction time. Marijuana can become addictive and is illegal in the United States. Smoking tobacco has over 200 unknown poisons in the smoke, and contains nicotine which is very addictive. By not doing drugs is important because if you do drugs you will hurt your body. It is also important because sometimes you have to have surgery and in some cases you can die. Smoking and drugs can hurt a newborn baby. Alcohol slows down the brain and body and causes loss of coordination, poor judgment and loss of self-control, which could lead to serious accidents involving a car and someone innocent can be injured. I feel that everybody should not do drugs. Everyone always have to make wise decisions about what you do with drugs and alcohol. As a participant in D.A.R.E., I will not participate in or associate myself with anyone that is involved in drugs. I will follow all five D.A.R.E. rules and remain a respectable citizen.

Environmental Issues essay

Environmental Issues essay Environmental Issues essay Environmental Issues essayThe problem of the water pollution is one of the major challenges for people in both developed and developing countries. However, if the water pollution in developed countries is mainly the result of the pollution of groundwater by chemicals used in the industrial production of developed countries, then the water pollution in developing countries is the result of the use of pesticides, other chemicals and the general mistreatment of water resources in the course of agricultural activities. However, in spite of the cause of the water pollution, its negative impact on human health is obvious since water pollution can trigger the emergence of water-borne diseases, such as typhoid, cholera, infectious hepatitis, amoebic dysentery and others.The problem of the persistence of water-borne diseases is the result of the water pollution, which occurs under the impact of several factors, among which human activities play the main part. Human activities are major factor s contributing to the water pollution and causing water-borne diseases (Mortsch, 2003). On the one hand, well-developed countries face the problem of the pollution of ground water by chemicals. The industrial production often leads to the pollution of ground waters by chemicals, which penetrate groundwater. The improper storage or transportation of hazardous materials can also contribute to the water pollution and trigger the development of serious health problems in the population using contaminated groundwater.The development of agriculture also contributes to the water pollution. In this respect, it is worth mentioning such factors as the use of pesticides and other chemicals in farming which may be and often are absorbed by the soil and penetrate groundwater. The contamination of the groundwater by chemicals used in farming is dangerous for human health and can lead to the consistent deterioration of the public health in local communities (Rabinovici, 2004). In addition, agricul ture tends to misuse water and prevent the penetration of dangerous elements into groundwater. For example, wastes of cattle farming need to be processed and stored properly. Otherwise, there is a risk of the water contamination. Similarly, if cattle or poultry die because of some illnesses, remnants of cattle and poultry should be processed properly to prevent the contamination of groundwater. As a result, dangerous elements may penetrate groundwater triggering the spread of an infectious disease in the local area.The impact of the water pollution of health of people can hardly be underestimated. In this regard, it is possible to distinguish short-run negative effects of the water pollution on health of people, such as the spread of infectious disease, and long-run negative effects associated with the long lasting impact of polluted water on human health that leads to the development of chronic disease and the overall deterioration of health and quality of living. In a short run, t he contamination of groundwater with dangerous elements or the poor treatment of water may trigger the spread of infectious diseases in communities using contaminated, polluted water. In this regard, it is possible to distinguish bacterial infections, such as typhoid, cholera, paratyphoid fever, bacillary dysentery; viral infections, including infectious hepatitis, poliomyelitis; and protozoal infections, such as amoebic dysentery (Louis, 2003).In a long run, the impact of polluted water on human health may be even more negative. For example, the lead-polluted water can trigger the development of serious health problems, such as cancer, and the overall contamination of human body by lead. The long lasting exposure of people to lead-contaminated water decreases life expectancy in local communities and causes consistent deterioration of the health of the local population. Other chemical and hazardous elements may have similar negative effects on human health (Benson, Kocagil, Shortle 2000). As a result, the water pollution has a negative impact on human health and various factors mentioned above may lead to different negative effects on human health.The negative impact of the water pollution has a destructive impact not only on the public health but also on the economy of regions affected by the water pollution. For example, many countries located in Africa and Asia with the limited access to the potable water face the problem of outbursts of infectious diseases, such as cholera or typhoid. They cannot cope with these problems because of the water pollution and the resolution of the problem of poor public health caused by infectious diseases starts with the resolution of the problem of the water pollution. At the same time, developed countries also face the problem of the deterioration of the public health because of the poor health conditions associated with the water pollution. In this regard, cases of gastroenterological problems in patients are still quite frequent even in developed countries, because of the water pollution.Therefore, the resolution of health problems associated with the water pollution should start with the improvement of the quality of water and prevention of the water pollution. The prevention of the water pollution should start with the prevention of the penetration of hazardous materials into groundwater. Therefore, companies using and transporting hazardous materials and elements should ensure that those elements will never penetrate groundwater but, instead, they will be processed or recycled safely. At the same time, farmers should also use water resources wisely and prevent the contamination of waters by hazardous elements in the result of farming or using pesticides and other chemicals.However, the fulfillment of the aforementioned program is possible only on the condition of the enhancement of the control over human activities, especially activities of companies using hazardous materials and farmers (Currie ro, 2001). Government regulatory bodies should work hand in hand with non-government organizations, which can help government regulatory agencies to identify cases of the negligence or dangerous use of hazardous elements that lead to the water pollution. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the pubic control is particularly important because it is more effective than government control since public organizations are less bureaucratic and more flexible than government regulatory agencies. In addition, companies and farmers dealing with hazardous materials and contributing consciously or not to the water pollution should grow aware of risks they expose themselves and their community members through the water pollution. In this regard, educational programs and promotion of the water protection can help to increase the consciousness and responsibility of key stakeholders.Thus, today, the problem of the water pollution is one of the main challenges that threaten not only t o the environment but also to the public health. The water pollution can cause infectious diseases and serious, chronic health problems. The major factors contributing to the water pollution are human activities. Therefore, the stricter control over human activities and hazardous materials from the part of the government and public can resolve the problem of the water pollution and its negative   impact on the public health.

Pop Culture and Evolution - The Hunger Games

Pop Culture and Evolution - The Hunger Games Evolution is not just a topic for a Biology class in school to cover it is found everywhere. There are many pop culture references and nods to the Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection in todays television, books, music, and movies. With The Hunger Games movie breaking box office records, I could not help but jump on the bandwagon and read the trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins. Beyond a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller, I saw the authors ideas of a future world from an evolution Biologists point of view. The Hunger Games trilogy is set in the future after the collapse and near complete destruction of the world. The country of Panem has arisen from the ashes of what used to be North America and it consists of a Capitol somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and 12 Districts that supply the affluent Capitol with all of the goods it needs. When the poor Districts tried to rebel, the Capitol took them down and created a yearly spectacle called The Hunger Games that is broadcast live like a reality show. As a reminder that the Capitol has all the power, each District is forced to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 that are chosen in a lottery drawing to compete to the death in the Hunger Games arena that is filled with traps and other dangerous creations made by the Capitol for their entertainment. The following paragraphs may contain spoilers if you have not read or seen The Hunger Games or its sequels, and Mockingjay. If you do not want to know details from these books or movies, you may not want to read the rest of this article. Otherwise, lets get into the world of Panem and explore the new species that reside there. The Mockingjay Arguably the most important new species in The Hunger Games trilogy is the mockingjay. These birds came into existence when female mockingbirds mated with the Capitol engineered male jabberjays. We are first introduced to this new species of bird in The Hunger Games book when Madge, the mayors daughter, gives heroine Katniss the gold pin with the mockingjay to wear as her token in the arena (in the movie, the pin is given to Katniss by her sister Prim). There are also mockingjays in the arena where Katniss uses their ability to repeat songs to communicate with her ally Rue. In Catching Fire we see the mockingjay become an increasingly important symbol. Plutarch Heavensbees watch shows a hologram of the bird. Also, before Katniss enters the arena for a second time, she wears a dress created by Cinna that turns her into a mockingjay after the outer layer burns away. Obviously, this new species of bird is the most important in the book entitled Mockingjay. The bird becomes a symbol of rebellion for the Districts, and Katniss finds herself becoming The Mockingjay as the symbolic leader. How did the mockingjay evolve in this fictional world of Panem? The Capitol created a species of bird through artificial selection called the jabberjay. The jabberjay could spy on enemies of the Capitol and repeat conversations word for word back to them. The Capitol could use this information to stop any rebellion attempts. After the rebels in the Districts figured out the scheme, they would feed the birds false information. Therefore the Capitol left the jabberjays, all male, to die in the wild. Instead of dying, the all male jabberjays began mating with female mockingbirds. Speciation occurred and mockingjays were born. Instead of being able to repeat entire conversations, mockingjays would repeat entire songs. These birds helped Katniss communicate with her ally inside the arena and also helped her become a symbol of hope for an entire nation. Tracker Jackers While it is never specified exactly how tracker jackers are created by the Capitol in any of the books, they are described as genetically altered wasps. Once again, the Capitol was manipulating nature and speeding up the evolution of species to do their dirty work. Tracker jackers will attack anyone who disturbs their nest and will follow them like a homing device until they have been stung with a venom that causes severe hallucinations and possibly death. Katniss uses the tracker jackers as a weapon in The Hunger Games when she is stuck in a tree because of the Career Tributes waiting to kill her below. She cuts a branch off the tree that contains a tracker jacker nest and it hits the ground near the Careers, so the tracker jackers attack and run them off, killing some in the process. While tracker jackers are not a product of natural selection, they are an evolutionary offshoot of wasps created through artificial selection. The genetic engineering of the tracker jackers caused a very swift microevolution of the species into a deadly killing machine. Muttations One last type of Capitol created killer is what Suzanne Collins called a muttation. Clearly a play on the word mutation, these can be combinations of just about anything. In the arena, Katniss and Peeta come face to face with muttations that look to be a mix of something like a wolf and their fellow dead tributes. This type of muttation tears the District 2 Tribute Cato to pieces. The book Catching Fire had a new arena that contained muttations that resembled monkeys. However, these monkeys had sharp claws and teeth that could puncture internal organs. When the Tributes make eye contact and quick movements, the monkey muttations attack and even kill the District 6 tribute. In Mockingjay, muttations appear in the form of something that seems to be a human and lizard hybrid down in the sewers of the Capitol. These deadly creatures come after the Sharp Shooter Squad as they make their way to the Presidents mansion. The talon-like claws even tear apart some of the squadron before they can make it out of the sewer alive. Again, these muttations, much like the jabberjays and tracker jackers, were made in a lab somewhere in the Capitol to continue the punishment of the districts of Panem. It isnt specified exactly how they are made, but genetic engineering that lead to microevolution is the most likely explanation. The only way to see into the future is through the eyes of a novelist. It is interesting to see where they believe evolution will take species many years down the road.

Commands and Requests in Spanish Without the Imperative Mood

Commands and Requests in Spanish Without the Imperative Mood Although the imperative mood is frequently used to tell or ask people to do something, other verb forms also are used. This lesson covers some of the most common non-imperative ways of giving commands. Infinitives as Impersonal Commands The infinitive (the unconjugated verb form that ends in -ar, -er or -ir) is frequently used, especially in print and online rather than verbally, to give commands to no one person in particular. It is seen most commonly on signs and in written instructions. Examples: No fumar. (No smoking.) Hacer clic aquà ­. (Click here.) No tocar. (Do not touch.) Sazonar los frijoles y servirlos en un plato. (Season the beans and serve them on a plate.) Colgar el telà ©fono y esperar. (Hang up the telephone and wait.) Use of Present and Future Tenses to Give Commands As in English, the present and future indicative tenses can be used to issue emphatic commands. Using the present and future tenses in this way normally wouldnt be done when youre trying to be diplomatic; more likely, they would be used when simple persuasion hasnt been successful or if youre trying to be particularly matter-of-fact. Examples: Comers el brà ³coli. (You WILL eat the broccoli.) Me llamas maà ±ana. (You call me tomorrow.) Indirect Commands By using the subjunctive mood in a clause beginning with que, it is possible to indirectly give a command to someone other than the person being spoken to. As the following examples indicate, a variety of English translations can be used, depending on the context. Examples: Que Dios te bendiga. (God bless you.) Que vaya à ©l a la oficina. (Have him go to the office.) Que me traiga ella sus archivos. (Tell her to bring me her files.) Que en paz descanse. (May he rest in peace.) First-Person Plural Commands There are two ways to give a command to a group that includes yourself: use followed by the infinitive, or use the first-personal plural subjunctive form of the verb. These are typically translated in English by using lets. In the negative form (lets not), the subjunctive form (not no vamos a) is typically used. To say lets go, use vamos or vmonos; to say lets not go, use no vayamos or no nos vayamos. Examples: Vamos a comer. (Lets eat.) Comamos. (Lets eat.) No comamos. (Lets not eat.) Vamos a hacerlo. (Lets do it.) Hagmoslo. (Lets do it.) No lo hagamos. (Lets not do it.)