Ups vs Fedex Essay Example for Free

Ups vs Fedex Essay In 1975, UPS promised package delivery to every address in the United States; FedEx was not able to guarantee delivery in every area. When deregulation of the domestic airline industry and trucking industry occurred, the operating landscape changed, and FedEx became the beneficiary by expanding its delivery fleet. The just-in-time supply movement enabled FedEx to grow as well by creating a larger demand for express delivery. Technological innovations, such as its package tracker, assisted FedEx in improved customer service; UPS was able to keep pace with technological innovations of its own, such as its own package tracker. UPS’s key to success was and remains efficiency, timing all delivery routes to traffic signal patterns for example. UPS also expanded into Canada and Germany before FedEx. In recent years UPS has invested heavily in information technology, aircraft and other facilities. Competitor Comparison UPS went public in 1999, starting direct stock competition with FedEx UPSFedEx Offered package delivery services to the entire US and over 200 countries, delivered over 13 million packages and achieved profits of $3 billion, and AAA bond rating in 1983Operational leader reached $1 billion in revenues during 1983 and was poised to own the market for express delivery Restructured by becoming an aggressive company and expanding through acquisitionsNo unions Acquired Miami based carrier with operations in Latin AmericaAchieved $15 billion in assets, net income of $830 million on revenues of $22. billion in 2003 Opened Mail Boxes Etc. franchise stores, providing packing, shipping and mail service Invested in IT, aircraft and facilities to support service innovations, quality and reduce cost Became involved with all aspects of supply chain logistics to offer another service to its customers By 2003, UPS and FedEx were in very similar business positions, providing express service in the US and abroad. Express Segment: 1999 2003 UPSFedEx Focus on customer serviceFocus on customer service Started price war, but later settled on regular price increasesSettled on regular price increases Cut costs through economies of scale, investments in IT and business process reengineeringCut costs through economies of scale, investments in IT and business process reengineering IT: UPS employs on DIADs for drivers to scan package barcodes during pickupIT: COSMOS transmits data from package movements, customer pickups, invoices and deliveries to central database in Memphis, TN UPS installed drop off boxes, 165 drive through and 371 express delivery stores, Saturday pickups to expand services and match FedExPurchased ground vehicles worth $200 million to match UPS delivery fleet Offered integrated logistics service to large corporate clients with total inventory controlCompeted for large corporate clients providing integrated logistics service In the international package-delivery market, UPS exceeded and had more success and dollar investment marked for international growth than FedEx . International Package-Delivery Market European entry in 1988 with acquisition of 10 continental courier services Lost estimated $1 billion in Europe since entry in 1984 and eventually sold European hub to DHL Spent an additional $1 billion in 1995 to expand it European operationsExpanded routes in Latin America, Caribbean and introduced AsiaOne next business day service between Asia and US in 1995 Begins direct flights to China in 2001Establishes Chinese Headquarters in 2003 Contracts with Yangtze River Express for package delivery within China in 2003 FedEx owned the largest foreign presence in China, with almost double the amount of daily flights to China than UPS, serving 220 Chinese cities with direct flights to Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai. FedEx volumes in China grew by more than 50% between 2003 and 2004. UPS was active in China beginning in 1988, and was the first carrier to offer nonstop service from America. By 2003, UPS had 6 weekly flights to China with direct service to Beijing and Shanghai, serving about 200 cities with expected growth of about 60% on its main route. UPS also predicted peak-season demand to exceed capacity. Financial Analysis UPS appears to be the better bet for the long-term because its historical financial results are superior to and more consistent when compared to FedEx. If we consider EVA (Economic Value Added) as the key gauge for evaluating both firms, UPS is clearly the better performer. In the twelve year period of 1992 through 1993, UPS created $4. 33 billion in cumulative economic value, while FedEx destroyed $2. 25 billion. Because of its superior profitability and cash generating capabilities, UPS has better prospects for funding growth through internal and external sources. Even if we weaken the assumption of past history as a good indicator for the course of future financial performance and management, the data still indicates UPS is in a better financial position for taking on future growth. Decomposing EVA UPS outperformed FedEx on profitability in the twelve year period with an average RONA of 13. 78% compared to 8. 31% for FedEx. This profitability disparity accounts for most of the differences in their EVA histories. The twelve year average cost of capital/WACC for each firm was virtually the same (11. 97% for UPS, 11. 5% for FedEx); FedEx failed to generate enough RONA to cover its cost of capital in eleven years of the twelve year period, while UPS generated positive economic returns in seven of those years. The economic profit margin or spread between RONA and WACC for UPS averaged about 1. 8 % compared to -3. 14% for FedEx. For the last year of the period, 2003, UPS’s spread was 5. 11% and FedEx’s was 1. 10%. Given these statistics, UPS is obviously the better value creator and more profitable firm. Funding Future Growth (Cash and Debt) UPS is in a better position to fund its future growth because it generates more cash through superior profitability and its bigger size NOPAT for UPS in 2003 was at $3. 31 billion versus FedEx at $1. 42 billion. Thus, UPS can fund a larger percentage of its growth through internally generated funds. UPS can also take on additional debt at a lower cost than FedEx. The two firms have very similar debt/equity ratios but different bond ratings, with UPS rated higher. Therefore, even with similar relative debt levels, UPS can choose to supplement its funding needs with debt at a lower interest expense than FedEx. As of 2003, UPS‘s interest coverage ratio is three times that of FedEx, so UPS has a bigger cushion for handling additional debt (which partially explains UPS’s higher debt rating). In summary, from a cash perspective and in the context of each firm’s debt load, UPS is clearly in a better financial position to compete than FedEx. Operational Analysis While UPS and FedEx operate with similar business practices and offer almost identical services to their respective customers, UPS is more diversified both in operational revenue and global market service. Virtually all of FedEx’s business is derived from air-express sector in the package delivery; that segment is only 44% of UPS’s revenues. Both companies compete fiercely, often copying the other’s moves. For instance, FedEx has started to poach clients from UPS by offering volume discounts and excellent delivery services. UPS has countered by matching FedEx’s customer interaction by installing drop boxes and offering Saturday delivery to equal FedEx’s delivery schedule. Annualized capital expenditures are almost identical between the two companies for the period of 1992 to 2003 was 34. 64% for FedEx and 36. 78% for UPS. The main difference between the two is the markets each company serves and how they serve it. FedEx utilizes an independent contractor model, while UPS has unionized employees. FedEx attempted to develop its European capabilities until 1992, when it sold its operations to DHL, and now relies on local partners. By comparison, UPS acquired multiple courier services and announced in 1995 it would spend $1 billion over the next five years to continue its European expansion. The following table provides the comparison of worldwide facts between FedEx and UPS: FedExUPS Main HubMemphis, TennesseeLouisville, Kentucky Packages handled per day5. 4 million13. 6 million Air deliveries per day3. 1 million2 million Service AreaMore than 220 countries and territories, including every address in the United StatesMore than 200 countries and territories; every address in North America and Europe WorkforceMore than 216,500 employees worldwide360,000 Worldwide Delivery FleetMore than 50,000 motorized vehicles and 625 aircraft88,000 ground vehicles; 583 aircraft. In the ground package-delivery business, UPS is approximately five times larger than FedEx, delivering 11 million packages per day. However, there are signs that FedEx is gaining market share for ground delivery. FedEx dominates with the world’s largest air-delivery service, delivering 50% more per day than UPS. The battleground has shifted from Europe to China, which is projected to become the second largest economy by 2011 and the largest by 2039. Because China’s export volume increased by 101% in 2004, both companies have focused on the import/export package market valued at nearly $1 billion, instead of the intra-domestic market, valued at approximately $800 million. Although it entered the Chinese market after FedEx, UPS is aggressively expanding its services within the market. While FedEx flies almost twice as many daily routes to China than UPS, the new service agreement between the US and China will alter the landscape; it is uncertain how the newly acquired routes will be distributed to FedEx, UPS and their other competitors. Conclusion UPS will achieve better long-term performance relative to FedEx because of its bigger size, more diversified revenue and business, superior financial and operational efficiency and a better capital position.

The very important process of recycling

The very important process of recycling Introduction: Recycling is one of the most important methods used to reduce or preventing environmental crisis. It is the process of reprocessing used objects and turning them into new material. Waste is mostly used in recycling and it has a massive shocking effect on our nature like global warming and recycling the waste is an effective way to reduce the global warming problem. It also helps reduce the use of natural resources which is as well a very big problem because we abuse natural resources these days. The usual method of waste dumping or disposal is either by air or water which causes severe pollution to it and by using recycling as useful method its can help reduce the pollution a lot. We can also save space that is usually used for dumping waste and turning it into useful places. The lack of the basic materials and the need to create new ways to help fulfill the needs of humans made recycling one of the biggest important industries in the world. It became such an important industry becau se it helps get rid of the trash and waste and the toxic substances and its releases gases in a way that suits the environment and not affect it badly. Around the world, the recycling issue became an essential topic of all important gatherings and events because it is a very crucial matter. Global warming, the extreme weather changes, extinction of animal and the sea and ocean pollution and the death of plants all occur due to the carelessness of some factories and their wastes and the gases coming out of it. Recycling Paper The process of recycling 1. Sorting The first step in recycling paper is making sure the paper is free of any contaminants like food, metal and trash. 2. collection and transportation Secondly you take either to a nearby recycling center or a recycling bin after that it will be collected by a worker. 3. storage A very important part of the recycling process because the workers separate the different types of paper and then sort them together to make different kinds of recycled paper items. 4. Re-pulping and Screening The next step is called re-pulping, the enhanced paper is put into a machine called a pulper, and this machine contains a mix of water and chemicals. It cuts the paper into small pieces of fibers which turns into soft mix and that is called a pulp. The pulp is poured into a strainer which keeps the contaminants out of the mix and keeping just the pure pulp. In a large cone shaped machine pulp remains in a spinning process until all the heavy contaminants stay at the bottom of the machine and the lighter ones stay in the middle and then removed. 5. Refining, Bleaching and Color Stripping Refining is the next step in which the pulp mixture is crushed to make the fibers bigger to make it ready for the next process. If the paper is colored it will need some chemicals to remove the color and if its white it will need oxygen to make it lighter and if its brown then it does not have to be bleached. 6. Deinking The last step is papermaking; pulp has to be mixed with water and chemicals. This mix goes into a huge machine called a head box and its sprayed on a straining wire track that moves very quickly. The water from the paper mix starts to drop and the fibers start to attach to each other and form wet sheet. The wet sheet goes into rolling presses which compresses the sheet and sheds all the excessive water and dries the sheets out. After that the sheets goes through heated metal roller to dry them out and the paper is made. Positive Effects of Recycling Recycling paper is the economic process of the first degree as it, helps to reduce imports of raw materials for papermaking and reducing unemployment and this through the prevision of job opportunities for young people. Preserves the Environment Recycling paper is working to safeguard the environment. For example, the paper is manufactured. There is also became a growing demand for paper, many of the trees divided for the production of paper. For recycling paper is available to prevent the destruction of forests. These days, we see a large number of forests to produce shatter for the production of the growing demand for paper. Recycling a ton paper helps to preserve our natural resources and saves equivalent 12 trees. Also, recycling paper helps in getting rid of the paper is doomed sound environmental manner, rather than burned or buried, leading to increased pollution and reduces the demand for wood and fiber and to allow the forest to increase their capacity to absorb atmospheric carbon. In addition, working on protection of agricultural land and places of throwing waste paper. Recycling Saves Energy Processing raw materials requires a great deal of energy. But any processing used materials reduce the energy requirements for instance recycling paper. Also the process of recycling paper reduces a lot of pressure on energy resources. How Does Recycling Affect The Environment? Positives and Negatives http://www.allfreeessays.com/search_results.php?query=Positives+of+recycling+paper The Negative Effects of Recycling Paper Recycling paper conserves energy and landfill space, maintains the trees and reduces defilement. Although it is a procedure that produces some emissions and products harmful secondary. This process is working to develop a lot of ground techniques. Energy Use Recycling paper conserves 28% to 70%. This keeping is debatable for of the sort of energy utilization in two operations. Using recycled paper fossil fuels whereas the production maiden paper appoints the litter products from wood to provide high rate of its energy needs. In addition, recycling paper requires less energy from the plastic but for the recycled paper bag requires more energy from the plastic bags recycling process. Harmful Chemicals In this process is necessary that the indelible ink from used paper. The facilities of recycling use several of chemicals like chlorine and process. There is a particular problem is print from laser and copy machines. The Chemicals that is much more from chemicals caustic than level requires removal de-inking chemicals. De-inking chemicals includes some ponderously mental and other vehicles. Solid Waste Recycling waste paper teems sludge that includes solids (very small fibers). Often these waste sent to the landfill including mental. Incineration is an ersatz however the incineration serves to disseminate dangerous emissions like dioxins and hydrocarbons. For the residual ash also is sent to landfills. In summary, recycling is extremely essential and we should raise awareness because people mostly are very oblivious and clueless about it. We have to recycle in order to maintain a healthy environment we can live in happily. Try to minimize the use of paper and raw material so that we can save natural resources. We should be able to live in a healthy planet a thoughtful life. We have to consider the fact that there are other species living with us in the same planet that our silly acts and unhealthy behavior have negative effects on. http://www.livestrong.com/article/159591-the-negative-effects-of-recycling-paper

Airport Tracking Device for Blind and Partially Sighted

Airport Tracking Device for Blind and Partially Sighted Expanding ambient technologies for blind and partially sighted people has rapidly grown over the last few years, enabling people to become more independent in their daily lives. Ambient intelligence is already becoming commonplace in the environment through the widespread use of computing, mobile devices, and information appliances, thereby increasing the ease of communication â€Å"between individuals, between individuals and things, and between things.†[1] A new ICT device has been developed that will help those with impaired or no sight safely navigate through airports. This report will explain some of the technology that will go into this device and how it will work in terms of providing directional assistance in a place like an airport where one’s surroundings are not familiar and confusion is easy when there is a lot of noise and movement. Understanding Ambient Technologies The field of ambient technologies focuses on providing â€Å"greater user-friendliness, more efficient services support, user empowerment, and support for human interactions.†[2] In this way, the devices that come from the use of this technology will offer for â€Å"opportunities for social integration and independent living for elderly people and people who are disabled.†[3] Interestingly enough, this technology may also advance in terms of being able to tune into any cognitive limitations and the devices incorporating ambient technology can then adjust themselves to that person’s specific abilities and limitations.[4] This emerging type of technology is supporting a new way for human beings and technology to interact so that â€Å"devices will no longer be perceived as computers, but rather as augmented elements of the physical environment.†[5] The movement to an information-based society will â€Å"be populated by a multitude of hand-held and wearable micro-devices and computational power and interaction peripherals.†[6] This provides a host of opportunities for many people who might not have been able to be as interactive with their environment due to some physical disability. Complexity and Challenges Ambient technologies still has a long way to go in terms of reaching its objectives. There are a number of overriding challenges to this emerging technology. Generally, it is perceived that ambient technologies must be â€Å"reliable, continuously available in space and time, consistent in its functionalities and interaction in private and (crowded and potentially hazardous) public spaces.†[7] In 2005, IBM researchers identified a number of areas that would need to be addressed before ambient technologies could achieve some of the aforementioned benefits. These challenges include â€Å"the distribution of interaction over devices and modalities, the balance between automation and adaption and direct control, the identification of contextual dependencies among services, health and safety issues, privacy and security, and social interaction in ambient intelligence environments.†[8] A number of other challenges are present that must address the unique qualities of each user of the device, including their â€Å"abilities, needs, requirements, and preferences.†[9] The complexity and challenge of designing a device that can be used for an airport is extensive. The device must take a lot of external factors into consideration, including noise, language barriers, security, and communications interference. It is hoped that improvements in voice synthesis and recognition will help in noisy environments as well as assist those who might not be able to use keyboards or other object manipulation inputs.[10] Additional enhancements will be needed to incorporate the development of an automatic language translation component,[11] which would be imperative in certain situations like an international airport or for during international travel. A further challenge is to introduce this device into existing information system environment within airport and have it integrate with any number of different system environments. Currently, there is no standardised operating system across global environments. In terms of a device that would be helpful in an airport, there would need to be the â€Å"deployment of networks of sensors in closed spaces† that would help with GPS localisation capabilities.[12] Universal access is also a critical issue and challenge because it is vital that these types of devices be affordable and available to all who might need it to compensate for their physical limitations. Device Capabilities and Benefits The user of the device can configure it so that the device understands the user’s specific requirements related to their physical disability of blindness. Having this capability will allow the user to make appropriate decisions, feel more confident, and achieve greater independence and social interaction.[13] This is done through a voice recognition system, which is considered a user adaptive interface that allows the user to interact with the device so that it can also verbally navigate the user in the right direction.[14] The device is then used as if it was an electronic guide dog that can help the person by letting them know about â€Å"nonfamiliar physical obstacles†[15] as well as provide the proper directions on how to get to the right destination. This device would also interact with other ambient technologies that may incorporate other user adaptive interfaces, such as scent recognition and output and tactile recognition and output[16] that can be used to fulfi l other personal needs usually done with one’s physical eyes. The device is able to overcome some of those external factors found in an airport. It will be a micro-device that the user can conveniently wear in some fashion around their neck or wrist so that they can continue to carry their luggage or belongings but still be guided by a device that can work with an airport information system to guide them through the airport to their appropriate gate or other destination whilst navigating certain objects that are not visible to the sight-impaired person, such as people, baggage, and signs.[17] The device can integrate multimedia content, including sound and graphics[18] to help those with partial or no sight find their way, with interactive sensorial and motor abilities[19] which allows the device to interact with the travellers as if they were getting help from another human being. In other words, partially sighted or blind travellers will be able to ask the device questions and receive a response that will help them navigate through the airport. It is important that the user interface on this device be as â€Å"straightforward and meaningful without the user being overwhelmed by options and menus.†[20] To address the various information system environments in airports, an environmental-level adaption can be used because it â€Å"extends the scope of accessibility to cover potentially all applications running under the same interactive environment rather than a single application.†[21] This will enable the device to run successfully in all environments, thereby reducing some of the insecurity for the user who may be apprehensive about how the device will affect their experiences. Device Enhancements As ambient technologies further progress, devices using this technology will be characterised by â€Å"increasing ubiquity, mobility and personalization.† The devices could be reconfigured,[22] according to which network the user has come in contact with – at an airport, a store, a bank, etc. This will be important because of the critical need to solve some of the cognitive overload, confusion and frustrations[23] that will result as human beings visually impaired or otherwise try and adapt to a new way of interacting with each other and their surrounding environment. Ambient technologies must also advance in their alignment with other technologies in terms of â€Å"miniaturization, low power devices, wireless devices, security and encryption, biosensors and scalability.†[24] Many of these other technologies could hold the answer in terms of advancing the goal of ambient technologies to meld the idea of technology and human interaction into one action. Further research is also being conducted on an open source and standard for networks that will allow for widespread accessibility and adoption of ambient technology devices as well as more effective communication regardless of their location[25] so that these can be used in such public and global places as airports. As with most technology, there will be many glitches that will need to be overcome. It can be difficult, especially for those who are partially or completely blind, to learn to depend on a device to overcome their physical limitations only to find that it has malfunctions.[26] Therefore, it is imperative that a number of tests be conducted and backup information systems be developed to minimise any technical glitches. Other technical issues related to security and privacy can arise from a device’s network being compromised by viruses and works if there is not great care taken to insure that the networks are not vulnerable to attack.[27] This would involve further research into how numerous protective tactics now in place, such as proxy firewalls and intrusion detection system,[28] can be integrated with ambient technology in devices to keep people safe, especially in public areas where larger networks may be breached. To further the development of ambient technologies for such devices as an airport device for the blind and partially blind, it is recommended that candidates for the device be involved in the design life cycle and testing phase to ensure that the user interface is capable of delivering on its objective and that the subject using the device feels confident that it will improve their interaction with their external environment. Conclusions There is a wide demand for devices like the one developed for use in an airport because there are far-ranging benefits involved in its creation and implementation in the marketplace. However, there are many technology, legal, privacy, and security issues to overcome as well as detailed explanations about these devices so that those who need them the most can quickly feel comfortable with the idea of interacting with technology in a way that also responds to them and their cognitive abilities and limitations. However, it is clear that as devices come to market, such as the airport-enabled solution, more people will feel comfortable using them to enhance their interaction with others and provide a more independent way of travelling for those who might have felt previously inhibited. Although standardisation can be a slow process, this will provide time to achieve greater enhancements to various devices, such as the airport information and navigation device, so that some of the other challenges can already be solved to make implementation more likely. The growth in this market is explosive and real opportunity will be realised as ambient technology delivers lower cost and user-friendly devices. References Emiliani, P.L. and Stephanidis, C. (2005). Universal access to ambient intelligence environments: opportunities and challenges for people with disabilities. IBM Systems Journal, 605-619. Available from: http://researchweb.watson.ibm.com/journal/sj/443/emiliani.html. Gill, J., ed. (2008). Ambient intelligence: Paving the way. Cost 219. Available from: http://www.tiresias.org/cost219ter/ambient_intelligence/Ambient_Intelligence.pdf. Gill, J., ed. (2005). Making life easier: How new telecommunications services could benefit people with disabilities. Cost219. Available from: http://www.tiresias.org/cost219ter/making_life_easier/making_life_easier.pdf. Raisinghani, M.S., Benoit, A., Ding, J., Gomez, M., Gupta, K., Gusila, V., Power, D., and Schmedding, O. (2004). Ambient intelligence: Changing forms of human-computer interaction and their social implications. Journal of Digital Information. Available from: http://journals.tdl.org/jodi/rt/printerFriendly/jodi-155/147. 1 Footnotes [1] Raisinghani et al. 2004: 4. [2] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 605. [3] Ibid: 610. [4] Gill 2008: 8. [5] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 609. [6] Gill 2008: 4. [7] Ibid: 9. [8] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 60610-611. [9] Ibid: 616. [10] Gill 2008: 7. [11] Ibid: 7. [12] Ibid: 7. [13] Gill 2005: 8. [14] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 615. [15] Ibid: 616. [16] Rasinghani et al. 2004: 2. [17] Gill 2008: 8. [18] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 606. [19] Ibid: 606. [20] Gill 2008: 12. [21] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 607. [22] Ibid: 616. [23] Ibid: 611. [24] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 616. [25] Raisinghani et al. 2004: 5. [26] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 611. [27] Raisinghani et al. 2004: 2. [28] Ibid:23.

Fusion is The Future of Energy Essay -- Clean Power Alternative Energy

Fusion is The Future of Energy Abstract: Fusion energy is the same energy that provides the power for that of our sun and other stars. An example of Fusion energy is when two separate hydrogen atoms combine to form one helium atom. In this process some of the mass of the hydrogen is converted into energy. This energy is very powerful and is considered inexhaustible by the scientific community. But the ability to control this energy seems to be out of our reach. The "heating, compressing, and confining of hydrogen plasmas is very challenging." (NIF, 2007) Even so, many facilities such as NIF still try to learn the secrets of Fusion. Introduction: The idea of Fusion energy came from a man who lived in the 20th century. He thought that mass could in fact, be converted into raw energy. His name was Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds of his time. As the years went by, physicists came to know of two ways to convert mass into energy. The two methods are known as fission and fusion. Fission is where neutrons are induced in a cycle of fissions to create more fission and so on. Fusion energy is energy produced nuclear fusion reactions. When two atomic nuclei fuse to create a bigger and heavier nucleus, extra mass in converted into energy. This energy is very hot and heats plasma up to ten times that of the sun. The trick is to keep the energy bottled up and going, scientist‟s predictions are all over the place and we still Future of Energy 3 have no idea what to do with the heat and how to harness it. To create a power plant we would have to complete 3 objectives: equilibrium, stability and transport. The plasma has to be in a constant state of equilibrium and stability to stay hot and we have to make sure the particles a... ...he NIF project going every year. Due to the unknown time schedule and the grand costs, it seems nobody truly knows when our Earth will become fully dependent, but Fusion energy is on top of everyone‟s minds as our future. References 1.Thinkquest, (2006). Fusion: Future Energy. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from Energy Matters Web site: http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/fusion/advant.html 2. Heeter, Robert (2000). How Fusion Reactions Work. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from The Nuclear Physics of Fusion Web site: http://fusedweb.pppl.gov/CPEP/Chart_Pages/3.HowFusionWorks.html 3. ITER, Project (2005). The ITER Project. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from Fusion Energy Web site: http://www.iter.org/ 4. DeMeo, Anthony (2004). Fusion Energy. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from Princeton Plasma Physics Lab Web site: http://www.pppl.gov/fusion_basics/pages/fusion_energy.html

Isolation Theme in Grendel :: essays research papers

Isolation Have you ever felt as though you’re alone in the world, even though you are not? In the book Grendel, the main character is the last of his species, excluding his mother who might as well be non-existent in the novel. Grendel is a monster who speaks a language very similar to that of the humans he watches almost constantly. He feels a certain attachment to them throughout the whole novel, but he is unable to become close to any of them due to his horrifying form. The humans are terrified of Grendel, and attack him whenever he comes near. He feels completely isolated, as do many people in our world. The story begins with a flash-back into Grendel’s early years. He is all alone even then, but he is too young to realize it and fills this void with imaginary friends. He talks about how he entertained himself during his early years saying â€Å"Crafty-eyed, wicked as an elderly wolf, I would scheme with or stalk my imaginary friends, projecting the self I meant to become into every dark corner of the cave and the woods above† (17). People in our world may invent imaginary friends also, sometimes for companionship, as part of play, or for other reasons. Imaginary friends can serve as an important source of companionship to some children and even adults, especially if companionship is absent for them in the social world. As an example â€Å"young children in boarding schools often develop imaginary friends to cope with extreme stress and separation from their intimate relations† (www.phycologytoday.com/z10/fl/mllr.7se.php) Finding a mate is hard for Grendel, especially because he’s the last of his species. However, he still has the same emotions as humans when it comes to love. He first encounters these unfamiliar emotions when Hrothgar is given a wife named Wealtheow. Grendel thinks she is beautiful, and starts to rethink his war on the humans when he contemplates killing Wealtheow, saying to himself â€Å"It would be meaningless, killing her. As meaningless as letting her live. It would be, for me, mere pointless pleasure, an illusion of order for this one frail, foolish, flicker-flash in the long dull fall of eternity.† (108). Even though he is a monster, he still feels the same emotion of love that humans do. Grendel and the humans share a common language, but the humans’ disgust for, and fear of Grendel precludes any actual meaningful exchange.

The Roots of Artificial Intelligence Essay -- History Historical Essay

The Roots of Artificial Intelligence The roots of artificial intelligence can be traced back to ancient Greece with myths like that of Pygmalion, which incorporated the idea of an intelligent robot. These early thoughts soon developed into stories like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1818, which was the story of a monster created by man and brought to life. These stories make for interesting fireside tales and bedtime reading, but where did artificial intelligence truly get its start? Most scientists and historians would give this credit to â€Å"the father of artificial intelligence†1, John McCarthy. Without McCarthy, the term â€Å"artificial intelligence† would not have been coined; and many discoveries in this growing field would not have been made or pursued without his preliminary research into this previously uncharted territory of computer science. This early research in artificial intelligence has led to many of the most important technological advances of all time. By loo king at John McCarthy’s life and a few of these applications of artificial intelligence, it is easy to see how much of an impact the field of artificial intelligence has had on our world. John McCarthy was born in 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, a journalist for the Federated Press wire service, and his father, a fisherman, carpenter, and a union organizer, were both Communist party activists. â€Å"McCarthy has ascribed his early interest in science to his family’s political views, pointing to their general belief that technology was good for humanity†2. Due to his family’s controversial political views, John was kept on the move for most of his childhood, first to New York and then on to Los Angeles. As a junior in... ...ries that will help society just as much, if not more, than a true artificial intelligence. Works Cited 1Morales, Edu. Online: http://web.mit.edu/STS001/www/Team7/home.html 2 Ibid. 3Weiss, Sonia. â€Å"John McCarthy†. Online: http://www.digitalcentury.com/encyclo/update/mccarthy.html 4Ibid. 5Ibid. 6Ibid. 7Christiansen, Brian. â€Å"History of Speech Recognition†. Online: http://www.stanford.edu/~jmaurer/history.htm 8Howard-Spink, Sam. Online: http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2002/20020918_speech.shtml 9Ibid. 10 â€Å"Remote Control in Deep Space.† Science News Weekly. 29 May 1999. 11Artificial Intelligence. Exploration Systems Autonomy Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Online: http://www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/ 12Roush, Wade. â€Å"Immbots Take Control.† Technology Review. December 2002-January 2003.

Family in African-American Literature Essay

In literary pieces such as Alice Walker’s story â€Å"Everyday Use†, Langston Hughes’ â€Å"My People†, and Robert Hayden’s poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays†, the theme of family relationships is significantly evident. In â€Å"Everyday Use†, Walker presents one stage and aspect of a family life when one adult child chooses to live on her own while the other one stays with the family. Hughes’ poem portrays his love for his people which he considers to be a family as a whole. Meanwhile, Hayden’s â€Å"Those Winter Sundays†, talks about the narration and description of a boy about his father whom he is not well acquainted with. As the first piece speaks of a story about a family in relation to their heritage, the latter speaks of a boy’s reminiscence of a father who was never able to show his love directly to his children. These two aspects of family relationships reveal several angles to look upon.   Such family situations are influenced by authors’ own race and heritage. Alice Walker portrays the story of a fully grown-up daughter, Dee, who goes back to home to her home to visit her mother, Mrs. Johnson and her younger sister, Maggie. She arrives accompanied by an African American Muslim man who is currently dating her. She comes home to collect some family possessions which she intends to turn into artistic pieces to be exhibited in a museum. Meanwhile, her sister Maggie grimaces as her sister takes some of their personal belongings including a quilt that her mother has promised to give her as a wedding present. Dee tells her mother that Maggie would only ruin the quilt by using it everyday which puzzles Mrs. Johnson as she could not think of any way to use the quilt than to spread them. When Mrs. Johnson sees the sadness in her younger daughter’s eyes upon Dee taking the quilt, she snatches it away and gives it to Maggie. Dee walks away after claiming that their problem is they do not understand their own heritage (Walker). In this story, Walker portrays a family whose eldest daughter has become estranged from them. In the first part of the story, Mrs. Johnson recounts how Dee had hated living in their house and even almost set it on fire when she was young. The concept of a dysfunctional family is quite present here; however, it focuses more on the mother-child relationship rather than every member of the family. It is important to note that Walker made use of the damaged relationship of Dee to her mother and sister to show and illustrate the different types of African American people. On the other hand, Langston Hughes shows his love and appreciation for his people in his poem â€Å"My People†. He does not speak of family but his tone and use of words make it seem as if he is speaking of his beloved family. â€Å"The night is beautiful, / So the faces of my people† (lines 1-2). The possessive pronoun â€Å"my† indicates a certain intimacy between him and â€Å"his† people which is usually used for referring to a small group of people who shares something intimate and common such as â€Å"my family†. In this regard, Hughes speaks highly of his race as if he is talking about a family he loves most. â€Å"The stars are beautiful, /  So the eyes of my people† (3-4). The comparison of his people to the heavens indicates the depth of his love and care for them as he would to his family. â€Å"Beautiful, also, is the sun. / Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people† (5-6). In the poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays†, it can be assumed that Robert Hayden personally speaks through the voice of the speaker in his poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays†. His distant relationship with his father is evident. In this melancholic poem, he narrates about the concealed appreciation of a son for his father’s acts of love by means of writing it in a prose. The narrator tells about the labors of his father even on a cold winter Sunday. However, in the poem, the speaker emphasizes that his father’s great efforts are usually ignored. The title of the poem itself already suggests a background for the readers. The speaker is obviously focused only on the â€Å"winter Sundays† and why it means too much work for the father. In the first stanza of the poem, the detailed description of the speaker’s father is very noticeable. He illustrated him by means of mentioning his physical condition as he works on cold Sundays. He could have described it in a clearer way by going straight to the point.   Nevertheless, he expressed his father’s poor countenance in a way that the reader can visualize the father’s hands cracked hands and the busy Sundays. The first two lines of the poem somewhat develops a thesis that would cover the whole idea in the poem. â€Å"Sundays too my father got up early / And put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,† (1-2). Sundays should be a day of rest but the speaker stresses that his father still wakes up even before the sun rose to go to work. He further highlights the weary countenance of his father as he describes his father’s â€Å"cracked hands that ached / from labor in the weekday weather made / Banked fires blaze† (3-5). The poem further shows how heartbreaking the father’s situation must be by writing the last line of the first stanza with, â€Å"No one ever thanked him† (5). With the last line, it is reasonable to consider that the speaker is one of those people who failed to thank him. In this regard, it can be assumed that the speaker is already in his old or middle age when he remembers how his father has shown him love in his own way. Clearly, these renowned African-American writers have frequently used the theme of family relationships to further address the problems of their society. The issues of racism, nationalism, and love are the implicit ideas which are present in the three literary pieces discussed. These authors portrays different types of African-American families which serves as the representation of the current society that they are in. since the family is the basic unit of society, it is the primary target of societal effects such as racism and other social issues. Every problem of the society can become the problem of the family which is why the most meaningful literary works of art somewhat involves the theme of family relationships. Works Cited Hayden, Robert. â€Å"Those Winter Sundays.† The Oxford Anthology of African-American Poetry. Ed. Arnold Rampersad, Hilary Herbold. United States of America: Oxford University Press US, 2006. 261. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"My People.† Poem Hunter. 19 April 2009. Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. Ed. Barbara Christian. United States of America: Rutgers University Press, 1994.