Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Why Science Is Built Of Bricks - 1539 Words

â€Å"Science is built of facts the way a house is built of bricks: but an accumulation of bricks is no more science than a pile of bricks is a house.† (Henry Poincare) Emanuele Foglia Word Count: â€Å"Science is built of facts the way a house is built of bricks: but an accumulation of bricks is no more science than a pile of bricks is a house.† (Henry Poincare) In this statement, Poincare has made a deep metaphorical claim towards natural science since a house is built around natural science theories, meaning that to construct a house we need to be able to calculate the forces acting upon it (physics) and what mixture of substances should be used in the making of cement in order to keep all the bricks together (chemistry). To better understand what he meant in this statement, his premise can be divided in two sub premises. The first being facts stated as similar to bricks of a house, implying that science is built, in the same way as house is constructed, with facts. The second sub premise being the similarities between an ‘accumulation of facts’ and a pile of bricks, which is used in the manufacture of a house. This sadly means that an accumulation of facts is as useless as a pile of bricks is in regard towards a vast and standalone house, and remembering that bricks alone do not form a house, yet foundation and cement are nee ded to stick these bricks together. These above sub premises leads us to two points. The first beingShow MoreRelatedEvolution of Science Essay893 Words   |  4 Pages The idea of a world progressing, or evolving, in science hasn’t been around forever. In fact, the Enlightenment period in the seventeen hundreds with scientists such as Isaac Newton the man who discovered gravity, Louis Pasteur the chemist who invented the vaccine to prevent rabies, Charles Darwin the father of evolution, Benjamin Franklin the first scientist to toy with the dangers and possibilities of electricity, and so many more wonderful scientists was the start of the â€Å"progress† that revolutionizedRead MoreThe San Fernando / Sylmar Earthquake Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesoccurred on this day happened at the Olive View Hospital complex, also some occurred on highway over passes as well as celling collapses. One of the main factors that the Sylmar area pertained so much damage was because of the soil it was built on. The area was built on loosely consolidated sedimentary materials, causing a heavier ground motion to be felt in this region (Oakeshott, Gordon B.,). In San Fernando on the other hand many underground damages occurred. Numerous amounts of pipelines like theRead MoreAn Alien Stone1191 Words   |  5 Pagesit grew. They built houses and taverns, formed their own way of thinking, and set up their own government. They worshiped Hive, and thanked him for saving them, later declaring him a god. They formed their own community where they could be themselves, and not have to worry about becoming a science experiment. Architecture- When the Inhumans stumbled across Planet X, it was a waste land with barely anything on it. They had to carry all of the supplies from earth, and were built in a haste. TheRead MoreUsing A Tool Of Stem Innovation1613 Words   |  7 Pagessimplest mechanical devices ever and has made life so much easier in society. Yet, going back to constructing the shed, we used the wheelbarrow to make our jobs easier to lift the concert, so we can create foundation for the shed. My father and I built the shed two feet from the ground. So the only the way we could get the wheel barrow with concert on the work site was to use a ramp. So it got me thinking how was the innovation of the lever and ramp during the period BC in Ancient Egypt. If it madeRead MoreThe Cryptic Secrets Of Egyptian Pyramids1719 Words   |  7 Pagesa part of evolutionary change in ancient tomb design. Far before Egypt was ruled by dynastic kings, the tombs were basically open pit graves. But with the development of ruler’s power over nation, the tombs had been improved. People started using bricks and woods to consolidate the pit and make roof. By the beginning of the third dynasty, the tombs evolved from mastaba structures to seemingly pyramid-shaped superstructure. However, the first pyramid was not the same as we see today. I t developedRead MoreThe Importance Of Building At The Speed Of Medical Innovation1375 Words   |  6 Pagesabove legal clearance levels for radioactively contaminated materials for decades. What value is this structure now? And could they have seen this coming? The traditional 50-year useful lifecycle of a building has been turned on its head. Medical science is moving at the speed of Moore’s law doubling every few years while central planners imagine structures will continue to function for at least half the life of a cathedral. Along with technology are changing demographics, populations and marketsRead MoreThe Culture of Ancient Egypt1112 Words   |  5 Pagessymbolic for life and the sun would set on the west and rise on the right. The other great structure that they built was the sphinx. The sphinx had the head of a pharaoh ram or a hawk and the body of the lion, is was also known to have told riddles some hard some easy if you got the riddle right the sphinx would die got it wrong and the sphinx would have you for lunch. When the Egyptians built cities the main thing that they had to consider is were you would place them. The two things that they wouldRead More Energy from the Wind Essay917 Words   |  4 Pageshundred year s later the English upgraded to the Post Mills. The difference was that the axis of the windmill was now horizontal, not vertical. It was used for grinding grain and pumping water. In the 1300’s Tower mills were created. They were built out of brick and stone and were redefined by the Dutch. In the 1800’s the wind mill had finally reached the American West. These windmills were used to pump water for farms and ranches. The crops doubled in amount and made the job of the farmer a littleRead MoreRobert Russa Moton High School1621 Words   |  7 PagesMoton High School was one of the first and only schools for blacks in Prince Edward County (Heinemann). This school was built in 1939 to hold 180 students, and it lacked in many common things one may find at a white high school, like a gymnasium, cafeteria, science labs, and sports fields (Heinemann). About ten years later, because the number of students grew from 180 to 400, they built small buildings made of plywoo d and tarpaper instead of building a new school. (Heinemann). Sometimes due to overcrowdingRead MoreAnalysis of the Credibility of Characters in Charles Dickens Hard Times1512 Words   |  7 Pagesin positions of power. The novel is set in the fictional city of Coketown. The city may be based on Dickens own experiences of Preston where the industries and factories are similar to those of Coketown. A town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it. In the very first paragraph of the first chapter we are introduced to the principles of Thomas Gradgrind Now what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls

Monday, December 16, 2019

Beatriz, Salvioli . Ms. Pritchett. 9 Hon Per 1. 08 March

Beatriz, Salvioli Ms. Pritchett 9 HON per 1 08 March 2017 The immigration struggle Why should America punish immigrants when they are helping the economy? William J Clinton once said, â€Å"we must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.†(Johnson 1). The American dream should stop being just a dream. It shouldn’t be limited to only a few people. Immigrants shouldn’t have a rougher time coming to America, but handed opportunities that everyone else is offered. There has been a lot of growth in our economy; a growth of â€Å"4.8 percent as measured in GDP (Growth Domestic Product) after immigration †(Buchmueller 2) â€Å"Immigration enforcement without immigration reform is an economic dead end.† (Buchmueller†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"House Speaker John Boehner and other major Republican figures have stated that it is unlikely for any significant developments in immigration policy to take place this year.†(Razzano 1) According to Jairo Ramos â€Å"the American system is very broken when it comes to legislation and immigration laws.† Even though so many people disagree with legalizing immigrants they don’t know the true meaning of being one and many people don’t even know the difference of an immigrant and a migrant. A migrant is a person who moves from one region to another, often within a particular country while an immigrant is someone who permanently moves to another country. (Carver 1) . Permanent settlements bringing in an income doesn’t only help the immigrants but it also helps the economy since they spend that money back into it. There has been some rumors that immigrants make money in the United States and then send it back to their own country but even if that’s true which it is in some cases it doesn’t bring the economy down like deporting immigrants would according to Jairo Ramos. Salvioli 3 The American Dream should stop being just a dream. It shouldn’t be limited to only those born in this country. Immigrants shouldn’t have a rougher time coming to America. They shouldn’t have additional battles but they should be handed opportunities like the rest of America is offered. What if you were an immigrant? Wouldn’t you want someone to be fighting for your rights and

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Australian Carbon Tax Manufacturing Firms

Question: Describe about the Australian Carbon Tax for Manufacturing Firms. Answer: Introduction Carbon emission has been a worldwide concern due to its effect on climate change. The Australian government came up with a carbon tax in 2012 that enforced a fixed charge of AU$23/t. It was expected to increase to $24.15/t and $25.40/t for the following two years of carbon emitted (Australian income tax legislation 2014,).Of carbon emitted above 25000 tons threshold, and was set to increase gradually till 2015. However, the government was still yearning for a mechanism in which the market forces would set the price as well as reduce the cost and carbon emissions. In 2014 the new government introduced the direct action plan which advocated for compensation of entities that emitted less carbon and punishing those that did not. Car manufacturing firms were not left out as consumers' preferred motor vehicles that emitted fewer greenhouse gasses. Manufacturers are now focusing on producing electric vehicles as well as hydrogen engines that produce far much less carbon compared to petrol engines. Not only do consumers prefer less carbon emitting vehicles but also consider the cost of gasoline that keeps on increasing as the carbon tax increases. Climate change models show that the world temperatures are likely to increase to 6.40C between before 2100 (Alex, 2016). The increase in temperature will depend on the amount of the future GHGs. Apart from the fact that research predicted up to 2100, there is always an annual rise in sea levels; that should be taken as a warning of climate change (Chan, 2012). The climate change comes along with ecologic and economic impact. Though it is not possible to connect various environmental calamities to global warming, it is clear that rise in sea level, changes in rain patterns, floods and drought can be linked to global warming. Therefore it is wise to curb the amount of greenhouse gasses released to avoid extreme weather events such as hurricanes and other effects of global warming that include low agricultural yields, ice cap retreat, reduced summer river flows, extinctions of species and increases in disease (heat-related illness)(Cormann, 2011). Carbon tax The main agenda behind the carbon tax is to penalize the polluters by paying for each ton of carbon released into the atmosphere. The carbon tax came into existence during the Gillard Labor Government in 2011. Dabbed as (the Clean Energy Act 2011). The carbon tax was implemented on 1ST July 2012 and repealed 17th July 2014. The carbon tax aimed to control firms that emitted more than 25,000 tons of carbon annually during (Humphreys, 2007). Benefits of carbon tax policy The policy is implemented to control the rate of carbon emission as well as reduce global warming. It ensures that manufacturers come up with new and innovative ways to reduce the emissions. Like the car, makers may result in the production of hydrogen engines with fewer carbon emissions. Consumers, on the other hand, may lead to using public means or cycling (Metcalf, 2009). The policy act as a source of revenue to the government as it collects tax on the superseded threshold. This revenue is used to subsidize environmental programs that aim to mitigate greenhouse gasses. In the process of implementing the Carbon Tax policies, a lot of human capital is required to supervise the undertaking of the policies. The system creates jobs and reduces unemployment (Oshiro and Masui, 2015). It also encourages the usage of renewable energy that is less harmful to the environment. The shortcomings of the carbon tax act As carbon tax rate increases there is a decrease in output. Manufacturers want to avoid the amount of tax paid on carbon emission since the less they produce, the lesser the carbon emitted. The carbon tax also will increase the rate of unemployment. Due to fewer goods manufactured hence few employees needed to get the job done. Product prices will increase as a result of the carbon tax. More tax lead to a production of less output and fail to enjoy the economies of scale which In turn, raises the production cost which is passed on to the consumer (Roos et al., 2012). The carbon tax brings about shrinking of the economy. In cases where the manufacturer fails to recover the cost of production after a few years as a result of the imposition of the carbon tax policy, he might lead to the closure which renders citizens jobless as well as create a gap in tax collected. Apart from cost implications n manufacturers the carbon tax also created a reputation threat in that the high emitters are viewed as worst polluters hence reduction on their sales. Manufacturers may shift to countries that have less or no carbon taxes. Administering the policy requires a lot of human capital, and this may carry along cost implications thus reducing its efficiency. A carbon tax may encourage tax e evasion as manufacturers emitting high levels of carbon may try to hide carbon emissions. The policy fails to illustrate how it will measure the amount of carbon released into the air hence at time it might under charge. Direct action plan The direct action policy was drafted in 2010 with the aim of curbing the greenhouse emission by 5% on 2000 levels come 2020 (Schiermeier, 2014). Direct action plan involves a process whereby the government welcomes citizens to forward their detailed proposals or project explaining how the target of five percent on 2000 can be attained. The government then settles for the best project among the submitted and funds it till the project achieves its goal. The Australian government has thus set aside 3.2 billion to fund these projects for the next four years and a total of 11.5 billion till 2020. Besides the substantial funding that is required to see these projects through, the government has promised not to increase any tax. Advantages of Direct action plan A direct action plan will create job opportunities as proposals submitted will require being reviewed to select the best project. Implementation of this policy also requires human capital which by so doing reduces the unemployment rate in the country. This kind of policy formulation increases the public partnership spirit as it is democratic and aims to rely on the market forces of production as well as involving people to submit their proposal on how they think the 5% target on 2000 levels achieved. Direct action plan implementation aims at working with the available funding of 10.5 billion and does not wish to increase the tax burden on its citizens. Disadvantages of direct action plan The policy takes far too long to achieve its objective than originally planned. Direct action plan delivers much less than expected. The direct action plan spends more than budgeted usually 40% more than the budgeted The government fails to establish a baseline on how to measure the green gasses emitted. Since the policy does not aim to increase taxes yet it clearly need more funding, the funds will be sliced from other sectors e.g. health and education to cater for the policy implementation. Regardless of the measures undertaken by the government regarding the two systems, there is still opportunities as well as risks on manufacturing firms. Some of them include; Below is a table showing the comparison of the two policies in the car remanufacturing industry. Carbon tax Direct action plan Carbon tax aims at collecting revenue from the remanufacturing industry The tax digs into a firm's profit hence prompting closure or relocation The tax generates revenue which is used to finance other projects that aim at mitigating the carbon emission Carbon tax fails to establish a goal that hopes to achieve and in turn implement increasing charges on carbon released per ton after every year. This tax increases the burden on remanufacturing industry as the cost is passed on to the consumer and the demand for products fall The plan sets aside funding that is to be used to implement the best project Direct action encourages firms to seek experts who advise on ways to reduce carbon emissions Direct action plan uses funds from the treasury of which if they fall short, the Treasury is forced to cut on other sectors budget to support the program. A direct action plan has established a goal of 5% on 2000 levels of greenhouse gasses released. These policies have helped the manufacturers to come up with innovative ways to reduce carbon emitted and at the same time encourage the advancement of technology. Though the policies above have different points of view and operation, they still pose a risk on car manufacturing firms, some of them being; Firms will have to incur a lot in research and development to come up with new ways of reducing the emission. In the process of trying to reduce the emissions, production may also decline considering the old mechanism is still in operation before the adoption of the new machinery. In turn, this brings a reduction in revenue. High cost may also be experienced for putting the new mechanism in place of which the cost will be incurred by the firm. There is a possibility of the systems closing its doors in cases where all its revenue is consumed by paying penalties on carbon emission (Low carbon growth plan for Australia, 2011). On the other hand, every calamity comes with an opportunity, below are some of the possibilities brought about by these policies. Car remanufacturing firms are presented with an opportunity of growth as they will be able to design new ways which make the production cheap as well as conserve the environment for future benefits. Competitive edge is another angle that firms will enjoy since once the new and innovative ways are in place, the goods will be produced cheaply and thus, their price will be lower than their competitors. Another opportunity is that this firm will be able to enjoy a larger market share since the policies may force many companies to leave the market. Finally, the policies present the business with a chance to browse on other countries that have less punitive measures on carbon emission and has a low cost of production. For the car manufacturing firm to be able to blend and survive in a carbon-constrained the world, it will have to follow the following strategy. The remanufacturing company will have to source for experts who are conversant with the environmental knowledge to provide expertise on how to reduce carbon emissions. Firms should also train the top management so that they embrace the changes in the sector and hence realign the organization strategies to include carbon emission reduction in their plan. The firm should also consider creating a department that will be responsible for the control and monitoring of carbon emission by assessing the output of carbon to be expected and implementing measures if the baseline is surpassed. Conclusion In conclusion, firms have to be conservative of the environment they operate in, otherwise, they will no longer be able to operate or even have clients as well as workers. However, all is not lost, and firms can be able to run smoothly in such a carbon constrained world. To ensure sustainable production of cars is maintained, firms will have to come up with new and innovative ways that aim to achieve the goal of going green such as the use of renewable energy. References Alex ,S., (2016). [online] Available at: https://caringforclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/Business_and_Climate_Change_Adaptation.pdf [Accessed 25 Oct. 2016]. Ashworth, P., Bridgfoot, D., Gardner, J. and Rooney, S. (2009). Collaborative emission reduction in regional Australia: Maine's power. IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci., 6(54), p.542005. Australian income tax legislation 2014. (n.d.). . Chan, K. (2012). Legislation of a historic but politically unpopular carbon tax in Australia. Carbon Management, 3(3), pp.243-247. Chan, K. (2015). Don't forget the weather in the axing of the carbon tax in Australia. Carbon Management, 6(1-2), pp.63-68. Cormann, M. (2011). Final report - the carbon tax. Canberra: Select Committee on the Scrutiny of New Taxes. Ge, X. (2013). Did the Introduction of Carbon Tax in Australia Affect Housing Affordability?.AMR, 869-870, pp.840-843. Humphreys, J. (2007). Exploring a carbon tax for Australia. St Leonards, N.S.W.: Centre for Independent Studies. Liu, D., Chang, R. and Liu, Y. (2016). Technology elasticity and potential on energy saving and emission reduction: evidence from China. Applied Economics Letters, pp.1-5. Low carbon growth plan for Australia. (2011). Clayton, Vic.: Climate Works Australia. Metcalf, G. (2009). Tax Policies for Low-Carbon Technologies. National Tax Journal, 62(3), pp.519-533. Oshiro, K., and Masui, T. (2015). Diffusion of low emission vehicles and their impact on CO2 emission reduction in Japan. Energy Policy, 81, pp.215-225. Roos, I., Soosaar, S., Volkova, A. and Streimikene, D. (2012). Greenhouse gas emission reduction +perspectives in the Baltic States in frames of EU energy and climate policy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(4), pp.2133-2146. Schiermeier, Q. (2014). Anger as Australia dumps carbon tax. Nature, 511(7510), pp.392-392. The Coalition's Direct Action plan. (2010). Canberra, A.C.T.: Liberal Party of Australia. Tol, R. (2006). Multi-Gas Emission Reduction for Climate Change Policy: An Application of Fund. EJ, SI2006(01).

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Website Usability Testing 5 Best Places to Find a Usability Expert

Website usability testing is about making it easier for visitors to accomplish the goal of your website. If you want to improve your site, finding an expert to work with you on your sites usability is a great way to take big steps forward.In this post, well quickly define what usability testing is (and is  not). Then, well share five great places that you can find an expert to improve your websites usability. purchasing a product, completing an online course, etc.People often confuse user experience (UX) with website usability. While they are tightly connected, theyre still different things. UX is how your audience reacts to different elements on your website, whereas website usability refers to how well users can accomplish tasks.Basically, usability testing is about making your site easy to use, while UX is about making your visitors happy. An easy-to-use website will certainly play a role in making visitors happy, but usability is not the  only concern of UX.Some usability tes ting parameters are:Skill level and time required to perform a taskThe degree of helpfulness provided by a productThe attitude of a user towards a task/product.Before you find a website usability testing expert, you need to figure out one thing yourself your websites goal. Your usability testing is all about finding ways to make it easier for visitors to achieve that goal.Whatever your usability goal may be, it would always include the following factors:SpeedAccuracyOverall successThe degree of satisfactionTo determine your websites goal, you can do it by yourself in a lot of cases. Or, you can work with a usability expert to really drill down and figure out whats most important to you and your visitors.Ready to get started with website usability testing? Here are the best places to find an expert1. Toptal Only includes vetted freelancersToptal is one of the best platforms to hire someone for usability work. This platform has some of the best web designers, web developers, project managers, and fundraising experts for website usability testing.The company will require that you deposit 500$ once you hire a freelancer, although you can get a refund if you eventually back out. Unlike Upwork or any other job board, the Toptal team vets all freelancers before they can join the platform.Key features:Get vetted freelancers: the Toptal team hires freelancers after several testing stepsTop 3% of web designers for getting best usability resultsQuote-based pricing model with one-time payment mode.2. Upwork An open freelance marketplaceUpwork is one of the oldest platforms for hiring a talented freelancer in almost any field, including usability.You can select a freelancer from beginner to expert level, based on your budget. You can pay per hour or pay a specific amount for a project.To get started, you can post a specific description of the usability job you need and start receiving proposals for your website usability testing project. You can also check the freelance rs profile for tests and certifications to determine their skill level.Upwork has some great experts. Selecting the intermediate skill level when posting a job will help you get quality work in a budget-friendly way.For the best results, you should:Individually check each freelancers portfolio, test scores, certifications, and reviewsGet budget-friendly options for quick jobs (like widget improvement)Set up a test project to find the best talentUse Upworks automatic time tracking system for precise hourly billing.3. 99designs An emphasis on designers99designs is a marketplace with creative web designers, which is especially beneficial if you have an e-commerce website (where conversion relies very much on your page layout). You can also find professionals to create a landing page for your agency by performing website usability tests.This platform lets you post a project for free and a bunch of designers will submit their project. You only need to pay for the design that you decide to use. You can post the entire project for one freelancer, or you can hire a specific designer for different elements like your logo, product widgets, and quick fixes.This platform has designers with expertise in logo, brand, and website design. You can hire them to create a visual brand aesthetic for your online store. The 99designs team perform some quality tests and publish the top UX designers every year.4. UX Switch UX-focused job boardUX Switch is the best place to hire for a bigger project, like a full-time website usability testing expert.They have designers experienced in UX improvement, visual design, interaction design, user research, and more. You can also post a job for  free, which is quite convenient.Since its a UX-focused platform, it covers all aspects of a website. Therefore, you can easily find a usability designer.5. Coroflot A platform for design jobsCoroflot has the most sophisticated freelancers with a good eye for website usability testing. They can make the perfect human-computer interaction basically, better website usability testing.Youll need to pay to post your job, starting at $295 for a one-off posting or $200/job for multiple posts. However, the diversity and expertise of the experts here make the payment worthwhile.You can choose from usability engineering experts with the experience needed to test a complex, software-based business website, and your job will stay online for 90 days.For large businesses, Coroflot or Toptal would be the best choices.That sums up this post! Dont forget to put your site under maintenance mode while working on the usability components.Do you have any questions about how to choose the right usability expert for your website? Let us know in the comments! Want to improve #usability at your #website? Here are 5 spots to find usability testing experts