In September 1066, a series of events occurred which caused a prodigious impact on me. Friction formed between a combination of primarily nitrogen and oxygen with a high magnitude of velocity, with a pressure in excess of 100,000 N/m2, and a mixture of liquid chlorine, oxygen, sodium, and hydrogen at rest. This caused the uppermost strata of the mixture to accelerate, however it did so unevenly, causing cat’s-paws to form, which, in turn, increased the coefficient of kinetic friction of these portions of the mixture, which caused them to accelerate more quickly. This accelerating layer caused undulations to form, which were then made higher by the wind in an ever-repeating process. This process was repeated and mirrored throughout the roughly 125,000km2 of this mixture in question. Thus, a storm was come to the English Channel. This storm rendered the Channel impassible for a fortnight. During this time, an army under the command of Harold II of England disbanded its militia for the harvest. This allowed the Norman forces to be victorious in the battle of Hastings, thereby causing aspects of Norman language to be integrated into that of England’s. This language shaped the history of England, and, once brought to America, it defined this land as English. All subsequent actions of this land, the United States of America, and, most importantly its people, have been shaped, constrained, and come about because of this language. Language is the thought and knowledge of the people; through this, the world exists for each individual in a way defined by their language. I am defined by my language, a language that I have because of a storm a millennia ago and an ocean away.
This is a short story I wrote last year (School year 2007-2008)
Destruction The land was the richest conceivable, no excess or want of water or of any supplementary resource; the perfect farmland where none went with the desire for communication or a community, for neither existed. Strewn about this expansive plain are people living as they see fit, in farm and pasture or in the bountiful woodland, living for the sake of life and nothing more. In the arable farmland, at the last edge of the plain, a collection of three farms are. After generations of peaceable existence since the move from somewhere else, these farmers are attacked; none, but one, lives to survey the destruction. Mangled corpses in a field of fire and rubble are all that are to be seen of a once prosperous farm, the horrified and appalled survivor leaves the place to find a new residence. Throughout the country, He finds dismantled, destroyed, and burning farms, of which some are still aflame. After more hours and days of walking, he finds no more ruined farms. The invading army saw a small village in a yet lusher valley and turned to rampage through that. Though where he was could have been a place to settle he decides to move on farther into the country to avoid another, possibly fatal, invasion. As he travels farther, he in time runs into a large group of houses on a hill, upon investigation, he finds the inhabitants of the houses in a field close by. When he watches he is surprised to find that they are all acting in harmony with each other, while another makes signals at them. As he comes toward them, they stop at another signal, and the signaler turns to face him and makes several complicated signs at him. He learns eventually the methods of the sign language that these people have come up with to organize a fighting force to defend their nation. As he trains, more of the likes of him come, are taught the language, and start their training. Scouts report to them about the nearing invaders, and their ruthless destruction. Soon after his acquisition of language the enemy is seen to swarm up the hill on which the town stands, as they come they torch the land. Hasty preparations are made and the evil invaders attack. As the two armies crash together, a huge gust of flame balloons upward, the ground shakes and an explosion sends both armies flying. The concussion wave kills both militias almost instantaneously; he is miraculously protected somehow, and lands in the wreckage of the town. He stands, painfully for he is well bruised, and surveys the ruins burning, the dead, and the decapitated hill, and after a last glance he walks sadly and fearfully away. Within the next month he peacefully moves into the neighboring ant colony, unable to live in his own decimated land.
Written 10-2008, for an environmental science class assignment.
In The Woods Essay
It is autumn and as such the leaves of the deciduous forest surrounding me are fallen upon the earth, decomposing. The canopy and its substrates are now open allowing sunlight to play on the ground, and the eye to view the contours of the land with more ease. Raccoon prints are visible in the mud, evidence of nightly scrounging for food due to the impending winter and cold. Insects’ work is noticeable upon leaves. Decomposers and detrivores have obviously been attempting to assimilate this year’s leaf mass into that formed in years past; as they do this infuse the soil with new minerals of use, but take their own in turn. The forest has an aroma of wood, leaves, and the decay thereof. The forest does not seem strong in underbrush, but this is probably because of the time of year. The woods are open and the marks of man are evident, such as the old logging trail runs within sight, but despite this the woods seem to exude a peaceful air. In winter the scene here would be bleak, the nearby reservoir frozen over, and all the land blanketed in snow. In the spring of the year the woods would be water filled, gurgling, and playful, but cold. In summer the forest would be lush and green, and filled with all manner of animal life. Fifty years ago the reservoir would be newer with less interference along its banks, but the more recent logging would have shown its scarring of the land with much more clarity. Two hundred years past this area may have been a wooded valley leading to a river or stream, or it would be pastureland. Fifty years hence, it will probable remain wooded, but what will occur to the reservoir is unpredictable. Two hundred years from now there is no telling what will be in this place.
History: 6/4/08 This may be a bore, but it is one of my more resent research papers.
Differences Societal Architecture of the Medieval Period The medieval period encompassed roughly one thousand years, from about the time of the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E., to the beginning of the Renaissance ( which began between the years of 1200-1400). In this paper the Middle Ages will refer to the period between approximately 500 C.E. to about 1400 C.E, and the continent of Europe will be assumed unless otherwise stated. In this medieval period there were vast differences in the accommodations of the classes of people; each had their own division and style of architecture, each person’s place in society was determined this and other defining aspects of everyday life. In many civilizations this was, and is, the case, although today these influences might have less impact on the outcome of ones life, they still play a major roll in the result. This will be proven by examining Europe and comparing its model to other societies. This idea has been in practice for as long as people have had organized civilizations; it incarnates itself strongly in the medieval period. There were many slight changes in the dynamics of the society of Europe during the Middle Ages such as the emergence, in the later times of this period, of an artisan and merchant class (Ancient Civilizations). This new class ranked between the “third estate”, which was made up of the commoners, and the “second estate”, which was made up of the ruling class (including lords, knights, barons, earls and even kings). This developing portion of society partially replaced the “third estate”, and would continue to do so far past the time in question, though different locales in Europe progressed at different speeds. Another change that occurred during the waning of this Age was the alteration of the distribution of power between the “first estate” (which was the Church) and the “second estate” or ruling class (Ancient Civilizations). There were numerous other changes and innovations that took place, such as the development of new ideas and technologies which made the previously stated changes possible, but these alterations are, for the most part, not relevant to the topic of this paper and will therefore not be discussed further. Despite these changes, many aspects of medieval life were relatively constant throughout this time, such as the drastically different housing, accommodations, and lifestyles that were enjoyed by the first and second estates (Macaulay). Those who dwelt in hovels, huts, and in single room homes were the poor and powerless, and in some cases this would have included the merchants. These living-places were, for the most part, constructed with thatched or wooden roofs on a wooden frame; they usually had either a layer of wattle and daub, or wood for siding. They often had no chimney, but relied instead upon vents in the eaves to let the smoke of the cooking-fire escape. In towns or cities the houses might be more elaborate, perhaps having a second story or windows of thin leather to let more light in to the inevitable darkness of the interior. Most all of them were infested with filth, excrement, and vermin(Macaulay). This was the basic housing unit for the lower classes, and even for some village priests. These are exceedingly different conditions than in chateaus, manors, and other mansions. These places of living were extravagant in comparison with those of the poor. These large dwellings were mostly made of stone with either wooden or leaded roofs and these were characteristic of the first and second estate. (The Manor). They were much larger, had the appearance of being cleaner though they were still vermin ridden, had many rooms each with defined purposes. There were superfluous flourishes, art on the walls, fireplaces and chimneys, and, occasionally, glass windows (Macaulay). Cathedrals were large, and though they were not lived in, reflected the wealth of the town or community; they were the structures of the Middle Ages with the most frivolous and decadent use of resources. This distinct dichotomy in the architecture of rich and poor, of entitled and untitled, is exemplified in the feudal society of the Middle Ages although it can be found in almost any developed society even in this modern era. These same differences were observable, but to a much smaller extent in the society of the Aztec people in Central America, before the invasion of European forces in the fifteen hundreds. The Aztecs had a society that, as were many others, was based around their religion. The religion of the Aztecs demanded innumerable human sacrifices to their gods. They did the sacrificing upon large stone stepped pyramids with flat tops for that purpose, but these were not lived in, as they were solid stone (Aztec). The houses were mostly made of adobe (a dried mud mixture applied to a wooden frame) with thatched roofs also on wood frames. These houses were mainly of a single story, with a single large room divided into four areas, each for a different function. This was similar to the houses of the peasants of the Middle Ages, and these were indeed the homes of the lower classes. The rich could afford other amenities such as larger housing. The emperor’s house was distinguished by its two stories, and many specialized rooms, similar to the differences in Europe (Lee, “Aztec Architecture”). The Mayans, who lived south of the Aztecs, but still in Central America, built huts of hay with wooden frames for the poor. The rich in this society lived in larger houses of stone or sun-fired bricks, just as the European rich. The Mayans constructed very elaborate temples (Lee, “Mayan Architecture”). The Incan society, which flourished in the Andes Mountains, had a similar dichotomy. They made most of their homes of stone, being very skilled at causing stones to fit closely together, and what they built lasted well. In this society, which existed at about the same time as the Aztecs, the housing differences were less pronounced, but the rich could still be discerned from the poor through their large and slightly more intricate houses, this is certainly less of a difference, but the split is still there (Lee, “Incan Architecture”). The architecture of India does not consist of a single style that developed in that area, as in the Americas and Europe, but a combination of many styles that influenced this area (Indian Architecture). Houses in rural areas varied in structure and shape, although they habitually had thatched roofs. Many had wattle-and-daub, or brick, siding. There were other styles as well, religious records indicating that these included large brick houses with courtyards inside. This style of house was, we may presume, for the wealthy or upper classes (Ancient Indian Architecture). There is also mention of building complexes with places for animals, and a very large palace. This we may be assured would not be for the poor, but for an affluent emperor (Indian House Naming). In this society, as with many others, there was much work put into the religion’s architecture. From this it can be determined that the religion was exceedingly important to this society. In China also, the religion seems as though it was important, because many of their most beauteous and intricate buildings were constructed for worship. Almost all of their town and cities were walled. The houses inside these walls were of different types, with some being made of wood and tile, which were usually painted. These houses were large and usually had their own walls. This type of house was symmetrical and had curving rooflines, which were employed to ward off evil spirits. These were the dwellings characteristic of the upper class. Another type of housing was made of mud bricks and reed, and this type of home was drafty and ill protected for the elements, and usually had only a single room. As with many other house designs of the time, this room was where everything was done (Lee, “Chinese Architecture”). A vaguely similar type of architecture is employed in Korea, and the Japanese derived theirs from that region (The Japanese). The Native Americans of North America had a complex society which included economics, but surprisingly, they did not have the distinction of “rich” and “poor”; they lived communally in villages with everyone doing what they could for the community. This is the single example that goes against the norm, but their architecture was not as evolved as that of many other societies discussed (Native American). Perhaps if this facet had evolved further the people would have been broken into classes. These societies all had developed economies, ruling systems, interactions with other societies, and architectural advancement during the years in question. Other societies, such as those in Africa and Australia, did not possess the same development in these key factors and are therefore not included. Even in today’s “advanced” society the architecture of one’s environment during development plays a roll in determining the class that one will be as an adult. This is partly because if the progenitors of the child are wealthy, they will be able to afford housing in a wealthier area, where the education is more productive. There is also a much greater chance for the child to go to post-secondary school, lead a more lucrative life and possibly buy a larger, fancier, house in a prime location. The housing locations and means of the less wealthy, however, would not get to choice the school that the child attends, and, because of this, the child might have to attend a school of less wealth that might have teachers of a lesser quality, and a worse student-teacher ratio. Both of these factors make for a school that can provide less for it students. The likelihood of obtaining a “good” secondary education compounded with those of a child of a lower class’s chances of going to post-secondary school, would make it much less probable that student will be able to get themselves a job outside of the class they were born to, and would therefore be able to afford only a house in a less suitable location, or of less quality and architectural grandeur. Even in the “open opportunity” society of capitalism, we may become limited because of the architecture differences of the classes, though to a lesser extent, but through the same process, of our ancestors. Of the many societies (including medieval Europe, the Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, the India in the middle ages, China during this same time, the Native North Americans, and current society) that were researched and discussed in this paper, in all but the Native North American society, the architecture and class of the people were closely interwoven. The societies reflected upon were all relatively different in form, two things found to be constant in almost all was the connection between power and architecture of living, and the high place in these societies that religion played. Religious structures were often the largest and most expensively decorated of all, showing the importance of the god(s) to the people.
In answer to Mrs. Baskette: the essay topic may have been subconsciously influenced by Spore, however the main inspiration came from, I think, a short story we read in English with Amanda about two years ago. I don't remember what it was called though. Also, I have been rolling the idea of causal effects around in my head for awhile.
Looking at this blog I noticed that it had been awhile since I had posted anything; so the following are two of my more recent works:
The first piece I will share regards a mathematics paper on the calculus of dentistry that I was required to write for Calculus III last semester. No actual mathematics or formulea are involved, so no extensive math knowledge is required to read it.
Here it is:
Introduction
The following document will summarize the methodology and key findings of Gary Hosler Meisters’ paper Tooth Tables: Solution of a Dental Problem by Vector Algebra, published November 1982 on pages 274-280 of Mathematics Magazine. In this paper Meisters mathematically addresses the issue of tooth preparation for gold inlay procedures in dentistry. In doing this, he attempts to mathematically show that, in order to assure a “good occlusal draw” the buccal wall and the lingual wall need not diverge in the occlusal direction, and that divergence does not insure a good occlusal draw. There are practical repercussions of this, but these concerns are not of note to this paper.
Brief Summary
Meisters begins the paper by stating his reasons for writing it; he then goes on to present a background of the dental terminology that is required for his analysis. After this, he states his purpose, and identifies a key consequence of his mathematical findings; this is followed by a discussion of the geometric set-up of the problem. Meisters goes on to define and describe key mathematical concepts to be used. Subsequently, he defines three mathematical criteria for an inlay preparation; he asks whether these criteria can show that occlusal convergence, as well as divergence, can allow a good occlusal draw. The unit normal vector components of the two sides of proximal box are then shown. The mathematical analysis and interpretation of these (and two other) vectors is then given; the author then uses these to first show that occlusal divergence is not geometrically necessary for good occlusal draw, and further show that occlusal divergence does not necessarily predict good occlusal draw. He then develops numerically that the conditions for good draw may be satisfied for a variety of angles that yield occlusal convergence.
Blogger is limited to 4096 characters per post, therefore the next portion of my paper follows:
Mathematical Methodology in the Context of Class Materiel
Meisters starts out by defining the orientation of his rectangular coordinate ssytem. He goes on to define vectors important to the mathematical analysis of the problem, namely the vectors A, P, M and L; in doing this he utilizes the concept of the unit vectors, which are denoted i, j and k, have a magnitude of one and point in the x, y and z directions respectively, and the unit normal vector, or a vector of length one that is orthogonal to a given surface. These two concepts are important materiel to our class and with them the author frames his mathematical reasoning. After providing this background, he goes on to outline the properties of dot and cross products, focusing on cross products. These principles were discussed at some length during class, and Meisters uses them to find the mathematical conditions for an occlusal draw, which he then manipulates, through further use of these properties and heavy reliance on trigonometric principles, to attain his conclusion.
Subsequent to building mathematical formulations for the criteria of occlusal convergence, Meisters isolates the x, y and z components of the unit normal vectors A and P. This process, which was a topic of the class, uses simple right-angle trigonometry and projections to determine the lengths of the components. To begin this process for A and P, he projected the vectors onto the appropriate planes; projection of objects onto coordinate planes was an additional point of inquiry during class. Once these projections were found, right-angle trigonometric principles were applied to find the appropriate lengths. By using the results of this process the author shows the mathematical conditions for the third criterion is met when the z-components of vectors A and P are both positive (as shown by sin α > 0 for vector A and sin ø > 0 for P).
By using simple substitution and the properties of cross and dot products Meisters rephrases the first two criteria to express them in a single dot product (M•P) with a qualifier sentence (which he denotes I' and II'); the properties of dot products he utilized were an important conceptual topic for our class. Using the new definition for the criteria, the author applies more substitution and takes a dot product between a cross product and the vector P to find the mathematical conditions for occlusal convergence and a good occlusal draw. To do this, he uses matrix multiplication mathematics, a topic addressed in the context of vectors context during class. Using this expression for the conditions he shows that convergence can be consistent with good occlusal draw.
Then, by rearranging the conditions that he found earlier, Meisters shows that there are certain conditions under which occlusal divergence does not predict good occlusal draw. After stating this, he develops the practical implications of I', primarily that the projection of P onto M, for the convergent case, gives a negative value and that M•P will be negative (which implies convergence) only when the vectors A, j, and P form a left-handed system. Both left-handed systems and projections were a topic of class.
Meisters goes on to show, via a table of angles, that there are many possible angles that lead to convergence and good occlusal draw. To develop the mathematics behind this, the author utilizes a definition for both the cross and the dot products, both of which were presented and utilized in class, to find a mathematical expression relating only angles, not vectors. With this expression the author uses a table of angle values to show that convergence and good occlusal draw are not exclusive.
Meisters’ Key Findings
Meisters’ key findings are twofold: first, occlusal convergence can result in good occlusal draw; and, second, that occlusal divergence does not necessarily imply a good occlusal draw. These are both contrary to the accepted teachings in dentistry, at least as of 1982 when the paper was published. Note that this paper only shows the geometric possibility, not the plausibility or practicality, of using occlusally converging axial corner lines in constructing the inlay preparation in a tooth. In determining these conclusions Meisters used principles of vectors and the properties of cross and dot products, two topics that were significant portions of Calculus III.
Next will be a "Tech Memo" that I wrote for my MATLAB program class, it describes the a program and its results:
To: Brett, Devon From: Alexander Regarding: HP-200 Scheduling Nightmare Date: October
Highlights
This document will discuss the problem of finding a day and time for a student presentation that maximizes possible student attendance, while three or more evaluator are present. The analysis of student and evaluator schedules takes place in MATLAB, and uses two files listing names as input. The program determines the best day(s) and time(s), and informs the user which student(s) cannot attend and which evaluators can attend. In this scenario the best start times are Monday at 6:00PM and Thursday at 5:00PM: at both times 28 of 34 students can attend; on Monday, four evaluators can attend whereas on Thursday three evaluators can attend.
Problem Statement
A group of students is to give a presentation before a panel of evaluators. The problem is to determine the time block or blocks during which the greatest number of students can attend the presentation, while three or more evaluators are also present. The schedules are known for each student and evaluator, and lists of student and evaluator names are provided. With these perimeters and requirements, the specifications require the information to be determined: the best day and time of day for the presentation to be held; the names of students who cannot attend at that time; and the names of the evaluators who can attend. If more than one best time exists these data are required for each day and time.
Methodology
In order to find when the best time to hold the presentation is, the schedules for each student and each evaluator were loaded into a MATLAB program via two array-traversing loop structures. When loading the files, the program assumes that the files containing schedules: have a certain extension and internal format, are in the current directory, and are listed in two files. The user provides the names of the two list files, although the program checks for a valid filename entry, it assumes a specific layout of data in the file. After importing the schedule data, the program uses a summation algorithm and conditional logic to find the day of the week and time when there are three or more evaluators available; it cross-references this with the students’ schedules, which are summed with the same algorithm, to find the time or times when the most student are ably to attend, by utilizing additional conditional logic structures. The program then, through utilization of array indexing and loops, prints out the required data; if there are multiple times qualify, this information is printed for each time.
Next section of the Tech Memo (note: the table of name does not display correctly, but the data it contains isn't all that important):
Result and Findings
Given the schedules provided, the results predict two favorable start times: Monday at 6:00PM and Thursday at 5:00PM; see Table 1 for a complete listing of who can and cannot attend.
Table 1 - A comprehensive list of evaluators who can and students who cannot attend the presentation, at each of the best times; as found by the MATLAB program.
Monday at 6:00PM Thursday at 5:00PM Students Who Cannot Attend Evaluators Who Can Attend Students Who Cannot Attend Evaluators Who Can Attend Niels Bohr' Alan Rossner Archimedes Jon Goss Charles Darwin Piere Marzocca Leonardo da Vinci Piere Marzocca Max Planck Diego Nocetti Rene Descartes Diego Nocetti James Peploski Brian Helenbrook Galileo Galilei Michael Faraday Nikola Tesla Stephen Hawking Johannes Kepler
Recommendations
The results show that, of the two times available, four evaluators are able to attend on Monday, whereas only three are available on Thursday; usually it is preferable to have more evaluators for a presentation. However, on Thursday the time is earlier, which may be more convenient for the evaluators and students. The best choice would likely be Monday at 6:00PM, but this depends on the importance of having one more evaluator weighed against the convenience of the earlier time; furthermore, if one or more persons could not attend, but particularly wanted to, it would reasonable to be accommodative.
Below is the brief literature review I included in a miniproposal for summer research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The field of bone nanoindentation has developed over the past decade and a half of its existence from methods and fundamental-type research to complex comparative and validation studies. Throughout, two basic methods have been utilized, the more common of which is used in this study. This short review of literature discusses the approaches and goals of previous studies.
Authors have extensively utilized the pioneering research of Oliver and Pharr in the field of nanoindentation and determination of micromechanical hardness and elastic modulus to develop indentation methods for testing bone specimens, going so far as to identify it as the “Oliver-Pharr Method” [5,8,10,11]. Oliver and Pharr’s 1992 article reports on nanoindentation tests of six reference materials and advances procedures for conducting indentations and analyzing the results such that major sources of error are accounted for, and useful data acquisition is maximized [11].
For bone-specific nanoindentation, several authors have used nanoindentation to determine material properties of microstructural elements of bone, namely trabeculae and osteons [6,8,12]. These authors used two methods: wet and dry. Wet methods, such as those employed by Zysset et al., attempt to emulate the physiologic condition of bone when testing by ensuring that the bone tissue water and mineral content is close to that of a living specimen [6]. Dry methods, where the specimen is dehydrated before testing, are more often used because of the difficulty and time dependence associated with wet testing; however, these methods tend to alter the material properties of the specimens [13]. For comparative studies, such as those conducted by Gan et al [14]. or Rho et al.[15], these changes are minimally important, because the authors are interested in differences between mean measured values [16]. For authors who report the measured values directly this is an issue; therefore, other authors have published comparative studies of wet and dry testing methods, which begin to form the bias for a correction factor [4,17-19].
More recently, research has been less fundamental, with many researchers using nanoindentation as a tool to investigate changes in microstructure properties, in combination with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), as a validation tool for Finite Element (FE) model or a number of other applications [10,14,15,18,19]. Much of this research utilizes methods similar to those advanced in the papers of the previous paragraph for the nanoindentation tests.
In September 1066, a series of events occurred which caused a prodigious impact on me. Friction formed between a combination of primarily nitrogen and oxygen with a high magnitude of velocity, with a pressure in excess of 100,000 N/m2, and a mixture of liquid chlorine, oxygen, sodium, and hydrogen at rest. This caused the uppermost strata of the mixture to accelerate, however it did so unevenly, causing cat’s-paws to form, which, in turn, increased the coefficient of kinetic friction of these portions of the mixture, which caused them to accelerate more quickly. This accelerating layer caused undulations to form, which were then made higher by the wind in an ever-repeating process. This process was repeated and mirrored throughout the roughly 125,000km2 of this mixture in question. Thus, a storm was come to the English Channel.
ReplyDeleteThis storm rendered the Channel impassible for a fortnight. During this time, an army under the command of Harold II of England disbanded its militia for the harvest. This allowed the Norman forces to be victorious in the battle of Hastings, thereby causing aspects of Norman language to be integrated into that of England’s. This language shaped the history of England, and, once brought to America, it defined this land as English. All subsequent actions of this land, the United States of America, and, most importantly its people, have been shaped, constrained, and come about because of this language. Language is the thought and knowledge of the people; through this, the world exists for each individual in a way defined by their language. I am defined by my language, a language that I have because of a storm a millennia ago and an ocean away.
What influenced you to write this?
ReplyDeleteThis is a short story I wrote last year (School year 2007-2008)
ReplyDeleteDestruction
The land was the richest conceivable, no excess or want of water or of any supplementary resource; the perfect farmland where none went with the desire for communication or a community, for neither existed. Strewn about this expansive plain are people living as they see fit, in farm and pasture or in the bountiful woodland, living for the sake of life and nothing more. In the arable farmland, at the last edge of the plain, a collection of three farms are.
After generations of peaceable existence since the move from somewhere else, these farmers are attacked; none, but one, lives to survey the destruction. Mangled corpses in a field of fire and rubble are all that are to be seen of a once prosperous farm, the horrified and appalled survivor leaves the place to find a new residence. Throughout the country, He finds dismantled, destroyed, and burning farms, of which some are still aflame.
After more hours and days of walking, he finds no more ruined farms. The invading army saw a small village in a yet lusher valley and turned to rampage through that. Though where he was could have been a place to settle he decides to move on farther into the country to avoid another, possibly fatal, invasion. As he travels farther, he in time runs into a large group of houses on a hill, upon investigation, he finds the inhabitants of the houses in a field close by. When he watches he is surprised to find that they are all acting in harmony with each other, while another makes signals at them. As he comes toward them, they stop at another signal, and the signaler turns to face him and makes several complicated signs at him.
He learns eventually the methods of the sign language that these people have come up with to organize a fighting force to defend their nation. As he trains, more of the likes of him come, are taught the language, and start their training. Scouts report to them about the nearing invaders, and their ruthless destruction.
Soon after his acquisition of language the enemy is seen to swarm up the hill on which the town stands, as they come they torch the land. Hasty preparations are made and the evil invaders attack. As the two armies crash together, a huge gust of flame balloons upward, the ground shakes and an explosion sends both armies flying. The concussion wave kills both militias almost instantaneously; he is miraculously protected somehow, and lands in the wreckage of the town. He stands, painfully for he is well bruised, and surveys the ruins burning, the dead, and the decapitated hill, and after a last glance he walks sadly and fearfully away. Within the next month he peacefully moves into the neighboring ant colony, unable to live in his own decimated land.
In response to Sabrina; this was written to fulfill a writing assignment that asked me identify a person or event that had a great impact on me.
ReplyDeleteWritten 10-2008, for an environmental science class assignment.
ReplyDeleteIn The Woods Essay
It is autumn and as such the leaves of the deciduous forest surrounding me are fallen upon the earth, decomposing. The canopy and its substrates are now open allowing sunlight to play on the ground, and the eye to view the contours of the land with more ease.
Raccoon prints are visible in the mud, evidence of nightly scrounging for food due to the impending winter and cold. Insects’ work is noticeable upon leaves. Decomposers and detrivores have obviously been attempting to assimilate this year’s leaf mass into that formed in years past; as they do this infuse the soil with new minerals of use, but take their own in turn.
The forest has an aroma of wood, leaves, and the decay thereof. The forest does not seem strong in underbrush, but this is probably because of the time of year. The woods are open and the marks of man are evident, such as the old logging trail runs within sight, but despite this the woods seem to exude a peaceful air. In winter the scene here would be bleak, the nearby reservoir frozen over, and all the land blanketed in snow. In the spring of the year the woods would be water filled, gurgling, and playful, but cold. In summer the forest would be lush and green, and filled with all manner of animal life.
Fifty years ago the reservoir would be newer with less interference along its banks, but the more recent logging would have shown its scarring of the land with much more clarity. Two hundred years past this area may have been a wooded valley leading to a river or stream, or it would be pastureland. Fifty years hence, it will probable remain wooded, but what will occur to the reservoir is unpredictable. Two hundred years from now there is no telling what will be in this place.
It is rather interesting how you do not reveal until the final sentence that the main character is an ant.
ReplyDeleteMy previous comment was in response to "Destruction."
ReplyDeleteHistory: 6/4/08
ReplyDeleteThis may be a bore, but it is one of my more resent research papers.
Differences Societal Architecture of the Medieval Period
The medieval period encompassed roughly one thousand years, from about the time of the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E., to the beginning of the Renaissance ( which began between the years of 1200-1400). In this paper the Middle Ages will refer to the period between approximately 500 C.E. to about 1400 C.E, and the continent of Europe will be assumed unless otherwise stated. In this medieval period there were vast differences in the accommodations of the classes of people; each had their own division and style of architecture, each person’s place in society was determined this and other defining aspects of everyday life. In many civilizations this was, and is, the case, although today these influences might have less impact on the outcome of ones life, they still play a major roll in the result. This will be proven by examining Europe and comparing its model to other societies. This idea has been in practice for as long as people have had organized civilizations; it incarnates itself strongly in the medieval period.
There were many slight changes in the dynamics of the society of Europe during the Middle Ages such as the emergence, in the later times of this period, of an artisan and merchant class (Ancient Civilizations). This new class ranked between the “third estate”, which was made up of the commoners, and the “second estate”, which was made up of the ruling class (including lords, knights, barons, earls and even kings). This developing portion of society partially replaced the “third estate”, and would continue to do so far past the time in question, though different locales in Europe progressed at different speeds. Another change that occurred during the waning of this Age was the alteration of the distribution of power between the “first estate” (which was the Church) and the “second estate” or ruling class (Ancient Civilizations).
There were numerous other changes and innovations that took place, such as the development of new ideas and technologies which made the previously stated changes possible, but these alterations are, for the most part, not relevant to the topic of this paper and will therefore not be discussed further. Despite these changes, many aspects of medieval life were relatively constant throughout this time, such as the drastically different housing, accommodations, and lifestyles that were enjoyed by the first and second estates (Macaulay). Those who dwelt in hovels, huts, and in single room homes were the poor and powerless, and in some cases this would have included the merchants. These living-places were, for the most part, constructed with thatched or wooden roofs on a wooden frame; they usually had either a layer of wattle and daub, or wood for siding. They often had no chimney, but relied instead upon vents in the eaves to let the smoke of the cooking-fire escape. In towns or cities the houses might be more elaborate, perhaps having a second story or windows of thin leather to let more light in to the inevitable darkness of the interior. Most all of them were infested with filth, excrement, and vermin(Macaulay). This was the basic housing unit for the lower classes, and even for some village priests.
These are exceedingly different conditions than in chateaus, manors, and other mansions. These places of living were extravagant in comparison with those of the poor. These large dwellings were mostly made of stone with either wooden or leaded roofs and these were characteristic of the first and second estate. (The Manor). They were much larger, had the appearance of being cleaner though they were still vermin ridden, had many rooms each with defined purposes. There were superfluous flourishes, art on the walls, fireplaces and chimneys, and, occasionally, glass windows (Macaulay). Cathedrals were large, and though they were not lived in, reflected the wealth of the town or community; they were the structures of the Middle Ages with the most frivolous and decadent use of resources. This distinct dichotomy in the architecture of rich and poor, of entitled and untitled, is exemplified in the feudal society of the Middle Ages although it can be found in almost any developed society even in this modern era.
These same differences were observable, but to a much smaller extent in the society of the Aztec people in Central America, before the invasion of European forces in the fifteen hundreds. The Aztecs had a society that, as were many others, was based around their religion. The religion of the Aztecs demanded innumerable human sacrifices to their gods. They did the sacrificing upon large stone stepped pyramids with flat tops for that purpose, but these were not lived in, as they were solid stone (Aztec). The houses were mostly made of adobe (a dried mud mixture applied to a wooden frame) with thatched roofs also on wood frames. These houses were mainly of a single story, with a single large room divided into four areas, each for a different function. This was similar to the houses of the peasants of the Middle Ages, and these were indeed the homes of the lower classes. The rich could afford other amenities such as larger housing. The emperor’s house was distinguished by its two stories, and many specialized rooms, similar to the differences in Europe (Lee, “Aztec Architecture”).
The Mayans, who lived south of the Aztecs, but still in Central America, built huts of hay with wooden frames for the poor. The rich in this society lived in larger houses of stone or sun-fired bricks, just as the European rich. The Mayans constructed very elaborate temples (Lee, “Mayan Architecture”). The Incan society, which flourished in the Andes Mountains, had a similar dichotomy. They made most of their homes of stone, being very skilled at causing stones to fit closely together, and what they built lasted well. In this society, which existed at about the same time as the Aztecs, the housing differences were less pronounced, but the rich could still be discerned from the poor through their large and slightly more intricate houses, this is certainly less of a difference, but the split is still there (Lee, “Incan Architecture”).
The architecture of India does not consist of a single style that developed in that area, as in the Americas and Europe, but a combination of many styles that influenced this area (Indian Architecture). Houses in rural areas varied in structure and shape, although they habitually had thatched roofs. Many had wattle-and-daub, or brick, siding. There were other styles as well, religious records indicating that these included large brick houses with courtyards inside. This style of house was, we may presume, for the wealthy or upper classes (Ancient Indian Architecture). There is also mention of building complexes with places for animals, and a very large palace. This we may be assured would not be for the poor, but for an affluent emperor (Indian House Naming). In this society, as with many others, there was much work put into the religion’s architecture. From this it can be determined that the religion was exceedingly important to this society.
In China also, the religion seems as though it was important, because many of their most beauteous and intricate buildings were constructed for worship. Almost all of their town and cities were walled. The houses inside these walls were of different types, with some being made of wood and tile, which were usually painted. These houses were large and usually had their own walls. This type of house was symmetrical and had curving rooflines, which were employed to ward off evil spirits. These were the dwellings characteristic of the upper class. Another type of housing was made of mud bricks and reed, and this type of home was drafty and ill protected for the elements, and usually had only a single room. As with many other house designs of the time, this room was where everything was done (Lee, “Chinese Architecture”). A vaguely similar type of architecture is employed in Korea, and the Japanese derived theirs from that region (The Japanese).
The Native Americans of North America had a complex society which included economics, but surprisingly, they did not have the distinction of “rich” and “poor”; they lived communally in villages with everyone doing what they could for the community. This is the single example that goes against the norm, but their architecture was not as evolved as that of many other societies discussed (Native American). Perhaps if this facet had evolved further the people would have been broken into classes. These societies all had developed economies, ruling systems, interactions with other societies, and architectural advancement during the years in question. Other societies, such as those in Africa and Australia, did not possess the same development in these key factors and are therefore not included.
Even in today’s “advanced” society the architecture of one’s environment during development plays a roll in determining the class that one will be as an adult. This is partly because if the progenitors of the child are wealthy, they will be able to afford housing in a wealthier area, where the education is more productive. There is also a much greater chance for the child to go to post-secondary school, lead a more lucrative life and possibly buy a larger, fancier, house in a prime location. The housing locations and means of the less wealthy, however, would not get to choice the school that the child attends, and, because of this, the child might have to attend a school of less wealth that might have teachers of a lesser quality, and a worse student-teacher ratio. Both of these factors make for a school that can provide less for it students. The likelihood of obtaining a “good” secondary education compounded with those of a child of a lower class’s chances of going to post-secondary school, would make it much less probable that student will be able to get themselves a job outside of the class they were born to, and would therefore be able to afford only a house in a less suitable location, or of less quality and architectural grandeur. Even in the “open opportunity” society of capitalism, we may become limited because of the architecture differences of the classes, though to a lesser extent, but through the same process, of our ancestors.
Of the many societies (including medieval Europe, the Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, the India in the middle ages, China during this same time, the Native North Americans, and current society) that were researched and discussed in this paper, in all but the Native North American society, the architecture and class of the people were closely interwoven. The societies reflected upon were all relatively different in form, two things found to be constant in almost all was the connection between power and architecture of living, and the high place in these societies that religion played. Religious structures were often the largest and most expensively decorated of all, showing the importance of the god(s) to the people.
Bibliography
“Ancient Civilizations, Geography, Art and English” Oak Meadow Inc., Brattleboro, VT, USA. © 2002
“Ancient Indian Architecture” Crystalinks.
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiarchitecture.html
“Aztec” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005 Deluxe Edition CD-ROM.
Avenquest.
Macaulay, David. “Castle”, VHS video. PBS ©2000
“Feiyan Zhou “India House Names” Published Aug 8, 2006
http://www.ancientsites.com/aw/Post/803279
“House Types of South Asia” Digital South Asia Library.
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=170
“Incan Architecture” Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incan_architecture
Indian Architecture” Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_architecture
Lee, Alex, Arndt, James, and Goldmacher, Shane. “Aztec Architecture”
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/aztec.htm
Lee, Alex, Arndt, James, and Goldmacher, Shane. “Chinese Architecture”
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/china1.htm
Lee, Alex, Arndt, James, and Goldmacher, Shane. “Mayan Architecture
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/mayan.htm
“Maya Architecture” Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_architecture
“Middle Ages” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005 Deluxe Edition CD-ROM.
Avenquest.
“Native American” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005 Deluxe Edition CD-ROM.
Avenquest.
“The Middle Ages” Age of Empires, Age of Kings, Gold Edition, Histories. ©1995.
“The Manor” Age of Empires, Age of Kings, Gold Edition, Histories. ©1995.
“The Japanese” Age of Empires, Age of Kings, Gold Edition, Histories. ©1995.
Was the inspiration for this spawned from the video game Spore?
ReplyDeleteIn answer to Mrs. Baskette: the essay topic may have been subconsciously influenced by Spore, however the main inspiration came from, I think, a short story we read in English with Amanda about two years ago. I don't remember what it was called though. Also, I have been rolling the idea of causal effects around in my head for awhile.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your thorough and speedy response to my blog.
ReplyDeleteLooking at this blog I noticed that it had been awhile since I had posted anything; so the following are two of my more recent works:
ReplyDeleteThe first piece I will share regards a mathematics paper on the calculus of dentistry that I was required to write for Calculus III last semester. No actual mathematics or formulea are involved, so no extensive math knowledge is required to read it.
Here it is:
Introduction
The following document will summarize the methodology and key findings of Gary Hosler Meisters’ paper Tooth Tables: Solution of a Dental Problem by Vector Algebra, published November 1982 on pages 274-280 of Mathematics Magazine. In this paper Meisters mathematically addresses the issue of tooth preparation for gold inlay procedures in dentistry. In doing this, he attempts to mathematically show that, in order to assure a “good occlusal draw” the buccal wall and the lingual wall need not diverge in the occlusal direction, and that divergence does not insure a good occlusal draw. There are practical repercussions of this, but these concerns are not of note to this paper.
Brief Summary
Meisters begins the paper by stating his reasons for writing it; he then goes on to present a background of the dental terminology that is required for his analysis. After this, he states his purpose, and identifies a key consequence of his mathematical findings; this is followed by a discussion of the geometric set-up of the problem. Meisters goes on to define and describe key mathematical concepts to be used. Subsequently, he defines three mathematical criteria for an inlay preparation; he asks whether these criteria can show that occlusal convergence, as well as divergence, can allow a good occlusal draw. The unit normal vector components of the two sides of proximal box are then shown. The mathematical analysis and interpretation of these (and two other) vectors is then given; the author then uses these to first show that occlusal divergence is not geometrically necessary for good occlusal draw, and further show that occlusal divergence does not necessarily predict good occlusal draw. He then develops numerically that the conditions for good draw may be satisfied for a variety of angles that yield occlusal convergence.
Blogger is limited to 4096 characters per post, therefore the next portion of my paper follows:
ReplyDeleteMathematical Methodology in the Context of Class Materiel
Meisters starts out by defining the orientation of his rectangular coordinate ssytem. He goes on to define vectors important to the mathematical analysis of the problem, namely the vectors A, P, M and L; in doing this he utilizes the concept of the unit vectors, which are denoted i, j and k, have a magnitude of one and point in the x, y and z directions respectively, and the unit normal vector, or a vector of length one that is orthogonal to a given surface. These two concepts are important materiel to our class and with them the author frames his mathematical reasoning. After providing this background, he goes on to outline the properties of dot and cross products, focusing on cross products. These principles were discussed at some length during class, and Meisters uses them to find the mathematical conditions for an occlusal draw, which he then manipulates, through further use of these properties and heavy reliance on trigonometric principles, to attain his conclusion.
Final portion:
ReplyDeleteSubsequent to building mathematical formulations for the criteria of occlusal convergence, Meisters isolates the x, y and z components of the unit normal vectors A and P. This process, which was a topic of the class, uses simple right-angle trigonometry and projections to determine the lengths of the components. To begin this process for A and P, he projected the vectors onto the appropriate planes; projection of objects onto coordinate planes was an additional point of inquiry during class. Once these projections were found, right-angle trigonometric principles were applied to find the appropriate lengths. By using the results of this process the author shows the mathematical conditions for the third criterion is met when the z-components of vectors A and P are both positive (as shown by sin α > 0 for vector A and sin ø > 0 for P).
By using simple substitution and the properties of cross and dot products Meisters rephrases the first two criteria to express them in a single dot product (M•P) with a qualifier sentence (which he denotes I' and II'); the properties of dot products he utilized were an important conceptual topic for our class. Using the new definition for the criteria, the author applies more substitution and takes a dot product between a cross product and the vector P to find the mathematical conditions for occlusal convergence and a good occlusal draw. To do this, he uses matrix multiplication mathematics, a topic addressed in the context of vectors context during class. Using this expression for the conditions he shows that convergence can be consistent with good occlusal draw.
Then, by rearranging the conditions that he found earlier, Meisters shows that there are certain conditions under which occlusal divergence does not predict good occlusal draw. After stating this, he develops the practical implications of I', primarily that the projection of P onto M, for the convergent case, gives a negative value and that M•P will be negative (which implies convergence) only when the vectors A, j, and P form a left-handed system. Both left-handed systems and projections were a topic of class.
Meisters goes on to show, via a table of angles, that there are many possible angles that lead to convergence and good occlusal draw. To develop the mathematics behind this, the author utilizes a definition for both the cross and the dot products, both of which were presented and utilized in class, to find a mathematical expression relating only angles, not vectors. With this expression the author uses a table of angle values to show that convergence and good occlusal draw are not exclusive.
Meisters’ Key Findings
Meisters’ key findings are twofold: first, occlusal convergence can result in good occlusal draw; and, second, that occlusal divergence does not necessarily imply a good occlusal draw. These are both contrary to the accepted teachings in dentistry, at least as of 1982 when the paper was published. Note that this paper only shows the geometric possibility, not the plausibility or practicality, of using occlusally converging axial corner lines in constructing the inlay preparation in a tooth. In determining these conclusions Meisters used principles of vectors and the properties of cross and dot products, two topics that were significant portions of Calculus III.
Next will be a "Tech Memo" that I wrote for my MATLAB program class, it describes the a program and its results:
ReplyDeleteTo: Brett, Devon
From: Alexander
Regarding: HP-200 Scheduling Nightmare
Date: October
Highlights
This document will discuss the problem of finding a day and time for a student presentation that maximizes possible student attendance, while three or more evaluator are present. The analysis of student and evaluator schedules takes place in MATLAB, and uses two files listing names as input. The program determines the best day(s) and time(s), and informs the user which student(s) cannot attend and which evaluators can attend. In this scenario the best start times are Monday at 6:00PM and Thursday at 5:00PM: at both times 28 of 34 students can attend; on Monday, four evaluators can attend whereas on Thursday three evaluators can attend.
Problem Statement
A group of students is to give a presentation before a panel of evaluators. The problem is to determine the time block or blocks during which the greatest number of students can attend the presentation, while three or more evaluators are also present. The schedules are known for each student and evaluator, and lists of student and evaluator names are provided. With these perimeters and requirements, the specifications require the information to be determined: the best day and time of day for the presentation to be held; the names of students who cannot attend at that time; and the names of the evaluators who can attend. If more than one best time exists these data are required for each day and time.
Methodology
In order to find when the best time to hold the presentation is, the schedules for each student and each evaluator were loaded into a MATLAB program via two array-traversing loop structures. When loading the files, the program assumes that the files containing schedules: have a certain extension and internal format, are in the current directory, and are listed in two files. The user provides the names of the two list files, although the program checks for a valid filename entry, it assumes a specific layout of data in the file. After importing the schedule data, the program uses a summation algorithm and conditional logic to find the day of the week and time when there are three or more evaluators available; it cross-references this with the students’ schedules, which are summed with the same algorithm, to find the time or times when the most student are ably to attend, by utilizing additional conditional logic structures. The program then, through utilization of array indexing and loops, prints out the required data; if there are multiple times qualify, this information is printed for each time.
Next section of the Tech Memo (note: the table of name does not display correctly, but the data it contains isn't all that important):
ReplyDeleteResult and Findings
Given the schedules provided, the results predict two favorable start times: Monday at 6:00PM and Thursday at 5:00PM; see Table 1 for a complete listing of who can and cannot attend.
Table 1 - A comprehensive list of evaluators who can and students who cannot attend the presentation, at each of the best times; as found by the MATLAB program.
Monday at 6:00PM Thursday at 5:00PM
Students Who Cannot Attend Evaluators Who Can Attend Students Who Cannot Attend Evaluators Who Can Attend
Niels Bohr' Alan Rossner Archimedes Jon Goss
Charles Darwin Piere Marzocca Leonardo da Vinci Piere Marzocca
Max Planck Diego Nocetti Rene Descartes Diego Nocetti
James Peploski Brian Helenbrook Galileo Galilei
Michael Faraday Nikola Tesla
Stephen Hawking Johannes Kepler
Recommendations
The results show that, of the two times available, four evaluators are able to attend on Monday, whereas only three are available on Thursday; usually it is preferable to have more evaluators for a presentation. However, on Thursday the time is earlier, which may be more convenient for the evaluators and students. The best choice would likely be Monday at 6:00PM, but this depends on the importance of having one more evaluator weighed against the convenience of the earlier time; furthermore, if one or more persons could not attend, but particularly wanted to, it would reasonable to be accommodative.
Below is the brief literature review I included in a miniproposal for summer research.
ReplyDeleteLITERATURE REVIEW
The field of bone nanoindentation has developed over the past decade and a half of its existence from methods and fundamental-type research to complex comparative and validation studies. Throughout, two basic methods have been utilized, the more common of which is used in this study. This short review of literature discusses the approaches and goals of previous studies.
Authors have extensively utilized the pioneering research of Oliver and Pharr in the field of nanoindentation and determination of micromechanical hardness and elastic modulus to develop indentation methods for testing bone specimens, going so far as to identify it as the “Oliver-Pharr Method” [5,8,10,11]. Oliver and Pharr’s 1992 article reports on nanoindentation tests of six reference materials and advances procedures for conducting indentations and analyzing the results such that major sources of error are accounted for, and useful data acquisition is maximized [11].
For bone-specific nanoindentation, several authors have used nanoindentation to determine material properties of microstructural elements of bone, namely trabeculae and osteons [6,8,12]. These authors used two methods: wet and dry. Wet methods, such as those employed by Zysset et al., attempt to emulate the physiologic condition of bone when testing by ensuring that the bone tissue water and mineral content is close to that of a living specimen [6]. Dry methods, where the specimen is dehydrated before testing, are more often used because of the difficulty and time dependence associated with wet testing; however, these methods tend to alter the material properties of the specimens [13]. For comparative studies, such as those conducted by Gan et al [14]. or Rho et al.[15], these changes are minimally important, because the authors are interested in differences between mean measured values [16]. For authors who report the measured values directly this is an issue; therefore, other authors have published comparative studies of wet and dry testing methods, which begin to form the bias for a correction factor [4,17-19].
More recently, research has been less fundamental, with many researchers using nanoindentation as a tool to investigate changes in microstructure properties, in combination with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), as a validation tool for Finite Element (FE) model or a number of other applications [10,14,15,18,19]. Much of this research utilizes methods similar to those advanced in the papers of the previous paragraph for the nanoindentation tests.