Grices Four Maxims

Grices Four Maxims Grice has proposed four maxims for conversation. Firstly, Grice proposes two maxims under the umbrella of quantity. Speakers have to make their contribution as informative as is required and should not make their contribution more informative than is required. These two maxims are clearly related to the amount of information given between the speakers in their conversation or communication. Grice indicates that the amount of information between the speakers is necessary to let the communication goes on. Speakers need to avoid superfluous information through communication. Clearly, these two maxims are implicitly related to each other. A simple example is A man stops his vehicle in the middle of the road to briefly ask you for directions. He may ask Where is the post office?, the listener may say Not far or Continue on, and make the second left up there. Youll see it (Jacob. 2001, 77). Clearly, the second response is more related to the maxim of quantity. Secondly, Grice posits maxim of quality which indicates that Try to make your contribution one that is true; but, this is separated into two specific maxims: 1. do not say what you believe to be false. 2. do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. (Grice 1989, 27). These two maxims seem quite distinct. The former requires speakers to always say true things rather false things while the second requires them to have some adequacy of their responses. For example, a speaker may ask Should I buy my son this new sports car?. Speaker B may respond I dont know if thats such a good idea, his car runs fine or Yeah that sounds like a good idea, his car breaks down all the time (Jacob. 2001, 77). Next Grice adds another maxim called maxim of relation. Grice refers to this maxim by simply saying that Be Relevant (Grice 1989, 27). With respect to this maxim, Grice believes that speakers should add relevant input to the conversation being done. For instance, a speaker may ask How are you doing in school?. Speaker B may reply What fine weather were having lately! Or Not so well, Im afraid. Id rather not discuss it (Jacob. 2001, 77). Unfortunately, this maxim has received considerable criticism. Searle, Wilson and Sperber have all rejected and criticized this maxim. Searle added that though it is initially intuitive, it is ultimately problematic (Searle 1992, 14). Lastly, Grice also posits a fourth maxim which indicates that speakers should avoid ambiguity and obscurity of expressions during their communication. They also have to be brief and orderly. A good example is Can you take out the trash? Sure, but we need to talk about how we are assigning the chores around here when I get back. (Jacob 2001, 77). Grice pointed out that maxims of manner may be insufficient and gave it little importance compared to the other maxims. Grice writes that It is obvious that observance of some of these maxims is a matter of less urgency than is the observance of others; a man who has expressed himself with undue prolixity would, in general, be open to milder comment than would a man who has said something he believes to be false (Grice 1989, 27). Critics have argued that maxim of ambiguity is the most important one compared to the other maxims because of its direct relation to what is called equivocation. Grice (1989) also suggests that there are other maxims such as social and moral. He also presents four ways in which speakers violate the four maxims. These ways are violation, opting out, a clash and flouting maxims. Guo (2006) presents a simple explanation of these four ways. The explanation comes in order. First, a speaker may opt out of observing the maxim due to his/her unwillingness to cooperate with another speaker in the way maxim requires. Second, a speaker does not observe the four maxims due to the difficulty of conciliating a maxim with another at the same time. Third, a speaker may also fail in observing the maxim because of his/her intention to force the hearer to look for the meaning which is distinct from the expressed meaning. Lastly, a speaker intentionally violates the cooperative principles which results in lying. In short, these four maxims have come as an assumption to effective communication among speakers; however, speakers may violate these maxims which results in ineffective communication as Grice and his proponents have suggested. It is said that following the four maxims leads to effective communication. Here, the relationship between the four maxims and communication is discussed. Schoolfield (2007) asserted that Communication is considered the basis of Gricean theory. It is also considered the point of conversation as clear communication can occur by means of a dialogue. Conversation is used to send information from one speaker to another. The efficiency of this sending is determined by communication. Moreover, the similarity between Grices four maxims and the communicative goal of conversation, they require the cooperative principle to lead to effective communication. When one approaches conversations in terms of communication, the four maxims must be mentioned. For instance, if a speaker does not give true information during his dialogue while his aim is communication, this seems that he does not act in a cooperatively. Schoolfield (2007) discussed the relationship between the four maxims and communicatio n. He points out the first maxim Make your contribution as informative as is required, is necessary in communication. Speakers provide an amount of information to communicate the intended idea while others provide insufficient information as a violation to the maxim so that they will not achieve the goal of communication. Thus, if the person has the goal of communication, he/she must include relevant facts related to the topic of the dialogue. As for Do not make your contribution more than is required,, Grice (1989) believes that it is not necessary in communication. Culturally, this is clear in English-speaking countries where people find it desirable not to give excessive information during communication, as Grice notes, a waste of time (Grice 1989, 26). Communication requires do not say what you believe to be false, as there will be a failure in communication if one is not honest in the information he/she states. Schoolfield (2007) this maxim is far necessary in cooperative infor mation communication so that the information must not express something false. In addition, Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence, is an acceptable rule for communicators. Therefore, Schoolfield (2007) argues that there must be at least some basic level of understanding as to what can count as evidence or they may be very serious breakdowns in communication. Relevance maxim is most desirable in communicative conversations because when we receive certain information, communication requires responses that are relevant to the information given; however, it is sometime irrelevant in achieving the goals of communication. (Hintikka 1986 argued that relevancy is important in cooperative and effective communication; however, many other have reduced the importance of relevance to efficiency. As to manner maxim, as Grice states, Avoid obscurity of expression, it is also necessary for effective communication since one must have clear and coherent communication. Schoolfield (2007 ) believes that if there is not some clarity in communication, then much confusion will arise or increase for the listeners. Likewise, avoid ambiguity will be necessary for cooperative communication (Grice 1989, 27). Schoolfield (2007) explained that ambiguity arises due to two interpretations that come from one statement. Thus, the avoidance of ambiguity, with regards to effective communication, must only be followed when it can occur. Next is, Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity), (Grice 1989, 27). Schoolfield (2007) believes that brevity is a cultural norm and helpful in communication. Thus, while a consideration for avoiding unnecessary prolixity is acceptable, any issue of brevity being required for cooperative communication will be only decided within a conventional framework. Lastly, Be orderly (Grice 1989, 27). Schoolfield (2007) indicated that this maxim is not necessary in effective communication. Instead, he has given much attention to the speed of giving information ra ther the orderliness of giving information. The Gricen theory is believed to be true not just for conversation, but also for written communication. Cooper (1982:112) maintained that this theory is also common in writing and what Grice says about conversation applies equally to all communication. In conclusion, through this brief discussion of the four maxims and their role in communication, I can say that some of Gricean maxims are not necessary in communication while others are. Gricen maxims play a crucial role in communication. However, his theory is always argued by many scholars and researchers. First, its not clear whether the maxims work in other languages and cultures as some cultures such as Malagasy follow completely different maxims in their communication. In their culture, speakers are not willing to share information. They tend to evade direct questions and reply incomplete answers. Second, they are not a complete listing of the rules we follow in conversation; for example, there are also rules about, say, politeness, which are not addressed in his maxims. Third, the Gricean Maxims, despite their wording, are only meant to describe the commonly accepted traits of successful cooperative communication.

Marriage and Love in Elizabethan England Essays -- European History Es

Marriage and Love in Elizabethan England The movie, Shakespeare in Love, provides insight into the world of Elizabethan England. Through the character of Viola De Lessups the audience is shown how marriage was an institution entered into not for love, but as a strategic maneuver designed to enhance the lives of those who would benefit from a union, whether or not the beneficiaries were the people actually exchanging vows. As Queen, Elizabeth I chose not to enter into such a union. She expressed the thoughts and feelings she had about the subject in both her speech, â€Å"On Marriage† and her poem â€Å"On Monsieur’s Departure.† A comparison of the character of Viola to the real life Queen of England, Elizabeth I, can provide the reader a greater understanding of marriage and love in Elizabethan England. Queen Elizabeth and Viola both realized that their station in life would determine their prospects for marriage. Elizabeth had the power to decide not to marry. Viola’s marriage to Wessex decided for her as â€Å"a daughter’s duty and the Queen’s command†(Shakespeare).[2] Viola is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and while she is â€Å"not so well born† she is, as her nurse points out, â€Å"Well moneyed† which â€Å"is the same as well born† and â€Å"well married is more so† (Shakespeare). Likewise, Elizabeth knew that if the Queen of England were to marry she would have to make a union that would benefit her country. She felt pressure from Parliament to marry and addressed it in her speech, â€Å"On Marriage†, given to Parliament in 1559. She assured them that they could put that idea â€Å"clean out of [their] heads† for â€Å"whensoever it may please God to incline [her] heart to anothe r kind of life,† she intended â€Å"not to do... ...n that she understood that duty prevented her from such a marriage. In her poem, â€Å"On Monsieur’s Departure† she allows a glimpse into the pain it caused her to be unable to fully pursue a life of love. Works Cited: [1] William Shakespeare, â€Å"Sonnet CXVI†, The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Early Modern Period, ed. David Damrosch, 2nd ed., vol 1B (NewYork: Longman, 2003) 1233-34. [2] Shakespeare in Love, dir. John Madden, Perf. Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes. Mirimax/Universal, 1998. [3] Elizabeth I, â€Å"On Marriage,† The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Early Modern Period, ed. David Damrosch, 2nd ed., vol 1B (NewYork: Longman, 2003) 1084-85. [4] Elizabeth I, â€Å"On Monsieur’s Departure,† The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Early Modern Period, ed. David Damrosch, 2nd ed., vol 1B (NewYork: Longman, 2003) 1081-82.

My Private Library Essay -- Descriptive Essay

Just like waking up in the morning and inhaling my first conscious-breath of the day, reading is something essential to me. As I child, I used to dream of having my own and private reading place where I would sit and spend my whole day reading my favorite books without any disturbance. Thanks to my dreams, I now have a wonderful private library in my house. This place is not similar to any other ordinary library but a mini place where you can find a massive number of interesting books of different varieties. Before you come into my library, you will have to obey a simple rule which is not that difficult to follow. Well, it is to be loaded with high reading spirit and I bet you that you will have no space in your heart to say good bye to this place. I can assure you on that as I myself experience the same thing everyday before I leave to work. As I sip my daily morning black coffee from my special coffee mug, I walk into my private library which has an automatic opening and a small hall as we enter. Just beside the couch which is in the hall, there is a mini map on the types of...

Reality TV Is Fake Essay

Imagine this. A producer came to you and said: â€Å"Hi, I would love for you to be in a reality TV program.† So you asked what it means to be in a reality TV program. He’d answer with â€Å"all you need to do is act normally. Just do what you normally would do, but the exception that a camera crew will be following you around.† You agreed, and the camera men, producer, director and writer started following you around. And when they’re filming you and your friends having dinner together, they suddenly stopped and asked you to start talking about a certain boy in your school. You agreed, and started talking about some boy you know. And then the director and writer asked you to pretend you like the guy and squeal and spaz about him. But the thing is, you don’t like this guy. And you don’t want to squeal and spaz about him. You both are only friends but the director asked you to pretend that you like him. So is that what reality TV is? Isn’t it about real life people doing real life stuff in a real life situation? But why are the producers and directors and writers asking you to do stuff that you don’t normally do? Why are they making something up to make it sound more interesting? Reality television is a television program genre that presents unscripted situations, documents actual events and usually features unknown instead of professional actors. What they do is the reality TV stars do whatever that they’re doing, just like what we normally do. But with the exception that there are cameras filming everything. Such shows usually have participants that double as the show’s narrator. They are interviewed about the situation and the participants talk about how they feel about it and what they think about the situation. Another type of reality TV shows are competition based reality shows. They often have additional common elements such as participant being eliminated per episode, with a panel of judges, and the concept of immunity from elimination. The participants or challengers are put into tests and missions with the possibility of being eliminated or punished. And a prize is always on the line. Is the reality TV shows really real? Are these reality programs fabricated and staged or are they genuine? If they are fabricated, how much then are they fake and how much are they real? Body All these reality programs are very successful not only in U.S but also all over the world. They are well known to people of every age, race, education, and language. They show how relatable these stars are to the viewers and how alike these stars are to the viewers. But are they real? Are these reality shows real? And if it’s not, how fake are these shows? Pawn Stars chronicles the daily activities at a high end pawn shop, where staffs of the store interacts with customers who bring in a variety of artefacts to sell or pawn and who are shown haggling over the price and discussing its historical background, with narration provided by the Harrisons. There are proofs in which these reality TV are not real. For example in Pawn Stars, there was an episode where a man named Rod who brought in his 1960 Les Paul Custom guitar. And he claimed that he had gotten the guitar during his tour with the bands Toto and Triumph. But with further investigations, it was later found out that the whole thing was completely staged. The Les Paul Custom guitar was actually from a local Las Vegas vintage guitar store, Cowtown Guitars. The â€Å"customer† Rod, was actually an employee of that store. And the â€Å"expert† that was also in the show was also another employee/manager (centraltendencies.com). Another episode named Time Machines in season 1; the customer simply named Jim is actually Jim Waters, a local Las Vegas comedian and actor. He’s one of the founders of a Las Vegas group called Film and Television artists of Las Vegas. What was seen as a customer with an antique was actually an actor hired to stage an episode. As for the competition-based reality programs, one of the most famous one is American Idol. It is a singing competition and after the preliminary rounds, the live shows start. And each week, a contestant will be eliminated through the votes of the public. Even with judges to give reviews of the participant’s performance that night, it is the public who will decide who would leave and be eliminated. There are testimonies from an American Idol participant who have came out to testify how it really is when auditioning for the show. How all that we see on TV is not what it really is like. She’s known as Maria Saint, and in her writings are very explicit accounts of what she encountered during her audition process. At one point, all the contestants were asked to learn a new song: Billionaire by Bruno Mars and Travis McCoy, to test their ability to learn a new song fast. And what is shown on TV is a bunch of people singing the same song in front of the judges. But if you look carefully at the clip, you’ll notice that there was not a frame that shows the contestants and the judges in the same room. In actual fact, they are recorded at different times. According to Maria Saint, it was actually taped â€Å"to make that ridiculous compilation of people singing the same song privately, some good, and some bad (Saint).† And at the final round before really going in to meet the judges, she accounted an event whereby an â€Å"adorable but strange little blonde haired boy, dressed kind of how you’d expect to see Forrest Gump, nice white dress shirt, slacks, and loafers, passionately waving an American Flag for the cameras† screeching the song â€Å"Smile.† And at that particular round, if a contestant is cut, and they act crazy, they will be put back in so that they can air the reaction on the show. And when â€Å"flagboy† were cut, he started crying hysterically. Cameras immediately swarmed over him, and were brought back into the audition room. A few minutes later, he came out proudly with his large sticker than indicates that he passed that round (Saint). Amazing Race is another competition based reality TV show that is very famous around the globe. It is a game show in which teams of two people, race around the world with other teams. Each team are given missions and are needed to complete these missions in order to be able to go to ‘pit stops’ where the last team to arrive would either be eliminated or be faced with disadvantages in the next round. Popular race show, Amazing Race is also not as it seems. What is shown on television has also been controlled by the producers and directors. The clothes that they wear, the expressions that they have on their faces and every scene has been altered so it would be shown on TV the right way and with the right angle. The world of entertainment is making changes to spice up their programs. It was then the reality TV shows were introduced. And the audiences loved it. From a reality show of singing, acting, modelling, sports, magic, and even to parenting, audiences from all walks of life enjoys it. Closing In conclusion, as popular as these reality programs are, many of them are staged and controlled behind the scenes. What should not have scripts are actually scripted. And what should be natural and real are actually fake and created by directors and producers. And with so many demands in this genre, there would be more reality TV shows and they would still not be ‘real.’

Protective Equipment Is to Reduce Employee Exposure to Hazards Essay

Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products.[1] Slower oxidative processes like rustingor digestion are not included by this definition. The flame is the visible portion of the fire. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma.[2] Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the colorof the flame and the fire’s intensity will be different. Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. Fire is an important process that affects ecological systems across the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems. Fire has been used by humans for cooking, generating heat, signaling, and propulsion purposes. The negative effects of fire include water contamination, soil erosion, atmospheric pollution and hazard to human and animal life.[3] | Fire Technology is a peer-reviewed academic journal publishing scientific research dealing with the full range of actual, possible, and potential fire hazards facing humans and the environment.[1] It publishes original contributions, both theoretical and empirical, that contribute to the solution of problems in fire safety and related fields. It is published bySpringer in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association.[2] Arson[1] is the crime of intentionally and maliciously setting fire to buildings, wildlandareas,[2] cars[3][4] or other property with the intent to cause damage. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires. Arson often involves fires deliberately set to the property of another or to one’s own property as to collect insurance compensation.[5] Heat In physics and chemistry, heat is energy transferred from one body to another by thermal interactions.[1][2] The transfer of energy can occur in a variety of ways, among them conduction,[3] radiation,[4] and convection. Heat is not a property of a system or body, but instead is always associated with a process of some kind, and is synonymous with heat flow and heat transfer. Heat flow from hotter to colder systems occurs spontaneously, and is always accompanied by an increase in entropy. In a heat engine, internal energy of bodies is harnessed to provide useful work. The second law of thermodynamicsprohibits heat flow directly from cold to hot systems, but with the aid of a heat pump external work can be used to transport internal energy indirectly from a cold to a hot body. Transfers of energy as heat are macroscopic processes. The origin and properties of heat can be understood through the statistical mechanics of microscopic constituents such as molecules and photons. For instance, heat flow can occur when the rapidly vibrating molecules in a high temperature body transfer some of their energy (by direct contact, radiation exchange, or other mechanisms) to the more slowly vibrating molecules in a lower temperature body. Oxygen is a chemical element with symbol O and atomic number 8. Its name derives from the Greek roots á ½â‚¬ÃŽ ¾Ã Ãâ€š (oxys) (â€Å"acid†, literally â€Å"sharp†, referring to the sour taste ofacids) and -ÃŽ ³ÃÅ'ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€š (-gÃŽ ¿nos) (â€Å"producer†, literally â€Å"begetter†), because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition. Atstandard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bind to form dioxygen, a colorless, odorless, tasteless diatomic gas with the formula O2. This substance is an important part of the atmosphere, and is necessary to sustain most terrestrial life. A fire extinguisher, flame extinguisher, or simply an extinguisher, is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which has reached the ceiling, endangers the user (i.e., no escape route, smoke, explosion hazard, etc.), or otherwise requires the expertise of a fire department. Typically, a fire extinguisher consists of a hand-held cylindrical pressure vessel containing an agent which can be discharged to extinguish afire. Fire prevention is a function of many fire departments. The goal of fire prevention is to educate the public to take precautions to prevent potentially harmful fires, and be educated about surviving them. It is a proactive method of reducing emergencies and thedamage caused by them. Many fire departments have a Fire Prevention Officer.In the general sense of preventing harmful fires, many aspects are discussed in the articles Fire protect ion and Fire safety. Wildfire suppression refers to the firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts inwildland areas requires different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure firefighting found in populated areas. Working in conjunction with specially designed firefighting aircraft, these wildfire-trained crews suppress flames, construct firelines, and extinguish flames and areas of heat to protect resources and natural wilderness. Wildfire suppression also addresses the issues of the wildland-urban interface, where populated areas border with wildland areas. Firewall may refer to: * Firewall (construction), a barrier inside a building or vehicle, designed to limit the spread of fire, heat and structural collapse * Firewall (automobile), the part of the vehicle that separates the engine from the driver and passengers * Firewall (computing), a technological barrier designed to prevent unauthorized or unwanted communications between computer networks or hosts * Firewall (Physics), a blast of Hawking Radiation seen by a freely falling observer upon crossing the horizon of a black hole. Firetrap firetrap is a British clothing company, founded in 1991,[1] specialising in premium menswear and accessories. It is the main brand within the WDT company (World Design and Trade), which also owns its sister brand Fullcircle along with previous brands SC51 and Sonnetti. Firetrap is firmly established internationally and is sold in more than 30 countries[2] and 1,500 stores worldwide. There are eight stand-alone stores in the UK: a Covent Garden store in London and others in Belfast, Liverpool, Leeds, EdinburghWestfield[disambiguation needed], Sheffield & Nottingham (2010).[3] The brand is a key player worldwide with a new store in Dubai and concessions throughout Europe including Italy, Germany and France. Conflagration A conflagration or a blaze is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, animal life, health, or property. A conflagration can be accidentally begun, naturally caused (wildfire), or intentionally created (arson). Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage or diversion, and also can be the consequence of pyromania. During conflagration the property is damaged or destroyed by fire. Sometimes the conflagration produces a firestorm, in which the central column of rising heated air induces strong inward winds, which supply oxygen to the fire. Conflagrations can result in casualties, deaths, or injuries from smoke inhalation orburns. Combustion Combustion (pron.: /kÉ™mˈbÊÅ's.tÊÆ'É™n/) or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can produce light in the form of either glowing or aflame. Fuels of interest often include organic compounds (especially hydrocarbons) in the gas,liquid or solid phase. In a complete combustion reaction, a compound reacts with an oxidizing element, such asoxygen or fluorine, and the products are compounds of each element in the fuel with the oxidizing element. For example: CH4 + 2 O2 → CO2 + 2 H2O + energy A simple example can be seen in the combustion of hydrogen and oxygen, which is a commonly used reaction in rocket engines: 2 H2 + O2 → 2 H2O(g) + heat The result is water vapor. Complete combustion is almost impossible to achieve. In reality, as actual combustion reactions come to equilibrium, a wide variety of major and minor species will be present such as carbon monoxide and pure carbon (soot or ash). Additionally, any combustion in atmospheric air, which is 79 percent nitrogen, will also create several forms of nitrogen oxides. Fire point The fire point of a fuel is the temperature at which it will continue to burn for at least 5 seconds after ignition by an open flame. At theflash point, a lower temperature, a substance will ignite briefly, but vapor might not be produced at a rate to sustain the fire. Most tables of material properties will only list material flash points, but in general the fire points can be assumed to be about 10  °C higher than the flash points. However, this is no substitute for testing if the fire point is safety critical. Degree Celsius Celsius, also known as centigrade,[1] is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744), who developed a similar temperature scale. The degree Celsius ( °C) can refer to a specific temperature on the Celsius scale as well as a unit to indicate a temperature interval, a difference between two temperatures or anuncertainty. The unit was known until 1948 as â€Å"centigrade† from the Latin centum translated as 100 and gradus translated as â€Å"steps† From 1743 until 1954, 0  °C was defined as the freezing point of water and 100  °C was defined as the boiling point of water, both at a pressure of one standard atmosphere with mercury being the working material. Although these defining correlations are commonly taught in schools today, by international agreement the unit â€Å"degree Celsius† and the Celsius scale are currently defined by two different temperatures: absolute zero, and t he triple point of VSMOW (specially purified water). This definition also precisely relates the Celsius scale to the Kelvin scale, which defines the SI base unit ofthermodynamic temperature with symbol K. Absolute zero, the lowest temperature possible at which matter reaches minimum entropy, is defined as being precisely 0 K and −273.15  °C. The temperature of the triple point of water is defined as precisely 273.16 K and 0.01  °C. This definition fixes the magnitude of both the degree Celsius and the kelvin as precisely 1 part in 273.16 (approximately 0.00366) of the difference between absolute zero and the triple point of water. Thus, it sets the magnitude of one degree Celsius and that of one kelvin as exactly the same. Additionally, it establishes the difference between the two scales’ null points as being precisely 273.15 degrees Celsius (−273.15  °C = 0 K and 0  °C = 273.15 K).[3] Fahrenheit Fahrenheit (symbol  °F) is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736).[1] Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees – on Fahrenheit’s original scale the freezing point of brine was zero degrees. The Fahrenheit scale was replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries during the mid to late 20th century, though Canada retains it as a supplementary scale that can be used alongside Celsius.[2][3][4][5] Fahrenheit remains the official scale of the United States,Cayman Islands, Palau, Bahamas and Belize.[6] The Rankine temperature scale was based upon the Fahrenheit temperature scale, with its zero representing absolute zero instead. Personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electrical, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter. Protective equipment may be worn for job-relatedoccupational safety and health purposes, as well as for sports and other recreational activities. â€Å"Protective clothing† is applied to traditional categories of clothing, and â€Å"protective gear† applies to items such as pads, guards, shields, or masks, and others. The purpose of personal protective equipment is to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective to reduce these risks to acceptable levels. PPE is needed when there are hazards present. PPE has the serious limitation that it does not eliminate the hazard at source and may result in emp loyees being exposed to the hazard if the equipment fails.[1]

Book Review: Trashing the Planet by Dixy Lee Ray Essay

In Trashing the Planet, Dixy Lee Ray marshals the evidence of knowledge to perforate the fragile hot air balloons of the global warming, ozone reduction, and acid rain theorists. With scientific facts and sound philosophy she also demolished the nonsensical arguments behind the hysterical crusades against pesticides, alar, dioxin, PCBs, radon, asbestos, and nuclear power. Few of us have escaped the green propaganda onslaught unscathed; virtually everyone has been victimized with needless worries over alleged dangers lurking in the most common and benign substances in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Few of us have the academic background, the access to the scientific data, and the time to investigate the validity of the continuous outpouring of environmental doomsday scenarios. Ray covers a wide range of environmental topics, including acid rain, the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, pesticides, etc. She attempts to use available scientific data to â€Å"clarify environmental issues, to separate facts from factoids, to unmask the doom-crying opponents of all progress, and to re-establish a sense of reason and balance with respect to the environment and modern technology.† (Merline, 14) In the course of this exercise, several interesting facts are presented, among them (Merline, 2001): The amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth has decreased since 1974, contrary to what one would expect if the earth’s protective ozone layer (which filters out most of the sun’s ultraviolet rays) has been depleted from the use of chlorofluorocarbons.    Several known carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, are found naturally in human cells. As Ray argues, â€Å"it is the dose–the size or amount of exposure [to carcinogens]–that is important.† (Lee Ray, pg. 58) In addition, 11% of the radiation we are exposed to comes from our own bodies. A total of 82% of our exposure to radiation comes from natural sources, including radon, cosmic rays, elements in the earth, etc. The remaining 18% comes from man-made sources such as medical X-rays (11%), nuclear medicine (4%), consumer products (3%). All other sources, including nuclear power, account for less than 1% of our exposure to radiation. (Lee Ray, 1991)    Concerning radon gas, Ray notes that energy conservation as urged by the U.S. government will approximately double the number of cancer deaths due to exposure to radon gas, because â€Å"sealing up a home for the purpose of energy conservation inevitably leads to higher levels of indoor radon.† (Lee Ray, pg. 69) Yet despite this, no warnings have been issued about the dangers of this form of energy conservation. In fact, as Ray points out, â€Å"our government has actively promoted energy-efficient homes with everything from do-it-yourself literature to tax breaks for insulating your home.† (Lee Ray, pg. 78) Ray’s three assertions-that ozone would be produced in the lower atmosphere regardless of human activity, that it is produced by the interaction of sunlight and hydrocarbons, and that those hydrocarbons are largely produced by plants-are, respectively, a technical truth hiding a falsehood, a sloppily garbled half-truth, and a bit of these two mixed with an outright lie. Specifically, sea-level ozone is formed when sunlight splits nitrogen dioxide into nitric oxide and atomic oxygen. The atomic oxygen reacts with molecular oxygen to form ozone. Now it is technically true that, in nature, oxides of nitrogen are produced by certain bacteria, forest fires, and lightning, so that a small amount of sea-level ozone would indeed be produced in the absence of human activity. However, the main source of oxides of nitrogen in southern California is combustion: nitrogen combining with oxygen at high temperatures. So whether it’s from gas water, heaters and ovens, coal-fired power plants, or automobiles, most of the nitrogen dioxide in the air-and, thus, most of the sea-level ozone-is directly produced by human beings. (Lee Ray, 1991) As for Ray’s second claim, hydrocarbons contribute to increasing the level of ozone in smog by a very indirect route. Ozone in the lower atmosphere often reacts with water to form hydroxyl radicals. These hydroxyl radicals will either react with impurities in the air to break them down or react at night with nitrogen dioxide to form nitric acid, which is either washed out of the atmosphere by rain or broken down by sunlight the next day into hydroxyl radicals, nitric oxide, and atomic oxygen (Merline, 2001). In L.A. smog, the soupy mix of unburned and partially burned hydrocarbons reacts with hydroxyl radicals and oxygen to form organic peroxides. These, in turn, react with nitric oxide to form nitrogen dioxide. By generating even more nitrogen dioxide than was produced by combustion, these peroxides contribute more of the source material that sunlight will turn into ozone (Lee Ray, 1991). Thus, the ozone level goes up when hydrocarbons are added to the soup, but ozone is not created by a simple interaction between sunlight and hydrocarbons, as Dr. Ray asserted. As for Ray’s third claim-that hydrocarbons come from trees-here she was particularly devious. Her characterization of hydrocarbons as those wonderful things that you smell coming off pine trees is technically correct to the degree that the terpenes, which are indeed given off by trees, are a family of hydrocarbons. (One of these terpenes is pinene, which gives pine trees their pleasant smell; terpenes also react with oxygen and ozone to form a bluish haze in forested areas.) However, hydrocarbons comprise a huge family of compounds, encompassing everything from methane (natural gas) to such plastics as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene (Styrofoam) (Lee Ray, 1991). Just as the hydrocarbons in smog are not from Styrofoam, neither are they from trees; they are, in fact, unburned gasoline vapors-compounds such as ethane and ethylene. Moreover, pinene reacts with ozone to form pinol, which combines with water to form a hydrate that has a melting point higher than the boiling point of water. (Merline, 2001) As for my assertion to the thoughts developed by Dixy Ray that acid rain releases plant nutrients and is thus beneficial to forests, this is a sterling example of twisting the truth. The acidity of rain does, indeed, break down silicates and oxides, converting them to clay and sandy soils, and releasing ions of such beneficial metallic elements as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and manganese in the process. However, when the rain is too acidic, it not only burns the leaves of trees but can also release aluminum ions, which are toxic to fish, into rivers and lakes. Much of the concern voiced by environmentalists stems from a belief that technological advances are fouling our nest. The author takes pains to point out that technology often improves our environment, making it safer and cleaner for humans to live in. One example is with food irradiation. Deemed harmless by several heath groups, including the World Health Organization, irradiation helps to eliminate microorganisms that can cause food spoilage. Despite the obvious benefits to consumers from low spoilage rates, many consumer groups have fought irradiation for health reasons. References Lee Ray, Dixy (with Lou Guzzo). 1991. Trashing the Planet: How Science Can Help Us Deal With Acid Rain, Depletion of the Ozone Layer, and Nuclear Waste (Among Other Things). Regnery Gateway. Retrieved on October 6, 2006. Merline, J.W. 2001. Trashing the planet. Consumers’ Research Magazine. Retrieved on October 6, 2006.

Business Policy case analysis on Samsung Electronics - it is a case Essay

Business Policy case analysis on Samsung Electronics - it is a case analysis and I will attach the case and more details below - Essay Example gion, for this purpose one of the main things that need to be studied are the strengths and weaknesses of the company, a SWOT analysis for the company follows. SWOT is basically an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, where strengths and weaknesses are internal and opportunity and threats exist in the external environment, with this basic understanding let us now discover the strengths of Samsung. Strengths for Samsung would be its human resources, because Samsung places such a high value on its human resources and believes in rewarding its labor and not punishing them makes a whole lot of difference because employees are more motivated to work and they have a strong sense of loyalty to the company; this makes a whole lot of difference as people would put in more effort for the company to succeed in achieving its targets and in bad times they would be much more supportive of the company which may include accepting a lower wage for the period that the company is suffering because there is a sense of ownership and belonging with respect to the company. At Samsung this is achieved by relieving the employees of the 90% of their burden such as healthcare for them and their family and retirement , with these burdens taken care of, it allows employees more freedom to concentrate on their work rather than worrying about other things.. Another important aspect is that Samsung places a lot of value on high quality and it develops that through research and development, it spends heavily on research and development and it has been unique in developing the way that it encourages people to research. It has an annual competition between two teams, one in California and the other in Korea itself, these two teams develop a new and better product each other and have been the source of many new product designs for Samsung, this is a strength that most of its competitors may lack and it gives Samsung a definitive edge over other competitors in the market, it