Sir Walter Raleighs First Journey to El Dorado

El Dorado, the legendary lost city of gold rumored to be somewhere in the unexplored interior of South America, claimed many victims as thousands of Europeans braved flooded rivers, frosty highlands, endless plains and steamy jungles in the vain search for gold. The most well-known of the obsessed men who searched for it, however, must be Sir Walter Raleigh, the legendary Elizabethan courtier who made two trips to South America to search for it. The Myth of El Dorado There is a grain of truth in the El Dorado myth. The Muisca culture of Colombia had a tradition where their king would cover himself in gold dust and dive into Lake Guatavità ¡: Spanish conquistadors heard the story and began searching for the Kingdom of El Dorado, â€Å"the Gilded One.† Lake Guatavita was dredged and some gold was found, but not very much, so the legend persisted. The supposed location of the lost city changed frequently as dozens of expeditions failed to find it. By 1580 or so the lost city of gold was thought to be in the mountains of present-day Guyana, a harsh and inaccessible place. The city of gold was referred to as El Dorado or Manoa, after a city told of by a Spaniard who had been captive of natives for ten years. Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh was a famous member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, whose favor he enjoyed. He was a true Renaissance man: he wrote history and poems, was a decorated sailor and dedicated explorer and settler. He fell out of favor with the Queen when he secretly married one of her maids in 1592: he was even imprisoned in the Tower of London for a time. He talked his way out of the Tower, however, and convinced the Queen to allow him to mount an expedition to the New World to conquer El Dorado before the Spanish found it. Never one to miss the chance to out-do the Spanish, the Queen agreed to send Raleigh on his quest. The Capture of Trinidad Raleigh and his brother Sir John Gilbert rounded up investors, soldiers, ships, and supplies: on February 6, 1595, they set out from England with five small ships. His expedition was an act of open hostility to Spain, which jealously guarded its New World possessions. They reached the Island of Trinidad, where they cautiously checked out the Spanish forces. The Englishmen attacked and captured the town of San Jose. They took an important prisoner on the raid: Antonio de Berrio, a high-ranking Spaniard who had spent years searching for El Dorado himself. Berrio told Raliegh what he knew about Manoa and El Dorado, trying to discourage the Englishman from continuing on his quest, but his warnings were in vain. The Search for Manoa Raleigh left his ships anchored at Trinidad and took only 100 men to the mainland to begin his search. His plan was to go up the Orinoco River to the Caroni River and then follow it until he reached a legendary lake where he would find the city of Manoa. Raleigh had caught wind of a massive Spanish expedition to the area, so he was in a hurry to get underway. He and his men headed up the Orinoco on a collection of rafts, ship’s boats and even a modified galley. Although they were aided by natives who knew the river, the going was very tough as they had to fight the current of the mighty Orinoco River. The men, a collection of desperate sailors and cut-throats from England, were unruly and difficult to manage. Topiawari Laboriously, Raleigh and his men made their way upriver. They found a friendly village, ruled by an aged chieftain named Topiawari. As he had been doing since arriving on the continent, Raleigh made friends by announcing that he was an enemy of the Spanish, who were widely detested by the natives. Topiawari told Raleigh of a rich culture living in the mountains. Raliegh easily convinced himself that the culture was an offshoot of the rich Inca culture of Peru and that it must be the fabled city of Manoa. The Spanish set out up the Caroni River, sending out scouts to look for gold and mines, all the while making friends with any natives they encountered. His scouts brought back rocks, hoping that further analysis would reveal gold ore. Return to the Coast Although Raleigh thought he was close, he decided to turn around. The rains were increasing, making the rivers even more treacherous, and he also feared being caught by the rumored Spanish expedition. He felt he had enough â€Å"evidence† with his rock samples to drum up much enthusiasm back in England for a return venture. He made an alliance with Topiawari, promising mutual aid when he returned. The English would help fight the Spanish, and the natives would help Raleigh find and conquer Manoa. As part of the deal, Raleigh left two men behind and took Topiawari’s son back go England. The return journey was much easier, as they were traveling downstream: the Englishmen were joyful at seeing their ships still anchored off of Trinidad. Return to England Raleigh paused on his way back to England for a bit of privateering, attacking the Island of Margarita and then the port of Cumanà ¡, where he dropped off Berrio, who had remained a prisoner on board Raleigh’s ships while he looked for Manoa. He returned to England in August of 1595 and was disappointed to learn that news of his expedition had preceded him and that it was already considered a failure. Queen Elizabeth had little interest in the rocks he had brought back. His enemies seized upon his journey as an opportunity to slander him, claiming that the rocks were either fake or worthless. Raleigh defended himself ably but was surprised to find very little enthusiasm for a return trip in his home country. The Legacy of Raleigh’s First Search for El Dorado Raleigh would get his return trip to Guyana, but not until 1617 — more than twenty years later. This second journey was a complete failure and directly led to Raleighs execution back in England. In between, Raleigh financed and supported other English expeditions to Guyana, which brought him more proof, but the search for El Dorado was becoming a hard sell. Raleighs greatest accomplishment may have been in creating good relations between the English and the natives of South America: although Topiawari passed away not long after Raleighs first voyage, the goodwill remained and future English explorers benefitted from it. Today, Sir Walter Raleigh is remembered for many things, including his writings and his participation in the 1596 attack on the Spanish port of Cadiz, but he will forever be associated with the vain quest for El Dorado. Source Silverberg, Robert. The Golden Dream: Seekers of El Dorado. Athens: the Ohio University Press, 1985.

The Genetic Disorder Of Trisomy 21 - 1481 Words

The genetic disorder of Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome is one that has often interested me. I understand that many children born with his genetic disorder can in fact live a full life, often with assistance. When answering the question of what exactly Down syndrome is, a good definition can be one describing this disorder as a genetic condition where a person has an extra 21st chromosome. The typical person has 46 chromosomes, therefore the person born with Down syndrome has 47. This extra chromosome brings with it some physical and cognitive characteristics that include mild to severe cognitive delay, low muscle tone, stunted growth, an easily identifiable upward slant to the eyes, generally a deep crease across the center of the palm and the appearance of a flat face. We have to keep in mind however, that each person with Down syndrome is an individual and might have some of these characteristics to different degrees, or possibly none at all. Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States with 1 out of close to every 700 births being linked to the disorder. When identifying the cause of Down syndrome, again we have to look at the extra, very important part of chromosome 21 that occurs in all or some associated with Down syndrome. Although there is no real scientific research showing that Down syndrome is caused by environmental factors or even the parents activities before or during pregnancy, research has shown that it increases inShow MoreRelated Down Syndrome Essay676 Words   |  3 Pagessyndrome is a genetic disorder in which a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. There are three genetic variations that cause Down syndrome: Trisomy 21, Mosaic Trisomy 21 or Translocation Trisomy 21. There are many ways in which theses disorders affect the body.  Ã‚  Trisomy 21 occurs when an egg or sperm comes in with an extra copy of chromosome 21, then, once an embryo is formed and starts to develop, the chromosome is replicated in every single cell of the embryo. Trisomy 21 is the mostRead MoreGenetic Disorder And The Human Genome1081 Words   |  5 PagesGenetic Disorder is having to do with your health and body. Some people can get it and some people don’t get it every body is different. Now I am going to tell you what a Genetic disorder is, it’s an illness caused by changes or mutation in a person s DNA sequence. The mutation can be caused by an error of the DNA replication. It can also be caused by other things such as cigarette smoke and exposure to radiation which causes the change in the DNA sequence. Now I’m going to introduce the human genomeRead MoreDown Syndrome As A Cognitive Disorder Essay1315 Words   |  6 Pages Down syndrome as a cognitive disorder Down syndrome (DS) is relatively well known as a genetic disorder to the general public and children with this syndrome form one of the most readily identifiable groups of children with moderate to severe learning difficulties. It has been over 130 years since Langdon Down first described DS and 30 years since the presence of the defining extra copy of chromosome 21 was identified by Lejeune and his team of French geneticistsRead MoreEssay on Trisomy 2: A Gift or a Curse?878 Words   |  4 Pagesfactor of cognitive impairment, is a genetic disorder where three chromosomes 21 are inherited. In other words, a person with a disorder of Down syndrome receives an extra set of chromosome 21. Studies have shown, about 95%, on average, of Down syndrome victims inherit the extra chromosome 21, and the other percentage only receives an extra chromosome 21 in the muscle cells. It can range from mild to severe. The people who only receive an extra chromosome 21 in a specific location is called mosaicRead MoreDown Syndrom1638 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction a) Who discovered Down syndrome b) What is Down syndrome Body research A. What Causes it and is it inherited? 1-Trisomy 21 2-Mosaic Down syndrome 3-Translocation Down syndrome B. How Down syndrome affects Kids 1-Physical features 2-Learning C. Risk factors 1-Advancing maternal age 2- Being carriers of the genetic translocation for Down syndrome 3-Having had one child with Down syndrome D. Health Issues 1- Health complications 2-Average lifeRead MoreA Brief Look at Down Syndrome670 Words   |  3 Pageswhen there is extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. Down Syndrome is a chromosomal condition that causes low muscle tone, small stature, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm. Although, each person with Down Syndrome is a unique individual and may have these characteristics to different degrees. The cause of nondisjunction is still unknown, although scientists have made steps further to understanding this genetic disorder. For centuries, people with Down Syndrome were thoughtRead MoreThe Medical Condition Known As Down Syndrome970 Words   |  4 Pagessyndrome: Diagnosis and Treatment Down syndrome is commonly known by the public as a disease that causes physical and mental disabilities in people. Down syndrome is known by the scientific community as a genetic disorder of the twenty-first chromosome. As a result of this genetic disorder other systems of the body are also affected, this includes mental and physical disabilities. Down syndrome â€Å"is a lifelong condition†¦ that happens before birth† (WebMD, 2015). According to the National DownRead MoreApproximately three to four percent of babies born every year are born with some kind of genetic700 Words   |  3 PagesApproximately three to four percent of babies born every year are born with some kind of genetic disorder. A genetic disorder is described as an illness caused by an error in one’s genome, and is usually hereditary. To understand how these errors occur, one must first understand the basic concept of genes. Genes are the basic units of heredity and are made up of pieces of DNA that instruct the cell how to make specific proteins. Humans are estimated to have about 20,000 to 30,000 genes in their genomeRead MoreGeneral Information On Down Syndrome Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesDown syndrome is a genetic disorder most commonly caused by extra copies of chromosome 21. It occurs randomly during cell division in fetal development. This paper will discuss general information on Down syndrome, which will include the discovery of syndrome, the types and causes, the risk factors. Furthermore, this paper will also discuss the sign and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. General background Down syndrome is a genetic disorder occurs in every individual regardless of gender, ethnicityRead MoreHistory of the Patau Syndrome1850 Words   |  7 PagesPatau Syndrome, otherwise known as T13 is a very rare and lethal genetic disorder in which a person has three copies of chromosome 13 instead of two. T13 is characterized by the presence of an assortment of heart and brain malformation in newborns. Children with the disease are often born with multiple birth defects that are normally associated with T13 but not limited to it, including small eyes, undescended testicles, cleft lip/palate, and they consistently exhibit signs of mental deficiency and/or

Sarnath Lion Capitol Free Essays

Anna H. Asian Art History Maurya Dynasty: Sarnath Lion Capital Mauryan Empire of India lasted from 4th to 2nd century BCE. According to Coomaraswmy, an Indian historian, Mauryan art had three phases. We will write a custom essay sample on Sarnath Lion Capitol or any similar topic only for you Order Now The third phase was considered the beginning of brick and stone sculpture and architecture. The pillars of Asoka would consider such example, which are free standing carved animal capitals created in the time of Asoka empire. There are 20 known pillars that Asoka commissioned. These pillars are made out of shafts of sandstone and display Buddhist symbols. Asoka had a sculpture of four lions placed on top of one of his pillars, knows as Sarnath Lion Capital. These lions were portrayed as power and still remain a national symbol of India. The art elements portrayed in this sculpture define the meaning and characteristics that had important significance during Mauryan dynasty. The Sarnath Pillar’s composition has more abstract relation than schematic portrayal. The capital contains four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures of an elephant, horse, bull, and a lion. In this way, four rivers of India is represented. The animals are separated by elapsing wheels, which symbolizes time. Because wheels are also mentioned in Buddhist religion, it can be explained as spiritual purpose as well. Since the sculpture has a schematic relation, it is hard to understand the main point at the first sight. The sculpture is volumetric with few high relieves. The animals and wheels can be considered as high relief where as the lion’s top portion would consider three dimensional. Overall sculpture itself is considered as free standing, since it can be iewed from all angles. The proportional relationship to the size of animals in reality is more abstract than realistic. The animals at the bottom portion of the sculpture, are much smaller than in real life. Although the lions can be considered realistic, despite the overlapping of one another. The adherence from reality suggests that the size of lions portrayed in large scale signifies power, besides of their nature meaning (powerful animal of animal kingdom). In this way it leads the viewer to concentrate more on lions than on other parts of the culpture. The lines of the sculpture let the eye to lead to the main ideas and it emphasizes more volume than lines. Some parts of the sculpture, such as water plant, and lion’s beard have curvilinear orientation where as the wheel is more rectilinear. The lines help to create more naturalistic details, which effects the sculpture to be more easily defined. The texture of the sculpture is smooth, more similar to copper made. This deviates from the real texture of the objects depicted, even though it gives the rich shiny feeling hich is more similar to lion’s natural color. Because the lack of color it give the sculpture more abstract than naturalistic look. The absence of the color gives more dull look and less definable. It also suggests that the painting techniques during Mauryan dynasty was not well developed and had limited us e of techniques. Asoka’s pillars are some of India’s earliest major stone sculptures. The Asoka’s reign were highly religious. He was the first powerful monarch to practice Buddhism, therefore his sculptures were mainly on Buddhism and power. How to cite Sarnath Lion Capitol, Papers

Principles of Management and Leadership free essay sample

To fully explain the relationship between Leadership and Management we need to appreciate that the two go hand in hand, they are by no means the same thing but they complement each other when driving any team to perform and exceed targets within a business. The manager’s job is very task-focused. They often have to follow company procedures and guidelines to ensure department KPI’s and objectives are achieved. They are heavily involved with the planning and co-ordinating of the team. The leadership role is much more people focused, ensuring that the team understands what their role is within achieving both department and business objectives, the leader provides the motivation and drive for someone to achieve (McPheat,2013). Bennis (2003) composed a list of differences between the manager and the leader two of which I have detailed here as I think these help differentiate the difference between the two; ` The manager maintains the leader develops’, `the manager fo cuses on systems and structure, the leader focuses on the people’. Daisy Group PLC’s business organisational objective is to be the UK’s number one communications provider. My management and leadership role takes on many styles to meet the needs of different situations when managing a team of 10 credit controllers in order to achieve this business goal. As explained by Goleman (1996) a good leader must be emotionally sensitive to know which styles to adopt depending on the different situation. Within his book 6 styles are outlined, Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting and Commanding; I believe I adopt all these styles in different situations. For example due to the diversity of Daisy as a business and the rate at which products and processes change I often have to take on a very Coaching style to ensure the team is kept up to speed with any developments, this not only helps my team members constantly improve their performance it increases employee satisfaction which reduces staff turnover within the  business. I think I am also a very democratic leader; I value each individuals input and encourage my team to generate fresh ideas in order to help us achieve. As a leader I like to lead by example, I like to approach my work with enthusiasm and a positive attitude which is reflected in the team’s attitude toward their work. Department moral and employee attitude towards work are important factors in contributing to exceeding departmental targets and personal development. However, that said I think it is important for the team to respect you as a manager and understand that you are there to lead them to achieve. Colins (2001) believes that to become and effective leader you have to be humble, there’s no room for arrogance; you have to be willing to admit when you or your team have made a mistake and put measures in place to learn from them. A successful leader isn’t afraid to ask for help or advice, learning from others who are more experienced than you can only benefit you positively. He stresses the importance of discipline in your work; when committing to a course of action, no matter how difficult it is you must follow this through. Aidar recognises three core management responsibilities; achieving the task, managing the team and managing the individuals. When achieving the task it’s important to identify aims to ensure that the team understand clearly what they are working towards. These tend to be outlined within staff reviews /objectives. A manager will monitor progress towards the groups aim, for example in my post I report on Daily cash flow figures so the team know how close we are getting to achieving the monthly cash target at the end of the month. 2. Skills and Styles of Management and Leadership For this section I am going to compare the skills and styles of 2 very different leaders; Richard Branson founder of the Virgin Group and Steve Jobs founder of Apple Inc. Richard is not afraid to take risks and believes that his people are the foundation to his company’s success. `My philosophy is, put your employees first, your customers second and your investors third and in the end everyone will be happy’ (Inc, 2013). From researching his leadership style I would say that Richard is a transformational democratic leader, he likes to get other peoples input and develop on their ideas. Richard believes that praise goes much further than criticism in achieving results so he likes to lead his team using positive reinforcement. Richard  seems to be a very caring and involved leader who listens to everyone and is very professional in his leadership style, he is definitively a relationship-oriented leader who is good at aligning people and giving them emotional support and encouragement. He seems to fall into the segment of being a participative and consultative leader whilst his strong charisma seems to make anyone listen and follow him. Steve Jobs on the other hand has a very innovative leadership style; he was a perfectionist who had the courage to change his mind. Steve was a very unconventional leader, he was very `high-maintenance’ who demanded excellence from his staff and was known for his blunt delivery of criticism. It was his sheer genius combined with his ability to articulate his vision and bring everyone along on the journey plus the lessons learned in career setbacks that made it work. Steve was fired from Apple in 1985 and then returned in 1997 with a renewed sense of purpose. Steve Job controlled every area of the business in his quest for perfection he lead using a very situational leadership approach, he exhibited very directive behaviour. Employees were recruited into the business as specialists and put into roles that made the most of their specific strengths. Staff turnover was low. Jobs was passionate about his vision and as effective at communicating this to his staff which was reflected in their views of the business (McInerney, 2011). Managerial Task 1 – Delegating work to the Team When delegating work to the team it’s important to choose staff members that are capable of doing the work you are asking of them, this requires you to have a good knowledge of your team’s competencies. It’s not a necessity that they have done the work before as this is an ideal opportunity to discuss the task in hand with them and provide them with some coaching whilst they do it – aiding development. It’s important to include them in the delegation process, empower them to decide which tasks to do and when. Ensure that they know they are responsible for completing the task but accountability will still fall under the manager which is why the manager must support them in completing the task to a high standard. ,The manager must provide support throughout and ensure the project’s success through on-going questioning and monitoring; focusing on the results facilitates success and builds up trust within the manager-co-worker relationship. The team member may have a  different way of completing the task, as long as the correct result is achieved own initiative should be supported. Managerial Task 2 – Motivating employees Employees must be motivated if you want them to achieve the best results. All employees have different types of motivational factors that will lead them to achieve, being a manager is largely about learning what motivates each individual. Employees may be more motivated if they understand how they fit into the business, how they contribute to the business achieving its organisational objectives. The manager must eliminate de-motivators, what do they think is stopping them from achieving? Find out what motivates each individual by asking them during one to ones- financial, status, praise etc and discuss how these can be built into their job role. Another key motivating tool is making employees feel empowered; motivate them to find their own solutions to work instead of being told what to do. 3. Application of Theory in an Organisational Context Examples of when I have had to apply management and leadership theories within my role are when managing change within the department. There have been 2 recent instances when change has been introduced the first being the introduction of a new system across all Daisy offices and the second when the team had a switch round of ledgers to accommodate staff redundancies both of these where managed in the same way Daisy has recently rolled out a new in house developed system to all staff. As Daisy has acquired quite a few companies over the years with that has come new products and many different systems. The new system was developed to ensure that all staff are using a unified system, where all notes and customer details can be viewed centrally. Kubler and Ross stages to change Model helps explain the various stages that the team went through when experiencing this change and as a manager what I had to focus on; how I had to drive the Team to except the change. When focusing on this model you need to encourage each team member to fully pass through the stages before acceptance of change is sought. Denial stage; the team didn’t think credit control would be asked to use the new system because it couldn’t support their work; they were reflecting on the past and not thinking forward. During this period I as a manger had to  encourage the team to talk to me to find out why they had the feelings they did, was it because of insecurities; that they might not be able to use the new system and talk them through their worries giving them confidence and support, hopefully then they progressed onto the Resistance stage, during this stage the team accepted that there was a new system to use but refused to use it. They blamed others at having to have a new system. During this stage I had to again drive the team forward, help them understand and except that the change would be happening, the reason why the change needed to happen and how they would benefit from it. This was done by holding lots of discussions and coaching on the new system. Next they moved onto the exploration stage where they are able to see what positive impact the change will have on them, how it will make their job easier. During this stage I got feedback from the team to include them in the change, to get ideas of any developments they thought the system needed that would benefit them. This was done in a very formal group meeting session which lifted moral, enabled us to talk through each other’s issues including my own. Involving them directly in the change empowers them to except it quicker as they form a part of its development. A manager should support and encourage change not direct it. It is important to note here that different personality types react differently to change and so a manager really needs to know and manage the team in ways that benefit them. 4. Planning the Development of Management and Leadership Skills For this section I am going to consider a job role within Daisy Communications, this is a current job role of Retail Credit Manager. I will assess the leadership requirements for this role using the SWOT Analysis; Strengths Skills, including technical skills and also generic skills such as teamwork, leadership, initiative, organisation, verbal and written communication, and how they relate in to the needs of the position Personal characteristics – the ability to work hard under pressure, self-discipline etc Knowledge of the type of job and the industry Your qualifications and past work experiences dont quite match the job requirements, training will be needed to make progress Time and money will have to be spent on training, including possibly another course of study to increase your professionalism in this field The job is not one that will motivate you in the medium to long term The employer is recruiting for a specific position and career progression seems limited Opportunities The job will provide opportunities to learn new skills.  The new skills then have the potential to provide a springboard into other more interesting or better paid jobs The vacancy will give experience which is a required precursor for something else you want to do or achieve later i.e. future roles Threats Hand over from previous manager/ fed down from head of credit control. This  could be achieved by coaching from higher management Within first month probation period review.  Once daily tasks understood, prioritise task/ time management This will need to fit in with the team and their daily work load Within the first month. Set relevant and achievable objectives for the team in order to help them achieve departmental targets Work with head of credit control, maybe base the objectives on past objectives depending on how the targets for the department have been set Within the first month. To attend any in-house or external training courses relevant to my role Attend all courses that are relevant to the post. To be notified by the Learning and Development team To be on going from the start of your new role There are pros and cons of using a SWOT analysis in evaluating the leadership requirements of a job role. Mainly the advantages are that the process has very little to no cost attached to it and it’s not overly time consuming. A SWOT analysis helps you identify required strengths of a manager; it also allows you to highlight the weaknesses and gain better knowledge into what may need to be improved on for bettering efficiency and the business. Using opportunities wisely betters a business and knowing ones threats is important because it makes people aware of additional skills they may need to learn or perfect to overcome opposition. However the SWOT analysis model does come with its limitations. The SWOT analysis leads to an individual list of traits, it provides no mechanism to rank the significance of one factor over another and as a result any one factor’s true impact on the objective can’t be determined. It also only creates a one dimensional model in which each attribute is seen to have only one influence, however one factor could be considered both a strength and a weakness, it’s very ambiguous and down to personal choice of whoever is conducting the analysis. There are also pros and cons of using PDP’s within a role; the main advantages are that they are tailored for each individual, they help people develop clear plans for what they want to achieve and how they will accomplish these achievements within a set time period and setting goals increases awareness of a person’s strengths and weaknesses. Time spent going through PDP’s during 1-2-1’s brings the team closer together and enables  managers to direct teams to work how they want them to work possibly developing them for higher management positions within the business. On the other hand PDP’s can create pressure for the individual, particularly if you are not achieving the objectives set. This could lead to a sense of failure which is why it’s important that they are regularly discussed during 1-2-1’s and the individual is getting the correct support and coaching that they need.

Elizabeth Loftus Essay Example

Elizabeth Loftus Essay For many years eye witness testimony has been a key element of courtroom trials. Whether a person is given a guilty verdict or not can revolve around who the jury believe, and eye witness testimony plays a major part. However many studies have been conducted over the years which suggest a number of ways in which eye witness testimony can be unreliable.Leading researcher Elizabeth Loftus has suggested factors such as, violent crime, leading questions during interviews, and the presence of a weapon during a crime, can all have a marked effect on the reliability of eye witness testimony.Loftus and Palmer (1974) conducted an experiment in an attempt to show how leading questions can affect an eye witnesss version of events.The experiment took place in a laboratory with 45 American students used as the sample. The participants were asked to view footage of a car crash. They were later asked to recall events as if they were an eye witness. The students were then asked to fill in a question naire, which had the wording of one question changed. Split onto five groups of nine, one group were asked the question About how fast were the cars going when they hit?, for the other groups the word hit was changed to smashed, collided , contacted, or bumped. The findings were that the average speed suggested when the word smashed was used was 9 mph more than the average estimate of speed than when the word contacted was used.Whilst this does highlight that the way a question is worded can illicit different answers, it is important to note this experiment was conducted in a laboratory, in a set-up situation. Watching footage on TV is not the same as witnessing a real life car crash, so the experiment lacks ecological validity. Also the sample used was all students, they may have been roughly the same age so the sample was not representative of the whole population. The sample also knew they were taking part in an experiment and knew any answers they gave didnt have any repercussio ns for anybody. It is also possible some of the participants may have just been poor judges of speed, so its not possible to ascertain how much their answer was prompted by the vocabulary in the question.In 1979 Loftus looked at how violent crime, in particular crime involving the use of a weapon by the perpetrator can reduce the accuracy of an eye witnesss recall of events. This is known as weapon focus. Loftus tested this effect in a single experiment. Each participant sat alone in a waiting room, and from another room heard a pre- recorded argument. The participants were unaware the experiment had begun. A man entered the room drew attention to himself and left. Each person was then asked to give a description of the man, however one group witnessed the man carrying a pen, for the other group the confederate was holding a knife. The group who observed the situation involving the pen were able to give a much better description of the man than in the case of the knife. It was concl uded that the presence of the weapon was responsible for this. A possibility for this is that a person witnessing a crime which involves a weapon such as a gun or a knife focuses on the weapon as they perceive it to be a threat to themselves and this causes a high level of arousal. When this happens there is an immediate release in the body by the adrenal glands of adrenalin, if the threat is still there after 2 to 3 minutes, as could be the case if in a bank at the time of an armed robbery, the adrenal glands release cortisol, which can have an effect on a persons ability for accurate recall of an event.Research has been conducted which refutes this (Brown and Kulik 1977), which suggests that a high level of arousal can increase a persons ability to recollect an important event with increased accuracy. However it is important to make a distinction between events that can be positive for someones life such as the day your child was born, events that may have been witnessed on televi sion, for example the terrorist attacks on the world trade centers, or being an innocent bystander at the time of an armed robbery.Loftus has been criticised for aspects of her work, particularly for the research being artificial, however it has shown how a persons ability for accurate recall of an event can be influenced.Many other researchers have questioned the reliability of eye witness testimony and identified several factors which can affect a persons ability to accurately recall a crime, notably Brigham ; Malpass (1986) who suggested we make more errors when the suspect is a different race to the witness. They concluded that we are better at being able to recognise our own race.Another explanation for the inaccuracy of recall is that if our memory of an event is sketchy we have a tendency to use our schemas and stereotypes to fill in the gaps. This is known as reconstructive memory, we reconstruct events by combining parts of the event that is real with our schemas which are stored in long term memory. One of the first to investigate the accuracy of memory was psychologist Frederic Bartlett (1932). He asked a subject to read a story entitled War of the ghosts an old legend about an Indian hunter. The person then had to tell the story to another subject who had not heard it before, the second person then told it to another person, this carried on until ten people had heard it. Bartlett found that by the end, whilst a few basic elements of the story remained, many new bits were added as each person along the way in order to make the story more complete added new parts. This additional information came from each persons knowledge from how they see the world.The findings from the all the research shows how problematic dealing with eyewitness testimony can be, for both the police who interview witnesses and for the courtroom where the testimonies of witnesses have a big impact. An obvious implication for the courts is dealing with suspects where eyewitness t estimony is the main source of evidence.Throughout history it is possible to find hundreds of examples where wrongful convictions were the result of faulty eyewitness testimony. This has a profound effect on the life of an individual who suffers a miscarriage of justice, and also that persons family. In severe cases it has cost some people their lives in countries where capital punishment is still used. It has implications for the authorities who over the years have had to pay very large sums of money to people who have spent a long time in prison even though they were innocent. Also there are huge costs involved in trying to catch offenders and imprison them, the police operations, and also the cost of taking people to court, and in every case of wrongful conviction, it means the original perpetrator of the crime is still at large and able to perhaps commit further crime.In order to eradicate possible miscarriages of justice law enforcement agencies are using techniques to make a w itnesss interview more accurate. Standard police interviewing in the past has used closed questioning, and excessive interruption. The Home office acted upon psychological research (Geiselman et al 1984) and implemented changes to the way police interviews are conducted. The new technique is known as the cognitive interview. This aims to give the witness the feeling of greater control in the interview.Interviewees are first asked to recreate the context of the crime, and then the witness is asked to talk of anything they remember in free recall, regardless of whether they perceive the information to be important or not. It is hoped that in cases where there are multiple witnesses, each witness will be able to give different details, and the police can piece together all the fragmented details to arrive with a clearer picture of events. The eyewitness is also asked to talk about the event in a different order or reverse order, and try to recreate the situation from different perspect ives. This all helps to retrieve the event without the possibility of leading questions.Fisher et al (1987) introduced new elements to the cognitive interview, and devised the enhanced cognitive interview. The basic framework of the original technique was kept with the introduction of some new elements. The cognitive interview was found (Geiselman et al 1985) to produce a greater degree of accuracy than the previously used standard police interview. Research has been conducted (Fisher, Geiselman and Amador 1990) which shown the enhanced cognitive interview produced better results than the basic model, especially when interviewers had been trained in the methods.The use of identity parades to pick out possible suspects has often proved crucial in the courts arriving at a guilty verdict. However methods used have also been questioned. Traditionally a victim or other eyewitness will look along a line of people who should have roughly the same characteristics and asked to see if they ca n see the perpetrator of a crime. There are potentially some problems with this methodology.One problem is identity parades are often conducted a while after the crime was been committed, and a persons recollection of events can decay over a period of time, as well as this, faced with the pressure of feeling like they have to pick someone, may lead to picking out someone they are not entirely sure committed an offence. If it is the victim asked to identify a suspect, they could be in high state of emotional arousal. They could have the stress of coming close to a person who perhaps assaulted them, also there could be anger involved, and they may pick anybody on the basis they want someone prosecuted for what happened to them.Identity parades could be perhaps made more reliable by introducing new methods. One such method could be to introduce the line up sequentially, this may ease some of the pressure involved. Also the officer conducting the parade shouldnt be aware if the main sus pect is present, this could stop anybody perhaps being led to one member of the line up. It could also be mentioned to the person who is trying to identify the perpetrator that the suspect may not be in the line up, this would stop the person feeling like they have to pick someone.It is clear from all the research there is a big margin for error in eyewitness testimony. Whilst jurors are still highly influenced by a confident eyewitness, more cases are able to be solved with more scientific methods such as DNA. However all parts of the justice system should be trying to eliminate potential problems with the testimony of an eyewitness. Perhaps cases should not go to court when the main evidence provided is eyewitness testimony.

homeland security and border patrol Essays

homeland security and border patrol Essays homeland security and border patrol Essay homeland security and border patrol Essay Homeland security and border patrol Homeland security is one of the main departments that keeps the United States safe. Homeland security locks down the United States and keeps illegals from entering and monitors that the U. S does not go under attack. During the making of the department of homeland security the U. S Border Patrol merged into a new agency called US customs and Border protection known as CBP. The old tradition of border patrol was always known for detecting and preventing the entry of illegal aliens in addition to the smuggling of illegal contraband into the county, but a new high riority mission came into lay when the terrorist tried to enter their weapons into the United States. Keeping the boarders of the U. S safe is an extremely dangerous Job. The duties of duties border patrol men include to be alert 24 hours seven days a week. Border patrols missions take place on horseback, land, sea, and in the air. Over the years border patrols mission has increased it not only operates within the interior of the United States but also now monitors the roads and even airports where illegal aliens concentrate. Since border patrol takes so much concentration dditional powers have been added to help U. S officials protect its borders. From the time before the constitution was even written the function of United States Border Patrol was an essential element to our countrys security. It was the day of July 4th 1776 that out country became independent from England, and the countrys security was born. Back in 1904 when Teddy Roosevelt was president of the United States the mounted inspectors were assigned by the commissioner general of immigration to patrol the southern boarders. At the time only 75 mounted inspectors were on duty o guard all the American borders. The mounted inspectors were given no supervision or orders which forever changed when the Poncho Vila and Prohibition took place. The Poncho Villa was a civil war that raged in Mexico between 1910 and 1920 which averred U. S army troops to encamp along the southwest borders when there was rumors of raiders coming into the country from Mexico. The attack took place in Columbus NM when peasants entered looking for food, in the end only 18 Americans were killed along with an unborn child. Todays border patrol has expanded tremendously with over 11,000 agents on the ine of duty. More than 9,500 agents are stationed along the United States southern boarder because, it is noted that 99 percent of all illegally entering citizens are citizens of Mexico. While it is important to stay on high alert during the day the U. S Mexican border is the most dangerous at night. Most illegal aliens cross the border at night, and murders are perpetrated at night. The triple barrier system is where agents have the most trouble due to the fact they can become trapped in between the barriers making it easier for attackers to make it over the fence. The United States government nas tunded a program that increases security which includes U border patrol agents. U. S border patrol agents work alone, and depend on their own instincts along with the support of new technology including cameras to protect them from danger. Camera systems are implemented with zero time delay systems in between images and each camera uses data link with the use of commercial delivery trucks to scan anything that passes through the border. Camera use is one on the main key elements to successful border patrol which are grouped into five categories. These five categories Include daylight cameras, low light cameras, IR night vision cameras, FLIR cameras, and Range Gated cameras. Daylight cameras offer reasonable resolution, but cannot see through fog, rain or snow and usually see the same as a human eye. Low light cameras are similar to daylight cameras except they can provide an image with Just moon light. IR night cameras are cameras that have a light source that the human eye cannot see. FLIR cameras use infer red sources that monitor heat that spots humans due to body heat and heated objects such as bombs. These cameras are used at night to spot people in cars or people walking without ones knowing there getting watched. Range Gated cameras reflect light beams off of objects which reflect beams of light back to the camera sending back and image of the object. All these cameras listed play a big role successful border protection. Along with Border Patrol Homeland Security was put into action full force after 9/1 1 . The Department of Homeland Security got stronger and the U. S Customs and Border protection was fully mobilized in 36 hours after the attack. Both of their nterprises evolved to better defend against intruders and terrorists attacks. Both systems started working directly with law enforcement agencies, state and local leaders, community based organization, private sectors, and international partners. DHS (Homeland Security) focused on getting resources from Washington DC into the hands of state and local enforcements to help them identify threats. State and law enforcement agencies are usually the first ones in position to notice any signs of planned attacks. Homeland security informs police and front line with the nderstanding the behaviors or unmoral situations, and what to look for in terrorist activity. Another enterprise through homeland security is the private sector outreach which is an integral component through the engagement of protecting the United States. DHS works closely with international partners to have multiple organizations and global business to strengthen the security of the U. S similar to having eyes and ears all around the world. Homeland Security has enhanced security not only in airports but by working with foreign governments administrating global supply chains across the country. In closing they turn to the public that play a key role to strengthen the enterprise and to raise public awareness indicators about terrorism and crime which leads to the motto if you see something say something. References POI, International Association of Counterterrorism Security Prof. Journal of Counterterrorism Homeland Security International (2005- present ). Journal. Policy, California University of Pennsylvania Institue for law Public. Homelsand Security Review ( present). Journal. University, Marian. Journal ot homeland Security Education (2012- present). Journal .

Global Warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Global Warming - Research Paper Example As the report explores Earth and are now responsible for the fact that the surface of the planet seems to be warming because of trapped gases. Our fossil fuel use is the main reason those gases are present. Every time we drive a car to school or work, use electricity, or heat our houses, we are releasing carbon dioxide into the air and making our planet hotter. Another important source of greenhouse gases is caused by deforestation, mainly in the Amazon. There is a lot of money to be made in cutting down trees and planting land for animals to use so the animals can be made into hamburgers at the end of the day. Cattle itself is said by some people to be in part responsible for increasing the amount of methane in the atmosphere. A the essay stresses some scientists have stated on the record that this increase in trapped heat changes may be responsible for a change in the climate, not only making the surface of the Earth hotter, but altering weather patterns. The patterns and even currents we have known for centuries are changing and changing our patterns of trade and they we lead our lives. There will be more monsoons and hurricanes as seen by the terrible storms of recent years including Hurricane Katrina. With rising water levels and more storms coastal countries will be powerfully affected by climate change. Countries like the Maldives, which already are barely above the water level may vanish entirely, becoming a new lost city of Atlantis.