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xylocaptain
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 83
Location: somwhere away from u dorks... |
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The Chernobyl disaster was a truly devastating blow to the economy, ecology, and personal health of the citizens of Pripyat, Ukraine. The workers in the plant merely sought to take advantage of a situation to run some tests. However, poor planning and lack of foresight on their part led to the biggest nuclear power plant catastrophe.
Chernobyl consisted of four reactors, and onreactor #4 was to be shut down for routine maintenance. Scientists wanted to know that, if there was ever a shutdown, there would be a sufficient amount of electrical power to operate the equipment needed in emergencies until the diesel power supply came on. The person in charge of the reduction of power refused to let it go any lower after it hit the halfway point. The emergency cooling system was shut down, and the operator soon agreed to put the power even lower. They reduced the amount of cooling water and there was a power surge estimated at 100 times the original power and, due to the abrupt change of temperature, a huge explosion ripped through and destroyed the reactor. The biggest reason that the accident occurred was the lack of proper safety; the workers there did not make it possible to effectively fix problems with the design. In fact, the reactor did have a design flaw- it was unstable at low power levels. Even though many other reactors have this problem, the main flaw was that, even though water is a better coolant than steam since water slows down the reaction, they still used steam. Also, even though the safety procedures stated that a minimum of 30 control rods were too be used at all times, they had only a mere six.
Since then
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xylocaptain
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 83
Location: somwhere away from u dorks... |
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Braedon Avants
Biology PAP GT 8th pd.
April 15, 2007
Ecosystems Project Essay
Ecosystems contain a wide variety of biotic and abiotic factors, simple to complex food webs, and highly interactive communities. The ecosystems continuously change every year, from the dormant stages of the winter, to the rebirth and life of spring, to the prosperity of summer. Though gradual and nearly unnoticeable if not paid close attention to, these changes are a key part to the survival of each individual of each species in a community. Some people do not realize that, even if it is a seemingly harmless thing, interfering with the natural cycle that these ecosystems go through could consequently negatively affect the ecosystem and all who dwell therein. This project, along with showing me new species and testing out my new digital camera memory card, showed me the significant impact a single person can put on the delicate balance nature has created. A single piece of trash can kill several organisms that would mistake it for food; toxic dumping could poison the soil and damage future generations of plants and consumers of such plants. Burning gas in a car to go around the block when you could easily walk could add to the pollutants in the air, making it that much harder to breathe for eveyone else in the world. Such alarming facts never came to my attention before I began on this project, and I am glad that it was assigned to me.
The grasses and trees seemed to not be growing at all or making any sort of progression whatsoever for the first few weeks, but, towards the end of the project, I realized that the growth of the ecosystem jumped at an accelerated rate. All of a sudden, trees started to have green leaves, grasses started to thicken and turn green, and, after a while, I realized that animals and insects started to come alive. Birds were chirping, rabbits were running, flies and other bugs were buzzing around in the air. Animals that were previously inactive would come out to eat, run around, and play. Temperatures started to raise from 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, to 70’s and, occasionally, above. For example, one week, back in February, the temperature was about 58*, and about three weeks later it was 79*. I noticed that, in stride with the rising temperature, the wildlife came out, giving me the conclusion that organisms desire warmer climates.
It was a truly spectacular sight to see the drastic change in the ecosystem.
I had never before stopped to think how nature around us transitioned from one stage of life to the other. Now, whenever I am driving past a patch of wildlife out in the outer limits of Georgetown, or, for that matter, anywhere, I will be sure to remember how complex the process was that yielded such a beautiful piece of work.
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xylocaptain
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 83
Location: somwhere away from u dorks... |
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Braedon Avants
11/1/09
English IV P-AP 3pd
Frankenstein Literary Analysis
Henry Clerval is a loyal friend of Victor Frankenstein’s, proved when he nursed Victor back to health following the creation of his ‘monster’. He is someone who is passionate about language and learning but rational enough to know his limits; this is a contrast to Victor’s heedless ambition.
Mr. Waldman is one of Victor’s professors, and he is respected by Victor because of his understanding and encouraging attitude. Mr. Waldman does not aim to cut down the naïve mind, as Mr. Krempe did; rather, he recognized the ambitious nature of Victor and nursed the mind of the young scientist.
The forest is one of the remaining places untouched by man’s hands, kept for the most part in its original state. This means that its natural beauty is preserved, rather than corrupted by man, in the same way that Victor’s creature was originally good, until he was negatively affected by humans around him. On the other hand, it could represent how dangerous something can be when it is let to grow wildly- pits, thorns, wild animals, etc. Although Mary Shelley wrote that the creature became (arguably) evil only after other’s actions, we, the audience, can’t know for sure that the creature was not naturally evil. It could have simply been coincidence that he was treated poorly before committing crimes.
The glacier was where creator and creature met after the death of William Frankenstein, a barren but beautiful place. The glacier symbolizes knowledge, since its beautiful appearance may fool one into thinking that it is harmless. The icy nature of the glacier is cold and unforgiving to living things; knowledge is enticing but dangerous if not chased with caution. The feeling of lifeless beauty contributes to the book’s tone, contrasting yet complimenting each other, like Victor’s genius accompanied by his inhibition, or the monster being able to love and long for a companion while also killing in cold blood.
The creature first came upon fire in the woods when he was learning about the world around him. The fire symbolizes knowledge: extremely useful, but, if used recklessly, it can destroy everything around it; the creature uses fire to make food more palatable, like Victor uses what he’s learned to better himself and better understand the world around him. When the creature is burned by the fire, rashly approaching the flames, it is similar to when Victor created the ‘monster’ in the sense that what he ended up with was the tragedy of the death of his loved ones.
The light of the moon is what led the creature through the forest during the beginning of his life. Light showed the creature the parts of the forest that had previously been secrets; Victor’s ‘light’ was science, which unveiled the secrets of the natural world that had eluded and does elude many. In a sense, the light can be a darkness; Victor was so blinded by his pursuit of knowledge that he harmed himself; the creature was hurt by the light provided by the fire.
Although knowledge cannot be seen on its own, it is represented several times and in many ways throughout the novel. As stated many times above, knowledge is symbolized as a useful but dangerous thing. It is represented by light, and fire more than a few times. Victor strives to obtain knowledge ceaselessly, showing him as a genius that doesn’t know, or, perhaps, doesn’t care, of the dangers it holds.
Knowledge is power, and power corrupts; these quotes describe the theme of Frankenstein almost perfectly. Specifically, Victor’s quest for higher knowledge is a slippery slope that leads to self-destruction, undeniably a reflection of how knowledge can corrupt as easily at it can empower. Shelley shows how his uninhibited hunt for knowledge hurts not only him, but those around him, proving this point.
When Victor meets his creator on the glacier, he comes to the realization that his ‘monster’ isn’t as primitive as he had believed. This impacts the readers more than Victor, however; the audience, being an objective third party, is presented new evidence that the creature is not a monster at all. Victor, blinded by guilt and anger, continues to imagine his creature as an abomination, regardless as to whether or not it shows human-like qualities. The creatures story, told shortly thereafter, provides evidence supporting the argument that the creature wasn’t a monster. Victor is told of how the creature learned the English language, how he helped the poor family and the drowning girl, and how he longed for a partner, so that he would not be so lonely. These are all very humanistic traits, which leads many to reverse their previous opinion of the creature.
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xylocaptain
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 83
Location: somwhere away from u dorks... |
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Braedon Avants
Music is my drug. Whenever I feel the stress of everyday life building up, a song by my favorite session or a quick jam session with my band takes off the burden and makes it easier to breathe. While many of my other friends drink away their problems, thinking that the alcohol will somehow remove their pain and fill their void, I abstain, choosing instead to find a musical solution. When my friends chase girls around, trying to get affection to make them feel accepted and loved, I perform a piece on the piano that gains both respect from my peers and personal satisfaction. I have never come across anything that can make me feel the way that music can; however, I find it disheartening when I talk to friends that don’t have the same connection with music as I do. Of course, several of my friends are passionate about other things, including football, church, and academics, but I rarely find anyone with the same excitement for their activities as I have when I approach the drumset or piano. I think it would be extremely beneficial for every student to have a chance to learn an instrument, or to be able to be taught how to sing. I know that almost every student is capable of signing up for band in middle school, but not every student understands the importance of music. Without the firm will of my mother, I would have been able to resist and get out of band my sixth grade year; not everyone is as fortunate as I was to have a parent who appreciates both music and its benefits as I have been. Children should have someone in the school system push them as much as my mom did, because the kids might not know what they are missing out on if they aren’t given a push to give an instrument a chance.
The overwhelming benefits of being able to play something like the piano or drums, or even a wind or brass or string instrument, are enormous. It opens many doors of plausible success, and getting better at an instrument instills a work ethic in each individual. Being in band has been a gift that has improved my social skills; interacting with over a hundred peers in band camp my freshman year gave me a head start in the social aspect when entering high school. While other freshmen struggled with being accepted, turning to parties and ladies to be recognized by upperclassmen, I already had many friends, because we had spent the last half of our summer together, working hard to obtain a goal of a perfect performance on the football field. This taught me teamwork. I no longer worked as an individual, but as a part of a group, a piece in a musical machine, working with other people to produce a laudable musical product.
If everyone had to play in an elementary level band, perhaps even more kids could enjoy music the way that I do; perhaps, even more kids could have the chance to gain respect, develop a work ethic, and learn how to work as part of a team. After all, even if the individual chooses not to pursue a musical career after high school or college, how many jobs revolve around the ability to work as a team? How many more jobs require a serious work ethic in order to succeed? As a musician, I understand how applying the work ethic that I wield yields bountiful benefits, but I have my doubts as to whether or not the majority of my classmates are capable or even conscious of this. I wish others could see through the eyes or hear through the ears that God has blessed me with, because the importance that I am aware of seems to be overlooked by much of society.
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