Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Does literature benefit us?

In the university, there are so many different kinds of courses, including physical sciences, math, languages and arts. Most of my friends and I are taking sciences now, but few of my friends are taking art history and drawing now. Some of students argue that art is useless and will not make any improvement for our society, so we should learn more practical knowledge which likes computer science, electric engineering and accounting. However, I can hardly agree with them. Although I am taking math and computer science now, I still think art and liberal can make lots progress for us. Looking back in the famous literature in the world, we can know that sometimes white lie can save people’s life from O’ Henry’s “The Last Leaf” and Jules Verne’s imagination in his novels help scientists to invent new technologies.
Looking at the story called “The Last Leaf” by O’ Henry. In the novel, the artists, Sue and Johnsy, set up their studio together in an apartment where an odd man Old Behrman, a failure in art, also lives in. Unfortunately, pneumonia, which touched many people and spread rampantly, smites Johysey. Moreover, Johysey’s situation is so terrible that her chance to get better is very little unless she had hope. What opposite is, Johysey stares at the ivy tree with more and more leaves falling down day after day, thinking pessimistically that she will leave when the tree lost its last leaf. This “goosey” thought shocks Old Behrman, so he decides to tell a lie to the poor girl. It is a stormy night during which Johysey thinks the last leaf surly fell, but to her surprise, there is still a leaf in that ivy tree when she pulled out the curtain next morning. In the following days, no matter how drastic the storm is the leaf never fall off the tree. Learning from the last leaf, Johysey realizes that she shouldn’t lose heart although her condition is not well, and she luckily recovers soon. However, it is a lie that saves her life. Old Behrman knows that the last leaf falling down will make the girl die, so he wants to help the girl to tell a lie that he paints a leaf instead of the real last leaf. Actually, Old Behrman’s white lie saves the girl’s life. From this story, we can understand that sometimes we should tell a lie, which may benefit people more than the truth.
In addition, the literature also inspires the progress in the technology. Jules Verne, the “father of science fiction”, is famous for his novels “From the Earth to Moon”, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” and many other novels which are filled with vision. Verne’s work have not only surprised us because of his imagination, but also been noted for being accurate anticipations for modern times. In 1900s, Verne had described the inventions, such as air – conditioner, automobiles, the Internet, and television, those which came true in the coming one hundred years. One of his most famous predictions is the space travel in his book “From the Earth to Moon” which tells the story of three men who built an enormous sky – facing Columbiad and launch themselves to moon. Written in 1865, Verne’s story bears similarities to the real – life Apollo program which began in 1963. Verne’s spacecraft was named “Columbia”, and each spacecraft held a crew of three people. More unbelievably, Verne portrays in the book that spacecraft is launched from Tampa, Florida where is approximately 130 miles from NASA’s actual launching site. Reading the novels written by Verne, scientists get lots of inspiration which promote the technology progress.
From these two examples, we can understand that though the literature seems useless in our daily life, in fact it influences our lives and benefits us a lot.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Never give up but keep walking

During this tough semester, when I performed not well in the exam or got bad grade for my assignment, I always feel depressed and disappointed, sometimes I do not want to do anything about study any more. However, I read lots autobiographies of successful person, and learnt that we should persevere no matter how difficult the situation we are facing. Learning from Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking’s successful experience, I believe that we should never give up for our goal until we reach it.
First of all, Marie Curie was persistent in her research though the research is so hard for her. Since she never gave up her dream, finally she succeeded. Marie Curie, the one of only two people who was honored with Nobel Prizes in two different sciences areas, was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and she discovered radium and polonium. In 1898, Marie Curie and her husband started the challenging work of separating out radium material. When they made this groundbreaking decision, they admonished themselves that this research would be laborious and difficult. However, they never think of giving up so they kept determined to solve any problem in their research. Actually they didn’t have enough money to work in a good laboratory with precise equipment, so they had to grind pitchblende with a pestle and mortar. They optimistically weighted out a 100-gram sample of pitchblende and believed that they can succeed soon. During the further research, they realized that what they were searching for was present in such minute quantities and so complex the pitchblende was that chemical separation of its constituents was really an arduous task for them. Nevertheless, they were sure they can discover and separate the element from the large number of pitchblende. Spending four years, the couples eventually separated one – tenth of a gram of radium chloride from a ton of pitchblende. Thanks to their persistent, the discovery of radium and polonium found quickly.
Moreover, the example of Stephen Hawking also taught me lots to be insistent for my dream. Stephen Hawking, British theoretical physicist, has come to be thought of as the greatest mind in physics since Albert Einstein. He excels in his amazing research in the field of cosmology and theoretical physics. However, Hawking is severely paralyzed since early adulthood with the degenerative nerve disease, and during a visit Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his condition was life-threatening as it further restricted his already limited respiratory capacity. As a result, Hawking has been confined to a wheelchair and had lost the use of most of his physical functions; even couldn’t write or speak. Actually, anyone who is been reduced to Hawking’s condition would become gloomy and depressed even committed suicide. It’s a miracle that Hawking thrived on his wheelchair and make world-renowned achievement. Although Hawking appears to speak his great opinion fluently through his electronic voice synthesizer, in reality, creating the text is a tedious drawn-out process that a posed question took 7 minutes to answer. However, Hawking never give up but persists to do further research. Because of his steadfastness, he became one of most successful scientists in the world.
In a conclusion, I do not think anyone’s dilemma can compare to Curie’s or Hawking’s. From these two great scientists’ experience, I firmly believe that no matter how rough the situation we are in, we should not give up but keep working on it, and finally we will succeed. So whatever the difficult situation I am going to be in upcoming four years, I will never give up but keep walking.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Research paper's outline

Thesis statement: we should remove the cell phones in the daily life; otherwise cell phones will jeopardize human being seriously in the upcoming several years.

1. The long term use of cell phone will increase the probability of having tumors and cancer in the head.
A. Use an example of an event happened in 1993 provoke public’s concern about the link between cell phones and probability of having tumors and cancer.
a. A husband had sued a cell phone manufacturer in a Florida US District Court for causing his wife's brain tumor.
B. From the technologic perspective, analysis the reason why the long term use of cell phone will increase the probability of having tumors and cancer.
a. The radio frequency (RF) radiation in the cell phones may hurt human being’s health.
C. More and more researches prove that there is connection between the radiation in the cell phone and having tumors and cancer in the head.
a. One Swedish study: the risk of acoustic neuroma, a tumor formation on the nerve near the ear, was greater on the side of the head that the cell phone was held.
b. Dr. Ronald Herberman, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning to hospital faculty and staff to decrease direct cell phone exposure to the head and body due to a possible connection between cell phone radiation and brain tumors.

2. The radio frequency radiation from cell phones can damage the DNA in sperm so that increase chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer:
A. Damage the DNA in sperm: According to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Reproductive medicine, semen quality "tended to decline as daily cell phone use increased."

3. Children are at an increased risk for adverse health effects from cell phone radiation.
A. One study has shown that children under the age of eight absorb twice the amount of radiation into their brain tissue as adults due to their lower skull thickness.

4. Using a cell phone while driving, even with a hands-free device, is unsafe as driving drunk and can make accidents more likely.
A. The use of cell phone while driving make lots of accidents happen: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that driving distractions, including the use of cell phones, contribute to 25% of all traffic crashes.
B. Use cell phone while driving is same as drunk: According to researchers at the University of Utah people who drive while talking on their cell phones are as impaired as drunk drivers with a blood alcohol level of 0.08%.
C. Government’s action: six states have taken legislative action to lessen the possible safety hazards of talking on a cell phone while driving.

5. The use of cell phones by people with pacemakers is unsafe.
A. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), radiofrequency energy from cell phones can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may disrupt the functioning of pacemakers, especially if the cell phone is placed close to the heart.


Conclusion: since the long term use of cell phones in the daily life hurt human beings’ health in several aspects: increase the probability of having tumors and cancer in the head, damage the DNA in sperm so that increase chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer, make children to be at an increased risk for adverse health effects, make traffic accidents more likely as driving drunk, and especially harm people with pacemakers. The use of cell phone is hazardous to people, we should remove them from our lives.

Warnings also in the last paragraph: If we still talk with friends by cell phones several hours one day, we are going to have higher probability of having tumors and cancer in the head; If men still put cell phone in front pockets, poor fertility and an increased chance of miscarriage will occurred; if children use cell phones as often as adults do, the percentage of childhood cancer will increase; If we still are allowed to use cell phones when we are driving, the number of traffic accidents will keep increasing in the future.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Research Log

A.TOPIC: we should remove cell phone.
B. reseach:

1. Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma: Results of the Interphone Case-Control Study in Five North European Countries
Schoemaker, M. J. Swerdlow, A. J.
Source: British Journal of Cancer; 10/3/2005, Vol. 93 Issue 7, p842-848, 7p
There is public concern that use of mobile phones could increase the risk of brain tumours. If such an effect exists, acoustic neuroma would be of particular concern because of the proximity of the acoustic nerve to the handset. We conducted, to a shared protocol, six population-based case–control studies in four Nordic countries and the UK to assess the risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to mobile phone use. Data were collected by personal interview from 678 cases of acoustic neuroma and 3553 controls. The risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to regular mobile phone use in the pooled data set was not raised (odds ratio (OR)=0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7–1.1). There was no association of risk with duration of use, lifetime cumulative hours of use or number of calls, for phone use overall or for analogue or digital phones separately. Risk of a tumour on the same side of the head as reported phone use was raised for use for 10 years or longer (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1). The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out.

2. Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study.
Authors: Agarwal, Ashok1
Source:Fertility & Sterility; Jan2008, Vol. 89 Issue 1, p124-128, 5p
Objective: To investigate the effect of cell phone use on various markers of semen quality. Design: Observational study. Setting: Infertility clinic. Patient(s): Three hundred sixty-one men undergoing infertility evaluation were divided into four groups according to their active cell phone use: group A: no use; group B: <2 h/day; group C: 2–4 h/day; and group D: >4 h/day. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm parameters (volume, liquefaction time, pH, viscosity, sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology). Result(s): The comparisons of mean sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology among four different cell phone user groups were statistically significant. Mean sperm motility, viability, and normal morphology were significantly different in cell phone user groups within two sperm count groups. The laboratory values of the above four sperm parameters decreased in all four cell phone user groups as the duration of daily exposure to cell phones increased. Conclusion(s): Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality.

3. Analysis of RF Exposure in the Head Tissues of Children and Adults
Authors: J Wiart
Physics in Medicine & Biology; Jul2008, Vol. 53 Issue 13, p3681-3695, 15p
This paper analyzes the radio frequencies (RF) exposure in the head tissues of children using a cellular handset or RF sources (a dipole and a generic handset) at 900, 1800, 2100 and 2400 MHz. Based on magnetic resonance imaging, child head models have been developed. The maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) over 10 g in the head has been analyzed in seven child and six adult heterogeneous head models. The influence of the variability in the same age class is carried out using models based on a morphing technique. The SAR over 1 g in specific tissues has also been assessed in the different types of child and adult head models. Comparisons are performed but nevertheless need to be confirmed since they have been derived from data sets of limited size. The simulations that have been performed show that the differences between the maximum SAR over 10 g estimated in the head models of the adults and the ones of the children are small compared to the standard deviations. But they indicate that the maximum SAR in 1 g of peripheral brain tissues of the child models aged between 5 and 8 years is about two times higher than in adult models. This difference is not observed for the child models of children above 8 years old: the maximum SAR in 1 g of peripheral brain tissues is about the same as the one in adult models. Such differences can be explained by the lower thicknesses of pinna, skin and skull of the younger child models.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Should we tell the truth all the time?

When I was young, sometimes if I did something wrong, I will try to say a lie to cover my mistake to avoid penalty. However, when I am growing up, as I witnessed more about people’s lives of success and failure, especially two huge events happened to my country; I realized that we need to be honest all the time though the honest will leads some negative effects.

First of all, being honest can save people’s lives. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which measured at 8.3 magnitudes, became one of the most tragic disasters for China. The earthquake not only caused nearly 90,000 people dead, but also left 4.8 million people homeless. Although Chinese government realized that the seriousness of the disaster in the fear that other counties’ companies may stop investing in Sichuan, the government insisted to publicize all the details about the earthquake to the domestic and foreigner media soon after it broke out. Just 90 minutes after the earthquake, Premier Wen Jiabao flew to the earthquake area to oversee the rescue work; only within four hours of the temblor occurring, Rescue parties arrived in the afflicted region. Its "openness" during the media covering of the Sichuan earthquake led public to know the situation in Sichuan clearly. Fortunately, many domestic and foreigner organizations came to Sichuan to help homeless people step out of the plight. The honest saved lots of lives in this disaster.

On the contrast, telling a lie may cause worse result. SRAS, one of the most disastrous pandemic in 2003 in china, is the best example to support my opinion. SARS caused more than one thousand deaths in China in nearly half a year. At the initial stage, the government tried to conceal from the world the seriousness of this virus in the fear that foreigner tourists would change their plans visit to China. So the reporters’ voice was prohibited and all the news about the gravity of this fair was blocked officially. For instance, in early 2003 the number of patients who infected in Beijing was publicized as 37, in the fact the true number was more than tenth of that. As a result, the public didn’t regard this dangerous pandemic seriously but thought optimistically that the circumstances would be better spontaneously. Unfortunately, citizens, lacking of adequate information and unaware of the serious pandemic, were infected and even died due to such fake “optimism” of the Chinese government. The problem was soon out of control when increasing number of cases was found.

If the government was honest to the public, we solved the problem as quick as we can, otherwise the disaster was enlarged. Compared the different behavior China did and the oppsite results we got when China faced these two disaster, I conclude that we need to be honest all the time though we will be punished.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

C&E outline

Cause and effect outline
The effects of studying in America
Thesis statement: studying in America makes me become different from those contemporary students who study in china, because I am becoming more independent, having more perspective insight of international dimension and knowing more friends from all over the world

1st paragraph:
Since I left my parents to come to United States and begin to solve all the problems occurred in the daily life by myself, I am becoming more independent.
1. In the study, I chose the major that I really like, and scheduled the course that fulfill the requirement. I began to make the decision by myself.
2. In the daily life, I brought everything that I need in the daily life, tried to find a prefect apartment and arranged the time appropriately and reasonably.
3. Leaving my parents, I began to make decision by myself and to think about my future seriously.

2nd paragraph
When I study in America, I can learn more knowledge from the international foresight.
1. The professors in USA will talk the issue that happens all over the world.
2. I can learn more things about western culture. And I can acquire lots about the way American think and how to analyze the problem, which is more precise than Chinese do.
3. Staying in America, I can know more about how westerners think about Asians, so that I can realize which disadvantages we have.

3rd paragraph
I can have more friends who are from different part of world, so that I can have a broader network.
1. Since America is an immigrant state, different races and distinctive cultures converge in this country. As a result, I can know much more different people with totally different background.
2. With the help of knowing different people from all over the world, I will have a broader network for my career improvement.

Conclusion:
Due to the decision that study in America, I becoming different with my friends in china in mainly three different fields that I am becoming independent, having more international insight and knowing more friends with different backgrounds.

C&C outline

Compare and contrast outline
Shopping online and traditional shopping
Nowadays, online shopping is a novel way to buy stuff, which is very different from traditional shopping in several aspects, including price, convenience and choices.

1st paragraph: price
Shopping online is always cheaper than traditional shopping.
1. Buying goods online is always tax-free.
Shopping in the mall, we have to pay nearly 10% taxes.
2. The competition among the online shops is much heavily, so the store owners offer us the goods at the lower price.
Sometimes big malls monopolizes in one place, so the price will keep high.
3. When we buy goods online, the store owners will pay the shipping fee.
If we go shopping in the mall, we need to spend much more money on transportation of taking bus or driving there.

2nd paragraph: convenience
Shopping online is much more convenient than traditional shopping.
1. We can sit in front of computer without going out but buy everything produced all around world.
We have to spend lots of time to search a good mall and how to arrive there. And we have to drive car or take bus to go there.
2. We can compare the goods online easily. We can enter the word that we want to buy on the website, and the list of all the goods at different prices will appear.
In the mall, we have to go to different shops to choose which one is better.
3. Buying goods online, we have to wait for several days until the goods mail to our home.
Shopping in the mall, we can use it as soon as we buy.

3rd paragraph
Shopping online offers much more choices.
1. Internet transfer information much more quickly.
2. Shopping online, we can take a look in thousands of online shops so that we can make good choice.
But in the mall, we only can search the goods in much less shops.
3. We have to image how we will look like when we turn the clothes on when we shopping online.
In the mall, we can fit on the clothing to compare which one is better.

Conclusion:
Shopping online enables us buy goods at lower price, offer us the more convenient way to shopping and provide more choices, which are totally different from traditional shopping and also benefits us a lot.