Help Astronomers Classify Galaxies

The world of science is one of careful measurements and analysis. Theres so much scientific data available to scientists today across all disciplines that some of it had to wait for a scientist to get to it. In recent decades, the scientific community has been turning to citizen scientists to help them analyze it. In particular, the worlds astronomers have a rich treasury of information and imaging available and are working with citizen volunteers and observers to help them sift through it all   In astronomy, not only are they working together on analysis, but in some projects, amateur observers are using their telescopes to observe objects of interest to professionals.   Welcome to Citizen Science Citizen science brings people of all walks of life together to do important work in such diverse disciplines as astronomy, biology, zoology, and others. The degree of participation is really up to the volunteer whos interested in helping out. It also depends on the projects needs. For example, in the 1980s, amateur astronomers banded together with astronomers to do a massive imaging project focused on Comet Halley. For two years, these observers took pictures of the comet and forwarded them to a group at NASA for digitization. The resulting International Halley Watch showed astronomers that there were qualified amateurs out there, and luckily they had good telescopes. It also brought a whole new generation of citizen scientists into the limelight. Nowadays there are various citizen science projects available, and in astronomy, they literally let anyone with a computer or a telescope (and some free time) explore the universe. For astronomers, these projects get them access to amateur observers and their telescopes, or people with some computer savvy to help them work through mountains of data. And, for the participants, these projects give an exclusive look at some pretty fascinating objects.   Opening the Floodgates of Science Data Several years ago a group of astronomers opened up an endeavor called Galaxy Zoo  to public access. Today, its called Zooniverse.org, an online portal where participants look at images of various subjects and help analyze them. For astronomers, it includes images taken by survey instruments such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which is a massive imaging and spectrographic survey of the sky done by instruments in the northern and southern hemisphere. The idea for the original Galaxy Zoo was to check out images of galaxies from surveys and help classify them. There are trillions of galaxies. In fact, the universe IS galaxies, out as far as we can detect. To understand how galaxies form and evolve over time, its important to classify them by their galaxy shapes and types. This is what Galaxy Zoo and now Zooniverse asked its users to do: classify galaxy shapes. Galaxies typically come in a number of shapes — astronomers refer to this as galaxy morphology. Our own Milky Way Galaxy is a barred spiral, meaning it is spiral-shaped with a bar of stars, gas, and dust across its center. There are also spirals without bars, as well as elliptical (cigar-shaped) galaxies of varying types, spherical galaxies, and irregularly shaped ones.   People can still classify galaxies on Zooniverse, as well as other objects and not just in science. The system trains users in what to look for, no matter what the subject is, and after that, its citizen science.   A Zooniverse of Opportunity Zooniverse  today includes research areas on a wide array of topics in astronomy. It includes such sites as Radio Galaxy Zoo, where participants check out galaxies that emit large amounts of radio signals, Comet Hunters, where users scan images to spot comets, Sunspotter (for solar observers tracking sunspots), Planet Hunters (who search out worlds around other stars), Asteroid Zoo and others. Beyond astronomy, users can work on Penguin Watch, Orchid Observers, Wisconsin Wildlife Watch, Fossil Finder, Higgs Hunters, Floating Forests, Serengeti Watch, and projects in other disciplines.   Citizen science has become a huge part of the scientific process, contributing to advances in many areas. As it turns out, Zooniverse is just the tip of the iceberg! Other groups have also put together citizen science initiatives, including Cornell University.   All are easy to join, and participants will find that  their time and attention really DO make a difference, both to scientists and as contributors to the worlds general level of scientific knowledge and education.

Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, by...

The Puritan life, although simple, demanded diligence both mentally and spiritually which put stress on even the most faithful of followers. Although the common practice entailed brushing religious struggles under the rug, few writers bravely wrote of their religious doubts and endeavors to become better Puritans. Author Anne Bradstreet shows in her work â€Å"Here Follows Some Verse upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th, 1666† that religious struggles are often met by Puritans and it takes brave souls to admit their difficult time with their religion. This poem shows a woman dealing with a religious crisis and how even though she struggles her faith still holds strong in the end. Bradstreet’s poem displays a crisis of faith in her content†¦show more content†¦These material items have become physical representations of the memories Bradstreet created with them so the loss is a tragic psychological event. This quote also represents the struggles that the aut hor had with the non-materialistic Puritan lifestyle. She has put so much emphases on her material possession that she has lost sight of what is truly important, which is God. The content expressed in this poem mirrors the materialistic struggles most Puritans felt with their faith at one point or another. Bradstreet makes a point to show her thought process of returning to the Puritan mindset when she begins to question herself in her poem. The following is an example: â€Å"The straight I ‘gin my heart to chide,/And did they wealth on earth abide?/Didst fix thy hope on mold’ring dust?/The arm of flesh didst make they trust?† (37-40). The repetitive notion of the author questioning herself allows the reader to see into her thought process regarding her current struggle with her beliefs. The author includes this process in the poem to enable the reader to fully understand her way of thinking and ultimately makes her writing more relatable. Bradstreet develops the content of the poem to show her external struggle to release her material possessions and focus on the process of regaining her Puritan beliefs, however, the form of the poem speaks louder to her unwavering internal faith. There is evidenceShow MoreRelatedThe Puritan Views Of Puritans860 Words   |  4 Pagespractice of religious freedom for others. The Puritan influence enabled conformist tendencies based around a religious moral code which did not tolerate for deviation of Puritan beliefs that ultimately sacrificed individualism. The banishment of Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams, due to beliefs that differed from the Puritan’s, exemplified the intolerance of individualism as accounted for in The Journal of John Winthrop. Roger Williams had been â€Å"condemned† (Winthrop 106) by â€Å"the most judiciousRead MoreAnalysis Of Anne Bradstreet And Edward Taylor1157 Words   |  5 PagesAnne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor are two of the most distinguished and fervent Puritan poets. Yet this similarity has proven to be one of the few, if not only between these two. One cannot help but find it intriguing that poets who belong to the same religious group and style would write so differently. Many of these differences are not even subtle or hidden beneath the text itself. The differences themselves hold implications and ideas that differ between each poet. The first difference whichRead MoreUpon the Burning of Our House3058 Words   |  13 PagesUpon the Burning of Our House by Anne Bradstreet LITERARY FOCUS: THE PLAIN STYLE The Puritans favored â€Å"plainness† in all things: in dress, in the architecture and design of their churches, in their forms of worship, and in language. Unlike the ornate â€Å"high style† popular in England at the time, the Puritan plain style used simple sentences and common words from everyday speech. The plain style contained few or no classical allusions, Latin quotations, or elaborate figures of speech. The plainRead MoreAnne Bradstreet Essay1423 Words   |  6 Pagesgreat poets from this time era was Anne Bradstreet who wrote about her children, husband, and parents. Anne Bradstreet blended her domestic life with theological imagery in every poem she did, explaining that her grandchildren were merely lent to her but essentially belonged to God, and expressing her gratitude for her parents whom she could never repay for the gift of life. In the following article Latta, Kimberly. â€Å"Such is My Bond: Maternity and Economy in Anne Bradstreet’s Writing s† Latta breaksRead MoreUpon The Burning Of Our House By Edward Taylor1240 Words   |  5 Pagescontrast Anne Bradstreet s poem Upon the Burning of Our House with Edward Taylor s poem Prologue. The poems under discussion are Anne Bradstreet s poem Upon the Burning of Our House and Edward Taylor s poem Prologue. Taylor’s poem focused on the question that is: can any author be equal to god’s grace? In the first line, he compares himself to the crumb of dust which means he is indirectly saying that he is nothing compare to the brilliant creations of God. He also gave some examplesRead MoreThe Cry For God In Anne Bradstreets Burning House909 Words   |  4 Pagestoday. Anne Bradstreet’s poem, â€Å"Burning House†, examines pure faith and the cry for God’s love in a time of need. Alongside of the poem from 1666, the movie ‘Courageous’, produced by Stephen Kendrick, represents during a tragedy, it is not always easy to keep a focused mind on the Lord, but the most significant way to be led through a tough time, is to praise the Lord. Anne Bradstreet’s poem and the movie ‘Courageous’, shows the relentless love from the Lord in a time of an aching heart. Anne Bradstreet’sRead MoreAnne Bradstreet : A New World And New Manners Essay1902 Words   |  8 PagesAnne Bradstreet struggled entering Puritan society and submitting to the demands of the new society. When arriving in Massachusetts, Bradstreet ‘found a new world and new manners’ which she did not understand and found difficulty adjusting to. The conflict between Bradstreet’s desire to rebel and the Puritan belief is seen throughout her poetry. Focusing on two of her poems, In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old and Here FollowsRead More Anne Bradstreet as First American Feminist Essay1763 Words   |  8 PagesAnne Bradstreet as First American Feminist Feminism today remains prominent because even while women’s rights are very strong, women are still fighting for equality every day. In the time of Anne Bradstreet, women had few rights and they were seen as inferior to men. Anne lived among the puritans whom ruled her everyday life. Although it was against the puritan code for women to receive an education, Bradstreet’s father, Thomas Dudley, loved his daughter dearly and made sure that she wasRead MoreEssay on Values In Early American Literature1346 Words   |  6 Pagesthat anger. Here Edwards speaks of those who have not confessed to being born again in the eyes of God and sinners within the church. The Puritan religion was the basis for other works such as Anne Bradstreet. And to my God my heart did cry, to strengthen me in my distress, and not leave me succorless. This is from a poem called, Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10 1666. This particular piece entails the happenings of the Bradstreet homestead burning. During this difficultRead MoreColonial America: Founding the Dream Essay example1742 Words   |  7 PagesDutchfication taking place throughout their youth and culture and decided to venture out to the New World where they could practice their religion with no outside influence corrupting their system. The Pilgrims journey to the New World introduced a new aspect upon the defining of the American Dream in which they not only escaped persecution but also were capable of establishing a way of life unhindered by surrounding cultures. Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans fled Europe for religious freedom in the New world

Obesity A Huge Strain On The Nhs - 1543 Words

Obesity in the UK is proving to be a huge strain on the NHS, as individuals tend to have multiple comorbidities associated with being overweight. Bariatric surgery has been found to be an effective way of managing the financial strain by reducing the incidence of comorbidities in individuals’ post-surgical weight loss. Factors such as Human Rights Law, the NHS constitution and the Bioethical principals for good practice point to the benefits for all morbidly obese patients to be provided with bariatric surgery, however there are further opinions to suggest this is only treating the symptom and not the cause. In the UK 26% of men and 24% of women are classed as obese with 2% of men and 4% of women classed as morbidly obese. Obesity is†¦show more content†¦6 However, despite this less than 1% of patients in the UK who could benefit from bariatric surgery end up getting treatment with numbers of bariatric surgery falling 31% from 8794 operations between 2011-2012 to 6032 operations in 2014-2015. 7 There is a requirement for patients to show their commitment to losing weight, and the approval process can be long and drawn out depending on each local trusts policy. Some experts have stated that the high BMI cut off may have caused some patients to gain weight in order to be eligible and that despite the cost savings, the NHS may have the wrong priority when patients with cancer are being refused certain treatments due to cost whilst obese patients have made themselves ill through choice.8 This opinion has been challenged by both ethics campaigners and legal rights activists. Under the Human Rights Act, there are â€Å"protected† characteristics such as age, disability and race that offer legal protection against discrimination etc. There has been a campaign lately to include obesity as a protected characteristic for freedom from discrimination. 9 The European Court of Justice made a decision in FOA, acting on behalf of Karsten Kaltoft v

The Enron And Arthur Anderson Scandal - 1758 Words

According to Ronald F. Duska and Brenda S. Duska, the auditing profession has come under extreme criticism since the Enron/Arthur Anderson scandal came to light. This scandal took the financial industry and the business world by surprise due to the respect and value that Arthur Anderson commanded at the time and also considering the size and magnitude of the client involved, Enron. Arthur Anderson was one of the big five accounting firms in the world who engages in financial audits world over. These audits to the financial statements of Multinational Corporation like Enron are done with a single core purpose in mind, which is to express an opinion on the financial health of the corporation. These opinions according to the authors are very†¦show more content†¦The auditing profession by nature entails a person to be as trustworthy as they can possibly be since the need to be free from â€Å"undue influence† is not only expected but should exceed all expectations. The n eed for an auditor to have a clear mind, free from all distractions, can be compared to a surgeon attempting to perform a high-risk surgery where his actions would ultimately determine whether the person undergoing the surgery lives or dies. Saving lives is a universal principal and almost everyone acts upon it and so we have more lives saved than lost. Similarly stakeholders’ trust that auditors will act with integrity and honesty, which will enable them to see beyond the greed of money, therefore, act in the appropriate manner that will sustain the livelihood of the stakeholders. Relating to the importance of honesty, the authors highlighted Immanuel Kant theory, ‘Kant’s first categorical imperative, the universalizability principle: ‘act so you can will the maxim of your actions to be a universal law.’ Which supports the notion that it is also in the best interest for auditors to be ethical and trustworthy in order to sustain the functions of audi ting. For example, if every auditor was to engage in dishonesty and unethical practices, they run a high risk of undermining the confidence and trust that stakeholders have placed on them. Without this public trust, the whole institution ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Analysis of the Enron/Arthur Anderson Scandal1558 Words   |  7 PagesEnron and Arthur Anderson were both giants in their own industry. Enron, a Texas based company in the energy trading business, was expanding rapidly in both domestic and global markets. Arthur Anderson, LLC. (Anderson), based out of Chicago, was well established as one of the big five accounting firms. But the means by which they achieved this status became questionable and eventually contributed to their demise. Enron used what if often referred to as â€Å"creative† accounting methods, this resultedRead MoreEssay on The Consequences of Bad Business Decisions1304 Words   |  6 PagesIn todays world business is very competitive. To compete wit h other companys executives have turned to corrupt practices. Once respected businesses like Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Anderson have been found deceiving there customers, stockholders, and employees. C.E.O.s try to achieve the American dream and pursue capitalism to its fullest potential. In doing so, business leaders have lost their values and ethics, and make bad business decisions. The downfalls of a company are the consequence ofRead MoreRise Fall of Arthur Andersen, LLP1016 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ March 4, 2014 Rise Fall of Arthur Andersen, LLP Abstract Enron was a natural gas company that was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay. By 1992, Enron was the largest selling company of natural gas in North America. In October 2001 a scandal involving Enron was emerging. This scandal led to the fall of the company. The Enron case and many others cases led to the collapse of other companies that did business with them which included oneRead MoreAuditor Choice and Institutional Investor Choice after the Enron Scandal. 618 Words   |  3 Pagesdeveloping market. However, the fall of Enron at the end of 2001 give impacts to the choice of auditor in the French firm. Arthur Anderson, ex Big 5 auditor firm play significant role in collapse of Enron. Based on the history, the Enron Corporation started in 1985, and became a leader in distribution of natural gas pipeline in the United States. Still, in 2001, Enron revealed to be engaged in creative accounting and deceive their investor. In addition, Arthur Anderson independence also being questionedRead MoreThe Downfall of Enron1573 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Enron: The fallout from the accounting scandal Determine the primary factors that contributed to the downfall of Enrons financial practices Corporate managers are expected to maximize investor returns while complying with regulatory standards, avoiding principal-agent conflicts of interest, and enhancing the reputational capital of their firms (Patrick Shearer 2002). Before its demise, the energy company Enron was envied for its burgeoning balance sheets. However, gradually it emerged thatRead MoreEnron Company : The United States History1707 Words   |  7 PagesEnron company was created in 1985 out of Texas. The company was in the business of natural-gas pipelines. Eventually they merged with InterNorth and their business shifted towards other natural gas productions. They began to trade natural gas and electricity, which resulted in their biggest growth driver for their company. Enron was not only top in the country, but in the world they were known for their business’s success. In the year of 2000 they hit number seven on the fortune 500 list. AtRead MoreEnron s Financial Fraud And Corporate Fraud1700 Words   |  7 Pages Years ago, a series of financial frauds and collapses was occurs in United States. Includes Enron, Global Crossing, Worldcom, Healthsouth, AIG and Lehman Brothers scandals. In the American capital market, the investors abandoned a number of large listed companies leads to the bankruptcy for those companies. The corporate frauds not only deceive investors, but also make oneself paid a heavy price. At the same time, it not only harm the capital market, but also caused a significant impact on AmericanRead MoreEnrons Business Ethics Failure1485 Words   |  6 PagesContent 1. Overview ............................................................................................3 2. The Fall of Enron ...............................................................................4 3. Enrons ethical dilemmas ..................................................................6 4. Conslucions .......................................................................................7 5. Bibliography .....................................................Read MoreCorporate Culture Of Enron And Bankruptcy1327 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The case study is about Enron and about their biggest failure that lead the company towards bankruptcy. Enron got bankrupt to the extent that was no point of returning back and reversing its wrong doings. The only thing that the company had to think about was how to return the losses of its creditors. Enron Corp. was left with $12 billion in assets which was to be distributed among more than 20,000 creditors. Around 80% of creditors of Enron backed the long-awaited reorganization planRead MoreThe Collapse Of Enron And Enron1365 Words   |  6 PagesTwo organizations that will live on in infamy in the business world are World Com and Enron. These names are synonymous with the largest corporate scandals in US history. Their failure to live by ethical and moral codes resulted in bankruptcy, large financial losses to employees and shareholders as well criminal penalties. Additionally, these deviations from ethical behavior from several related parties shined a light on the account ing profession and resulted in several changes in the industry

Organizational Databases Free Essays

Organizational Databases Randal Chatman University of Phoenix CIS 207 Information System Fundamentals Carlos Andrade December 19, 2011 Abstract This paper is designed to discuss the structure and use of a database system that is currently being used by a nationally recognized telecommunications and entertainment company. It will contain information about the specific type of database that is being used by this company. According to Webopedia, â€Å"a database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a  computer  program  can quickly  select  desired pieces of  data. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Databases or any similar topic only for you Order Now You can think of a  database  as an electronic filing  system† (Database, 2011). Every company has some type of database system that holds information that needs to be accessed regularly by the employees to be used to complete a task or goal. There will be some recommendations of improvements to the company procedures of the use of the described database. Organizational Database Now that we are in the computer age we no longer need to use a pen and a sheet of paper to write down information that we will need to refer back to in the future. Nor will we need to use a filing system with folders and large clunky file cabinets to store company information. In today’s business world companies use databases to store company information and keep it organized. What exactly is a database? According to Webopedia, â€Å"a database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a  computer  program  can quickly  select  desired pieces of  data. You can think of a  database  as an electronic filing  system† (Database, 2011). Companies in today’s business world use databases to organize various types of information for the benefit and use of its employees to complete a task. In order for computers to access the database, it will need a database application. â€Å"A database application is a computer program whose primary purpose is entering and retrieving information from a computer managed database† (Database Application, 2011). There are several types of data base applications such as Microsoft Access, Oracle, and My SQL. Oracle is a database application that we will look at in a little more detail as it pertains to a specific department of nationally recognized business. Oracle has been around and creating database technology for over 30 years. When it comes to using Oracle with the department mentioned. It is mainly used to maintain and organize an inventory or devices that are being sold to the public. These devices include cell phones, tablets, computers, and a wide variety of accessories for the higher priced merchandise. Oracle keeps a count of the exact number of a particular product the department has. The products are organized in two categories. The first category is called serialized items which contains everything with a serial number. The serialized items are also the most expensive items in the department. Of course all these items have a model name and number but in order to keep track, these items have sku number associated with them. The sku numbers in the serialized category all begin with a 6. This is a way to prevent confusion when it comes to what goes where. The second category is called non-serialized items which contains items without a serial number. These items are also assigned a sku number and these numbers begin with a 7 or a 4. The Oracle database is masked by the department’s point of sale system. This was designed so that there is a smooth communication between what is sold and what is still in inventory. The database system is a companywide used system and is also used to access inventories of various locations in order to transfer products back and forth. This helps when one location is out or has low quantities of a product and may need additional units. Of course there are times when all great database systems have issues that may affect the workplace. Because the Oracle database system runs behind OPUS which is the point of sale system it can affect potential sales within the organization. Serialized items cannot be sold when the database is down because the specific serial numbers must be removed from the system. Non-serialized items can continue to be sold because they are only counted by their sku only and there are not any specific serial numbers associated with those sku’s. A recommendation for improvement is to develop a backup database that will supplement when the main database crashes. By having this in place, it can improve the amount of down time that is associated with inventory count information. Businesses across the country are using databases to store company information and keep this information as organized as possible. Database applications have made this process easier by allowing these businesses to have access to the information they need daily. Though all businesses use databases for different reasons, databases are now a necessity for a successful organization to thrive in today’s business world. References Database. (2011). Webopedia. Retrieved from http://www. webopedia. com/TERM/D/database. html Database Application. (2011). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Database_application How to cite Organizational Databases, Papers

The Impact of Price and Tobacco Control Policies

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Price and Tobacco Control Policies. Answer: Price elasticity of demand Price elasticity of demand measures the economic relationship between the changes in quantity demand for a product and the change in its price to define the price sensitivity. It is measured by considering the percentage change in demand and percentage change in the price of such product (Thimmapuram Kim, 2013). Accordingly, if the percentage change on price of the product is small against the high percentage change in demand of product quantity, then the product is said to have price elasticity of demand. On the other hand, if the percentage change on price of product is high while the percentage change in quantity demand is low then the product is not responsive to the price change and regarded as inelastic (Coglianese et al., 2016). For the products like tobacco or cigarettes, product is not responsive to the change in price since, consumption level of tobacco is not affected at high percentage due to increase in its price. As the individuals are addicted to consume tobacco, change in price does not affect the consumption level hence price elasticity for the product reflects less than one and the product is said to be relatively inelastic (Lin Prince, 2013). Similarly, cigarette products fall in the same category as the product is consumed by people out of addiction hence, increase in price due to increase of duties and taxes does not decrease the consumption level at large. Products Percentage change in quantity demand percentage change in the price Price elasticity of demand Addictive product (tobacco/ Cigarettes) 5% fall 16% increase 0.31 Substitute products (soup, chocolates) 70% decrease 20% increase 3.5 Luxury products (Smartphone) 35% increase 15% fall 2.30 In case of products having substitute products, price elasticity of demand represents change in consumption level at high percentage due to change in price structure (Huang, Tauras Chaloupka, 2014). In case of appetizer product for instance, Heinz soup, demand for the product consumption will fall at large if the price of soup rises because the product has several substitute products and consumers will switch to cheaper variety of products. Considering the graph, it can be noted that if the rise in price of Heinz soup amounts to 20% whereas the decrease in demand of the soup is 70%, then the price elasticity of demand for soup is 3.5. Similarly, for the chocolate products, if price of dairy milk rises, consumption will fall at higher rate as there are several alternatives for chocolates hence, the price elasticity of demand for chocolate is said to be elastic. On the contrary, price elasticity for luxury products is positive because if the price of electronic goods for example, smart phones, decreases, demand for the product will be elastic at 2.30 higher than one. Due to price decline, consumption level will increase at high percentage and the product will be responsive to the change in price (Coglianese et al., 2016). In view of the above table, it can be said that the price elasticity of demand is affected by the determinants of consumers income and necessity other than the substitute goods. References Coglianese, J., Davis, L. W., Kilian, L., Stock, J. H. (2016). Anticipation, tax avoidance, and the price elasticity of gasoline demand.Journal of Applied Econometrics. Huang, J., Tauras, J., Chaloupka, F. J. (2014). The impact of price and tobacco control policies on the demand for electronic nicotine delivery systems.Tobacco control,23(suppl 3), iii41-iii47. Lin, C. Y. C., Prince, L. (2013). Gasoline price volatility and the elasticity of demand for gasoline.Energy Economics,38, 111-117. Thimmapuram, P. R., Kim, J. (2013). Consumers' price elasticity of demand modeling with economic effects on electricity markets using an agent-based model.IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid,4(1), 390-397.