Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 56

Journal - Essay Example I lived with friends, so the rent I was paying was quite a bargain. I was driven and started looking for work immediately. After two months of desperate searching I landed in a travel agency as a sales consultant. The job was an hour and a half away by public transport and I had to change 2 trains and a bus in order to get there. I started at 10 and finished at 7 with an hour lunch break. I was waking up 7.30, getting dressed out of the door by 8, to ensure that I was there at least 10 minutes before my shift and had enough time to buy breakfast before work. I never finished at 7 pm. Sometimes I had to stay until 8, so until I got home it was a good 9.30 pm. I was also required to work on Saturdays 3 times a month. I managed to stay at this job for 2 months. I couldnt handle the 3 hours travelling any longer, the low salary and 6 days work commitment. This was one of the most demanding and exhausting jobs I ever had. An anecdotal experience was when a customer called while I was still working for the travel agency asking to book a holiday to Luxor. We were talking for about 45 minutes about pyramids, night life, pools and kids activities. I was just confirming the flights to Las Vegas, when the customer interrupted me very bewildered. It turned out that, he wanted to go to Luxor in Egypt and I was talking about the hotel Luxor in Las Vegas. Funnily, the customer recommended me to his brother and in few days he called to book Las Vegas – hotel Luxor. I was working at a very busy and hectic call centre. There were always new employees coming and leaving. It was difficult to handle 3 different work shits covering 24 hours. One day, a couple came along and the manager introduced them to the floor. They will be starting work in few days. They used to work for the call centre few years ago, but moved to another town and now they decided to come back. The conflict arose when the couple informed the manager that they preferred to sit together. There werent any

Modernism Visual Comical Strips Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Modernism Visual Comical Strips - Research Paper Example The essay "Modernism Visual Comical Strips" discovers modernism and visual comical strips. The modernism arts focused on freedom and individuality as evidence from Pablo Picasso’s art works. Modernism art, therefore, saw the emergence of some new media especially photography thus it emerged during the eras of history of photography and this explains why history records the photographers of 19th century. Modernism also marked the beginning of the new art forms like animation, assemblage, cinematography and even the avant-garde art, including the earliest conceptual art forms and the same style was used on comic strips as the same themes are portrayed in the modernism cartoons and other visual comedy. Style and setting of modernism comical strips used backgrounds that showed how the society evolved to become civilized. In most modernism comedies, the artists used black and white backgrounds to show an evolving society unlike the postmodernist artists that have used technology to affect the backgrounds to the desired colors. On the other hand, most of the modernism comedies centered on war and how servants served their masters. Moreover, modernism visual comedy shows the activities of social organization, architecture, and economic situations in the modernist era that become outdated as industrial revolution took over the world. Post modernism art came about after the emergence of modernism arts and as such, contradicted the aspects of the modernism art. Post modernism in visual art includes general aspects.

Analyse the effects of education on the developing countries Essay Example for Free

Analyse the effects of education on the developing countries Essay Analyse the effects of education on the developing countries Development is one of the themes of modern society and there are a variety of elements influencing the development. Many countries experience declares that education gradually play a more and more vital role in development. Education policies which depend on the specific national conditions can lead to a different result. Overall, primary education may be a key to promote the influence including population, health and economic growth. Secondary education not only provides some skilled workers to society, but also is the foundation of higher education. When the country tries to develop the high-tech economy and to transform the social structure, the tertiary education will make a necessary and positive effect on its development. In the education system, basic education is the foundation of secondary and tertiary education. But primary education is not only a part of the education system. It is a very important element which impact on the level of mass culture, Social stability, economic development, population growth and public health. These parts and primary education are interrelated and interact on each other. It is an efficient way to develop these together and lead to a steady and rapid development of society by improving basic education. To make it clear we can put it into a chart(see appendix 1). There are 800 million illiterate adults who are very hard to find a high-income job in the earth, although the world develops rapidly. To solve this problem, universal basic education is a prime way. For example through popularize basic education farmers are able to read the instruction of fertilizer and some agriculture machine, which has an obvious effect in increase of agricultural productivity (Brown, 2008). The situation in industry is similar because of the higher efficiency. There is no doubt that mass culture level and economic growth would also get ahead because of this. In this respect, both Bangladesh and Iran can serve as models which have successful adult literacy programs (Brown, 2008). Widening gap between rich and poor is a source of instability of society (Brown, 2008), while primary education is an important way to narrow it. In most instances, especially for those countries whose rich-poor gap is it is enormous, it is a key to improve the living standard of the poor by universal basic education. Education could also decrease the crime rate (Stephen, Linda, 2003). Therefore, the narrower Rich-poor gap can provide a steady social surrounding in order to a better foundation for economic growth. Economic growth also has feedback in education. When government has enough money to invest to the education, the better education surrounding and higher teacher level would surely improve education, and finally reach a benign circulation. It is justification for public spending on education, because it is based on the high social rate of return. The study shows that investment of primary education can bring the highest social rate of return, followed by secondary and tertiary education (Gupta et al,2004) For developing countries, overpopulation is usually regarded as a basic and important problem. The increase of population would Significant bring the decrease of per capita resource, which also brings huge stress on environment and government. To solve this problem, it is a basic way to spread basic education especially for women. If girls accept more education, they would marry later, and have fewer children, which is a win-win-win situation (Plan 2008). Furthermore, they will have a higher expect and more requirements on their children. Meanwhile, they would focus more on their children’s quality instead of quantity. No doubt that this situation has a positive effect on Population quality Education also has a great effect on public health. First point, Use female education as an example, data shows that there is obvious relationship between educational attainment of mothers and mortality rates of under-5 children (Unicef, 2005). They are also more likely to have healthier children (World Bank, 2008). For the adult, once they receive more medical knowledge, the chances of infection by various diseases get significantly lower. For example, the best way to cure disease like AIDS is teach people how to prevent it. Health also has effect on education. In this aspect, Health and poverty usually work together. In poor areas, children usually hungry or ill, so it is hard for them to have a good state to study. Secondary education, linking primary and tertiary, is the easiest to be undervalued. Occasionally people purely regard lower-secondary as the continuance of basic education and upper-secondary as the preparation of higher education, and the effect of secondary education itself is ignored. However, data given by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of Austrian Academy of Sciences shows that secondary education provides a big boost to economic growth in low-income countries. The annual GDP growth  rates in a country with half population in secondary and universal primary (13%) is twice as much as that in one with merely universal primary (6. 5%) (Lutz et al, 2008). Another research suggests the return of secondary education is 18. 2% for men and 17. 0% for woman (Goh Gopinathan, 2008). Education begins to differentiate at secondary level, upper-secondary especially. Usually secondary education is classified into academic secondary and vocational secondary. Academic secondary education is mainly pre-tertiary education and sometimes pre-vocational education. Graduates from academic secondary school are easier to find a ‘white-collar’ job, which is believed to be safe, comfortable and well-paid in Asia (Goh Gopinathan, 2008; Holsinger Cowell, 2000). Students in Asian are fond of academic secondary schooling due to the preference for ‘white-collar’ jobs, but all students are not suitable for academic secondary education. Vocational secondary schooling, which is specifically aimed at job skills, may be more beneficial to other students. Despite of low matriculate quality, many Asian countries seems still successful in vocational secondary education, Singapore for example. Since 1964, Singapore offered vocational secondary education to students who fail in entering academic secondary school. Because of vocational schooling, many of them master some basic skills, become skilled workers and find a job. When Singapore developed labor-intensive industries and were in huge demand for labor in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, vocational secondary schooling provided large quantities of workers for nation. Simultaneously, as the low mark students are matriculated in schools instead of coming into society too early, they are protected from unhealthy practices in society (Holsinger Cowell, 2000). As vocational secondary education help people to find a work, it also decreases unemployment rate. In Africa, a good illustration of success in training programs is Zambia. Most training graduates can be employed in half a year. Unfortunately, in most of Africa where vocational training remains in low quality, graduates from training school still have difficulty in obtaining employment. Namibian for example, five years after graduation, the unemployment rate of graduates is as high as one fourth. That means vocational secondary education is ineffective when it is in poor quality (Kingombe, 2008). Like academic secondary education, vocational secondary education can also be provision for post-secondary education. In Singapore, after four years of vocational secondary education in the Normal Technical (NT) streams, most NT students enter the Institute of Technical Education to receive ‘high-tech’ education since 1992 (Goh Gopinathan, 2008). secondary education provides high return at low cost. Academic secondary education sometimes seems still expensive and indirect to occupation, while vocational secondary education significantly increases the quality of workforce and the employment rate. Many poor countries with a scarcity of educational resource cannot afford to invest higher education. Therefore, secondary education may be the most cost-effective choice (Lutz et al, 2008; Goh Gopinathan, 2008; Holsinger Cowell, 2000). Tertiary education can play a vital role in the country’s development. However, only the appropriate policy of tertiary education can make great positive effect on the development. South Korea is a good case in point. The very important prerequisites whether the policy of the tertiary education is efficient and suitable is basis: average education level; economic level and so on. Before the Korea War (1950-1953), Korea’s industrialism had just started? (Sacad and Shaw, 1990). The military force not only interrupted the industrialism, but also damaged national economic seriously, remaining the fact that Korea’s per capita gross national product (GNP) was even less than that of the poorest countries, such as Sudan. At this circumstance, South Korean government decided to encourage the massive industries and to recover the nation economic (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2008). To achieve the goal, in the early 1960s, South Korea needed a large number of generally skilled labour? to take part in the industrialism reforming, which was the main reason why the government focused on the development of primary and secondary education in this period of time, which are talked clearly in the last paragraph. Without a solid economic and education foundation, tertiary education can never make an obvious effect on the development. Almost meanwhile, the tertiary education started to grow although the enrolment was far less than that of primary and secondary education. There two reasons why the government didn’t pay too much attention to the tertiary education. First one was the nation’s GDP per was still too low to invest the tertiary education. Second one is that people at that time didn’t receive the universal basic education. Later in the early 1970s the export which focused on light manufacturing and electronic goods accelerated (Kim, 2005), which needed the certain skilled labour. However, the labour who had general education couldn’t match the reality, leading to the result that the government turned to emphasise on the vocational education (Kim, 2005). Developing the tertiary education to produce the adapted labour was urgent. However, because the production didn’t refer to much high-tech, the development of university remained slow while the vocational education greatly expanded. The labour who had received the vocational education helped relieve the talents shortage to support Economic sustainable development effectively. During 1960s-1970s, the nation economic grew rapidly. In mid-1970s-1980s, Korea’s major industry had become heavy and chemical industry and its main export had transformed kinds of like iron industry, shipyard, precision manufacture and so on (Kim, 2005). In this case, the problem of lacking of high-tech talents to support economic was becoming more serious, especially in the engineering and scientific areas. At this circumstance, when the vocational education can not meet the practical needs, the boom of university was inevitable. Hence, the government’s attention and investment in university education increased in the next decade. In addition, the private investment on university education also increased. With the encouraged policy, the universities developed rapidly during 1980s. A study shows, ‘ in the mid-1970s, there were more than 7% of high school graduate who enrolled into the university. Compared to other developed countied, Japan gained the goal in the 1950s, Taiwan in mid-1960s, and the U. S. in the 1930s ‘(Phelps et. Al, 2003; Hayhoe, 1995). It shows that developing the university education is the necessary way for every country which is determined to develop high-tech economic. Some studies point out the technology change which can improve the productivity will make obvious progress or facilitate some new product when the long-term growth is keeping more than 50%. With rapid development of information technology, the economic and social structure is changing day by day. Trade made a active effect in South Koreas export-oriented economy and during 20th century it occurred many problems such as the freedom of the market. When the government noticed the various problems, they realized Korea should become a knowledge-based society and its economic should be the knowledge-based economic. Therefore, university concentrated on the informational technology, such as semiconductor, Information and communication technology, which made a huge progress during this period of time (Kim, 2005). Moreover, computer, cellular phone and memory chip were the major export product, which also showed the transformation of the economic segments. University education plays a more and more important role in the social transformation. The case of South Korea claims that when the general education is already comprehensively done, the appropriate investment and policy on tertiary education will show the effects on the development in an obvious way. The case of South Korea claims that when the general education is already comprehensively done, the appropriate investment and policy on tertiary education will show the effects on the development in an obvious way. In conclusion, primary education fully promotes economy and society in the poorest countries. In slight wealthier countries, secondary education leads to a leap of economy, and paves the way to further promotion. On a solid foundation of primary and secondary education, the developing countries will achieve considerable development with the help of tertiary education. When education is adapted to national conditions, it helps maximum of economic and social development. List of reference Brown, L. (2008) Plan B 3. 0: Mobilizing to save civilization. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Earth policy institute Steurer, Stephen J; Smith, Linda G (2003) Education reduces crime: Three-state Recidivism Study Plan (2008) Playing the Price[online], Available from:http://www. plan. org. au/mediacentre/publications/research/paying_the_price[07 Dec. 2010] Gupta, s. , Verhoeven,M. , Tiongson, E. R. (2004) Helping countries Develop: The role of Fiscal Policy Unicef (2005) Investing in the Children in the Islamic World http://www. unicef. org/pulications/files/Investing_Children_Islamic_World_full_e. pdf [07 Dec. 2010] Lutz, W.and Goujon, A. and KC, S. (2008) Education: the Key to Development. p. 12-15. [oline]. Available from: [9 October 2010] Goh, C. H. Gopinathan, S. (2008) ‘The Development of Education in Singapore Since 1965’. In Lee, S. K, Goh, C. B, Fredrikson, and Birger (ed) Toward a Better Future: Education and Training for Economic Development in Singapore since 1965. The World Bank: 2008. p. 12-38 Holsinger, D. B. Cowell, R. N. (2000) Positioning Secondary School Education in Developing Countries. Paris: December 2000. [Online] Available from: [22 October 2010] Kingombe, C. (2008) ‘Evaluating the Effects of Vocational Training in Africa’. OECD Development Centre Policy Insights. Paris: April 2008. P. 1-3 Encyclopedia of the Nations (2008) Balance of payments Korea, Republic of (ROK) export, growth, power [online]. Available from [8 Dec 2010] S, Kim and Ju-Ho Lee (2004) Changing Facets of Korean Higher Education: Market Competition and the Role of the State* [online] March 2004 Available from : [8 Dec 2010] Bloom, D. Canning, D. Chan, K. (2006) Higher Education and Economic Development in Africa. Washington D. C. Harvard University.

The Global Issue Of Food Shortage Environmental Sciences Essay

The Global Issue Of Food Shortage Environmental Sciences Essay If you have never experienced the pangs of starvation you are luckier than 1.02 billion people that suffer daily. In fact, if you have food in your fridge, clothes on you back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world. The idea of food shortages is sometimes hard to grasp for people who have never experienced this before. Evidently, the gap between the rich and the poor has caused a great inequality in life standards. This gap is magnified greatly when looking at the food shortages and general food distributions around the world. Food shortage occurs when food supplies within a region do not provide the energy and nutrients needed for that regions population. The amount of people suffering from huger today is devastating. Especially due to the fact that our Earth is rich with natural resources; in reality, there is more than enough to provide for every single person in every country across the globe. So we ask ourselves, why are so many people starving? With todays technology and advancements in agriculture and food production, what is our excuse? Why can we not provide an African child with more than one tenth of the amount of food that richer countries take for granted? In the 21st century it is a shame to see that young children are still forced to abandon their education so they can have food on the table. It is a shame to see diseases like malaria and rabies still causing deaths. Why are entire countries still left to live on basic staple foods such as bread and rice? Do we have an excuse? Is it greed, war, lack of stability, lack of international unity? Is that the reason that 1 out 6 people are starving everyday? This report will discuss the terrifying statistics of food shortages around the world. It will explain the causes and the effects of food shortage and explore solutions. Even though food shortage has a long rooted history, it is our job to come together to raise awareness, give support, and find solutions that may give at least one person a better future. Statistics: The United Nations reported that the main cause of mortality is hunger, being responsible for the death of 25,000 people every day. Regrettably, the percentage of children suffering is greater than that of the adults. Altogether, 1.02 billion people do not have enough to eat, this number is more than the populations of USA, Canada and the European Union. 907 million people in developing countries alone are hungry. In fact a whopping 65 percent  of the worlds hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.   The amount of people suffering from malnourishment increased by 75 million in 2007 and 40 million in 2008 mostly due to rising food prices.(Source:  FAO news release,  2006-2008), (Source: The State of Food Insecurity in the World, FAO, 2006-2008). The following charts demonstrate these facts: A study taken in 2005 observes the combined income of the worlds richest individuals and compares it to that of 416 million of the worlds poorest. This study brings to light the following shocking statistics. 982 million people out 4.8 billion living in developing countries live on $1 a day. An additional 2.5 billion live on below $2 a day. The income of 40% of the worlds poorest totaled up to a mere 5% of the worlds income; whereas 20% of the richest population made up 75% of global income. Food shortages in a population are caused either by a lack of food or by difficulties in food distribution. This huge gap in between the rich and the poor contribute greatly to the unfortunate distribution of food. A Timeline of Food Shortage in developing countries: As reported by Oxfam the current food shortages in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are proof that this problem has not been solved and it is indeed still a major world crisis. The past years we have seen prices rising mostly due to the failing economy, before prices increased there were over 850 million people classified as undernourished. Now, that number has nearly reached one billion. This increase is directly influenced by rising prices, alongside other factors such as political conflicts and instability. The Causes of food Shortage: Another major cause for food shortage is natural causes. Water supply in terms of both heavy rainfall and drought are popular culprits. Hurricanes and tornadoes are also common. Along with tsunamis that can easily wipe out entire populations. The causes of food shortage can be categorized into two major factors: physical and biological, political and economical. Physical and Biological Effects on Food Shortage: To determine the food shortage in any country we look at the production level. The production level is mostly determined by the climate and soil type. Across the globe we see a range of various patterns regarding climates. The difference in temperatures and amounts of ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ rainfall are indicators of which organisms are allowed to survive and grow in a certain area. Temperature and rainfall directly influence the type, quantity and the quality of the crops. Alongside these climatic factors is the richness of the lands soil. The production of food varies according to soil structure and fertility but these factors can be modified more easily than factors related to temperature or rainfall. For instance, some tropical soils contain fewer amounts of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which decrease the capacity to absorb fertilizers. One the other hand, other tropical soils contain different amount of nutrients that change its level of absorption or other characteristics. When the agricultural methods and inputs vary, the productivity of the soil differs. Many countries facing the challenge of climate changes overcome this by using techniques that help the soil keep its productivity as required. Some of these techniques are changing the fertilizing rate and monitoring the use of irrigation. When the natural resources in an area are naturally capable of carrying agricultural demands the cost of production is cheaper. None the less, agricultural advancements have made a significantly large difference in the past. In countries where rainfall is rare, such as the deserts of United Arab Emirates, it would still be possible to grow crops that naturally grow elsewhere; however this comes with a high price, including a constant supply of water. In less fortunate countries water would be considered a critical resource and agricultural success would be left to depend greatly on the richness of its soil and the climate. Biological factors are ones which are related to the organisms in an environment. Bacteria, insects, and animals have a significant effect on crops and are often cause yield reductions. Many countries try to make a huge effort to overcome the bacterial and fungal diseases by addressing them through many different procedures and some chemical applications. Also animals are taken care of by blocking inoculations and restorative methods. To avoid insects or pests, many countries breed resistant varieties. This involves strategies revolving around mixing and planting in a certain way that will create a shield for particular species from their characteristic pests. Target populations are commonly killed using insecticidal chemicals. Other animals that negatively effect crops are: rodents, birds, or livestock. These animals are usually scared away due to their damaging effect on food productivity. Political and Economical Effects on Food Shortage: Production levels are not solely determined by physical and biological factors. Political and economical factors also play a significant role. Political and economical factors involve international trade, and government policies for modernizing agriculture as well as the rate of food exchange. This is closely intertwined with cultural factors which include the organization of land and labor use, as well as dietary preferences. Under this umbrella are many inadequate reasons for production levels, trade and import restrictions, structural adjustments, and food aid. Food Distribution: The richest 20% of people in the world consume nearly half the meat and fish in the world, but the poorest 20% consume just 5% (FAO, 2000). Looking within the borders of a certain country, or even a certain city, we often find rich areas and poor areas. In many countries the rich are a small percentage of the population, however they account for large amounts of property and possessions. While, the poor will be left to share the little amount of land that is left and struggle in the intense and rather unfair world of trade. Many small farmers in developing countries will make a significantly low profit compared to the rich when producing the exact same product. In the end, the old saying the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, proves to be the harsh truth. Insufficient incentives for food production: This occurs when the government activity works in a way that alters consumption patterns only for their benefit, and not the benefit of the community at large. Cash-crop promotions: Governments seeking to increase export earnings, this policy has a negative effect on the production of food crops for local consumption. Opportunity costs and food production: The income that is gained from crops must be high enough to meet opportunity costs of producing the crops. Unfortunately, the government may eliminate these calculations so the cost of production is higher than the benefits. Food aid: Sometimes importing food aid is limited because of the availability of humanitarian aid. Some scientists look at the problem of food shortage from another dimension. In their opinion, there is no global food shortage, but there is disordered political agendas. These political agendas are prioritizing the service of aid for reasons other than strictly humanitarian ends; thus not enough aid reaches the people suffering the most.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ A Closer Look: Africa The hunger problem in Africa today cannot be changed unless Africa itself decided to change. The root of Africas problems is the agriculture crisis its facing. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, this has left 200 million people malnourished. (news.bbc.co.uk). Africa is an area with consisting of desert and low amounts of rainfall. The growth of its population is incredibly high. Unfortunately, Things are moving in the wrong direction, if we look at Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, all the projections area that poverty and hunger are ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ going to get worse. (Mar Cohen, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington). There are several conditions that occurred in Africa that lead to hunger and poverty, which are: marginalization of women food farmers, poor leadership, too little investment in building peoples capacity in rural areas, AIDS, and the gender inequality that fuels the epidemic. (Clinton Global Initiative, Sep 2005) Africa is facing political pressure, which only adds overwhelming stress to its already vulnerable population. Poor governance is a major issue in many African countries, and that has serious repercussion for long-term food security, says a statement by the International Food Policy Research Institute. (news.bbc.co.uk) While donors continue to generously donate to the Africans in need, the government (Sub-Saharan) is not helping ease the process. Due to the governments lack of action the Africans will continue struggling to rise above the problem of hunger. We cannot expect to see positive changes unless the government starts supporting zits people in the name of stopping the hunger. A Closer Look: Ethiopia Ethiopia has been ranked 171 out of 182 on the list of poorest countries in the Human Development Index (UNDP HDI 2009). About 50 % of its GDP relies on its agriculture as the single source of food. Unfortunately, its agriculture is very unreliable due to poor cultivation tools, unpredictable rainfall and climate changes in the past two years. Alongside these agricultural struggles, the increase in food and fuel prices that struck hard on Ethiopia, during the 2008 global financial crisis, made it even more difficult for people to get food. A whopping 50% of Ethiopias total 74.7 million are bearing the burden of poverty and 80% live on bread sources. 47% of males and 31% of females are literate. The infant mortality rate (per 1000 live birth) is 109 (2005 UNDP). Some parts of Ethiopia are overwhelmed with diseases. People are highly vulnerable to hepatitis A, hepatitis E, typhoid fever, malaria, and rabies. These fatal diseases are mainly due to malnutrition. The same can be said abou t many countries such as: Niger, The Central African Republic, Bissau, The Republic of Liberia, Somalia and others. I think that the African communities should adopt new methods in policy, education, industry and agricultural activities. Food Shortage here has reached extreme levels. However, if proper action is taken this tragedy can be eased and eventually solved. Some areas have sufficient natural resources and rich soil that are not nearly meeting their productive potentials. The Sadomo region of the Ethiopia is known for producing the best coffee second to Hararà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Make Trade Fair! mcandrea The Outcomes of Food Shortage: The effects that food shortage has on societies as well as individuals can be very damaging. Children that are malnourished wont grow properly, including their brains. This will make them incapable of receiving a proper education and instead of growing into capable adults that will serve the community they become a burden on society. Adults and children alike may even turn to crime out of desperation. They will not be able to afford a proper marriage, thus they may turn to unlawful and sexual relations. They will produce illegitimate children and then very likely abandon those children; and the negative cycle goes on and on. Malnutrition Poor Health: The countries that suffer from food shortage face many health problems and they have low health standards. One out of 4 children in developing countries are underweight. This puts them a higher risk to a number of diseases and lowers their bodys natural immunity. Malnutrition commonly leads to not only Hunger, but also: AIDS , Malaria , Diarrhoea, Pneumonia, and Measles. In addition there is one more health problem closely associated with food shortage which is Malnutrition. We can define it as an imbalance in the consumption of nutrients. It causes a disorder which affects the overall heath and the functions in the human body. If the body is in this state for too long it stresses the heart, and other organs such as the kidneys, liver, and damages the esophagus. Eventually, malnutrition leads to death from either organ failure, or other diseases that the body could not fight off due to a weak and failing immune system. Thus, we see higher rates of mortality in areas suffering from fo od shortage. UNICEF reported that: Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the deaths. (Source:  The State of the Worlds Children, UNICEF, 2007) Education: In poor countries children have a great deal less healthcare and this ultimately results in many absences from the academic education. They may even prefer working and gaining money than studying. The countries which suffer from food shortage have a population that lacks the motivation to achieve any educational progress. They believe that there are no benefits from education because of the poverty and lacking food. This shifts their direction from education to working. Possible Solutions: What can be done to stop this cycle? Who is responsible for this imbalance in the world? Nobody likes to see others suffer, yet so many are suffering daily. The true solution will take great organization and uniting on a personal level as well as an International and Governmental level. As individuals however, we need to remind ourselves to buy only what is enough for our families and never waste food or throw it away. We need to make conscious efforts to give extra to any needy individuals in our own communities. However, outside of our little community circles, we need to work on an International and Governmental level. Food banks need to be set up. Governments need to help other countries to not only be able to draw out their natural resources, but even to teach them how to maintain and farm their own land. This takes water, man power, and knowledge. Water may even have to be imported as either loans (which are usually impossible to pay back for these impoverished countries) or just as charity. Also countries need to work together to produce a long term program that will assure progression throughout the coming years. They need to ease the immediate problem and take some of the stress off their citizens. If the government can provide a positive atmosphere for its people that will in turn play a large role in advancing the economy. The people will be able to go out and serve their communities by advancing in various fields (education, medicine, technology, agriculture, etc.). Hopefully, once these countries get organized internally and are supported internationally, they can become more independent. In countries that dont have many natural resources, they should be receiving international support. The ratio of rich to poor could all balance if governments would just take it seriously. There is no need for all the suffering and it does affect all mankind. It is our job as citizens of the Earth to take part in finding solutions to the problems we face. Hunger is not a problem limited to the people in developing countries, but it is in fact a problem that we are all facing together. The toll starvation is taking on our human population is a shockingly large number. It is making our fellow neighbors vulnerable to diseases; this will sooner or later catch up to us anywhere in the world. If we all come together, there is much that can be done to assure that needs are met, its called Globalization!

Power :: essays research papers

Power. A word from which many meanings derive. To each individual, it means something distinct and it is how one uses their power that makes up who they are. Power does not come from the barrel of a gun. A gun can do nothing without someone there to pull the trigger. The power to take a life rests within the person, the gun simply serving as their tool. When groups protesting for a cause they believe in use violent tactics, do they ever accomplish anything? When we kill , what do we achieve? To say that power lies in the barrel of a gun is to say that the most effective way to get what we want, or what we feel we deserve is to murder. It is only those with no faith in their dreams, or belief in themselves who could make such a statement. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "If a man hasn’t found something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live." A leader in the Black community and the recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, King’s accomplishment of attaining civil rights for Blacks was a great one, but the road to achievement was long and full of sacrifices. It was a time when Blacks had no rights and most of them accepted this as the way it was and no one could do anything about it. Most of them, but not King. When the police arrested a black woman for sitting in the front of the bus and refusing to give up her seat to a white woman, King led a committee that organized a boycott of buses. The results were that on April 23, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that "segregation in public transportation is unconstitutional" and that South Carolina as well as 12 other states must remove the "whites only" signs that hung in the front of the buses. This was just the beginning, he vowed to continue his fight using "passive resistance and the weapon of love". He helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and became its first president. Then in 1957, King met with Vice-president Nixon in Washington to "discuss racial problems . He went on to lead protests, demonstrations and marches, making the non-violent resistance stronger than it had ever been before. He succeeded in making people aware that every human being is born equal

The Discovery of Toumai †An Old Hominid :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Discovery of Toumai – An Old Hominid Introduction: The current idea of the evolution of humans is about to make a huge turnabout. The cranium, a jaw fragment, and several teeth of a hominid (a primitive human) were found in the Djurab Desert. The fossils are thought to be, amazingly, between 6 and 7 millions years old. The authorities in Chad have nicknamed the cranium â€Å"Toumai†, which means, â€Å"hope of life† in the Goran language (Walton). Where was it found? The fossils were found in the Djurab Desert in Northern Chad, Central Africa. Of the four areas in the Chad basin, the remains were found in the oldest locality, TM 266 (Toros – Menalla). The remains are well preserved and the cranium is almost complete, considering the difficult detection of fossil layers and the constant sand blowing winds. The cranium has been designated TM 266-01-060-1 (Wood). Only two other hominid fossils have been found in Chad. The first, which was found in 1961, turned out to be a modern human skull that had become so eroded that is looked like an australopith (an early form of hominids). The second set of remains was found in 1995. This hominid was a real australopith and was named Australopithecus bahrelghazali (Wood). But because of where the fossils were found, scientists had to think of another way to date the bones. Absolute – isotope-based – dating methods cannot be applied to the fossil layers at Toros – Menalla because there are no ash layers to provide the necessary argon and potassium. Nor are the sediments suitable for magnetism-based dating methods. Instead, the team matched the rich vertebrate fossil record at TM 266, consisting of examples of 44 different groups, with the equivalent record from sites in East Africa that have absolute dates. The best matches are with two sites in Kenya: The Lukeino Formation of the Tugen Hills (which dates to about 6 million years ago) and the Nawata Formation at Lothagam (5.3-7.4 million years). The upshot is a reliable age estimate of about 6-7 million years for the Toros – Menalla fossils (Wood). How it is different? For over a century and a half, it was believed that humans and African apes are more closely related than humans and orangutans.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 11 Sacratorium

AURORA-†¦ A mythical world, supposedly inhabited in primordial times, during the dawn of interstellar travel. It is thought by some to he the perhaps equally mythical â€Å"world of origin† of humanity and to be another name for â€Å"Earth.† The people of the Mycogen (q.v.) Sector of ancient Trantor reportedly held themselves to be descended from the inhabitants of Aurora and made that tenet central to their system of beliefs, concerning which almost nothing else is known†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 50. The two Raindrops arrived at midmorning. Raindrop Forty-Five seemed as cheerful as ever, but Raindrop Forty-Three paused just inside the door, looking drawn and circumspect. She kept her eyes down and did not as much as glance at Seldon. Seldon looked uncertain and gestured to Dors, who said in a cheerful businesslike tone of voice, â€Å"One moment, Sisters. I must give instructions to my man or he won't know what to do with himself today.† They moved into the bathroom and Dors whispered, â€Å"Is something wrong?† â€Å"Yes. Raindrop Forty-Three is obviously shattered. Please tell her that I will return the Book as soon as possible.† Dors favored Seldon with a long surprised look. â€Å"Hari,† she said, â€Å"you're a sweet, caring person, but you haven't the good sense of an amoeba. If I as much as mention the Book to the poor woman, she'll be certain that you told me all about what happened yesterday and then she'll really be shattered. The only hope is to treat her exactly as I would ordinarily.† Seldon nodded his head and said dispiritedly, â€Å"I suppose you're right.† Dors returned in time for dinner and found Seldon on his cot, still leafing through the Book, but with intensified impatience. He looked up with a scowl and said, â€Å"If we're going to be staying here any length of time, we're going to need a communication device of some sort between us. I had no idea when you'd get back and I was a little concerned.† â€Å"Well, here I am,† she said, removing her skincap gingerly and looking at it with more than a little distaste. â€Å"I'm really pleased at your concern. I rather thought you'd be so lost in the Book, you wouldn't even realize I was gone.† Seldon snorted. Dors said, â€Å"As for communications devices, I doubt that they are easy to come by in Mycogen. It would mean easing communication with tribespeople outside and I suspect the leaders of Mycogen are bound and determined to cut down on any possible interaction with the great beyond.† â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon, tossing the Book to one side, â€Å"I would expect that from what I see in the Book. Did you find out about the whatever you called it†¦ the temple?† â€Å"Yes,† she said, removing her eyebrow patches. â€Å"It exists. There are a number of them over the area of the sector, but there's a central building that seems to be the important one.-Would you believe that one woman noticed my eyelashes and told me that I shouldn't let myself be seen in public? I have a feeling she intended to report me for indecent exposure.† â€Å"Never mind that,† said Seldon impatiently. â€Å"Do you know where the central temple is located?† â€Å"I have directions, but Raindrop Forty-Five warned me that women were not allowed inside except on special occasions, none of which are coming up soon. It's called the Sacratorium.† â€Å"The what.† â€Å"The Sacratorium.† â€Å"What an ugly word. What does it mean?† Dors shook her head. â€Å"It's new to me. And neither Raindrop knew what it meant either. To them, Sacratorium isn't what the building is called, it's what it is. Asking them why they called it that probably sounded like asking them why a wall is called a wall.† â€Å"Is there anything about it they do know?† â€Å"Of course, Hari. They know what it's for. It's a place that's devoted to something other than the life here in Mycogen. It's devoted to another world, a former and better one.† â€Å"The world they once lived on, you mean?† â€Å"Exactly. Raindrop Forty-Five all but said so, but not quite. She couldn't bring herself to say the word.† â€Å"Aurora?† â€Å"That's the word, but I suspect that if you were to say it out loud to a group of Mycogenians, they would be shocked and horrified. Raindrop Forty-Five, when she said, ‘The Sacratorium is dedicated to-‘, stopped at that point and carefully wrote out the letters one by one with her finger on the palm of her hand. And she blushed, as though she was doing something obscene.† â€Å"Strange,† said Seldon. â€Å"If the Book is an accurate guide, Aurora is their dearest memory, their chief point of unification, the center about which everything in Mycogen revolves. Why should its mention be considered obscene? Are you sure you didn't misinterpret what the Sister meant?† â€Å"I'm positive. And perhaps it's no mystery. Too much talk about it would get to tribespeople. The best way of keeping it secret unto themselves is to make its very mention taboo.† â€Å"Taboo?† â€Å"A specialized anthropological term. It's a reference to serious and effective social pressure forbidding some sort of action. The fact that women are not allowed in the Sacratorium probably has the force of a taboo. I'm sure that a Sister would be horrified if it was suggested that she invade its precincts.† â€Å"Are the directions you have good enough for me to get to the Sacratorium on my own?† â€Å"In the first place, Hari, you're not going alone. I'm going with you. I thought we had discussed the matter and that I had made it clear that I cannot protect you at long distance-not from sleet storms and not from feral women. In the second place, it's impractical to think of walking there. Mycogen may be a small sector, as sectors go, but it simply isn't that small.† â€Å"An Expressway, then.† â€Å"There are no Expressways passing through Mycogenian territory. It would make contact between Mycogenians and tribespeople too easy. Still, there are public conveyances of the kind that are found on less developed planets. In fact, that's what Mycogen is, a piece of an undeveloped planet, embedded like a splinter in the body of Trantor, which is otherwise a patchwork of developed societies.-And Hari, finish with the Book as soon as possible. It's apparent that Rainbow Forty-Three is in trouble as long as you have it and so will we be if they find out.† â€Å"Do you mean a tribesperson reading it is taboo?† â€Å"I'm sure of it.† â€Å"Well, it would be no great loss to give it back. I should say that 95 percent of it is incredibly dull; endless in-fighting among political groups, endless justification of policies whose wisdom I cannot possibly judge, endless homilies on ethical matters which, even when enlightened, and they usually aren't, are couched with such infuriating self-righteousness as to almost enforce violation.† â€Å"You sound as though I would be doing you a great favor if I took the thing away from you.† â€Å"Except that there's always the other 5 percent that discusses the never-to-be-mentioned Aurora. I keep thinking that there may be something there and that it may be helpful to me. That's why I wanted to know about the Sacratorium. â€Å"Do you hope to find support for the Book's concept of Aurora in the Sacratorium?† â€Å"In a way. And I'm also terribly caught up in what the Book has to say about automata, or robots, to use their term. I find myself attracted to the concept.† â€Å"Surely, you don't take it seriously?† â€Å"Almost. If you accept some passages of the Book literally, then there is an implication that some robots were in human shape.† â€Å"Naturally. If you're going to construct a simulacrum of a human being, you will make it look like a human being.† â€Å"Yes, simulacrum means ‘likeness,' but a likeness can be crude indeed. An artist can draw a stick figure and you might know he is representing a human being and recognize it. A circle for the head, a stalk for the body, and four bent lines for arms and legs and you have it. But I mean robots that really look like a human being, in every detail.† â€Å"Ridiculous, Hari. Imagine the time it would take to fashion the metal of the body into perfect proportions, with the smooth curve of underlying muscles.† â€Å"Who said ‘metal,' Dors? The impression I got is that such robots were organic or pseudo-organic, that they were covered with skin, that you could not easily draw a distinction between them and human beings in any way.† â€Å"Does the Book say that?† â€Å"Not in so many words. The inference, however-â€Å" â€Å"Is your inference, Hari. You can't take it seriously.† â€Å"Let me try. I find four things that I can deduce from what the Book says about robots-and I followed up every reference the index gave. First, as I say, they-or some of them-exactly resembled human beings; second, they had very extended life spans-if you want to call it that.† â€Å"Better say ‘effectiveness,' † said Dors, â€Å"or you'll begin thinking of them as human altogether.† â€Å"Third,† said Seldon, ignoring her, â€Å"that some-or, at any rate, at least one-continues to live on to this day.† â€Å"Hari, that's one of the most widespread legends we have. The ancient hero does not die but remains in suspended animation, ready to return to save his people at some time of great need. Really, Hari.† â€Å"Fourth,† said Seldon, still not rising to the bait, â€Å"there are some lines that seem to indicate that the central temple-or the Sacratorium, if that's what it is, though I haven't found that word in the Book, actually-contains a robot.† He paused, then said, â€Å"Do you see?† Dors said, â€Å"No. What should I see?† â€Å"If we combine the four points, perhaps a robot that looks exactly like a human being and that is still alive, having been alive for, say, the last twenty thousand years, is in the Sacratorium.† â€Å"Come on, Hari, you can't believe that.† â€Å"I don't actually believe it, but I can't entirely let go either. What if its true? What if-its only one chance out of a million, I admit-it's true? Don't you see how useful he could be to me? He could remember the Galaxy as it was long before any reliable historical records existed. He might help make psychohistory possible.† â€Å"Even if it was true, do you suppose the Mycogenians would let you see and interview the robot?† â€Å"I don't intend to ask permission. I can at least go to the Sacratorium and see if there's something to interview first.† â€Å"Not now. Tomorrow at the earliest. And if you don't think better of it by morning, we go.† â€Å"You told me yourself they don't allow women-â€Å" â€Å"They allow women to look at it from outside, I'm sure, and I suspect that is all we'll get to do.† And there she was adamant. Hari Seldon was perfectly willing to let Dors take the lead. She had been out in the main roadways of Mycogen and was more at home with them than he was. Dors Venabili, brows knitted, was less delighted with the prospect. She said, â€Å"We can easily get lost, you know.† â€Å"Not with that booklet,† said Seldon. She looked up at him impatiently. â€Å"Fix your mind on Mycogen, Hari. What I should have is a computomap, something I can ask questions of. This Mycogenian version is just a piece of folded plastic. I can't tell this thing where I am. I can't tell it by word of mouth and I can't even tell it by pushing the necessary contacts. It can't tell me anything either way. It's a print thing.† â€Å"Then read what it says.† â€Å"That's what I'm trying to do, but it's written for people who are familiar with the system to begin with. We'll have to ask.† â€Å"No, Dors. That would be a last resort. I don't want to attract attention. I would rather we take our chances and try to find our own way, even if it means making one or two wrong turns.† Dors leafed through the booklet with great attention and then said grudgingly, â€Å"Well, it gives the Sacratorium important mention. I suppose that's only natural. I presume everyone in Mycogen would want to get there at one time or another.† Then, after additional concentration, she said, â€Å"I'll tell you what. There's no way of taking a conveyance from here to there.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Don't get excited. Apparently, there's a way of getting from here to another conveyance that will take us there. We'll have to change from one to another.† Seldon relaxed. â€Å"Well, of course. You can't take an Expressway to half the places on Trantor without changing.† Dors cast an impatient glance at Seldon. â€Å"I know that too. It's just that I'm used to having these things tell me so. When they expect you to find out for yourself, the simplest things can escape you for a while.† â€Å"All right, dear. Don't snap. If you know the way now, lead. I will follow humbly.† And follow her he did, until they came to an intersection, where they stopped. Three white-kirtled males and a pair of gray-kirtled females were at the same intersection. Seldon tried a universal and general smile in their direction, but they responded with a blank stare and looked away. And then the conveyance came. It was an outmoded version of what Seldon, back on Helicon, would have called a gravi-bus. There were some twenty upholstered benches inside, each capable of holding four people. Each bench had its own doors on both sides of the bus. When it stopped, passengers emerged on either side. (For a moment, Seldon was concerned for those who got out on the traffic side of the gravi-bus, but then he noticed that every vehicle approaching from either direction stopped as it neared the bus. None passed it while it was not moving.) Dors pushed Seldon impatiently and he moved on to a bench where two adjoining seats were available. Dors followed after. (The men always got on and got off first, he noticed.) 51. â€Å"For instance,† she said and pointed to a smooth boxed-off area on the back of the bench directly before each of them. As soon as the conveyance had begun to move, words lit up, naming the next stop and the notable structures or crossways that were nearby. â€Å"Now, that will probably tell us when we're approaching the changeover we want. At least the sector isn't completely barbaric.† â€Å"Good,† said Seldon. Then, after a while, leaning toward Dors, he whispered, â€Å"No one is looking at us. It seems that artificial boundaries are set up to preserve individual privacy in any crowded place. Have you noticed that?† â€Å"I've always taken it for granted. If that's going to be a rule of your psychohistory, no one will be very impressed by it.† As Dors had guessed, the direction plaque in front of them eventually announced the approach to the changeover for the direct line to the Sacratorium. They exited and again had to wait. Some buses ahead had already left this intersection, but another gravi-bus was already approaching. They were on a well-traveled route, which was not surprising; the Sacratorium was bound to be the center and heartbeat of the sector. They got on the gravi-bus and Seldon whispered, â€Å"We're not paying.† â€Å"According to the map, public transportation is a free service.† Seldon thrust out his lower lip. â€Å"How civilized. I suppose that nothing is all of a piece, not backwardness, not barbarism, nothing.† But Dors nudged him and whispered, â€Å"Your rule is broken. We're being watched. The man on your right.† 52. Seldon's eyes shifted briefly. The man to his right was rather thin and seemed quite old. He had dark brown eyes and a swarthy complexion, and Seldon was sure that he would have had black hair if he had not been depilated. He faced front again, thinking. This Brother was rather atypical. The few Brothers he had paid any attention to had been rather tall, light-skinned, and with blue or gray eyes. Of course, he had not seen enough of them to make a general rule. Then there was a light touch on the right sleeve of his kirtle. Seldon turned hesitantly and found himself looking at a card on which was written lightly, CAREFUL, TRIBESMAN! Seldon started and put a hand to his skincap automatically. The man next to him silently mouthed, â€Å"Hair.† Seldon's hand found it, a tiny exposure of bristles at his temple. He must have disturbed the skincap at some point or another. Quickly and as unobtrusively as possible, he tugged the skincap, then made sure that it was snug under the pretence of stroking his head. He turned to his neighbor on his right, nodded slightly, and mouthed, â€Å"Thank you.† His neighbor smiled and said in a normal speaking voice, â€Å"Going to the Sacratorium?† Seldon nodded. â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"Easy guess. So am I. Shall we get off together?† His smile was friendly. â€Å"I'm with my-my-â€Å" â€Å"With your woman. Of course. All three together, then?† Seldon was not sure how to react. A quick look in the other direction showed him that Dors's eyes were turned straight ahead. She was showing no interest in masculine conversation-an attitude appropriate for a Sister. However, Seldon felt a soft pat on his left knee, which he took (with perhaps little justification) to mean: â€Å"It's all right.† In any case, his natural sense of courtesy was on that side and he said, â€Å"Yes, certainly.† There was no further conversation until the direction plaque told them they were arriving at the Sacratorium and Seldon's Mycogenian friend was rising to get off. The gravi-bus made a wide turn about the perimeter of a large area of the Sacratorium grounds and there was a general exodus when it came to a halt, the men sliding in front of the women to exit first. The women followed. The Mycogenian's voice crackled a bit with age, but it was cheerful. He said, â€Å"It's a little early for lunch my†¦ friends, but take my word for it that things will be crowded in not too long a time. Would you be willing to buy something simple now and eat it outside? I am very familiar with this area and I know a good place.† Seldon wondered if this was a device to maneuver innocent tribespeople into something or other disreputable or costly, yet decided to chance it. â€Å"You're very kind,† he said. â€Å"Since we are not at all familiar with the place, we will be glad to let you take the lead.† They bought lunch-sandwiches and a beverage that looked like milk-at an open-air stand. Since it was a beautiful day and they were visitors, the old Mycogenian said, they would go to the Sacratorium grounds and eat out of doors, the better to become acquainted with their surroundings. During their walk, carrying their lunch, Seldon noted that, on a very small scale, the Sacratorium resembled the Imperial Palace and that the grounds around it resembled, on a minute scale, the Imperial grounds. He could scarcely believe that the Mycogenian people admired the Imperial institution or, indeed, did anything but hate and despise it, yet the cultural attraction was apparently not to be withstood. â€Å"It's beautiful,† said the Mycogenian with obvious pride. â€Å"Quite,† said Seldon. â€Å"How it glistens in the daylight.† â€Å"The grounds around it,† he said, â€Å"are constructed in imitation of the government grounds on our Dawn World†¦ in miniature, to be sure.† â€Å"Did you ever see the grounds of the Imperial Palace?† asked Seldon cautiously. The Mycogenian caught the implication and seemed in no way put out by it. â€Å"They copied the Dawn World as best they could too.† Seldon doubted that in the extreme, but he said nothing. They came to a semicircular seat of white stonite, sparkling in the light as the Sacratorium did. â€Å"Good,† said the Mycogenian, his dark eyes gleaming with pleasure. â€Å"No one's taken my place. I call it mine only because it's my favorite seat. It affords a beautiful view of the side wall of the Sacratorium past the trees. Please sit down. It's not cold, I assure you. And your companion. She is welcome to sit too. She is a tribeswoman, I know, and has different customs. She†¦ she may speak if she wishes.† Dors gave him a hard look and sat down. Seldon, recognizing the fact that they might remain with this old Mycogenian a while, thrust out his hand and said, â€Å"I am Hari and my female companion is Dors. We don't use numbers, I'm afraid.† â€Å"To each his†¦ or her†¦ own,† said the other expansively. â€Å"I am Mycelium Seventy-Two. We are a large cohort.† â€Å"Mycelium?† said Seldon a bit hesitantly. â€Å"You seem surprised,† said Mycelium. â€Å"I take it, then, you've only met members of our Elder families. Names like Cloud and Sunshine and Starlight-all astronomical.† â€Å"I must admit-† began Seldon. â€Å"Well, meet one of the lower classes. We take our names from the ground and from the micro-organisms we grow. Perfectly respectable.† â€Å"I'm quite certain,† said Seldon, â€Å"and thank you again for helping me with my†¦ problem in the gravi-bus.† â€Å"Listen,† said Mycelium Seventy-Two, â€Å"I saved you a lot of trouble. If a Sister had seen you before I did, she would undoubtedly have screamed and the nearest Brothers would have bustled you off the bus-maybe not even waiting for it to stop moving.† Dors leaned forward so as to see across Seldon. â€Å"How is it you did not act in this way yourself?† â€Å"I? I have no animosity against tribespeople. I'm a scholar.† â€Å"A scholar?† â€Å"First one in my cohort. I studied at the Sacratorium School and did very well. I'm learned in all the ancient arts and I have a license to enter the tribal library, where they keep book-films and books by tribespeople. I can view any book-film or read any book I wish to. We even have a computerized reference library and I can handle that too. That sort of thing broadens your mind. I don't mind a little hair showing. I've seen pictures of men with hair many a time. And women too.† He glanced quickly at Dors. They ate in silence for a while and then Seldon said, â€Å"I notice that every Brother who enters or leaves the Sacratorium is wearing a red sash.† â€Å"Oh yes,† said Mycelium Seventy-Two. â€Å"Over the left shoulder and around the right side of the waist-usually very fancily embroidered.† â€Å"Why is that?† â€Å"It's called an ‘obiah.' It symbolizes the joy felt at entering the Sacratorium and the blood one would spill to preserve it.† â€Å"Blood?† said Dors, frowning. â€Å"Just a symbol. I never actually heard of anyone spilling blood over the Sacratorium. For that matter, there isn't that much joy. it's mostly wailing and mourning and prostrating one's self over the Lost World.† His voice dropped and became soft. â€Å"Very silly.† Dors said, â€Å"You're not a†¦ a believer?† â€Å"I'm a scholar,† said Mycelium with obvious pride. His face wrinkled as he grinned and took on an even more pronounced appearance of age. Seldon found himself wondering how old the man was. Several centuries?-No, they'd disposed of that. It couldn't be and yet, â€Å"How old are you?† Seldon asked suddenly, involuntarily. Mycelium Seventy-Two showed no signs of taking offense at the question, nor did he display any hesitation at answering, â€Å"Sixty-seven.† Seldon had to know. â€Å"I was told that your people believe that in very early times everyone lived for several centuries.† Mycelium Seventy-Two looked at Seldon quizzically. â€Å"Now how did you find that out? Someone must have been talking out of turn†¦ but its true. There is that belief. Only the unsophisticated believe it, but the Elders encourage it because it shows our superiority. Actually, our life expectancy is higher than elsewhere because we eat more nutritionally, but living even one century is rare.† â€Å"I take it you don't consider Mycogenians superior,† said Seldon. Mycelium Seventy-Two said, â€Å"There's nothing wrong with Mycogenians. They're certainly not inferior. Still, I think that all men are equal.-Even women,† he added, looking across at Dors. â€Å"I don't suppose,† said Seldon, â€Å"that many of your people would agree with that.† â€Å"Or many of your people,† said Mycelium Seventy-Two with a faint resentment. â€Å"I believe it, though. A scholar has to. I've viewed and even read all the great literature of the tribespeople. I understand your culture. I've written articles on it. I can sit here just as comfortably with you as though you were†¦ [tit].† Dors said a little sharply, â€Å"You sound proud of understanding tribespeople's ways. Have you ever traveled outside Mycogen?† Mycelium Seventy-Two seemed to move away a little. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Why not? You would get to know us better.† â€Å"I wouldn't feel right. I'd have to wear a wig. I'd be ashamed.† Dors said, â€Å"Why a wig? You could stay bald.† â€Å"No,† said Mycelium Seventy-Two, â€Å"I wouldn't be that kind of fool. I'd be mistreated by all the hairy ones.† â€Å"Mistreated? Why?† said Dors. â€Å"We have a great many naturally bald people everywhere on Trantor and on every other world too.† â€Å"My father is quite bald,† said Seldon with a sigh, â€Å"and I presume that in the decades to come I will be bald too. My hair isn't all that thick now.† â€Å"That's not bald,† said Mycelium Seventy-Two. â€Å"You keep hair around the edges and over your eyes. I mean bald-no hair at all.† â€Å"Anywhere on your body?† said Dors, interested. And now Mycelium Seventy-Two looked offended and said nothing. Seldon, anxious to get the conversation back on track, said, â€Å"Tell me, Mycelium Seventy-Two, can tribespeople enter the Sacratorium as spectators?† Mycelium Seventy-Two shook his head vigorously. â€Å"Never. It's for the Sons of the Dawn only.† Dors said, â€Å"Only the Sons?† Mycelium Seventy-Two looked shocked for a moment, then said forgivingly, â€Å"Well, you're tribespeople. Daughters of the Dawn enter only on certain days and times. That's just the way it is. I don't say I approve. If it was up to me, I'd say, ‘Go in. Enjoy if you can.' Sooner others than me, in fact.† â€Å"Don't you ever go in?† â€Å"When I was young, my parents took me, but-he shook his head-â€Å"it was just people staring at the Book and reading from it and sighing and weeping for the old days. It's very depressing. You can't talk to each other. You can't laugh. You can't even look at each other. Your mind has to be totally on the Lost World. Totally.† He waved a hand in rejection. â€Å"Not for me. I'm a scholar and I want the whole world open to me.† â€Å"Good,† said Seldon, seeing an opening. â€Å"We feel that way too. We are scholars also, Dors and myself.† â€Å"I know,† said Mycelium Seventy-Two. â€Å"You know? How do you know?† â€Å"You'd have to be. The only tribespeople allowed in Mycogen are Imperial officials and diplomats, important traders, and scholars-and to me you have the look of scholars. That's what interested me in you. Scholars together.† He smiled delightedly. â€Å"So we are. I am a mathematician. Dors is a historian. And you?† â€Å"I specialize in†¦ culture. I've read all the great works of literature of the tribespeople: Lissauer, Mentone, Novigor-â€Å" â€Å"And we have read the great works of your people. I've read the Book, for instance.-About the Lost World.† Mycelium Seventy-Two's eyes opened wide in surprise. His olive complexion seemed to fade a little. â€Å"You have? How? Where?† â€Å"At our University we have copies that we can read if we have permission.† â€Å"Copies of the Book?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I wonder if the Elders know this?† Seldon said, â€Å"And I've read about robots.† â€Å"Robots?† â€Å"Yes. That is why I would like to be able to enter the Sacratorium. I would like to see the robot.† (Dors kicked lightly at Seldon's ankle, but he ignored her.) Mycelium Seventy-Two said uneasily, â€Å"I don't believe in such things. Scholarly people don't.† But he looked about as though he was afraid of being overheard. Seldon said, â€Å"I've read that a robot still exists in the Sacratorium.† Mycelium Seventy-Two said, â€Å"I don't want to talk about such nonsense.† Seldon persisted. â€Å"Where would it be if it was in the Sacratorium?† â€Å"Even if one was there, I couldn't tell you. I haven't been in there since I was a child.† â€Å"Would you know if there was a special place, a hidden place?† â€Å"There's the Elders' aerie. Only Elders go there, but there's nothing there.† â€Å"Have you ever been there?† â€Å"No, of course not.† â€Å"Then how do you know?† â€Å"I don't know that there's no pomegranate tree there. I don't know that there's no laser-organ there. I don't know that there's no item of a million different kinds there. Does my lack of knowledge of their absence show they are all present?† For the moment, Seldon had nothing to say. A ghost of a smile broke through Mycelium Seventy-Two's look of concern. He said, â€Å"That's scholars' reasoning. I'm not an easy man to tackle, you see. Just the same, I wouldn't advise you to try to get up into the Elders' aerie. I don't think you'd like what would happen if they found a tribesman inside.-Well. Best of the Dawn to you.† And he rose suddenly-without warning-and hurried away. Seldon looked after him, rather surprised. â€Å"What made him rush off like that?† â€Å"I think,† said Dors, â€Å"it's because someone is approaching.† And someone was. A tall man in an elaborate white kirtle, crossed by an even more elaborate and subtly glittering red sash, glided solemnly toward them. He had the unmistakable look of a man with authority and the even more unmistakable look of one who is not pleased. 53. Hari Seldon rose as the new Mycogenian approached. He hadn't the slightest idea whether that was the appropriate polite behavior, but he had the distinct feeling it would do no harm. Dors Venabili rose with him and carefully kept her eyes lowered. The other stood before them. He too was an old man, but more subtly aged than Mycelium Seventy-Two. Age seemed to lend distinction to his still-handsome face. His bald head was beautifully round and his eyes were a startling blue, contrasting sharply with the bright all-but-glowing red of his sash. The newcomer said, â€Å"I see you are tribespeople.† His voice was more high-pitched than Seldon had expected, but he spoke slowly, as though conscious of the weight of authority in every word he uttered. â€Å"So we are,† said Seldon politely but firmly. He saw no reason not to defer to the other's position, but he did not intend to abandon his own. â€Å"Your names?† â€Å"I am Hari Seldon of Helicon. My companion is Dors Venabili of Cinna. And yours, man of Mycogen?† The eyes narrowed in displeasure, but he too could recognize an air of authority when he felt it. â€Å"I am Skystrip Two,† he said, lifting his head higher, â€Å"an Elder of the Sacratorium. And your position, tribesman?† â€Å"We,† said Seldon, emphasizing the pronoun, â€Å"are scholars of Streeling University. I am a mathematician and my companion is a historian and we are here to study the ways of Mycogen.† â€Å"By whose authority?† â€Å"By that of Sunmaster Fourteen, who greeted us on our arrival.† Skystrip Two fell silent for a moment and then a small smile appeared on his face and he took on an air that was almost benign. He said, â€Å"The High Elder. I know him well.† â€Å"And so you should,† said Seldon blandly. â€Å"Is there anything else, Elder?† â€Å"Yes.† The Elder strove to regain the high ground. â€Å"Who was the man who was with you and who hurried away when I approached?† Seldon shook his head, â€Å"We never saw him before, Elder, and know nothing about him. We encountered him purely by accident and asked about the Sacratorium.† â€Å"What did you ask him?† â€Å"Two questions, Elder. We asked if that building was the Sacratorium and if tribespeople were allowed to enter it. He answered in the affirmative to the first question and in the negative to the second.† â€Å"Quite so. And what is your interest in the Sacratorium?† â€Å"Sir, we are here to study the ways of Mycogen and is not the Sacratorium the heart and brain of Mycogen?† â€Å"It is entirely ours and reserved for us.† â€Å"Even if an Elder-the High Elder-would arrange for permission in view of our scholarly function?† â€Å"Have you indeed the High Elder's permission?† Seldon hesitated the slightest moment while Dors's eyes lifted briefly to look at him sideways. He decided he could not carry off a lie of this magnitude. â€Å"No,† he said, â€Å"not yet.† â€Å"Or ever,† said the Elder. â€Å"You are here in Mycogen by authority, but even the highest authority cannot exert total control over the public. We value our Sacratorium and the populace can easily grow excited over the presence of a tribesperson anywhere in Mycogen but, most particularly, in the vicinity of the Sacratorium. It would take one excitable person to raise a cry of ‘Invasion!' and a peaceful crowd such as this one would be turned into one that would be thirsting to tear you apart. I mean that quite literally. For your own good, even if the High Elder has shown you kindness, leave. Now!† â€Å"But the Sacratorium-† said Seldon stubbornly, though Dors was pulling gently at his kirtle. â€Å"What is there in the Sacratorium that can possibly interest you?† said the Elder. â€Å"You see it now. There is nothing for you to see in the interior.† â€Å"There is the robot,† said Seldon. The Elder stared at Seldon in shocked surprise and then, bending to bring his lips close to Seldon's ear, whispered harshly, â€Å"Leave now or I will raise the cry of ‘Invasion!' myself. Nor, were it not for the High Elder, would I give you even this one chance to leave.† And Dors, with surprising strength, nearly pulled Seldon off his feet as she stepped hastily away, dragging him along until he caught his balance and stepped quickly after her. 54. It was over breakfast the next morning, not sooner, that Dors took up the subject-and in a way that Seldon found most wounding. She said, â€Å"Well, that was a pretty fiasco yesterday.† Seldon, who had honestly thought he had gotten away with it without comment, looked sullen. â€Å"What made it a fiasco?† â€Å"Driven out is what we were. And for what? What did we gain?† â€Å"Only the knowledge that there is a robot in there.† â€Å"Mycelium Seventy-Two said there wasn't.† â€Å"Of course he said that. He's a scholar-or thinks he is-and what he doesn't know about the Sacratorium would probably fill that library he goes to. You saw the Elder's reaction.† â€Å"I certainly did.† â€Å"He would not have reacted like that if there was no robot inside. He was horrified we knew.† â€Å"That's just your guess, Hari. And even if there was, we couldn't get in.† â€Å"We could certainly try. After breakfast, we go out and buy a sash for me, one of those obiahs. I put it on, keep my eyes devoutly downward, and walk right in.† â€Å"Skincap and all? They'll spot you in a microsecond.† â€Å"No, they won't. We'll go into the library where all the tribespeople data is kept. I'd like to see it anyway. From the library, which is a Sacratorium annex, I gather, there will probably be an entrance into the Sacratorium.† â€Å"Where you will be picked up at once.† â€Å"Not at all. You heard what Mycelium Seventy-Two had to say. Everyone keeps his eyes down and meditates on their great Lost World, Aurora. No one looks at anyone else. It would probably be a grievous breach of discipline to do so. Then I'll find the Elders' aerie-â€Å" â€Å"Just like that?† â€Å"At one point, Mycelium Seventy-Two said he would advise me not to try to get up into the Elders' aerie. Up. It must be somewhere in that tower of the Sacratorium, the central tower.† Dors shook her head. â€Å"I don't recall the man's exact words and I don't think you do either. That's a terribly weak foundation to- Wait.† She stopped suddenly and frowned. â€Å"Well?† said Seldon. â€Å"There is an archaic word ‘aerie' that means ‘a dwelling place on high.' â€Å" â€Å"Ah! There you are. You see, we've learned some vital things as the result of what you call a fiasco. And if I can find a living robot that's twenty thousand years old and if it can tell me-â€Å" â€Å"Suppose that such a thing exists, which passes belief, and that you find it, which is not very likely, how long do you think you will be able to talk to it before your presence is discovered?† â€Å"I don't know, but if I can prove it exists and if I can find it, then I'll think of some way to talk to it. It's too late for me to back out now under any circumstances. Hummin should have left me alone when I thought there was no way of achieving psychohistory. Now that it seems there may be, I won't let anything stop me-short of being killed.† â€Å"The Mycogenians may oblige, Hari, and you can't run that risk.† â€Å"Yes, I can. I'm going to try.† â€Å"No, Hari. I must look after you and I can't let you.† â€Å"You must let me. Finding a way to work out psychohistory is more important than my safety. My safety is only important because I may work out psychohistory. Prevent me from doing so and your task loses its meaning.-Think about it.† Hari felt himself infused with a renewed sense of purpose. Psychohistory-his nebulous theory that he had, such a short while ago, despaired ever of proving-loomed larger, more real. Now he had to believe that it was possible; he could feel it in his gut. The pieces seemed to be falling together and although he couldn't see the whole pattern yet, he was sure the Sacratorium would yield another piece to the puzzle. â€Å"Then I'll go in with you so I can pull you out, you idiot, when the time comes.† â€Å"Women can't enter.† â€Å"What makes me a woman? Only this gray kirtle. You can't see my breasts under it. I don't have a woman's style hairdo with the skincap on. I have the same washed, unmarked face a man has. The men here don't have stubble. All I need is a white kirtle and a sash and I can enter. Any Sister could do it if she wasn't held back by a taboo. I am not held back by one.† â€Å"You're held back by me. I won't let you. It's too dangerous.† â€Å"No more dangerous for me than for you.† â€Å"But I must take the risk.† â€Å"Then so must I. Why is your imperative greater than mine?† â€Å"Because-† Seldon paused in thought. â€Å"Just tell yourself this,† said Dors, her voice hard as rock. â€Å"I won't let you go there without me. If you try, I will knock you unconscious and tie you up. If you don't like that, then give up any thought of going alone.† Seldon hesitated and muttered darkly. He gave up the argument, at least for now. 55. The sky was almost cloudless, but it was a pale blue, as though wrapped in a high thin mist. That, thought Seldon, was a good touch, but suddenly he missed the sun itself. No one on Trantor saw the planet's sun unless he or she went Upperside and even then only when the natural cloud layer broke. Did native Trantorians miss the sun? Did they give it any thought? When one of them visited another world where a natural sun was in view, did he or she stare, half-blinded, at it with awe? Why, he wondered, did so many people spend their lives not trying to find answers to questions-not even thinking of questions to begin with? Was there anything more exciting in life than seeking answers? His glance shifted to ground level. The wide roadway was lined with low buildings, most of them shops. Numerous individual ground-cars moved in both directions, each hugging the right side. They seemed like a collection of antiques, but they were electrically driven and quite soundless. Seldon wondered if â€Å"antique† was always a word to sneer at. Could it be that silence made up for slowness? Was there any particular hurry to life, after all? There were a number of children on the walkways and Seldon's lips pressed together in annoyance. Clearly, an extended life span for the Mycogenians was impossible unless they were willing to indulge in infanticide. The children of both sexes (though it was hard to tell the boys from the girls) wore kirtles that came only a few inches below the knee, making the wild activity of childhood easier. The children also still had hair, reduced to an inch in length at most, but even so the older ones among them had hoods attached to their kirtles and wore them raised, hiding the top of the head altogether. It was as though they were getting old enough to make the hair seem a trifle obscene-or old enough to be wishing to hide it, in longing for the day of rite of passage when they were depilated. A thought occurred to Seldon. He said, â€Å"Dors, when you've been out shopping, who paid, you or the Raindrop women?† â€Å"I did of course. The Raindrops never produced a credit tile. But why should they? What was being bought was for us, not for them.† â€Å"But you have a Trantorian credit tile-a tribeswoman credit tile.† â€Å"Of course, Hari, but there was no problem. The people of Mycogen may keep their own culture and ways of thought and habits of life as they wish. They can destroy their cephalic hair and wear kirtles. Nevertheless, they must use the world's credits. If they don't, that would choke off commerce and no sensible person would want to do that. The credits nerve, Hari.† She held up her hand as though she was holding an invisible credit tile. â€Å"And they accepted your credit tile?† â€Å"Never a peep out of them. And never a word about my skincap. Credits sanitize everything.† â€Å"Well, that's good. So I can buy-â€Å" â€Å"No, I'll do the buying. Credits may sanitize everything, but they more easily sanitize a tribeswoman. They're so used to paying women little or no attention that they automatically pay me the same.-And here's the clothing store I've been using.† â€Å"I'll wait out here. Get me a nice red sash-one that looks impressive.† â€Å"Don't pretend you've forgotten our decision. I'll get two. And another white kirtle also†¦ to my measurements.† â€Å"Won't they think it odd that a woman would be buying a white kirtle?† â€Å"Of course not. They'll assume I'm buying it for a male companion who happens to be my size. Actually, I don't think they'll bother with any assumptions at all as long as my credit tile is good.† Seldon waited, half-expecting someone to come up and greet him as a tribesman or denounce him as one-more likely-but no one did. Those who passed him did so without a glance and even those who glanced in his direction moved on seemingly untouched. He was especially nervous about the gray kirtles-the women-walking by in pairs or, even worse, with a man. They were downtrodden, unnoticed, snubbed. How better to gain a brief notoriety than by shrieking at the sight of a tribesman? But even the women moved on. They're not expecting to see a tribesman, Seldon thought, so they don't see one. That, he decided, augured well for their forthcoming invasion of the Sacratorium. How much less would anyone expect to see tribespeople there and how much more effectively would they therefore fail to see them! He was in fairly good humor when Dors emerged. â€Å"You have everything?† â€Å"Absolutely.† â€Å"Then lets go back to the room, so you can change.† The white kirtle did not fit her quite as well as the gray one did. Obviously, she could not have tried it on or even the densest shopkeeper would have been struck with alarm. â€Å"How do I look, Hari?† she asked. â€Å"Exactly like a boy,† said Seldon. â€Å"Now let's try the sash†¦ or obiah. I had better get used to calling it that.† Dors, without her skincap, was shaking out her hair gratefully. She said sharply, â€Å"Don't put it on now. We're not going to parade through Mycogen with the sash on. The last thing we want to do is call attention to ourselves.† â€Å"No, no. I just want to see how it goes on.† â€Å"Well, not that one. This one is better quality and more elaborate.† â€Å"You're right, Dors. I've got to gather in what attention there is. I don't want them to detect you as a woman.† â€Å"I'm not thinking of that, Hari. I just want you to look pretty.† â€Å"A thousand thanks, but that's impossible, I suspect. Now, let's see, how does this work?† Together, Hari and Dors practiced putting their obiahs on and taking them off, over and over again, until they could do it in one fluid motion. Dors taught Hari how to do it, as she had seen a man doing it the day before at the Sacratorium. When Hari praised her for her acute observations, she blushed and said, â€Å"Its really nothing, Hari, just something I noticed.† Hari replied, â€Å"Then you're a genius for noticing.† Finally satisfied, they stood well apart, each surveying the other. Hari's obiah glittered, a bright red dragonlike design standing out against a paler field of similar hue. Dors's was a little less bold, had a simple thin line down the center, and was very light in color. â€Å"There,† she said, â€Å"just enough to show good taste.† She took it off. â€Å"Now,† said Seldon, â€Å"we fold it up and it goes into one of the inner pockets. I have my credit tile-Hummin's, really-and the key to this place in this one and here, on the other side, the Book.† â€Å"The Book? Should you be carrying it around?† â€Å"I must. I'm guessing that anyone going to the Sacratorium ought to have a copy of the Book with him. They may intone passages or have readings. If necessary, we'll share the Book and maybe no one will notice. Ready?† â€Å"I'll never be ready, but I'm going with you.† â€Å"It will be a tedious trip. Will you check my skincap and make sure no hair shows this time? And don't scratch your head.† â€Å"I won't. You look all right.† â€Å"So do you.† â€Å"You also look nervous.† And Seldon said wryly, â€Å"Guess why!† Dors reached out impulsively and squeezed Hari's hand, then drew back as if surprised at herself. Looking down, she straightened her white kirtle. Hari, himself a trifle surprised and peculiarly pleased, cleared his throat and said, â€Å"Okay, let's go.†