Euthanasia Term Paper Essays - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics

Euthanasia Term Paper A considerable size of society is in favor of Euthanasia mostly because they feel that as a democratic country, we as free individuals, have the right to decide for ourselves whether or not it is our right to determine when to terminate someone's life. The stronger and more widely held opinion is against Euthanasia primarily because society feels that it is god's task to determine when one of his creations time has come, and we as human beings are in no position to behave as god and end someone's life. When humans take it upon themselves to shorten their lives or to have others to do it for them by withdrawing life-sustaining apparatus, they play god. They usurp the divine function, and interfere with the divine plan. Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death persons who have incurable , painful, or distressing diseases or handicaps. It come from the Greek words for 'good' and 'death', and is commonly called mercy killing. Voluntary euthanasia may occur when incurably ill persons ask their physician, friend or relative , to put them to death. The patients or their relatives may ask a doctor to withhold treatment and let them die. Many critics of the medical profession contend that too often doctors play god on operating tables and in recovery rooms. They argue that no doctor should be allowed to decide who lives and who dies. The issue of euthanasia is having a tremendous impact on medicine in the United States today. It was only in the nineteenth century that the word came to be used in the sense of speeding up the process of dying and the destruction of so-called useless lives. Today it is defined as the deliberate ending of life of a person suffering from an incurable disease. A distinction is made between positive, or active, and negative, or passive, euthanasia. Positive euthanasia is the deliberate ending of life; an action taken to cause death in a person. Negative euthanasia is defined as the withholding of life preserving procedures and treatments that would prolong the life of one who is incurably and terminally ill and couldn't survive without them. The word euthanasia becomes a respectable part of our vocabulary in a subtle way, via the phrase ' death with dignity'. Tolerance of euthanasia is not limited to our own country. A court case in South Africa, s. v. Hatmann (1975), illustrates this quite well. A medical practitioner, seeing his eighty-seven year old father suffering from terminal cancer of the prostate, injected an overdose of Morphine and Thiopental, causing his father's death within seconds. The court charged the practitioner as guilty of murder because 'the law is clear that it nonetheless constitutes the crime of murder, even if all that an accused had done is to hasten the death of a human being who was due to die in any event'. In spite of this charge, the court simply imposed a nominal sentence; that is, imprisonment until the rising of the court. (Friedman 246) Once any group of human beings is considered unworthy of living, what is to stop our society from extending this cruelty to other groups? If the mongoloid is to be deprived of his right to life, what of the blind and deaf? and What about of the cripple, the retarded, and the senile? Courts and moral philosophers alike have long accepted the proposition that people have a right to refuse medical treatment they find painful or difficult to bear, even if that refusal means certain death. But an appellate court in California has gone one controversial step further. (Walter 176) It ruled that Elizabeth Bouvia, a cerebral palsy victim, had an absolute right to refuse a life-sustaining feeding tube as part of her privacy rights under the US and California constitutions. This was the nation's most sweeping decision in perhaps the most controversial realm of the rights explosion: the right to die... As individuals and as a society, we have the positive obligation to protect life. The second precept is that we have the negative obligation not to destroy or injure human life directly, especially the life of the innocent and invulnerable. It has been reasoned that the protection of innocent life- and therefore, opposition to abortion, murder, suicide, and euthanasia- pertains to the common good of society. Among the potential effects of a legalised practice of euthanasia are the following: "Reduced pressure to improve curative or symptomatic treatment". If euthanasia had been legal 40 years ago, it is quite possible

Procurement Strategies for Companies when Encountering Natural Disasters

Procurement Strategies for Companies when Encountering Natural Disasters Introduction The concept of procurement directly relates to the process of acquiring goods or services whether (raw or manufactured) in a way that enables a company to meet the needs of its clientele in terms of the quality of the product and quantity it is needed in.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Procurement Strategies for Companies when Encountering Natural Disasters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through the analysis of ( ), it can be seen that procurement is an essential process in all company operations since not all companies are able to extract raw materials, are capable of processing it into different components and have the capacity to assemble it into a viable product. It is based on this that when examining the manufacturing industry as a while it can be divided into 3 distinct types of companies: A raw materials supplier A components manufacturer End product manufacturer Manufacturing industry supply chain progression Companies are separated into these distinct categories based on the need to focus on a type of a specialization that they are good at rather than attempting to diversify itself into all aspects that go into creating a finished product. By doing so, this enables a company to significantly reduce its cost of operations while increasing its capacity to be able to develop better product types. Process in creating a finished product A finished product can this be considered as the culmination of a company utilizing different suppliers and using its own manufacturing processes to create products to be sold. For example, one of the most popular gadgets that has been sold within the past 5 years has been the Apple iPad, yet, the company itself merely sourced the materials needed in its constructions from other companies within its supply chain iPads are primarily manufactured in China by Foxconn (one of the largest electronic manufacturers in the world) with each in dividual part being purchased from different parts suppliers. The processor utilized within the tablet was purchased from Intel, the motherboard was bought from local suppliers in Taiwan, the memory components that go into it were from suppliers in China, and the solid state hard drive was from Seagate. In essence, nearly every single part that went into you average Apple was the result of procuring individual product components from a robust supply chain. Process Components Involved in the Development of the iPad The parts manufacturers involved in the process of creating an iPad in turn sourced the needed materials that went into their own products from their own raw material suppliers as well.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This process is known as a procurement supply chain that starts from raw material suppliers and ends with the final product on the she lves of a store. Do note though that this procurement supply chain is not primarily limited to consumer electronics, it can also include manufactured agricultural goods and most of the everyday items that people see around their home. The reason this is being brought up is due to the fact that while each type of product has its own manufacturing process and supply chain, all of them have the same characteristic in that they depend on the integrity and reliability of their respective procurement supply chains in order for their product to be created (Shuguang, 2010). Supply Chain Concept Due to the necessity of reliability in the provision of raw materials and equipment, this immediately brings up the question of what would happen a supply chain should an integral link in the process be removed due to an unforeseen external event (Shuguang, 2010). The end result would of course be obvious, the total and subsequent collapse of the chain which would prevent a product from being complet ed. What must be understood is that the inherent problems with doing business in the current global system is the fact that unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters have severe ramifications on the supply chains for most corporations. Analysis Method Diagram Production processes are vulnerable due to their dependence on a continuous stream of raw materials and components (Stecke Kumar, 2009). Without raw materials, a capable labor force and a constant supply of energy in order to keep production facilities running, the end result is usually the entire system falling apart the seams. All aspects of the product development supply are necessary to ensure that products can be created to meet consumer demand. The inherent problem though with natural disasters is the fact that they affect all aspects of the production process that was just mentioned in unique ways and, as a result, when they occur this creates considerable difficulties for companies. Effect on Supply Lines When natural disasters occur near areas where production facilities are present, the supply of raw materials that goes into the production line stops completely. Natural disasters prevent accessibility due to the destruction of roads and bridges which makes it difficult if not impossible to get the necessary raw materials to the factories they are destined for (Bunkley, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Procurement Strategies for Companies when Encountering Natural Disasters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It should also be noted that companies would also be reluctant to send trucks to areas immediately after a natural disaster due to the possibility of a sudden recurrence. This precaution is actually justifiable as evidenced by a massive tsunami came that directly hit the Japan since after an earthquake had struck (Japan Earthquake, 2011). It should also be noted that raw materials do not always come from lo cal suppliers, rather, they can also come from international sources (as seen in the relationship between China and Australia involving iron ore and coal) (Financial performance, 2006).. The problem with this is that the various docks and piers designated for the offloading of cargo may have been affected by the natural disaster itself which creates a certain amount of difficulty in terms of getting the raw materials off of a ship and towards a production complex. The raw material suppliers themselves could have also been affected by the tsunami resulting in their own facilities receiving considerable damage which further complicates their capacity to be able to send raw materials to their various clients (Winslow, 2011). Effect on Production Capability When the 2011 earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, it revealed a vulnerability that modern day methods of production had wherein even though a facility is located hundreds of miles away from where a disaster actually happen, there is still the possibility of that particular disaster affecting the ability of that factory to produce products. This is due to the effect natural disasters have on power grids as well as the fact that it can prevent the delivery of essential parts and supplies (Lohr et al., 2011). It should also be noted that due to the earthquake and tsunami as well as the damage to the Fukushima dai-ichi nuclear reactor, factories located as far away as Tokyo had to slash to lower their production capacity to less than half of what they were normally capable of accomplishing on a daily basis due to issues related to worker safety, the loss of essential parts from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that had factories near the disaster zone as well as intermittent power outages (Lohr et al., 2011). Factories located within Tokyo and various surrounding districts were thus unable to meet their production targets for the month which created problems for buyers from other countries such as the U.S. and China wh o relied on the scheduled delivery of essential parts and components (Bunkley, 2011). Sample Situation The 2011 earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami that followed created numerous problems for the Japanese manufacturing industry located near Sendai and Fukushima (Bill, 2011).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The tsunami destroyed several integral power plants and cables in the area which prevented numerous factories from operating within the immediate vicinity. The resulting destruction of several roads prevented raw materials froming going to the factories that needed them. The death of several family members prevented a large percentage of the workforce from going to the factories. The radiation scare from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant made the remaining workers unwilling to go to work due to the threat of radiation poisoning (Kluger et al., 2011). Examining the Issue The issue most companies have with natural disasters is that they stop the process of production in businesses located in the area of a disaster by affecting not only the workers, but also the facilities themselves and the capacity of raw material; suppliers to gather the necessary supplies for their clients. The degree of damage to production facilities can thus be considered as inversely proportional to the strategy of procurement that companies will apply. As such, this will be elaborated on in the next section in order to get a better idea of the strategies that can be employed after a disaster occurs. Minor or no Damage to Production Facilities Minor or no damage is the best outcome after a natural disaster since this ensures that the supply line of a company can be restored within a matter of two to three weeks while the company itself deals with the aftermath of the disaster (i.e. repairing facilities, replacing equipment, etc.) (Wimmer, 2000). This also comes in the form of restoring the delivery of raw materials to the factory, as well as encouraging workers that have not died to come back to work as well as having to send condolences to the families of workers that had died during the course of the disaster (Wimmer, 2000). Medium Scale Damage to Facilities During instances of medium scale damage to production facilities, this can come in form of light to moderate damage of the facility, the surrounding machinery and possible flooding in certain areas which will need to be dealt with (Chopra Sodhi, 2004). In the case of medium scale disasters, it can take up to one to two months to get the factory working again. For buyers, this means that they can either wait for production to start back up or they can switch to a temporary supplier until such a time that their original components supplier can re-establish itself in their supply line (Financial performance, 2006). Large Scale Damage to Facilities Large scale damage to production facilities means the destruction of the building itself along with nearly all of the factory’s production equipment and machinery. During such instances, it is unlikely that a company will be able to supply anything for at least a year or more due to the necessity of having to rebuild their facilities that were destroyed (Financial performance, 2006). For buyers, this means re-establishing a new supply line with a comp letely different company. Summary There is an old saying that states that you should not put all your eggs in one basket, what this means for the strategy of procurement in light of the possibility of natural disasters is to diversify sourcing strategies in order to prevent the possibility of being supply blocked There are several possible procurement strategies that could be employed in order to diversify supply lines for products, however, while each method does have its own merit, it also comes with several negative aspects that should be taken into account before creating a procurement strategy that centers around them. Ethicality Statement The research process for this paper primarily consisted of document analysis in order to gather the necessary facts and figures. During the entire process of research and examination, the researcher followed proper research ethics by: Utilizing only relevant academic literature for examination Checking alternative sources of information to e nsure that the information being utilized is accurate Implementing proper citation and acknowledge for the instances where information from relative academic sources were utilized In no way were any research subjects (though none were utilized) harmed during the process of data collection. None of the information utilized within the study has been falsified in any way. Overall, the research can confidently state that through the aforementioned practices that were implemented, this research study has followed proper ethical research guidelines in researching and presenting information for this report. Client Report Possible Procurement Strategies to Avoid Supply Problems due to Natural Disasters The first strategy that has been developed by this report would be to diversify the supply of integral components through several suppliers in diverse regions and countries instead of a single main supplier for the component (Perry, 2007). The advantage of this method is that should the area of one supplier be affected by a natural disaster, the remaining supply lines would still be viable and could â€Å"pick up the slack† so to speak of the lost supply line (Perry, 2007). One problem with this method is the fact that by separating the amount of components supplied through several companies, the company purchasing them actually loses out on savings from buying in bulk that could have come from ordering from a single company (Dillon Mazzola, 2010). Based on this, procurement strategies in the future will need to take into account what they desire out of their supply lines, either constant supply reliability through diversification of buying strategies or savings through concentration in a single company (Dillon Mazzola, 2010). Another problem to take note of when it comes to supply diversity is the possibility of shifting quality standards when sourcing from different companies from different locations. Companies have their own set of quality standards, busine ss culture and safety regulations that they adhere to depending upon the region in question. For example, companies within China have a much lower degree of corporate social responsibility as compared to companies within Japan, the U.S. and various European countries. Their production processes often do not take into account the subsequent environmental impact of heavy industrial manufacturing processes which enables them to use procedures that would seem environmentally unethical in companies within countries with strong standards of corporate social responsibility. Sourcing the same type of component from Germany, China and Japan would result in two distinct differences, namely: the price of the component and its inherent standard of quality (Manuj Mentzer, 2008). What this means for a company that is attempting to diversify its supply chains is that there would be a distinct difference in cost between the parts supplied as well as overall quality (Manuj Mentzer, 2008). This wou ld result in the components of the same product being invariably better or worse than others. This of course creates a problematic situation for a companys quality standards since the differences in component quality have to be taken into account during the quality control process. Another possibility that could be taken into consideration is that assuming the quality standards of the suppliers a company is sourcing a single component from are the same the company could merely source the same component from different locations to avoid interruptions in the supply chain. The inherent problem with this situation is the differences in cost due to the distance of delivery. If a company were to source products from different suppliers yet all of them are located in the same general area this makes the concept of supply diversity useless since they would all be hit by the same natural disaster. One method around this would be source products from different regions or better yet different countries (Skoufias, 2003). The advantage of this method is that it would prevent natural disasters from hitting all suppliers at one time. As mentioned earlier, the problem with this is the differences in overall costs in delivery with some locations that are nearer obviously costing less than those that are far away. In cases such as this, companies would then choose to have a majority of their supplied components coming from locations that are nearby thus lowering the cost of transportation (Skoufias, 2003). In this situation, it is assumed that all components cost the same and that it is the cost of delivery that causes differences in prices. Another approach to the problem comes in the form of simply obtaining suppliers from locations that are not prone to natural disasters thus there would be little risk of disruptions. While this method of procurement is sound, there is still a problem as to whether there would actually be a components manufacturer in an area that is not easi ly affected by natural disasters. Work Log Work Log 1 During this week it was determined that while there are a variety of possible solutions available to prevent interruptions in the supply chain, they are not without significant setbacks. The inherent problem with trying to prevent any and all supply chain interruptions while taking into account the possibility of natural disasters is the fact that there are too many factors at work to actually create a 100% effective plan that can mitigate all problems. It was discovered that the best possible solution would be diversify the supply chain to such an extent to ensure that production does not stop completely should a supplier be affected by a natural disaster. Work Log 2 While it was mentioned in the earlier work log that diversification would help to reduce the potential threats brought about by natural disasters, it was determined that this would cause problems in terms of profitability as compared to sourcing from a single suppli er. The fact remains that anchoring a supply chain to a single lone supplier can and will cause problems to a buyer should an outside event affect their production capability as seen in the case of Apple Incorporated and their suppliers in Japan. Work Log 3 Research into possible areas not directly affected by natural disasters shows that areas located in the Middle East have fewer natural disasters as compared to other locations around the world. Unfortunately, their industries are neither agriculturally nor industrially based and, as such, would prove to be viable locations for sourcing only if a company was dealing with petroleum based products. If not, they would not prove to be useful at all. Work Log 4 In this work log, the viability of sourcing from a single supplier was examined. Unfortunately, as it was stated earlier, this means the supply line is isolated to that particular supplier and should anything happen to that company as a result of a natural disaster the productio n capabilities of the company sourcing that particular component would grind to a halt. Overall Summary Through this activity, I have come to learn that businesses do not operate within a vacuum and, as such, business managers and product sourcing specialists need to take into consideration a plethora of different factors when it comes to ensuring the integrity of their respective supply chains. While natural disasters cannot be anticipated in their entirety, the fact remains that plans can still be established which should help to lessen their impact on a company’s supply chain. Reference List Bill, O 2011, ‘Japan Hit by Massive Earthquake’, OReilly Factor (FOX News), Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Bunkley, N 2011, ‘Japans Automakers Expect Longer Delays’, Academic Search Premier, p. 1. Chopra, S, Sodhi, M, 2004, ‘Managing Risk to Avoid Supply Chain Breakdown’,  MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 53-62. Dillon, R, Mazzola, J 2010, ‘Management of disruption risk in global supply Chains’, IBM Journal of Research Development, vol. 54, no. 3, pp.1-9. Financial performance 2006, ‘Supply chains after disruptions an event study’, Supply  Chain Management, vol.11, no. 1, pp. 25-33. Japan Earthquake, 2011, ‘Thoughts and Implications’, Emerging Markets Monitor, vol. 16, no. 47, pp. 1-3. Kluger, J, Harrel, E, Powell, B, Walsh, B 2011, ‘Fear Goes Nuclear’, Time, vol. 177, no. 1, p. 34. Lohr, S, Bunkley, N, Kopytoff, V 2011, ‘Supply Disruptions of Power and Water Threaten Japans Economy’, Academic Search Premier, p. 1. Manuj, I, Mentzer, J 2008, ‘Global supply chain risk management strategies’,  International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 38, no. 3, pp.192-223. Perry, M 2007, ‘Natural disaster management planning A study of logistics managers responding to the tsunami’, Intern ational Journal of Physical Distribution   Logistics Management, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 409-433 Shuguang, L, Jun, L, Hayes, K 2010, ‘An agile and diversified supply chain reducing operational risks’, Competitiveness Review, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 222-234. Skoufias, E 2003, ‘Economic Crises and Natural Disasters Coping Strategies and Policy Implications’, World Development, vol. 31, no. 7, p. 1087. Stecke, K, Kumar, S 2009, ‘Sources of Supply Chain Disruptions Factors That Breed Vulnerability and Mitigating Strategies’, Journal of Marketing Channels, vol. 16, no. 3, p. 193. Wimmer, S 2000, ‘Procurement Pros Stay Afloat in Wake of Natural Disasters’,  Government Procurement, vol. 8, no. 2, p. 7. Winslow, G 2011, ‘Japan Quake Shakes TV Equipment Suppliers’, Multichannel News, vol. 32, no. 12, p. 25.

Company Innovation Process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Innovation Process - Case Study Example Motorola Inc has always strived to be a company which, to a great extent, succeeded in bringing these new products steadily and quickly to the market. Motorola has global customer sectors which trust the company for its innovative attempts to bring out the best of software enhanced wireless phones, two way radios and Internet access products. Lately, due to the cut throat competition in the industry, Motorola, for some reasons, has been pushed back to reconsider and strengthen the innovation process of the organization to keep up the consistency of its performance as a world class producers of electronic communication devices. Analyzing the situation as the president of Motorola the need of an aggressive innovation process is strikingly inevitable. The development step in the existing process seems to be inadequate for today's need of the industry to deliver timely results in the existing and growing market. Developing, in fact, could be bringing the idea in the paper defined comprehensively into a solid reality. Though, the regular innovation process in Motorola involves five steps such as inventing, developing, diffusing, integrating and monitoring. The ideas that are worth developing into a successful commercialization seem to be the failure in the innovation process. ... dically increase the chances of success for any manufacturer and thus, the best performance will depend significantly on a defined innovation process (Griffin 429-458). So the successful innovation will require a series of tasks and decision points. Developing is a significant step once the idea is conceived; there is an essential task of turning this idea into a profitable concept. An Idea will only be thought in the mind or expressed; this most of the time comes out of a creative mind representing a new product, service or remedy. The first in the series of developing would be creating a visible concept of this idea comprehensively written down on the paper. It gives a solid foundation on which the further development becomes viable. All the economical financial and schedule factors will clearly be evident with a close analysis of this concept. This concept development will function as a criterion to guide the entire work force and crew to developing true value for the customers. Setting up Development Team and Project Timeline Second phase on the developing step could be to set up the team formidable in the given situations. The first step on this would be determining project specifications on cost time and deliverables. Then, it would be the adequate technological training for the work force, as the major challenge in developing an innovative concept could be the number of trained technologically skilled personals. The product specification session will be of creating an operation conditions for the concept to become physical and live. One must utilize here the ability, knowledge, experience and talent of not only the project managers but also, as much as possible, of every individual in the unit, to the maximum. This exploitation of human talent would be

Olympics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Olympics Paper - Essay Example gets and scale of plans for the site and program to ensure that the Olympics site would accommodate the size of expected attendees, as well as their security, personal and professional needs. It is in this regard that this paper is written to present the steps and tasks needed to prepare for the Olympics. The discourse would include personal protection of VIPs, athletes, and the general public, as well as other security concerns, traffic control, and terrorist threats. The Olympic games originated in Olympia, Greece from as early as 10th or 9th century B.C. Due to its scope and enormity of international participants in the event, the level and depth of security measures are always of paramount priority especially of the host country. In previous Olympic events, there were security companies which were named as the official electronic security sponsor for specific Olympic events. This ensures that the security plans, measures and implementing actions could be directly accounted to a specific organization. In the forthcoming games in London on 2012, â€Å"the Government and its partners in security are committed to the safety and security of the London 2012 Olympics, and a funding envelope of  £600 million has been agreed. This will cover strategic options for a range of security measures, including fraud and financial crime prevention and protection, counter-terrorism, identity assurance and personal protection.† (Beard, 2008) Generally, the following steps and tasks are required to prepare for securing the Olympic games: (1) definition of a specific objective - the aim is to ensure safe and secure Olympic Games which everyone can enjoy; (2) identification of the agency in charge of security; (3) planning stage incorporating security programs, layout, officers and budget in the design for the Olympic site to further secure the Olympic Park; the number of officers needed on duty each day should be detailed including the number of specialists such as firearms,

Parrallel Universe Theory

Parrallel Universe Theory Today, astronomers can see out to a distance of approximately 42 billion light-years, our cosmic visual horizon, and we have no reason to believe that the universe ends there (Physics for Dummies, 2011). There exists the possibility that there are an infinite number of domains beyond our own. The majority of cosmologists today agree with the concept of a multiverse where the same laws of physics apply in all domains, but some dare to take the notion even further. Some physicians believe in the existence of infinite parallel universes with different laws of physics, alternate histories and other dimensions than ours (Science Universe, 2012). With this essay, I aim to pursue the parallel universe theory in order to determine its validity outside the realm of science-fiction. I will explore the justifications for it as well as the criticisms against it by consulting the theories of various cosmologists and quantum physicians. The ultimate reason for this pursuit is to determine whether or not the theory of parallel universes can be considered as an indisputable scientific fact or should rather remain in the world of fiction. Before proceeding, I need to state the limitations and scope of this paper and clearly disclose the structure in which the subject matter will be discussed. Firstly, I will define a parallel universe and provide some background information on the subject, as will be applicable to the essays content. Secondly, I will identify the theories that support the idea of parallel universes and organise them according to a cosmological or quantum physics perspective. Thirdly, I will identify the theories that criticise the idea of parallel universes and again organise them according to a cosmological or quantum physics perspective. Lastly, after analyzing both schools of thought, I will conclude my findings and determine if parallel universes are indeed fact or fiction. Part 1: Parallel Universes: Definition and Background To understand the concept of a parallel universe, one must first define the umbrella term it falls under, namely a multiverse. The multiverse theory claims that our universe is not the only one of its kind and that there exists many universes parallel to one another (The Theory of Parallel Universes, 2011). The universes that exist within this multiverse are called parallel universes. These multiple universes consist of everything and anything that can exist in matter, time, energy and space (The Theory of Parallel Universes, 2011). Other terms that are used to refer to parallel universes include quantum universes, alternative universes, alternative realities or parallel worlds. The following paragraphs will give an overview of some scientific theories on parallel universes in order to give an understanding of the argument and the logic that supports the notion. We will first look at the argument as approached from a cosmological perspective. According to Ellis (2011), if the universe and the possible histories that take place within it are infinite and the number of types of DNA-based beings are finite, then this infinite universe will contain an infinite amount of copies of these finite DNA-based beings. He goes on to say that, given this argument, some of these living beings will inevitably follow very similar lines of history (Ellis, 2011). In lay terms, when given the prospect of an infinite amount of histories combined with finite types of living beings, these histories will repeat to infinitum. However, Soler Gil and Alfonseca (2013) do not agree that if there are an infinite amount of possible histories, that these histories will necessarily be repeated in parallel universes. They state that given this scenario, the amount of histories will always be greater than the number of living beings, therefore if these beings are infinitely repeated they will still experience different histories (Soler Gil and Alfonseca, 2 013). Given this brief background overview, it is evident that the scientific community is still heavily divided on the notion of the existence of parallel universes. We will now continue by evaluating more detailed descriptions of theories that promote and refute the existence of parallel universes. For the purpose of this paper, we will only draw from the fields of cosmology and quantum physics. Part 2: Theories that promote the Existence of Parallel Universes Quantum physics is the science that attempts to explain phenomena which cannot be explained by the regular laws of science and physics. The parallel universe theory was first formulated in 1956 by Hugh Everett. Everett formulated this theory in an attempt to substantiate his belief that every probable outcome of any decision we make, does actually happen. He claimed that even though we may choose option A in this universe, we will choose option B in a parallel universe (Everett, 1956). Everetts theory is relatively new to the history of physics but it has already become a popular and controversial topic in the scientific community. This proposal was coined the Many-Worlds Interpretation. It essentially states that any object can be in any state at any time in a different parallel universe (Everett, 1956). This implies that the wavefunction of a state of being does not collapse at the moment of observation (like we observe in the Double-Slit Experiment later in the paper), but rather continues to evolve in a deterministic manner while simultaneously embracing all its possibilities (Everett, 1956). Everett (1956) notes that even though every possible outcome does exist simultaneously, they do not interfere with one another due to the fact that we are unable to observe these alternate realities. The Cosmological Perspective Max Tegmark, a well known modern cosmologist, states that if space is indeed infinite and inhabited by a finite number of living beings, then there is bound to be some identical occurrences that take place in different universes (Tegmark, 1997). Tegmark goes on to make use of a mathematical equation to calculate the probable distance of our nearest doppelgà ¤nger at any given time. His answer being approximately 1010115 meters. This theory coincides with a fundamental conjecture of cosmology, namely that the universe exists beyond the scope of our observation. Tegmark formulated a categorisation that recognizes four different levels of the multiverse where each level builds on the previous one. Tegmark (1997) refers to the first level as the level Beyond our Cosmological Horizon. This refers to an infinite universe that contains Hubble volumes that concern themselves with realising all primary conditions. Tegmark (1997) states that an infinite universe will necessarily contain an infinite amount of Hubble volumes that are subjected to the same physical laws. Given this precedent, there are bound to be Hubble volumes that have identical configurations to ours in some universes. This statement is rooted in the cosmological principle that states that we do not possess a unique Hubble volume. The second level concerns Universes with Different Physical Constants (Tegmark, 1997). He coins these universes as bubble universes and claims that our universe is just one of many bubble universes in existence. Tegmark (1997) then builds on the cosmic inflation theory in order to justify his argument that although the multiverse is infinitely stretching, there are some regions that cease to stretch. Once they become stationery, they form bubbles that may possess differing physical constants. The third level is an expression of the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (Tegmark, 1997). One feature of quantum mechanics is that there is no observation that can be predicted with absolute certainty, but there is rather a range of probable observations. By applying this feature to the many-worlds interpretation, one can deduce that each probable observation should be compatible with a different universe. Tegmark (1997) explains that the difference between level one and level three is that in level one our doppelgà ¤ngers reside in a three-dimensional space whereas in level three they reside in an infinite-dimensional space. The fourth level is referred to as the Ultimate Ensemble or the Mathematical Universe Hypothesis (Tegmark, 1997). He claims that due to mathematics abstract nature, one can use a mathematical structure to prove just about any Theory of Everything (Tegmark, 1997). Given this statement, one can describe any imaginable parallel universe at level four and include all other ensembles by simply using mathematics. By doing so, one will bring an end to the multiverse hierarchy and eliminate any probability of the existence of a fifth level. Even though Tegmark does utilise some characteristics of quantum mechanics to promote the existence of parallel universes, he is fundamentally a cosmologist. There is, however, another physician that uses the field of quantum physics more extensively in this pursuit. In the next section we will evaluate Brian Greenes argument for the existence of parallel universes from a quantum physics perspective. The Quantum Physics Perspective Before discussing Greenes application of quantum physics to promote the existence of parallel universes, we first need to recognize three observations about quantum physics. Firstly, energy has the ability to travel through space without having the need to cover the superseding distance (Physics for Dummies, 2011). This means that energy and quantum particles possess the ability to exist in more than one place at a time. This observation is clearly fundamental for the substantiation of the parallel universe theory from a quantum physics perspective. Secondly, all quantum particles exist in different places at any given time, even though we are unable to see them (Physics for Dummies, 2011). Given this observation, there is a possibility that doppelgà ¤ngers may exist in different locations. Thirdly, quantum particles are influenced by the practice of observation when we observe them (Physics for Dummies, 2011), which plays an important role later in the paper when we discuss the Dou ble-Slit Experiment. Greene attempts to comprehend the origin of multiverses by utilising string theory. String theory speculates that the universe can be described in terms of small strings that vibrate in ten or eleven different dimensions that we are unable to see (Greene, 2011). Greene (2011) claims that string theory not only includes strings but also objects that resemble two-dimensional membranes. He goes on to suggest that we may be living on one of these two-dimensional surfaces and that other surfaces may be floating around us in space. This claim is currently without any emprirical evidence, but Green (2011) says that this can be tested in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. If Greenes hypothesis is correct, then when particles are slammed together in the LHC, debris can be emitted off of our membrane surface and into the greater cosmos where our membrane is floating. This loss of debris will take away some amount of energy in our universe. We can then measure the amount of energy and com pare it to the amount that was present before the collision. If there is found to be less energy afterwards, it would indicate that some energy had been launched into the greater cosmos (Greene, 2011). This particular outcome of the experiment will prove that Greenes hypothesis is correct. However, until this experiment at CERN takes place and is found to be successful, Greenes hypothesis remains pure speculation. Part 3: Theories that refute the Existence of Parallel Universes The Cosmological Perspective Cosmologist, Paul Davies, is a firm believer that notions of parallel universes belong in the realm of scientific philosophy and not in physics. Even though all cosmologists accept the existence of other regions that we are not able to observe, most of them do not deduce the existence of infinite universes from this precedent. Davies addresses the topic in his New York Times opinion piece by saying that physicists should not believe a theory based on faith, but rather insist on hard scientific facts supported by empirical evidence: The multiverse theory may be dressed up in scientific language, but in essence it requires a leap of faith (Davies, 2007). George Ellis is another cosmologist who shares the same sentiment as Davies towards the parallel universe theory. Ellis (2011) points out that the basic problem with the multiverse proposal is the existence of a cosmic visual horizon, as we will never be able to observe these universes even if they did exist. He also rejects the application of string theory, as attempted by Greene (2011), in order to substantiate the plausibility of the parallel universe theory. Ellis (2011) states that string theory is not yet a complete theory that has been tested or proven. He admits, however, that if string theory is ever proven correct then there will be a legitimate argument for the existence of a multiverse. Ellis (2011) concludes that multiverse proposals are merely scientifically based philosophical speculation and cannot even qualify as a well-defined scientific theory. He states that before the multiverse proposal can be considered to be a scientific theory, it needs to be coherent and not just a patchwork of different ideas (Ellis, 2011). The Quantum Physics Perspective The most common criticism of the parallel universe theory is the lack of scientific facts derived from empirical evidence collected by means of observation and experiments. It has proven difficult to acquire scientific proof for the existence of alternate realities for many reasons, one of these reasons being that by observing reality, we are also altering it. This fascinating notion is demonstrated by the famous Double-Slit Experiment (Live Science, 2012). Essentially, this experiment proves that energy and matter display characteristics of particles and waves, indicating the fundamental probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. In a basic Double-Slit Experiment, we observe the light of a laser beam aimed towards a thin plate pierced with two parallel slits. The wave-like nature of the light results in the light waves interfering with each other while passing through the two slits. When observed from behind the plate, one sees bright and dark bands being created, which is unexpecte d if one were to assume that light only consisted of particles. Instead of acting like particles, the light becomes absorbed on the screen as if it consisted of photons or discrete particles (Live Science, 2012). The mysterious result of this experiment lead to the detection of the inherent probabilistic nature of individual photons. When Deutsche (2001) conducted his version of the Double-Slit Experiment, he took the findings even further. He states that when we perceive a photon passing through one slit, a parallel universe might perceive a photon passing through another slit. According to Deutsche (2001), our universe is the reality of the tangible particles that we observe whereas the reality of the shadow particles is actually a parallel universe. However, there are very strong arguments against Deutschs interpretation of the findings of the Double-Slit Experiment. It is impossible to confirm Deutschs claim that the photon goes through one of the slits and not both because an interference pattern emerges when we try to measure this (Sturman, 2011). Even though the standard way of approaching quantum mechanics does not provide a satisfactory explanation of the Double-Slit Experiment in terms of a single universe, it does not give precedent to an unverified theory of a multiverse that might explain it better. After observing that when a photon passes through the first slit, it interferes with a photon that might have passed through the second slit, Deutsch deduces that a photon must have passed through the second slit in a parallel universe (Sturman, 2011). This, however, is unsatisfactory due to the fact that Deutsch has not proven that the photon passes through one of the two slits even though it could have passed through the other slit. There is still a distinct possibility that the photon is passing through both slits at the same time in our universe (Sturman, 2011). What I think Deutsche has forgotten in his pursuit to desperately prove the existence of parallel universes, is that the role of physics is to describe what we experience in our world. When we consider the notion of doppelgà ¤ngers in different universes which we cannot observe, we are stretching the field of physics to be greater than our experiential reality. In my opinion, this cannot be considered science, but rather speculation. Conclusion After analyzing both schools of thought on the existence of parallel universes, I remain firmly unconvinced by this theory. The unverified cosmological arguments made by Tegmark (1997) and the futile attempts of Greene (2011) and Deutschs (2001) quantum physics approach did not succeed in convincing me that parallel universes exist. Even though I approached this concept with an open mind, one must still require empirical evidence before confirming any theory to be remotely factual. Given the evidence, I can confidently conclude that the case for the existence of parallel universes remains unproven for now. However, I have found the contemplation of a multiverse extremely enticing as a way to reflect on the nature of our existence. There is no doubt that the concept belongs in the realm of philosophy for now, but the lack of scientific proof does not leave it entirely worthless. We should rather embrace what multiverse proposals truly are scientifically based philosophical speculatio n (Ellis, 2011). By doing this we can bring newfound legitimacy to the subject. Instead of trying to force it into the field of natural sciences, where it clearly does not belong, we should welcome it in the field of social science. I think that by doing this, we will enable the concept of parallel universes to be explored to its full potential without the boundaries set by the scientific method.

Danielle Steeles Daddy and Norman Macleans A River Runs Through it :: essays research papers

The two books Daddy by Danielle Steele and A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean are both stories where the main characters are male. The books deal with how a man reacts when he is presented with different situations. Oliver, the main character from Daddy, and Norman the main character from A River Runs Through It, are both presented with different situations that bring out their prevailing qualities. The two men have both similar and different traits. The time periods and society that they live in have totally shaped the way Norman and Oliver react when presented with certain qualities however they still have the same masculine traits. The time period in witch both men are accustomed to are very different. Norman lives in the early 1900’s when it was still the time of men had their place working and women had their place in the kitchen. While Oliver is in the time setting of around the late 1980’s to the early 1990’s in a time when women are equal to men. The time periods that the two characters live in have changed their personalities. If they were to switch places they would more than likely have reversed personalities. Norman is living in the early 1900’s when the man was expected to be the strong one in the any situation. Norman does this stereotype justice he is in his early to mid 20’s and an upstanding citizen. Norman is faced with the problem of facing his brother’s death. His brother’s death is not a situation that is confined to this time period it is just handled differently because of this time period. Norman handles the situation by not mentioning it very often and acting like it didn’t happen. Whereas if Norman was living in a more modern time period he may be more apt to talking about his brother’s death Oliver is a middle aged advertisement agent in the 1990’s, a time when men are not depended on so much to be the tough guy and people are more open-minded to the different things. Oliver is presented with a lot of the problems that are common to the 90’s. He is also a very decent guy that is presented with some of the hardships of life, but unlike Norman Oliver is not ashamed of his problems because they are more acceptable in the time that he is living. Danielle Steele's Daddy and Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through it :: essays research papers The two books Daddy by Danielle Steele and A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean are both stories where the main characters are male. The books deal with how a man reacts when he is presented with different situations. Oliver, the main character from Daddy, and Norman the main character from A River Runs Through It, are both presented with different situations that bring out their prevailing qualities. The two men have both similar and different traits. The time periods and society that they live in have totally shaped the way Norman and Oliver react when presented with certain qualities however they still have the same masculine traits. The time period in witch both men are accustomed to are very different. Norman lives in the early 1900’s when it was still the time of men had their place working and women had their place in the kitchen. While Oliver is in the time setting of around the late 1980’s to the early 1990’s in a time when women are equal to men. The time periods that the two characters live in have changed their personalities. If they were to switch places they would more than likely have reversed personalities. Norman is living in the early 1900’s when the man was expected to be the strong one in the any situation. Norman does this stereotype justice he is in his early to mid 20’s and an upstanding citizen. Norman is faced with the problem of facing his brother’s death. His brother’s death is not a situation that is confined to this time period it is just handled differently because of this time period. Norman handles the situation by not mentioning it very often and acting like it didn’t happen. Whereas if Norman was living in a more modern time period he may be more apt to talking about his brother’s death Oliver is a middle aged advertisement agent in the 1990’s, a time when men are not depended on so much to be the tough guy and people are more open-minded to the different things. Oliver is presented with a lot of the problems that are common to the 90’s. He is also a very decent guy that is presented with some of the hardships of life, but unlike Norman Oliver is not ashamed of his problems because they are more acceptable in the time that he is living.

Complete lives

The Complete Lives System The allocation of healthcare has always been a huge issue in our society and the principles to allocate this resource also has come under fire. In the past it has always been â€Å"first come first serve† basis. Whether or not this approach is ethical is another question, but is it practical. The authors of â€Å"Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions† have discussed a new approach called the Complete Lives System.The complete lives system posses five principles for allocation that Include: ingest first, prognosis, save the most lives, lottery, and Instrumental value (Principles 6). The priority of this system Is to lad those who have not yet lived a complete life and will not be able to do so unless they get the aid necessary. This idea also considers many ethical factors such as saving the most lives possible, as well as a lottery, which takes into account the little information needed for recipients.While this system is no t practical for an entire economy at this point, it is a step closer to determining an appropriate approach to our health care system. The Complete Lives System is an ethically Justified and practical approach to health care because; it takes into account various practical approaches to healthcare, and it focuses on those able and capable to live a complete life with the public resources that they have used in the past. The Complete Lives system takes into account a variety of different principles used around the world.As stated before, the core principle Is youngest first. The system focuses on â€Å"youngest first† by giving the priority to those between the ages of 15 and 40. The mall reason why this first approach Is ethically Justified Is that adolescents eve received substantial education and parental care, and these investments would be wasted without a chance at a complete life (Principles 6). These resources primarily schooling would be a waste if without aid necessa ry. Infants have not received this benefit so they should not be considered a factor for instrumental value.They are also unable and incapable forming long term plans and values that some have already received before they turn 18. While alone this principle is impractical, the combination of prognosis and instrumental values makes this model ethically sound. Demand will always be larger than supply In the healthcare system it is almost an Inevitable factor when determining a correct model. The argument of which healthcare model should be used Is focused around who will receive the appropriate care, and who will be left out.The abandonment of the â€Å"sickest first† Is ethically Justified based on the principle of prognosis. Factoring prognosis Into the model takes into account that large amounts of resources will not be use the majority of resources to those that can benefit the most? I believe so, and the tutors of this article also agree. If the care given to those termina lly ill only give benefits of a couple of weeks or a few months compared to multiple years for those that are better off, it is hard to not see this as an ethically Justified model.As I said before not every person is able to reap equal benefits of the healthcare system, no country possesses the resources capable of achieving this utopia. The most practical method is providing aid to those that can reap the most benefit from the care. Objections to the Complete Lives System is said to discriminate against older people. Everyone was once the age of 25 and able to seek the benefits of the system but why now that they are 65 that they cannot? Some tend to say that this is discrimination and â€Å"ageist†.The system was designed to give each person an equal responsibility of living a complete life, which has been accomplished at the age of 65. They have already had the chance to live a complete life and reap the benefits designed by society such as education e. T. C. When the sys tem is maximized, it is designed to offer the greatest benefit to those that need it. An adolescent offers more infinite to society in the future then an elderly one would. As an economics major I have always thought to look at decisions based on the opportunity cost, or the cost associated with an alternative decision that is forgone.What would be the opportunity cost of choosing to extend an elder life potentially 10 years, over an adolescent for maybe 50-60? Obviously it depends on the specific person but the benefit to society by one living another 50 years triumphs one that only has a few left. If the United States would switch to the Complete Lives system then my current enervation would benefit greatly from this change. We would be able to look forward to the high possibly of benefiting from a â€Å"complete† life.It gives a sense of relief knowing that if I were to develop an ailment in the near future that I would be able to get the care I need to regain my quality o f life. In contrast those that are past the age to be prioritize will not feel the same way about the system. One quote I found particularly interesting was the rule of rescue, â€Å"our moral response to the imminence of death demands that we rescue the doomed† (Principles 2). The Complete Lives System does not factor the sickest first, which usually is the elder generation.Its hard to agree with the principle knowing that when I get older and my quality of life decreases, that I will not receive the same treatment as I once did. This is the only flaw of this system it does make you question whether or not it could be effective when it is put into action. Even with this flaw in the system it is still nice to know that the priority is given to those that have not lived a complete quality filled life. Recently I had a close family member of mine pass away at the age of 87. He had been dealing with various health problems the last 5 years or so and had been receiving pretty ext ensive medical care.I definitely believe that under this system that he would not have received the same amount of care and most likely would not have lived as long. When the time came for my family and him to decide what the future plan of action would be, they decided he did not want to continue the treatment to only be in pain for maybe a couple extra months. When he passed it was very hard for all of us to accept the news and the decision but in the end it was to receiving the treatment he needed years ago under the Complete Lives System and looking at it now I probably would not want the system to apply.I believe that this system is a step forward in the right direction for our healthcare system but any person is selfish in dealing with one of his or her own friends or family members. While I wouldn't have wanted the system to apply to my family member I could accept the fact knowing that the resources necessary too keep him alive could be better used on someone else to increas e their quality of life. The Complete Lives System uses a variety of different principles to try and have a concise system in place to designate who receives the appropriate care.At this time it would be hard to put a system like this into place in somewhere such as the United States, but if used appropriately for the correct system it could be considered as an ethical approach to this big question. Some of the opposing viewpoints accurately generate questions about various aspects of the Complete Lives, but I believe that it is a legitimate policy that factors in all aspects of morality.