The Giant Pacific Octopus

The Giant Pacific Octopus This paper is about octopus dofleni, which is a bottom-dwelling octopus that lives on coasts of the pacific ocean, from Northern Japan to California. This essay will provide a brief overview of its life, habits and other characteristics of this, intelligent and creative invertebrate and member of the Octopodidae family. The life of the pacific giant may begin at any time of the year. The mating season however tends to peak in the month of December, with most of their eggs being laid in April and May. Octopuses reproduction is sexual and takes place in the somewhat shallow depths of 25 -100m and can last hours.The fertilization process begins with the male octopus, he uses his third right tentacle which has no suckers but a modified structure known as the hectocotylus to pass spermatophore from within his mantle cavity into the the mantle cavity of the female, also known as the oviduct. Male octopuses may mate with more than one female in their lifetime and f emales tend have a preference of larger males for their mates. While the female lives until the eggs have time to hatch, the male dies only a few months after breeding. ReproductionAfter being fertilized the female will close herself off in a den here she will lay anywhere between 20,000 and 100,000 eggs over a span of 2-3 weeks. Incubation can take from six to eight months. During this time the female octopus will take to cleaning algae and bacteria off the eggs as well as blowing water at them to keep a steady supply of oxygen. After the eggs hatch, the mother clears an opening in the den for her young to swim up to the surface of the ocean. Life Span After hatching the octopus larva become much like plankton, drifting along the surface of the ocean feeding on particles of dead food from other larger animals.This stage lasts 30-90 days at which point the octopus descends to the bottom of the ocean where it will spend the rest of its life. The Pacific giant may live up to five year s without mating. Some have been recorded weighing up to 600 pounds and being 31 feet wide, but the average size is only about 9 feet wide and 100 pounds in weight, still weighing in as the largest species of octopus. The Den of the Octopus When making or finding a den, octopuses are very resourceful, some dig up areas of sea floor to build their own den, but others prefer to live in manmade dens such as sunken ships.Dens are very important to octopuses, they use them for hatching their eggs, feeding, and sometimes uses it to hide from predators such as larger octopuses and seals. In general, octopuses are very mobile, and may occupy multiple dens in their lifetime. Feeding Habits Octopuses feed on everything from smaller octopus, crustaceans, crabs, and shrimp. Octopuses usually hunt at night and capture their prey in many different ways, some use their brute strength and size while others poison prey with their venom.Lifestyle and Characteristics Much like the other aspects of its life, the octopus is very resourceful, in its defense and hunting methods and mechanisms. Some species of octopus are extremely poisonous to man; they can administer their poison in two ways, by either biting with their bird like beaks, or releasing the venom into the surrounding water of its prey. Though octopuses usually use this tool for hunting, and not defense, this poison can attack the nervous, and respiratory systems of man and can cause death within an hour.There is currently no known antivenom for the octopus’s deadly poison. Octopuses also have the ability to change the color of their skin in order to camouflage themselves. This is done through the use of chromatophore cells in the skin. Chromatophore cells are comprised of three sacks containing different colors. The octopus can adjust these colors to match the color of their background. The normal color of the octopus is brown, but it is also seen in other colors correlating with their emotions, such as red for anger and white for fear.The skin of the octopus is generally very soft, the only part that is not is the beak or the head of the octopus, this allows octopuses to fit through holes no larger than the beak its self. All octopuses have the ability to shoot out a jet of purple or blackish ink like fluid from under their eyes, in order to perform a disappearing act when they feel threatened. The octopus can shoot out several blotches of this fluid before the fluid sac is emptied. This trick is not always an option, the ink is actually toxic to the octopus, and if shot in a confined area, the octopus will become sick or even die.Octopuses have fairly good eyes, in fact they are comparable to ours in clarity. The eyes of the octopus differ from ours, in the aspect that they focus by moving in, and out while the human eye works by changing the shape and size of the lens itself. The octopus also posseses the most advanced brain of all invertebrates, with both short, and long term memories. This allows the octopus to learn in much the same way as humans, through trial and error. When an octopus learns a lesson it remembers and puts its knowledge to use in the future.The octopus has eight arms, with 250 suckers on each arm for a total of 2000 suckers on their body. These suckers are very sensitive to touch, in fact, the octopus can differentiate between different objects just as well with their suckers as they can with their eyes. Some species have particular suckers that are larger than the rest This is to aid in reproduction. Although octopuses often lose arms to predators, it is of no consequence as the arm will grow back in a short time. The Octopus Dolfeni and Man The pacific giant is the most common commercial species of octopus and is caught by fisheries from north Japan to Washington state.The octopuses are caught in large sometimes clay pots and raised to the surface. The octopuses are used for bait and for consumption by humans. Although these octopuses are c aught in nearly all of their habitats, they are not endangered. The ocean is where life began, and is a far more competitive, and harsher world than the world we know. So it comes as no surprise that the most advanced and well adapted life forms would be found in the ocean. Although octopuses do not build large structured civilizations, they are obviously another form of intelligent and highly adapted life forms.

Myers-Briggs Paper

Mallory Simpson Psych 101: Myers-Briggs Paper Professor Baker 8/13/12 After taking the Myers-Briggs test, I am not at all surprised by the results I was given. 67% introvert is what I was distinctively ranked for personality type and I couldn’t agree more. Next on the list was 44% judging. This particular one leaves me wondering what type of judging? Is it being a judgmental person, or rather judging between the pros and cons of something, or maybe judging based on intuition or discernment. I think that a lot of people that know me would agree with this aspect also. 8% was the score for feeling. Although I agree with the order of the results, I would also put feeling number one. I am most definitely a feeling person. I would assume that this goes along with emotions also. Not only am I worried about how I may feel about a particular situation, I often wonder how the other person may feel as well. Lastly on the list I scored a 25% for sensing. When I think about the difference between an introvert and an extrovert, I think the biggest difference is the ability to sit back, relax, and see the bigger picture.A lot of introverts are quiet and observant and able to see things that an outgoing, always on the go, loud and talkative extrovert may miss. Of course, this may not be the case for every opposite, but I think for the majority it is true. An extrovert has the advantage to get out and seize the opportunity that an introvert may miss which is the biggest positive I see for an extrovert. The Myers-Briggs test was very insightful for me. â€Å"The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. † –Proverbs 10:8

Lev Vygotsky’s Theory Essay

The development or the growing-up process of a child has been considered as the most critical and crucial part of a person’s life. It is in this stage where most changes take place which determines the strength or weakness of the foundations of one’s skills and capabilities as he or she grows up. Human development has also been an interesting topic or research in the field of psychology over the years. Theories and concepts have been formulated and developed in order to create a wide understanding of the process of human development as it plays a significant part in a person’s foundation as an adult. The developmental process of a child includes several aspects like the physiological, emotional, and cognitive development. In this paper, the focus shall be on cognitive development and the process of language acquisition, as proposed and theorized by Lev Vygotsky. What is Cognitive Development and Language Acquisition? Cognitive development is a part of the overall dynamic process of human maturity. In current media, a lot of products like milk, supplements, and health commodities for children have been advertised to contribute on improving the wellness of a child’s cognitive development. This shows how the current society values this aspect of child development with special importance. Cognitive development pertains to how an individual understands and grasps ideas through learned factors and genetics as well. This developmental aspect is made up of five fields, namely, information processing, intelligence, reasoning, language development, and memory (Wells, 2008). Understanding the whole cognitive development of a child may not be complete without understanding these core fields. However, this paper shall focus on one area which is language development. The definition of intelligence and cognitive development has also become a popular debate among psychologists like Vygotsky and Piaget. Piaget defines intelligence as the ability of an individual to adapt to his or her environment through several adaptation models which include the concepts of assimilation and accommodation, both of which place stronger emphasis on the individual (cited in Lloyd, 1995). On the other hand, Vygotsky argues that cognitive development refers to the capacity of a person to learn through instruction with an emphasis on the environment. Moreover, Vygotsky saw the capability of individuals to learn through instruction as the basic feature of human intelligence (cited in Lloyd, 1995). In medical terms, language development can be identified as the process wherein the complexity of symbols, sounds, and meanings combined is being expanded steadily. This process shall depend on how a person interprets, understands, and perceives objects and symbols as influenced by his or her environment and learning process (Biology Online, 2005). Among children, especially those of 1 to 2 years of age, the early developments in language can be very well observed in their constant cooing, imitation of adult sounds and words, babbling, and use of shortened words and sentences (Biology Online, 2005). Lev Vygotsky’s Views on the Roots of Though and Language Lev Semenovich Vygotsky is a German psychologist who explained and expounded on the genetic approach to the early developments of thoughts and concepts in human development. He connected the changes and transitions occurring in this process from childhood to adulthood through a series of human developmental stages (Marxist Internet Archive, 1990). Although his theories have been rejected in the United States during the earlier part of the political conflict between the U. S. and Soviet Union, his works still became popular as the Cold War ended up to present date. His works basically revolved around the roots of thought and language. It will be easier to understand Vygotsky’s theories in psychology by understanding the main arguments from which his theories are rooted from. His main arguments about intelligence and cognitions state that, (1) thinking is understood developmentally in terms of its roots and succeeding growth at the individual and cultural levels of analysis; (2) thinking is interceded by semiotic mechanisms like speech which can be considered as the most powerful of such mechanisms; and (3) there are certain thinking processes like problem solving, voluntary memory, and self-regulation which have roots from social processes and interactions (Vygotsky cited in Goswami, 2004). As one may observe, more often than not, Vygotsky used the terms â€Å"speech† and â€Å"thinking† than language and thought. This preference to use such terms was believed to be linked with his perception of speech as a social or shared process (Lloyd, 1995). For Vygotsky, the developments of thinking and speech are two separate entities: thought being non-verbal and language being non-intellectual. However, he explained that during a specific time in a person’s life (around the age of two), the lines of development of these two areas start to meet again to induce the creation of a new behavior (Vygotsky cited in Schutz, 2004). He was able to expound his positions on this concept as he noted that, (1) thinking and speech have different roots at the start of their development; (2) at the beginning, there will be a pre-intellectual stage for speech and a pre-linguistic stage for thought; (3) there will come a point in time when these two aspects shall follow different curves unaffected with each other; (4) at a second point, their curves shall meet where thought will turn verbal, and speech, on the other hand, will turn rational; and lastly, (5) thinking and speech are not always overlying each other (Lloyd, 1995). Vygotsky’s theory has also been particular about the construction of words and acquisition of word meanings. He explains that the formation of word and word meaning is in a way related to how a child perceives a problem in communicating with his or her guardian. Vygotsky claims that word meanings are derived from the problem of not knowing what to call or how to describe a specific object, feeling, or thought, which the child usually asks from an adult (cited in Schutz, 2004). Vygotsky also acquired interest in understanding the possibilities that language may indeed affect how a person thinks. In contrast to Piaget’s focus on children’s egocentric and private speech, Vygotsky dealt with language as a form of social communication which progressively supports both language and thinking process. Applications of Vygotsky’s Constructivist Cognition Concept to a Child’s Education and Language formation Vygotsky’s Language Acquistion Theory has been influenced by the constructivist approach. In constructivism, problem solving is the core idea of all forms of learning, thinking, and development; that is, as a child encounters a problem and discovers consequences for its solutions, he or she eventually forms his or her thinking and understanding of a certain concept (Vygotsky cited in Brewer, 2007). In the constructivist view, prior knowledge plays a big part on how a child will perceive things as he or she grows up; that is, it is important for the learner to be able to construct new information into his or her current knowledge because the information connected to the learner’s prior experiences shall be forgotten easily. In application to real life situations, teachers can try to learn about the children’s prior knowledge about a specific problem or a specific topic which confuses them in order to gauge what the children already know and help them understand different experiences (Brewer, 2007). In relation to language development, Vygotsky also coined the concept of the zone of proximal development, which emphasizes that children acquire knowledge about objects and concepts they see as confusing through directed interactions from guardians, teachers, and parents. He explained that what children learn with the guidance and assistance of people around them appears to be a lot more suggestive of their learning development compared to what they usually do alone (Vygotsky, 1987, qtd. in Lloyd, 1995). Thus, speech and word meaning which is acquired by a child alone may not give him or her the utmost linguistic potential he or she can have. Language development as well as the other aspects of development a child goes through in the early years is highly important regardless of the learning genre or theory followed. Theories like Vygotsky’s language acquisition theory are formulated to give people specific basis of the different developmental processes. A child’s language development is never as plain as teaching him or her words and names; rather, it is a complex process which involves crucial elements and key areas where parents, teachers, and concerned guardians have to focus on in order to help the child realize his or her full potential. References Biology Online. (2005, October 3). Language Development.Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. biology-online. org/dictionary/Language_development Brewer, W. (2007). Learning theory: Constructivist approach. Answers. com. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. answers. com/topic/learning-theory-constructivist-approach Goswami, U. (2004). Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. Lloyd. P. (1995). Psychology: Cognitive and Language Development. Leicester, UK: British Psychological Society. Marxist Internet Archive. (1990). Vygotsky, Lev Semenovich (1896-1934). Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. marxists. org/glossary/people/v/y. htm#vygotsky-lev Schutz, R. (2004, December 5). Vygotsky & language acquisition. English Made in Brazil. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. sk. com. br/sk-vygot. html Wells, K. R. (2008). Cognitive development. Encyclopedia of Children’s Health. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. healthofchildren. com/C/Cognitive-Development. html

Effects of Rising Technology Essay

In the twenty first century, evolution and constant use of technology have greatly impacted humans, and their ways to approaching media. Many people believe that technology has improved the quality of life of the people at a great depth, while others see it as a force that has escaped from human control. Modern technology such as Internet, may help people solve problems or gather information faster than an ordinary human being is capable of. At the same time, it can also destroy one’s social life and interactions with humans if proper balance is not maintained. While people’s thoughts regarding the two sides are intriguing, the question is, are the negative effects gradually outnumbering the positive ones? In the essay â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid† written by Nicholas Carr, and â€Å"The Multitasking Generation† by Claudia Wallis, we are presented with ways in which technology affects the daily lifestyle of human being. Even though both authors perceive some of the beneficial uses of modern technology, they ultimately pinpoint the negative effects of it to a large extent. While the bad effects remain constant between both authors, they introduce different aspects of ways humans are being affected – Carr, emphasizing on how technology (Internet in this case) has drastically changed the way humans acquire and present information, and Wallis, focusing on how technology (Media Multitasking) deteriorates social interactions among humans. In today’s world, uses of technology have become far more efficient than ever, and it is only increasing. Internet itself alone, has marched onto becoming the modern power source of simplicity and efficiency. When one hears about ‘efficiency’, a concept of getting a lot done with less amount of time spent, triggers to his mind. In other words, saving time while getting the maximum work done is the key, and that is what Internet delivers to human. In â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid†, Carr expresses his convenience of using Internet to do his research, â€Å"Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes† (Carr 1-2). He acknowledges the fact that Internet makes his job as a writer easier, by saying that Internet is giving out information faster than before. The benefits are not only limited to easy access of Internet. The Internet is also taking over people’s daily life rather quickly as it can be programmed to perform certain functions of any information processing device. â€Å"It’s becoming our map, our clock, our printing press, and our typewriter, our calculator, and our telephone, and our radio and TV† (Carr 4), says Carr, as he refers to some of the devices used everyday, to explain the concept of Internet being a powerful computing system. Wallis, in the article â€Å"The Multitasking Generation†, also reflects on some positive effects of technology. Through the concept of â€Å"media multitasking†, or â€Å"listening to iTunes, watching a DVD and IMing friends all at the same time† (Wallis 3) to mention a few, Wallis refers to kids being able to absorb multiple tasks simultaneously, while possibly serving the kids with some benefits. One might be curious to ask how can technologies such as media be beneficial to children? Surprisingly, according to Wallis, â€Å"Piers†, the fourteen years old son in the Coxes family, â€Å"repairs the family computers and DVD player. † â€Å"Bronte†, Piers’ twin sister, â€Å"uses digital technology to compose elaborate photo collages and create a documentary of her father’s ongoing treatment for cancer† (Wallis 3). In the quote, Wallis expresses the fact that even children today, are aware of the beneficial power of technology, and they are quite capable of taking full advantage of it. While both authors present some of the positive effects of technology, as mentioned above, to us, each of them addresses different issues on how exactly uses of technology and technological improvements negatively impact human life. As people become addicted to the valuable web efficiency, it turns out that the Internet serves to be quite harmful towards human cognition in such that it diminishes the capacity of human concentration and contemplation. As Carr says in â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid†, â€Å"media supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought† (Carr 2). In other words, Internet is controlling and changing the way we think or consume information and thus, flattering our own intelligence into â€Å"artificial intelligence† (Carr 8). People nowadays are so used to the information provided by the Internet that they do not rely on their own knowledge or think on their own like they used to prior to the advent of Internet. An instance that reflects this idea of self-manipulation is shown in Carr’s own statement, â€Å"Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski† (Carr 2). Even though Carr does not go onto to say that he is becoming vacuous, he believes that his mind is changing due to spending so much time on the web over the last several years. Before, he was very much engaged into reading and deep thinking, whereas now he does not have the patience to do so. Skimming seems to be the fast and efficient way to get over it. Carr’s notion demonstrates people’s inability to absorb any lengthy texts because of excessive access to media, indicating to the negative impacts that media have on humans. Although Wallis in â€Å"The Multitasking Generation† implies a similar concept of negative effects of technology on humans as Carr, Wallis follows a different aspect to address the issue. While multitasking allows activities to be done in parallel in an attempt to achieve the possible outcomes more efficiently, it is for the most part, both physically and mentally impossible to do multiple tasks at the same time with accuracy. To add that to a large extent, the way it affects humans is that it deteriorates people’s ability to interact with each other in the society. â€Å"The mental habit of dividing one’s attention into many small slices has significant implications for the way young people learn, reason, socialize†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wallis 3), indicates multitasking as the factor, which young generations today are not aware of, the fact that they are being transitioned to a darker side of the society. Even the parents confess, â€Å"we don’t get out together to have a social life† (Wallis 3), clearly expressing their feelings towards the changes that are being caused by advanced technology. And while people are shifting to these changes, society is being affected as a whole. As usage of modern technology is prospering, the simplicity and efficiency in life are also rising. However, as people move on, there will be many controversies over the excessive usages of technology in form of media. There will be more concerns on whether the negative effects will override the positive effects sometime in the future. As of now, both Carr and Wallis emphasize on the negative impacts of technology on humans; however, Carr conveys that technology negatively manipulates people’s way of thinking and absorbing information, while Wallis believes that technology reduces people’s ability to focus on certain tasks and interaction with others in the society.

Write a description about each room in James Curley's House Coursework

Write a description about each room in James Curley's House - Coursework Example The main entrance of the house from the western side featuring consisted of a pair of columns echoed by Ionic plasters. The door at the central point has some classical surrounding including of elaborated fanlights and sidelights. The rooms in the First Floor: All the rooms on the ground floor are comparatively large in size. The windows of all the rooms in the ground floor are large, nine by nine in size with marble heads consisted of decoration. The division between the first and the second floor is distinctly marked by the stone string course. If one look at the windows of the rest of the house that is on the first floor and on the rear side are six by six in size with stone seals and Greek key motif lintels. The southern part of the house is comparatively broader and there are rounded bay windows on the each room of the first floor and also in the main elevation. The distinctive feature of the southern part is the presence of a dormer with a distinctly broken swan’s neck pediment and round arch window over and above each window on the gambrel roof. ((Massachusetts Historical Commission, 6) The dining room: The dining hall of this building is oval shaped in design, and the most significant part of this dining room is hand carved mahogany-paneled floor with marble Grecian columns. The ceiling is over 14 foot and the length of this dining room is almost forty feet. There is delicately designed Irish Waterford glass hanging on silver chains on the ceiling of the dining hall, which makes it looks more spectacular.

FIN 352 (1) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FIN 352 (1) - Essay Example One of the major OBS activities is the issuance of guarantees. This may be called by a bank to take place at a future time, and the dedication to lend at a forthcoming time if the borrower wishes. This may prompt the result of a contingent risk which may be out of the control of the financial institution. A duration of a zero-coupon bond is a bond that does not pay any interest in its maturity life. That is; its maturity is equivalent to maturity because hundred percent of its present value is made by the payment of the nominal value at maturity (Lee & Alice 316). The relationship that exists between duration and maturity in bonds is that the longer a bond takes to mature, the greater is its duration or volatility. Duration changes each time a bond makes a coupon installment. After some time, it abbreviates as the bond nears maturity. Elsewhere, the relationship between duration and yield is that the higher a bond yields as it nears maturity, the lesser is its duration. This is because the present value of the inaccessible cash flows gets to be dominated by the value of the closer installments. Also, the relationship between duration and interest rates is that the higher a coupon bond is, the more interest it generates and vice versa. The financial significance of duration is the mea sure of a bond’s correspondence to the interest changes in the economy. Value at risk is method used to quantify and measure the level of financial related vulnerability inside an association over a determined duration. Its approach to the market risk is based on measuring three variables that are the level of potential risk, the probability amount of the specified level of risk and the time frame. Value at risk is closely related with the normal distribution. It measures portfolio risk along the normal distribution curve. The curve was developed by Carl Friedrich Gauss hence the name

Organizational Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Theory - Essay Example This reduces the need for several hierarchical levels and through standardization it is possible to maintain a flat shape of the organization. Horizontal differentiation is the second possible solution. In horizontal differentiation each department is broken up into functional teams. The consequence of horizontal differentiation is that organization takes a tall shape, but the communication issues are minimized (Jones, 2009). The hierarchy in an organization may be taken as the route map of how employees perform their tasks and resources are assigned, or in other words the manner in which things happen in an organization. However, quite often things happen outside of this formally designed channel. The extent to which informal channels develop and are utilized depends on the norms and values of the culture of the organization. When the norms and values are conducive to informal channels developing in an organization, the informal channels develop and become an additional pathway for things to happen in an organization (Jones, 2009). Literary References Jones, G. (2009). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.