Abstract This paper addresses the environmental problem of overfishing from a global perspective, explaining that it is an international problem that requires international solutions. The paper explores the biologicalnature of the problem and possible solutions.
From the Paper "According to Udy Bell, writing for "UN Chronicle", over fishing refers to the practice of commercial fishing which depletes a fishery by catching so many adult fish that not enough remain to breed and replenish the population. Bell notes that fishing is central to the livelihood and food security of about million people, especially in the developing world. Bell adds that one out of five people depend on fish as their primary source of protein. Concerns regarding overfishing were addressed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development..."
Tags: Environmental Problem, Overfishing, extinction, protien, cheating, international law, United Nations, solutions, global perspective, biologicalnature of the problem
Abstract John Searle, a contemporary philosopher of mind, in his book, "The Rediscovery of the Mind", talks about his theory of the mind, which he calls "biologicalnaturalism". This paper expresses Searle's theory of the mind and concentrates on his critique of materialism. Although he believe that materialism is wrong in its current version, he thinks that materialism and science represent the path that will lead us to the solution of the mind/body problem. This paper shows how Searle thinks that, in the future, science will be able to tell us the relationship between mind and the body. Thus, with his biologicalnaturalism, instead of disregarding the mental, he believes that the mental exists and emerges from the physical. It discusses how materialism is the path to take in order to investigate this emergent relationship between the physical and the mental.
From the Paper "For a long time now, scientists and philosophers have been challenged with the problem of how to complete the "mind-body" picture by finding a place in the physical world for our minds themselves, with their perceptual experiences, thoughts, desires, and much else that is not described by physics. The power of Descartes? intuitive dualist argument is considerable, but dualism, in general, is now a rare view among philosophers, most of whom accept some kind of materialism. They believe that everything there is and everything that happens in the world must be capable of description by physical science. Consequently, most efforts to complete the scientific world view in a materialist form have proceeded by some sort of reduction of the mental to the physical ? where the physical, by definition, is that which can be described in non-mental terms."
A look at the argument that natural factors play a stronger role in determining sex roles than the influences prescribed by environmental and social factors.
Abstract This paper discusses the idea that men are more aggressive and dominant and women are more passive, and have the will to nurture others because of their biological predispositions. It examines how social factors can influence the gender role of an individual to a certain extent whereas biological factors still serve as the stronger influence, overall. It looks at how socialization such as allowing women to serve in the armed service, the kibbutz experience where women are treated like men and the concept of equal opportunities in the work place, have failed to prove that nurture does not surpass the role of biology in the determination of sex roles.
From the Paper "Let us stipulate that socialization is an inadequate explanation for the key determination for sex roles in society. According to such logic society has the ability to influence boys and girls to act in a specific manner. However, one should be skeptical. Why is society so effective at getting males and females to act in the way that it wants them to when it has so much trouble obtaining compliance with its other desires? To be more specific let us use the words of Browne. She states in her book, Biology at Work, ?Parents attempt by instruction and example to cause their children to clean their room, eat their vegetables, close the door, do their homework, and cooperate with their siblings. To the grief of many a parent, however, these lessons often do not easily take.? (Browne, 100)"
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that bioterrorism is potentially one of the deadlier forms of terrorism because it can be silently introduced amidst large populations to cause untold health problems or large numbers of fatalities as well as create a world-wide panic. The writer maintains that the key to effectively managing and coordinating a biological incident would be early detection and a timely response. The writer then reviews the various detection methods and devices used in biological agent detection and sensing and notes that much progress has been made in the development of these devices however, there is much progress to be made in the future. The writer concludes that enabling health care workers and emergency responders to test the biological agent exposure early in the process of a crisis holds great promise for early detection and eradication of biological agent exposure for the public-at-large in an event or crisis involving biological warfare agents.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Biological Detection Equipment
Bio-Detection Process: A Four-Step Process
Sampler/Collector Types
Two Types of Triggers in Bio-Sensing Technologies
Flow Cytometry
Crisis Management
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "The devices are becoming increasingly less expensive and simple to use however, initiatives underway for development of newer devices that are less expensive hold promise in the near future for biological sensing and detection. While the Department of Defense has set out guidelines for Emergency Responders, it is likely that many of the smaller fire departments throughout the country have not yet prepared for this type of crisis. Enabling health care workers and Emergency Responders in testing the biological agent exposure early in the process of a crisis holds great promise for early detection and eradication of biological agent exposure for the public-at-large in an event or crisis involving biological warfare agents."
Abstract Nature vs. nurture has been a long-standing debate since the 17th century and refers to the degrees in which a person's natural human experiences influence a persons' physical and behavioural traits as opposed to environmental influences. This paper looks into a variety of different theories from different fields of psychology, from cognitive to biological and developmental and critically assesses the issues involved.
From the Paper "Ideas from a biological theory has advanced and evolved from many years, and will probably continue. Research has proved that sex hormones are a cause of our behaviour but according to a book by Gisela Kaplan and Lesley J Rogers 'Gene Worship' proves otherwise. They state that the brain controls the amount of sex hormones secreted into the blood. Most of the times at a stable range but from time to time these vary, especially at different times of the day for women, allowing sex hormones through the blood fairy quickly. Stress and experiences has an affect on the brains control of these hormone levels altering levels of Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle Hormone released from the pituitary gland, proving that sex hormones in the blood can change in response to the external environment. "
Abstract This paper looks at how September 11th brought a greater public awareness of biological weapons and the threat they can pose to world populations. The paper also explains what biological weapons are and why they can be so effective, discusses their history and the dangers they pose, and looks at what we can do to protect ourselves from their devastating effects.
From the Paper "The terrorist attacks of September 11 played a crucial role in awakening the world to the possibility of advanced warfare. Before this tragedy, the world could hardly imagine that our good old airplanes could actually be used as missiles to kill ten of hundreds of unsuspecting souls. But September 11, proved that terrorists were far ahead of the intelligence agencies and the general public when it came to designing and deploying sophisticated war tactics. War for a terrorist need not involve the military or military tactics of any nature; it is simply a conflict where the side with best strategies and most unique weaponry stands a better chance of emerging victorious. It appears that United States and the entire world was largely unaware of this perspective on war and thus underestimated the intelligence of terrorist groups since they merely focused on conventional ways of securing the nation that had little or no protection to offer against advanced terrorist tactics and strategies. However September 11 was a big eye opener, not only did it divert the attention of the public and government to the horrific nature of new terrorist strategies, it also opened their eyes to the possibility of chemical and biological warfare that had hitherto been ignored as nothing but science fiction."
Abstract This paper compares the attitudes of philosophers Peter Winch and Bruno Latour to the study of the sciences - natural vs. social. Each philosopher published works on the topic and these are analyzed.
From the paper:
"What is natural and what is social in the sciences? Is there a divide between the two, where the natural sciences operate in the realm of objectivity, while the social sciences are a philosophic construction of man? There is a very old dispute in the social sciences about whether social inquiry is ?natural? or not. Naturalists hold that the methods of the natural sciences should be used by social scientists, to explain and predict human behavior, just as we explain and predict phenomena like mass and velocity? Or is social inquiry a separate endeavor that is essentially interpretive and philosophical?"
Abstract This paper questions that, as evidenced by the ancient civilizations, how can it be assumed that genes are constant and uniform in all human beings and will determine what man will be like? The author stresses that the question of genes is their effect on the physical and behavioral traits of humans and does not change the view of society on what a well-nurtured human is. The paper concludes that society still expects the products of good nurturing such as people who are honest, sensitive to environment and non-violent and self-restraint; however, even in the Old Testament, there is the tale of Cane and Abel which demonstrates both nature and nurture.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Thesis Statement
Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper "In June 2000, President Clinton had organized a press conference to mark one of the most important milestones of the century and that was the cracking of the human genetic code. Two of the men most responsible for the two competing genetic projects were there - Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and J. Craig Venter, president of Celera Genomics. They were also individuals involved in finding out the 3 billion 'letters' of the human genome, or the biochemical recipe encoded in our DNA that were the reasons for birth and operating a human being."
Abstract This paper takes a look at biology. According to the paper, biology covers the entirety of human history as well as the study of all life on the planet Earth. This paper focuses on what and how resources within biology are actually used. The paper assesses their validity based upon their credibility and support within the specific fields.
From the Paper "There are several types of journals about biology. The two most prominent types are peer-reviewed journals and main-stream journals. In the first case, peer reviewed journals are very scientific in nature and not suited for laymen. They are usually published by professional associations of scientists such as the American Biology Society, and the Public Library of Science. Such literature is usually published on an annual, bi-annual or monthly basis and contains articles that are written by professionals within the field that detail their research. All articles within such journals are peer-reviewed and thus have credibility because they are reviewed for accuracy. Peer reviewed journals take on two particular forms, the first are ones that discipline specific, these journals are usually published through professional associations that specialize in such arenas. For instance, the American Ecology Society publishes a monthly peer-reviewed journal on topics that have to do with ecology. Another type of peer-reviewed journals is national level journals that look at the compilation of research across a spectrum of biological disciplines. Such journals such as the one published by the Public Library of Science, tend to be a panoramic view of the biology discipline, with articles that have to do with the complete breath of research within biology in general. The PLOS Biology journal is published three times a year and is a collection of the most important research within the national trimester. "
Abstract This paper explains that Richard Lewontin in his book "Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA" presents a view of science that challenges the popular conception of science as a methodical quest for objective knowledge, which exists outside of the political and social structures of human society. The author points out that the book, which is based on Lewontin's lectures for the 1990 Massey Lectures, focuses on Lewontin's area of scientific specialty biology with a particular emphasis on genetics. The paper relates that the book's component chapters each address and subvert popular myths of science that, for many people, render its practices and practitioners beyond the realm of social and political thought.
From the Paper "Richard Lewontin, in his book Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA, presents a view of science that challenges the popular conception of science as an methodical quest for objective knowledge that exists outside of the political and social structures of human society. This book, based on Lewontin's lectures for the 1990 Massey Lectures, focuses on Lewontin's area of scientific specialty: biology, with a particular emphasis on genetics. The book's component chapters each address, and subvert, popular myths of science that - for many people - render its practices and practitioners beyond the realm of social and political thought."
Abstract This paper examines the question of what mathematical premises would be dependent on the biological and physical evolution of a given species, assuming of course that we knew other intelligent species had evolved. The writer discusses that some critics suppose that language and mathematics by extension are dependent upon the physical parameters set out by the body. The writer explains: ten fingers and hence a decimated numerical system. This essay probes that assumption.
From the Paper "There is almost certainly a connection between biology and the ability to conceptualize. The basic logical processes that we, as humans, often take for granted are in reality quite dependent upon our own physical evolution. How likely is it that we would have developed a base ten numerical system if we didn't just happen to have ten fingers? It would be perfectly plausible to have a base six system or base twelve, for example. But the question becomes how much of mathematics is a product of biological evolution and how much of it exists unto itself."
Abstract The paper examines the possibility that biology, evolution and the development of mathematics are linked more closely than mathematicians would necessarily have us believe. The paper challenges the basic Platonist assumption that abstract mathematical concepts possess concrete being and are consequently fundamental parts of the universe. Instead, the paper discusses the possibility that mathematics is a construction of the human mind and an evolutionary development.
From the Paper "Most often we take mathematical truth for granted. Rather than understand it as an historical construction - not so different from any other human production, such as language - most people fully believe that mathematics is natural and etched into the very fabric of the cosmos. This is a classic Platonist view of the universe in which even abstract concepts have physical reality. Twentieth century theorists, especially in linguistics, have repeatedly challenged the efficacy of abstract concepts. But mathematics is still, in some part, understood to be the realm of the gods with right-brains their unerring prophets."
Abstract This paper begins by providing an overview of the problem of akrasia, including a definition of the term and a discussion of the view of human nature it implies. This is followed by a discussion of three philosophers' views on akrasia: Socrates, who rejects akrasia; Plato, who accepts it; and Epictetus, who rejects it. An analysis of their views will show that Plato's view, which includes accepting akrasia, is the most plausible, while the views of Socrates and Epictetus have some major flaws.
From the Paper "Akrasia is generally described as a weakness of the will. It refers to acting in a way that is contrary to the one's own best interest. The term akrasia actually implies a number of things about human nature. Firstly, it assumes that individuals make decisions on a rational basis. Since, akrasia involves making a decision to act in a way that is contrary to one's own best interests, it assumes that people determine their actions on a rational basis. Secondly, it assumes that people are self-focused. The term does not extend to consider that a person might make a decision based on what is good for society as a whole, what is good for another person, or what society or ethics determines is the right thing to do. Instead, it assumes that a person will make decisions based only on the good for themselves. Finally, the term assumes that people know what is in their own best interests. This raises questions of how a person knows what is best for them, or how people's decisions can be judged on this basis."
Abstract This paper explains that the problem space includes the knowledge of the problem, the process for moving problems to goals, the limitation operations for solving the problem and the decision skills for solving the problem. The author stresses that, if the problem solver has difficulty making decisions about the steps in the procedure, then his application of all decision possibilities in the problem space is inhibited. The paper relates that motivation may serve as a catalyst to creativity causing a need for complex stimulation, a need to communicate ideas or concepts, or a need to solve complicated problems; to be creative, one must view problems, ideas, situations and concepts from a variety of new and insightful directions.
Table of Contents
Structuring the Approach to a Problem Real Life Problem Solving
Problem Space
Creativity
Practical Applications for Problem Solving
From the Paper "In the generate-and-test scenario, the problem solver takes the first candidate solution and tests it to see if will satisfy the problem. This technique is best suited for problems with few premises as not to overwhelm the resource allocation for the problem. Another aspect for employing this technique is the need for a formula or algorithm for testing the premise. This type of reasoning suits problems like move problems and map problems. Ideally, each step only has a few alternatives and the wrong choices are quickly identified."
Tags: cognitive, problem, inductive, deductive, space
Abstract The issue of trade in human organs is a loaded gun in the health care industry, where profit generated from the sale of human organs is substantial yet the ethical concerns are almost beyond measure. This paper explores the ethical and the philosophical nature of trading in human organs with the intention of demonstrating why organ trade is so highly controversial that a great deal more investigation is needed before wholesale organ trade is permitted
