Abstract This paper is a book review of David H. Clark and Matthew D. H. Clark's "Measuring the Cosmos: How Scientists Discovered the Dimensions of the Universe". It details the main aspects of this history as recorded in the book, and in the process takes the conclusion that the book is a celebration of the human passion for knowledge and the great debates that have accompanied scientific advance.
From the Paper "Searching the Skies: A Book Review of Measuring the Cosmos: How Scientists Discovered the Dimensions of the Universe by David H. Clark and Matthew D. H. Clark Clark and Clark's book is a historiography of the timeless human debate into the fundamental question of "Why?" Why do we exist? Where do we come from? Ultimately, what is the nature of the universe around us? The book follows the careers of the great minds of astrology from early antiquity to the modern era, following science as it haphazardly pushes forth the limits of human comprehension."
Abstract This paper describes a performance that the writer attended on August 29, 2008 of the musical group known as the "Cosmos Trio." It specifically discusses the four works that they played at the concert: the "Petite Suite" (2007), a work known as "Beautiful, Sweet, Delicate for Flute, Viola, and Harp" (2005), "Trio in Four Movements for Flute, Viola and Harp" (2006), and "A Columbus Triptych" (2006).
From the Paper "Overall, the reception of the works reflected the soothing rather than urgent quality of the pieces that were played. One problem with Cosmos Trio in performance might be that the viola and the harp do not have a wide audio range, and a flute is too quiet an instrument to provide a truly driving melody. The works, although skillfully played by exceptional musicians ultimately made an argument for the reason that most chamber groupings feature the more tonally rich and vibrant violin, viola, and cello rather than showcase the viola and the harp as the primary instruments over the course of an entire performance."
This paper discusses the 'tweenager', a most significant European market segment because of its high purchasing power, brand loyalty, and familiarity with media technology.
Abstract This paper defines the "tweenager", the youngest members of the Generation Y segment who are eight to twelve years old, the pre-adolescent to adolescent age group, applicable to both the male and female members of the group, but much more likely to be female. The author points out that the culture of tweenagers, mainly based on the entertainment industry, considers entertainment personalities and pop culture icons as idols and "hero" models. The paper reviews two prevailing marketers of pop culture products and services for female tweenagers, Claire's Accessories and ?Cosmo (Cosmopolitan) Girl?, specifically in terms of each companies? marketed product, pricing, channels of distribution, and promotion strategies.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The "Tweenager"
Addressing the Tweenager Market
Claire's Accessories, Ltd.
?Cosmo (Cosmopolitan) Girl?
The Adult versus the Tweenage Market
Conclusion
From the Paper "In the case of the main units of analysis for this study, which are the pre-teen and media-savvy females, consumerism, materialism, and hedonism are illustrated among tweenagers? preoccupation with their physical appearance, or the body. The body, according to Joan Brumberg in The Body Project, ?is a consuming project for contemporary girls because it provides an important means of self-definition, a way to visibly announce who you are to the world.? Through material consumption, ?bodies are magically reworked and identities completely refashioned,? illustrating subsistence to hedonism (self-indulgence in happiness and in the pleasure that a tweenager has an identity and image of her own)."
From the Paper "Their book is a blend of archaeology, anthropology, and astronomy and encompasses both the historical world and the mythical world of the Maya. It spans three thousand years, fro-m the Olmec civilization, through the various periods of the, pre-conquest Maya civilization up to the present day. Not only does their book shed light on the religion and culture of the ancient Maya, it also shows a definite continuance and connection between ancient and modern day practices. "
Abstract This paper deals with the development of Heraclitian thought. It shows how Heraclitus was concerned with the essence of the earth's substance and existence. The writer explains how he divided his philosophy into three basic subcategories: fire, water and earth, which he believed to be the basic elements of earth. He is also credited with the theories of 'Unity in Opposites,' 'The Law of Non-Contradiction,' and 'The Cosmos in Constant Change.'
From the Paper "Heraclitus (c. BCE 540) was born in Ephesus, on the Ionian Coast, near present-day Turkey. Deemed as the "puzzeling, obscure philosopher" (Article 1), he is known only by the 125 fragments that have survived from his book, ?On Nature,? through selected references by later authors. Essentially, Heraclitus? theory is divided into three parts: the Logos, the War and the Pyr (Fire). His search for an underlying element circumvented the earlier Milesians quest for a foundational, essential ?arche.? He claimed to be the first to grasp the LOGOS of the cosmos. According to various English translations of the Greek, LOGOS can mean a wide range of things, the most common of which is ?word,? and the lesser common including ?reason,? ?argument,? and ?definition.? It appears that Heraclitus believed the ?latent structure is master of the visible structure.? However, even such a claim is ambiguous enough to warrant further discussion. If language is the latent structure, and everything else is the visible, is language the master of all else? Or if the latent structure is language, and the visible structure is the cosmos, is language all that there is? And how did Heraclitus relate the need for language to existence itself? It is highly possible that the Heraclitusian LOGOS (as a linguistic, quintessential building block for existence) was the pre-cursor to Parmenites? philosophy of thought, language and existence, in that Parmenities asserted claims such as ?nothingness can exist because it is spoke of and therefore much be something,? (lecture notes, Anastasia Anderson, September 2002). However Heraclitus went so far as to state that the LOGOS is everything and "common to all things" (Fragment 2, Sextus, adv.math VII, 133), a claim which is not echoed later by Parmenities, who saw more limitations in language than Heraclitus did in the LOGOS."
Abstract This paper examines how, out of the three Chinese religions of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, the one religion that most closely relates to the Native American religions is unquestionably Taoism. It looks at how Taoism, sometimes referred to as "Naturism", involves observations of and attitudes toward the world of nature similar to the mannerisms and philosophical beliefs of most Native American religious ideology. It discusses how Taoism is also very involved with the Cosmos and Heaven and the manner in which it can be related to the world of nature. It also shows how Native American religious beliefs and Taoism are quite analogous when dealing with the ways in which they are polytheistic and several other religious aspects.
From the Paper "Native Americans also believe they should be directed by nature, but for a different reason. A "Vision Quest" is often completed by Native Americans who want to attain a special ability. Usually, a young person on a vision quest lives without food, sometimes without water, and with little possessions. This is done to make the person appear materially poor and spiritually humble before the spirits. This is very similar to the Taoist idea that when an infant comes into the world, it knows no craft and has no ambitions to live yet is cared for, fed, and clothed (Hopfe & Woodward 178). In much the same way, the Native Americans believe that the spirits of nature will assist them, guide them, feed them, and protect them in their journey through earthly existence."
This paper reviews historian Carlo Ginzburg's book "The Cheese and the Worms: the Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller", which provides a rare view into the religious and philosophical beliefs of lower class Christendom during the sixteenth century.
Abstract This paper explains that, in Carlo Ginzburg's "The Cheese and the Worms: the Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller", the miller Menocchio, who was charged with heresy in Italy at the age of fifty-two, and then again fifteen years later, is a tale of class conflict and how the tension between the classes in the sixteenth century was influenced by the Protestant Reformation. The author points out that this period was a tumultuous time, both socially and religiously, because of the emergence in Europe of the middle class as illustrated by Menocchio's raise from the peasant tradition to become a moderately wealthy miller. The paper states that the case of Menocchio can be seen as a reaction to an oppressive ruling class, which was unique because of the new influence of literature on lower society and because it was one of the first times that a poor, self-taught individual dared to stand-up to the ecclesiastical order on the basis of logic.
From the Paper "Still, many people in Menocchio's social position were unable to read or write as well as he could. And certainly, very few people in his time, who were exposed to the writings in his library, reached the same conclusions he rested upon. Yet "this distinctiveness had very definite limits. As with language, culture offers to the individual a horizon of latent possibilities-a flexible and invisible cage in which he can exercise his own conditional liberty." (Ginzburg, xx). This too, is hard to deny-an individual may be considered uncommon within his culture, but it is difficult to separate him from his culture completely. So, although Menocchio held many unusual beliefs, these beliefs cannot be removed from the context they came out of. "
Abstract Compares an advertisement from Cosmo Girl and an article from Teen Vogue-- magazines published exclusively for young girls-- to the book, The Body Project: an Intimate History of American Girls.
From the Paper Introduction The last hundred years or more have seen many changes in society especially in the way that people perceive and talk about sex and theirbodies One of the most significant changes has been seen in the way girlsmature into adulthood and how the
Tags: Girls, adolescents, body image, body project, adolescent magazines, Cosmo Girl, Teen Vogue
Abstract This paper examines the similarities and differences of two ancient Mesoamerican peoples--the Mayans and the Aztecs. The paper discusses their views of the cosmos and their creation myths and takes a look at their practice of human sacrifice.
From the Paper "Mesoamerica is the ancient land bridge between what would later become North and South America, including much of Mexico down through the top part of South America. Today it comprises the countries of Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. This region was the birthplace of a number of Pre-Columbian cultures including the Mayans and Aztecs. These two ancient peoples existed at approximately the same time, but were characterized by their views of the universe which were..."
Tags: Mesoamerica, Mexico, South America, Maya, Aztec, cosmos, creation myths
Abstract The paper examines the film, "Hero," set in the Warring States period in China. The paper describes the Qin effort to unify the warring principalities that the character "Nameless" defeats, towards the rise of what came to be a Chinese nation-state. The paper highlights Chinese ideas of place and belonging, of how the world should be, the usual insignificance of persons and the strong chance of bad order as only the heroic can offset it and put in place new systems of order that will fit with both human need and the will of the cosmos.
Outline:
Introduction
A Southern Epic
Later, Historians and History
Qin Rule and Dissent
Conclusion - On Heroic and Other Myths
From the Paper "East Asian pre-modern ideas of time offer more than one conception of Time, and discussion of it, as evidenced in the 2002 film, Hero, set in the Warring States period. The principal character, "Nameless" is presented to the reader as not just a mercenary of the Qin state but as a kind of divine appointee. As an English subtitle explains "this land does not know a real hero - yet." (2004) All characters within this epic story seem to know they are part of a still unknown momentous outcome, part of a far longer epic of China's history, in the Qin effort to unify the warring principalities that Nameless defeats, one by one, towards the rise of what came to be a Chinese nation-state. Nameless, an orphan, had no family name to live up to, so devoted years to mastering the sword, aware of some particular purpose, a time in which he would serve a noble cause. Once competent, he presented himself to the Qin court with the swords of the Qin's adversaries. As Stephen Owen commented of very old Chinese ideas of the self and its purpose, "the ancients tell us that there are three kinds of achievement by which a person may hope to endure - moral power, deeds, and words." (p.72)"
Tags: body, space, time, bureaucracy, order, cosmos, Nameless
Abstract The paper discusses how Carl Sagan revolutionized how the world looked at space and the search for intelligent life beyond our planet. The paper talks about Sagan's popular PBS television series "Cosmos" and his novel "Billions and Billions", specifically focusing on the chapters on abortion, religion and science.
From the Paper "Born in 1934, Sagan grew up in a working-class Jewish neighborhood of New York and attended urban public schools in New York and New Jersey. The University of Chicago provided him scholarship support when he entered in 1951, and he continued there for graduate work, receiving his doctorate in astronomy in 1960. After two years as a postdoctoral in biology at Berkeley and Stanford, he joined the Harvard College astronomy faculty as Assistant Professor until 1968 and then moved to Cornell University to become Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary studies."
Abstract This paper discusses the comparison between Austen's novel, "Pride and Prejudice" and the popular magazine "Cosmopolitan", specifically the February 2002 edition featuring pop culture celebrity Britney Spears.
From the Paper "The mere fact that Britney Spears is the highlighted celebrity in this issue illustrates Simons comparison between modern culture and the characters in the coming of age novels such as Pride and Prejudice. She is the example of the modern woman in pop culture just as the women portrayed in Pride and Prejudice were women of their culture. It is the essence of not only woman that is portrayed in both venues, it is the strength of women that is portrayed. Cosmopolitan magazine prides itself on dealing with women's issues in a way that empowers women. The whole essence of Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the internal struggle and strength of strong women. The characters in Pride and Prejudice focus on the camaraderie of strong women as does Cosmopolitan. The magazine draws its readers from a pool of a particular type of woman as does Pride and Prejudice. Women can identify with the articles in the magazine and the story of Pride and Prejudice. It becomes personal to them in many respects."
Abstract This is a review of some of the issues discussed in Chapter Eighteen of Homer's epic, "The Iliad." The author discusses the significance of the shield fashioned for Achilles by his mother which illustrates the conflict between the martial code of revenge and Achilles personal code of revenge. The author explains that the war, its outcome and consequences are all a result of this personal conflict, which in turn, seals the fate of those connected to the Trojan War. Some of the additional themes discussed include the bloodiness of the war, pettiness and valor and the discord in the cosmos of the gods at that time. The last symbol on the shield is positive, showing hope and restitution, with Achilles granting compassion to the King Pram of Troy, thus showing that he is not completely engulfed by the ugliness of war.
From the Paper "This shield will come to represent the fate of Achilles throughout the rest of the epic poem. It will not only protect him, but also be the weapon by which he is known. He will lend his armor to his dearest friend Patroklos. Patroklos will wear the armor into battle, briefly turn the tide of the war to the Greeks, as they think that their greatest fighter as finally returned to the field. Then Patroklos will be killed by Hector when he is both mistaken for the greater warrior and revealed not to be whom his weaponry properties him to be. In revenge for the death of his friend, Achilles will kill Hector and drag the Trojans body around the Greek camp until the old man's father begs Achilles to stop and allow his son to have a proper burial."
Abstract This paper explores methods used by astronomers to measure the universe, the dual nature of light, origins of the universe and the solar system and types of stars. It also discusses planets and other celestial bodies.
From the Paper "Another way to measure the universe is using shadows. Some astronomers observe ?dark silhouettes cast by distant clusters of galaxies (Glanz,1999)? against the ?cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) (Glanz, 1999)? The glow from this radiation provides a back light that helps measure the size of the shadows. The CMBR was formed back when the cosmos were only 100,000 to 300,000 years old. Because of the CMBRs? age, ?everything in the visible universe lies in front (Glanz, 1999)? of it. When the radiation started out, it had hot temperatures due to the universe just being formed. However, as the universe expanded, the temperatures cooled. This gives astronomers additional information to aid them in their measurements."
Abstract This paper examines the views of four philosophers, Samuel Clarke, Thomas Aquinas, Father F. C. Copleston and Bertrand Russell on the "argument from contingency" i.e. a basic five-step process that clarifies the issue of whether or not God exists. It provides a definition of contingent, that people are contingent on many things outside of themselves for existence, as is the universe and everything in it and shows how each philosopher in turn has his own version of its interpretation.
From the Paper "In the early 1700?s, English philosopher Samuel Clarke wrote an essay titled "The Argument From Contingency", in which he stated two possibilities for the contingent cosmological argument. (Hick, 1970) According to Clarke, since the beginning of time, there may have been one unchangeable and independent being from which all other beings that are or have been in the universe have received their original. Or there may have been an infinite succession of changeable and dependent beings produced one from the other with no original cause."
