Abstract This paper discusses how cabinets of curiosity (also known as wunderkammer, cabinets of wonder, and wonder rooms ), were rooms that housed vast encyclopaedic collections of objects and other rare items of interest. These proto museums were the private collections of elite upper classes; English gentleman, scholars and aristocrats. It looks at how they were considered a heterogeneous theatre of learning and pleasure where by human creativity was arranged on natural forms in its exploration for beauty and wonder.
From the Paper "With the discovery of the Americas and the New World, wealthy collectors would send off explorers and sailors with a 'shopping list' of curiosities that would demonstrate their interests and obsessions. Many objects would have a monetary value however most collectors had little interest in this aspect instead they focussed more on the passion for collecting and the joy of ownership, such as Ulisse Aldrovandi, a collector in the latter part of the 16th century, and indeed by 1549 Aldrovandi had over 100 collections in Rome itself. Other types of collectors existed who began to profit from these curiosities. 17th century German merchant Philipp Hainhofer is a prime example of this profiteering. He acted as buying agent for collectors of luxury items but also acquired objects from Frankfurt fairs, a long way from his home of Augsburg. He would create his own cabinet of curiosity with these newly acquired items with the view of selling them, no doubt as the highest bidder, as a complete cabinet of curiosity."
Abstract The paper offers an overview of hackers and the quantity of hacks as well as the different aspects of hacker culture. The paper shows how the increased use of computing technology and the ever-expanding nature of the Internet has led to new and greater opportunities for hackers. The paper learns that this male-dominated culture is based in secrecy, despite the need to relinquish this secrecy in order to gain community status, anonymity and a love for technology. The paper relates that curiosity as well as a desire for power leads many to hacking, and as technology increases, this curiosity will only continue to grow.
Outline;
Abstract
Facets of the Hacker Culture
Forecast 4
Conclusion
From the Paper "Due to the nature of an underground community, like hackers, it is often difficult to acquire specific data on their demographics. In the early 1990s, following an American police crackdown, it was estimated, by Sterling, that there were approximately 5,000 active hackers, with approximately 100 who were skilled enough to be able to penetrate sophisticated systems. During this same time frame, though, researchers Clough and Mungo had surmised there were 2,000 that were in the upper echelons of skilled hackers and 10,000 more that were aspiring to reach this status (cited Holt, 2007). However, these are just estimates. A better estimation of the quantity of hackers can be found by investigating the number of hacks."
Abstract The paper investigates the factors responsible for this medium's great popularity. It looks at its appeal to the democratizing influence, to people's desire for status, to natural curiosity, and to competitiveness. It also looks at other factors influencing the attraction to reality television, such as the desire to socialize and the allure of this medium for the less intellectual audience. The paper concludes with a brief synopsis of its main points.
From the Paper "Reality television can include news programming, interviews, documentaries, and almost all programs that are portrayed as non-fictional. While many definitions of reality television include programs that are recreated portrayals of past events, reality television is generally does not include "docudramas" that have invented or composite characters, or that show events that are largely fictional in nature, or historical events have been significantly changed from their original incident (CFP: Reality Television; NTVS Research Team).
Perhaps the most interesting feature of reality television is its overwhelming popularity with traditionally fickle and sometimes jaded North American audiences. A myriad of shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Real World, Blind Date, Temptation Island, A Wedding, and the latest fad, American Idol, have each reached close to the top of the Nielsen ratings in the past few years."
Abstract The paper discusses how one of the most interesting features about Tom Stoppard's play "Arcadia" is the use of the dual structure. The play features two sets of characters in the same place but in different times. The paper analyzes this play and concludes that by utilizing a unique dual structure that parallels two sets of characters, Stoppard cleverly makes his point about the role of the unknown in life. In doing so, he offers a warning about approaching life from a purely rational viewpoint and shows that people should use their curiosity and be willing to explore.
From the Paper "The first effect of the dual structure is to contrast the characters of Thomasina and Hannah. They are both the main female characters and their stories take place in the same place, though at a different time. They are also both driven by a search for knowledge. Thomasina makes the focus of her quest for knowledge clear where she asks what carnal knowledge is in the first scene. This shows that her curiosity is based on human desire rather than being based on a quest for scientific knowledge. This is later seen again when Septimas tries to explain equations to Thomasina. Thomasina seems uninterested and says that she wants to create equations for nature, such as how to make a flower. Thomisina asks why the equations "only describe the shapes of manufacture" and then suggests starting with a maple leaf (Stoppard 26)."
Abstract The paper aims to demonstrate the historical processes involved in the gradual transformation of the computer hacker, once thought of as a curiosity and even seen as a folk hero, into a major threat to the stability of modern society worldwide. The paper describes the original conception of the hacker as a harmless "nerd" who was often seen as a "Robin Hood" of the computer age, not because he stole from the rich but because he made available to the masses information and struck a blow against large corporations often seen as the "enemy". The author describes the gradual process whereby hackers began to make financial gain from their activities and brings us up to the present day where cyber crime, identity theft and corporate hacking are prevalent.
From the Paper "The monetary hacking revelation induced the hacker to set off in a new direction. This new direction eradicated the essence of the Hacker Ethic. Consequently, hacking for financial gain evolved and therefore the hacker became a major threat. The hacker became aware that his/her skills can be used to commit a crime and hide the tracks. The hacker realized that money can now be obtained without getting caught through his proficient hacking abilities. The realization would turn out to harm millions of people for years to come. Ultimately, society's belief of the hacker as the harmless computer nerd was destroyed utterly."
Tags: cyber crime, identity theft, internet nerd society hacker computers telecommunications spyware
Abstract This paper discusses the contrasts between the three central characters in the story, Billy Budd, Claggert, and Captain Vere. It explores the development in the plot and how each character's true traits come out through their ultimate actions. It focuses on Captain Vere's character as one that is seemingly noble and good, but his final decision proves him to be otherwise.
From the paper:
"A closer examination of the novel brings to light certain aspects of each character that are quite opposite to the ones that they symbolize. Billy Budd symbolizes Good. His character is not without fault. The aspects of simplicity and blind faith in the goodness of the world, in his personality lead to his demise. His immaturity breeds curiosity and lacks the far sightedness to listen to the good advice given by the Dansker. Hence, despite the Dansker's warnings he is unable to see Claggert as his nemesis. His stuttering is also portrayed as a fault that caused his death instead of accepting it as a handicap."
Abstract This paper discusses the methods and observations Freire and Percy use to explain that "true knowledge" is not measured by good academic standing, but rather by how an individual effectively relates what he learns to real life. The author states that just as the students adjust themselves to material facts and reality, instructors, in the same way, must adapt to the constant change that occurs to his/her student's learning.
From the Paper "Walker Percy's thesis is that people will experience learning if they will not allow themselves to be influenced by preconceived notions and ideas about things that they want to discover and explore. He stated that people do not learn in the real sense because they lack the "surprise of discovery", an essential requirement for learning. An example supporting this statement can be found as an example in Percy's essay."
Tags: natural, learning, authentic, curiosity, need, experience, life, techniques, problem, posing, critical, thinking, application, learning, systems
Abstract The "American" public has always had an interest in the lives of Native Americans. During the early 1800, this curiosity blossomed in a fascination. The paper shows that unfortunately, most Americans were content to relegate all Native Americans into this caricature of the "noble savage", dehumanizing them, and few settlers sought to understand the culture of the Natives whose land they were occupying. Fortunately two nineteenth century artists, Edward Sheriff Curtis and George Catlin did not share the same view. This paper discusses how these men dedicated their lives to the study and preservation of Native American tribal culture for posterity by creating imagery based on the Native American people. Although their methodology, content, and style were dissimilar, (Curtis used the camera and Catlin worked with oil paint), their goal was the same, to capture and record the essence of America's indigenous people through art.
From the Paper "Countless numbers around the globe have benefited from the information gathered during the 1800's by Edward S. Curtis and George Catlin.
Without these records many of the customs and heritage that we know of as "Native American" might be lost today.
It is easy to be critical of Catlin's paintings when judging it against the realism of Curtis? photographs, but the goals of the two men were the same. The sincerity, accuracy, and honesty of the collections that were compiled by the ethnographists transcend their work from the category of mere art to the palate of life."
Abstract According to both late and contemporary social theorists, Max Weber's greatest and best-articulated work falls within the realms of religious discourse. It is Weber's writing, ?The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism,? that signifies Weber's most well-known and disputed work.
This paper looks at Weber's religious affiliation throughout the course of his life and identifies the roots of his religious curiosity. In addition, the paper explores some of Weber's theories pertaining to religion. This research also addresses the legitimacy of "The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism" from the angle of Weber's critics while addressing other aspects of Weber's religious ideas.
From the Paper "As Weber's work continued, he began to write of persons known as pariah. Weber became interested in this group because of the route they took to achieve capitalistic success. Unlike the Protestants, which will be discussed later in this paper, the pariah people were individuals thatwere a member of a persecuted group due to their religious affiliation. The Jews are the example, or ideal type, that Weber often discusses. Jewish persons have attained great economic success in the United States, and Weber attributes this to their struggle against persecution. Although this route towards achieving economic success differs greatly from that of the Protestants, Weber adds legitimization to their plight. Weber's work on Pariah people holds true today in the current U.S. society. Jewish Americans are among the most economically successful religious groups of today. There is little dispute over the validity of the theory of the Pariah people by modern social theorists. It appears to be a well-accepted doctrine."
Abstract This proposed Independent Learning Program (ILP) focuses on using constructivist methods to uncover the inherent motivation to learn of elementary school students. The emphasis is on devising units and lessons plans, which combine reading and math in ways that call forth the students' innate curiosity. The paper explores the literature available on motivating learning, with a focus on new constructivist philosophies and techniques. These are used to construct a revised curriculum plan for a brief unit combining work with both math and reading. From this plan, several sample lesson plans are more fully developed.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Problem Statement
Historical Context
Goals and Rationale
Population Addressed
Methodology
Review of the Literature
Motivating Learning
Constructivism Body
(Revised Curriculum)
Eight-Week Unit of Exploration in Math and Science
People to Study
Sample Lessons Plans
Conclusion
From the Paper "Through this assessment process, the teacher may learn that students understand basically how numbers can be used in daily life - as with making change in stores - but do not really understand numbers as abstractions, or make connections with numbers and other aspects of life. They may express their belief that numbers are irrelevant in their concept maps, or that learning arithmetic has no relationship to their interests or their daily lives. This is the starting point for the design of the curriculum."
Abstract This paper looks at the life of the Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe. It discusses how, unlike Shakespeare ,the other main playwright of the time has plays which tend to be character-driven. The author finds that Marlowe wrote extremely rhetorical, highly poetical works with elevated language and elaborate feats of stagecraft. It analyzes how Marlowe's concern with power and society's elite is reflected not only in the language of his plays, but also in terms of his play's subject matter. This is reflected in his most famous works, such as "Dr. Faustus" and ?Tamburlaine.? It looks at how Marlowe is often studied as an example of a literary influence upon the early Shakespeare but because Marlowe's style is so different in tone and so divergent in subject matter, he exists more as an interesting historical curiosity in his own right, as an individual playwright of note, outside of Shakespeare's own theatrical history.
From the Paper "The fascination with Catholicism evident in "Dr. Faustus" should not come as much of a surprise, even despite Marlowe's avowed atheism. Catholicism was a despised and outlawed religion in the England of his time. But Marlowe did not contemplate converting to the faith. Rather, in one parodic document he wrote, he stated that Catholicism was a good religion, ?merely because it embraces the fictions of ceremony rather than indulging in the Protestant hypocrisy which pretends to a literalism it will not see through.? In other words, Catholicism is a better religion because it pretends the "bell, book, and candle" of exorcism and the physical rites of the mass do have supernatural powers. This is unlike Protestantism which avows itself as a more spiritual, ascetic faith, stating that humanity will not be saved by physical acts, but by a system of theology and belief alone. Marlowe thus embraced the theatrical nature of religion, while defying the central tenants of religion itself, much like his great hero."
Tags: faustus, theatre, tamburlaine, catholicism, society
Abstract This paper presents an alternative educational philosophy to replace the existing system in American schools. It states that engaging the student in educational activities is the process of developing creative exercises in order to engage the creative centers of the brain, and activate the natural curiosity which all students possess. It explains that this requires that the student be engaged at many levels. Education includes social and emotional growth. Schools have recently focused on the concept of the school as a community, and a learning environment. However, the primary community for each student is the family which entrusts the student to the school.
Table of Contents
Introduction:
Nature of the Problem
Purpose of the Project
Background and Significance of the Problem
Literature Review
Brain Development
Specific Activities to engage students
Data-Driven Instruction
Community Component of Education
Research Questions
Definition of Terms
Methodology and Procedures
Assumptions
Limitations
Sample Instrument
Design Results
Discussion & Implications
Conclusions & Application
References
From the Paper "The goal of present-day educational reformers is to produce students with "higher-order skills" who are able to think independently about the unfamiliar problems they will encounter in the information age, who have become "problem solvers" and have "learned how to learn, " and who are on their way to becoming "critical thinkers" and "lifelong learners." The method advocated for achieving these "higher" order skills" is "discovery learning," by which students solve problems and make decisions on their own through "inquiry" and "independent analysis" of "real-world" projects?what Kilpatrick in the 1920s called the "project method."
The oft-repeated goal of the educational community--to inculcate general thinking skills --is not, however, soundly based in research. The idea that school can inculcate abstract, generalized skills for thinking, accessing, and problem solving, and that these skills can be readily applied to the real world is, bluntly, a mirage. So also is the hope that a thinking skill in one domain can be readily and reliably transferred to other domains."
Abstract This paper discusses how Robert Frost treats several themes in his short lyrical poem, "The Road Not Taken". It shows how by using an economy of words and a lively pace, Robert Frost conveys a dual theme of regret and curiosity in the poem. It examines how the lively mood of this lyrical poem seems to contradict its theme of regret and how Frost effectively combines the sense of wonderment with the sense of regret. It also analyzes how Frost touches upon the ideal of individuality and how the reason why the narrator chooses the less-traveled path is because he wishes to explore new territory.
From the Paper "Because the poem is told in first person, it has the feels of a narrative story. This contributes further to the liveliness of Frost's verses. "The Road Not Taken" also feels lively because of the narrator's contagious indecision. Therefore, Frost's poem is an engaging work. Regret is a universal human emotion, and Frost employs an accessible metaphor in ?The Road Not Taken.? Indecision is also a universal part of human experience, and Frost's rambling narrative creates a sense of indecision in the reader. When first confronted with the fork in the road, the narrator immediately feels indecisive."
Abstract This paper will compare and contrast (from the works in the text) the motivations of Christopher Columbus and William Bradford for coming to the new world and will show how these motivations shaped their attitudes towards the people as well as things they discovered. This paper will tell the extent to which they seem to have been driven by economics, religious beliefs or simply idealistic curiosity. It will show how these drives seem to have framed their vision of the new world and its inhabitants.
Abstract This paper briefly reviews Hellman's book, which explores America's obsession with John F. Kennedy and the entire Kennedy family. Hellman notes that, despite Kennedy's charisma and charm, America has long been obsessed with the Kennedy family, far beyond any seemingly reasonable interest or curiosity.
From the Paper "Hellman notes that despite Kennedy's charisma and charm, America has long been obsessed with the Kennedy family far beyond any seemingly reasonable interest or curiosity. Hellman's text explores Kennedy's deliberate creation of his self-image, and how his public persona interacted with the mass media and the political machine to create the pervasive Kennedy myth. The book is concise and illuminating, and never falls into the sensationalist or trite. Overall, Hellman is an engaging and interesting author who does a lot to bring the already interesting subject matter to life."
