Abuse of the Elderly Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Abuse of the Elderly - Research Paper Example Abuse and neglect are too often visited upon older individuals who have lost some degree of their independence, and many areas do not have the programs necessary to effectively counter this threat on the community level. There is even abuse and neglect that goes on with healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and home environments, and this is perhaps the most insidious sort of abuse. In some cultures, the elderly are prized and honored above all other citizens and groups, but unfortunately this is not the case in the present culture. Elder abuse can happen in healthcare or nursing home situations, or it could happen at the hands of the elder’s own family and support system. In the US today, older individuals are more likely to be seen as being in the way of the young than as role models who should be exalted because of their aged wisdom. Presently, however, many individuals are treated harshly by healthcare facilities and even their own kin, making elder abuse a significant pro blem in society. Also, in terms of economic scales, older individuals who are of a lower socio-economic class are more likely to be abused or mistreated. These people may lack a stable caregiver. There are those who say the aged should be used as models who should be exalted because of their aged wisdom. Presently, however, many individuals are treated harshly by healthcare facilities and even, as the proposed report will show, their own families and support systems, making elder abuse a significant problem in society.

Reflective practioner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflective practioner - Essay Example What this means is that I would have the experience as well as the training (including on-going ones) in order to be effective in different classroom environments. For instance, if I am faced with a class constituted by different ethnic groups, I will be able to have the knowledge and teaching experience to tailor learning strategies according to each of their respective learning needs. In this respect, I would like to underscore that if I had satisfied the standards then I would also have displayed a record of engagement with the wider community, which will contribute a lot in my competency as a teacher in this kind of environment because it will widen my understanding on the socio-cultural dynamics of a diverse learning environment. The main purpose of the NSW teaching standards is to enhance the level of professionalism of teachers and teaching. (Bascia et al. 2005, p. 585) Particularly, the accreditation of teachers according to performance standards at various stages of development as a teacher is crucial in assuring the competency of those who have been validated. This is highlighted in the standards developed in the process of validation, which aims to ensure that teachers must: With the above factors in mind, I feel that the competency of the teacher is assured once he or she achieves a good level in each. The only problem that I could see is the attainment of consistency in these standards. So far, the only clear ground for disaccreditation is those on the grounds of ethical standards. This is underscored by the fact that the standards were developmental and not regulatory in nature. In Action Research, baseline data, or rather its gathering, constitute the second stage wherein researchers have to assess the current situation in relation to the research question. These data are information gathered through interviews and research on sources - both primary and secondary – in order to present the information necessary to establish the current

Strategy-evaluation Framework for Mattel

Strategy-evaluation Framework for Mattel 1.0 Strategy Review, Evaluation, and Control The best-formulated and best-implemented strategies become obsolete as a firms external and internal environments change. It is essential, therefore, that strategists systematically review, evaluate, and control the execution of strategies. We have developed a general strategy-evaluation framework for Mattel: Reviewing bases of strategy Measuring organizational performance Taking corrective actions Besides that, we will introduce balanced scorecard as another strategy-evaluation tool to analyze Mattel from few areas of objectives: customers, managers/employees, investors/shareholders, operations/processes, community/social responsibility, and financials. 1.1 General Strategy-Evaluation Framework 1.1.1 Reviewing bases of strategy Reviewing the underlying bases of Mattels strategy could be approached by developing a revised EFE Matrix and IFE Matrix. As being well described and analyzed in Chapter 3 and 4 of this report, here, we will revise EFE and IFE Matrix to review and evaluate how effective Mattels strategies have been in response to key external and internal factors. External Factors Opportunities Mattel has a chance to market Barbie to the whole world and make it a recognizable brand worldwide. This has been proven that Mattel tries its best to improve its marketing strategies to penetrate different market segments and strive for stable revenue annually from international market. Weakening dollar makes the price of Mattels toys becomes more affordable. It is helpful in increase its revenue. To take this advantage, in fact, Mattel has reduced the selling price of its products in some countries. Threats Many children start abandoning tangible toys and looking for more interactive and technological toys or cyber/virtual games. That was why Mattel tried to diversify into software industry. However, until now, its result is not satisfactory. One of the reasons is, the adopted strategies are not matched with its corporate culture or operations. Global recession caused reduced spending or down trading for toys. This is inevitable despite how much effort has been made to stimulate the revenue. However, if Mattel is able to make it more affordable and create a need for customers, it might change its situation. However, strategies should be well developed. Different countries with different cultures and languages in fact have posed barriers which hindered market penetration strategies of Mattel. However, Mattel seemed to have overcome them well as it tried to market its products with different languages in different countries and modified the content of ads with some â€Å"local flavors†. Many other competitors keep coming out with different and better products, such high product substitution threat might threaten the competitive position of Mattel. Therefore, Mattel is particularly cautious with its product quality and safety issues. However, there was still an outbreak of toxic toy which caused few millions loss to Mattel. Due to the emergence of China market and since many production plants have been setup in China, raw materials are subject to price fluctuation when the economy of China appears to be unstable. To overcome this, possibly, Mattel can locate its plants at many different countries. The downfall in one country might be offset by the upturn of another country. Internal Factors Strengths With successful operational and marketing strategies, Barbie has been known as a long established brand for 60 years. With recognizable brand portfolio and wide product range to cater various life stage, in fact, Mattel has safeguarded its market leader position for years. One of the strategies is to have new product launch annually, so that, customers will have â€Å"surprise† every year. Such strategies are considered successful. With the effort and perseverance in maintaining business integrity and practicing corporate social responsibility, it has brought much credit to the reputation of Mattel. Despite the scandals, Mattel does have a group of loyal supporters and fans who will purchase new products of Mattel. Such strategy of creating loyalty and trust in customers is very effective in customer retention. Since Mattel has strategic partnership with Microsoft, Disney, BanDai and etc, this created an invincible strength for it. As there are so many other strong rivals who strive to win market share from Mattel, Mattel tries to form a strong alliance with other strong companies in the market. Devoted, highly-motivated and energetic management team which works together to make better and better products and performance and stay together during doom time, this shows that Mattel has a successful HR strategy which retains experienced and outstanding employees in the corporation. Since early year, Mattel has been keeping its intangible assets as its valuables, such as trade names and trademarks. That is why it has a particular department which deals with this issue. Weaknesses Unprofitable mergers and acquisitions of the Learning Company had made a loss of nearly billion in Mattels account. Although eventually Mattel sold off this subsidiary, this reduced the confidence of investors as Mattels management is perceived as too reckless in MA strategy. Due to many external changes, slipping popularity of their core product – Barbie has been shown in the declining sales of its product. Therefore, Mattel keeps coming out with new products to retain the interest and passion of customers. After the outbreak of toxic toys scandal, generally, the level of acceptance of customers has dropped. No doubt, Mattel has been striving to give the customers the best products, in terms of quality, safety, and etc, however, such an incident is nearly fatal to the reputation and future of Mattel. No matter how good the strategies are, one scandal might ruin the company as a whole. 1.1.2 Measuring organizational performance This includes comparing expected results to actual results, investigating deviations from plans, evaluating individual performance, and examining progress being made toward meeting stated objectives. Both long-term and annual objectives are commonly used in this process. Criteria for evaluating strategies should be measurable and easily verifiable. Generally, strategy evaluation is based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria. For quantitative criteria, financial ratios are commonly used. There are three critical comparisons: Comparing the firms performance over different time periods Comparing the firms performance to competitors Comparing the firms performance to industry averages Mattels performance over different time periods has been well explained in Chapter 7. Overall, Mattel is able to maintain its financial ratios over years. It only has slight increase or decrease occurred. Therefore, internally, we may say Mattel is financially stable and strong over years. Even during economic crisis period, it was still able to maintain its financial performance at a satisfactory level. On the other hand, to compare the performance of Mattel to that of competitors and also industry averages, two main competitors, namely, Hasbro Inc. (HAS) and Jakks Pac Inc. (Jak) have been identified and served as a benchmark to compare the performance of Mattel Inc. (Mat). From the table below, it is obvious that Mattel is the market leader of this industry which having splendid financial performance as compared to its main competitors. By looking at its valuation, profitability, dividend, growth, liquidity and asset ratios, Mattel is far better than competitors and industry averages. In short, based on quantitative criteria, Mattels performance takes a leading position which created core competency for its sustainability and survival. However, it may guarantee long-term success if it does not proactively improve itself. Year 2008 MAT HAS JAKK Industry Averages Valuation Price/Earnings (TTM) 15.24 14.58 1.52 12.78 Price/Cash Flow 10.73 7.83 10.07 9.54 Price/Sales (TTM) 0.98 1.13 0.75 0.95 Price/Book 2.66 2.46 1.06 2.06 Per Share Data Last Dividend 70.09 42.11 0 37.40 Book Value 5.88 9.3 11.66 1.95 EPS (TTM) 1.07 1.9 -12.8 -3.28 Revenue 5.91 B 4.02 B 903.39 M 3.61 B Profitability EBIDTA 742.00 M 654.33 M 101.79 M 499.37 M Operating Margin 9.74% 12.29% 1.85% 10.29% Profit Margin 6.41% 7.63% 1.42% 7.49% Gross Profit Margin 45.19% 55.96% 35.56% 45.57% Dividend Dividend Yield 4.18% 2.96% 0.00% 2.38% Payout Ratio 70.09 42.11 0 37.40 Dividend Yield 5 Year Average 3.33% 2.07% 0.00% 1.80% Growth Net Income 379.63 M 306.76 M 76.05 M 254.15 M EPS (TTM) 1.07% 1.90% -12.80% -3.28% Revenue 5.91 B 4.02 B 903.39 M 3.61 B PEG 1.56% 1.44% 1.71% 1.57% Financial Strength Quick Ratio (MRQ) 6.41 7.63 1.42 7.49 Current Ratio (MRQ) 2.06 2.61 2.09 2.25 Long Term Debt to Equity Ratio (MRQ) 32.72 81.65 0 31.12 Total Debt to Capital (MRQ) 29.83 34.03 11.64 25.17 ROE 17.32 21.24 9.47 16.01 ROA 10.9 9.67 -46.98 -1.80 ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) 13.8 15.52 9.5 12.94 Assets Asset Turnover 1.43 1.29 0.88 1.20 Asset per Employee 143,123.72 528,095.93 1.03 M 0.57 M Inventory Turnover 6.72 5.74 6.79 6.42 Apart from quantitative criteria, there are some qualitative criteria needed to be taken into consideration. These criteria are presented in question forms, including the following questions: * Is the hiring and recruitment process matched with the strategy? Among the workers working at Mattels plant, a large majority of the workers (79%) got their job by applying directly at the plant site, while another 19% were referred by friends. The average length of employment among the interviewed workers was approximately 4.0 years. However, for 26% of the workers, employment at Mattel was their first job. This indicates that while the workforce includes a sizeable proportion of temporary and seasonal workers, the core group provides Mattel with a substantial number of stable and experienced employees. The hiring process includes general company orientation, which covers such issues as the employment contract, rules of conduct, disciplinary measures, grievance procedures, wages deductions and overtime pay policies, transportation services, facilities, amenities and tour of the factory. Newly hired workers also receive information and training in the topics of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS Orientation). Each worker at the Mattels plant ha s a signed contract on file. Employee personnel records also include illness and injury reports; disciplinary action reports; medical examinations and maternity leave reports. All new hires are also given a medical examination. They also received job-related training of varying length based on the specific requirements of their jobs. Based on these mechanisms on hiring and recruitment, Mattel is able to ensure they have selected the best and right people to achieve companys goals. Are the workers able to understand and practice GMP? GMP is very important in ensuring the quality of products. Interviewed workers largely confirmed that they were familiar with various provisions of Mattels GMP. Management Compliance Report (MCR) indicated that GMP document in local language was provided to all employees and is available in local language. The Plant Manager plays the key role in communicating GMP information to supervisors and employees. The MCR also stated that information on GMP is provided twice a year, through various sources such as the new hire orientation program, employee handbook, boards and the company intranet. Are the plants workers financially motivated to achieve companys objectives? Financial compensations to plants workers are very important to maintain the morale and motivation level of workers. The minimum wage for Tijuana is $41.67 (Mexican pesos) per day. Temporary workers at the Mexicos plant earn at least $74.00 per day; while the core groups minimum wage is $85. All overtime is paid at double wage rates, up to 9 overtime hours each week. All hours worked in excess of 9 hours per week are paid at triple rates. In addition, workers also receive attendance and punctuality bonuses. Besides, all confirmed workers are also entitled to annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, free vacation, free transportation, free coffee and bakery products, free training courses, and etc. These policies are able to match the workers objectives with companys objectives when they are well compensated. Are work environment of manufacturing operations and related facilities able to ensure the quality of work from workers? As an example, the plant in Mexico is a large plant consisting of one building covering an area of over 473,000 sq. square feet. The facility has installed a very modern and efficient delivery system for handling raw materials. Resins for manufacturing plastic are delivered by trucks to a roadside facility where they are stored in large silos. From there, they are delivered to the molding machines on the factory floor through a sophisticated computer-controlled system. The process is designed to keep the site clean and helps minimize spillage and waste. The facility maintains, among others, detailed and up-to-date records on plant maintenance, air filtration, noise control, fire prevention, and safe storage of hazardous materials. The high standards of environmental health safety of the plant were also confirmed by the ICCA professional engineering audit team through an extensive â€Å"walk through† of the entire plant. ICCAs inspection confirmed that the plant was in â€Å"good† operating condition internally and in â€Å"fair† condition externally. The plant provides free-of-charge Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all employees where use of such equipment is required and appropriate. The factory meets or exceeds the GMP requirements for bathroom, wash basins, and clean drinking water. Toilets are equipped with an effective flushing system and are maintained and cleaned on a regular basis. The dining area at the factory canteen is quite attractive. Colorful paintings, natural light through large windows a nd TV for entertainment provides the dining room with a pleasant environment. There is also an outside eating area for those who wish to smoke. Employees are served two meals per shift. The meals are mostly subsidized by the factory with workers paying only a nominal sum. In addition, the medical clinic at the plant is excellent and well-staffed. It is open 24 hours and seven days a week. It is staffed with one medical doctor and three qualified nurses. The clinic has a good record keeping system for the workers use of the clinic including work-related injury data. In short, Mattel has a well maintained facility and operates in an efficient manner while ensuring that the plant provides a clean, safe and healthy work environment for its employees. This also helps to ensure the workers produce high-quality products. 1.1.3 Taking corrective actions The final strategy-evaluation activity is about taking corrective actions, which requires making changes to competitively reposition a firm for the future. These corrective actions might be derived from the inspection of internal or external auditors who review and evaluate the practices and policies of a company. Some corrective actions, for example, like altering an organizations structure, replacing one or more key individuals, selling a division, or revising a business mission. Other changes could include establishing or revising objectives, devising new policies, issuing stock to raise capital, adding additional salespersons, differently allocating resources, or developing new performance incentives. As for Mattel, despites some of the scandals, it has been performing well since its establishment. When there were discrepancies of performance from target, Mattel had made corrective actions accordingly. 1. Mattel Independent Monitoring Council for Global Manufacturing Principles In this internal auditing practice, the physical plant, including all manufacturing and storage areas, were found to be in excellent condition. The plant and its related machinery were well maintained. The housekeeping appeared to be very good resulting in a neat, clean and safe operating plant. MIMCO was especially attentive to ensure that employees were properly using safety equipment and that environmental practices were being followed. However, there are few areas have been identified to make improvements. Employee Treatment by Line Supervisors MIMCO report of the previous audit had noted that the primary source of employee dissatisfaction pertained to incidents, albeit infrequent, of verbal abuse by line supervisors especially when it is meted out in public and in the presence of co-workers. It was recommended that Montois plant management review all pertinent issues of supervision and human relations in its weekly meetings. Further, the plant management should take action to strengthen its first-line supervisor training program. Work-place Hazards Mattel was found to have insufficient storage space as it had reached its maximum capacity. This shortage led to storage of volatile compounds in a tool crib in the middle of the factory assembly line. Another issue of concern was the noise level in some areas caused by the sonic welding machines. This noise level was found to be in access of Mattel GMP standards in the vicinity of the sonic welding operations. A possible work hazard described by employees was the risk of fire when water spilled from machines on the electric cables in work areas. MIMCO recommended an upgrade to the water feeding system and training of employees. The use of all-purpose utility knives to trim the mold marks was identified as a work hazard by management, production employees and the MIMCO team. These cuts were found to be a major source of injury and lost-days of work. Mattel had made corrective actions accordingly to rectify the mistakes and improve on the insufficiencies. Insufficient Bathroom and Toilet Facilities In the initial audit of Montoi, employees had complained about long waiting time for the use of bathrooms. The employees felt that there were not enough bathrooms to meet their needs when the plant was operating at full capacity. Although, the number of available bathrooms met both the GMP standards and the Mexican law, it was recommended that serious consideration should be given to expanding these facilities. The Montoi plant has added 11 more toilets for female employees and 8 for male employees. 2. Mattels corrective actions on ICCA 2004 Follow-Up Report of Mattel Owned and Operated Plants in China Regular and Overtime Work Hours ICCA found that Mattels plants were scheduling work hours in excess of Mattels 60 hour per week requirement. In response to this, Mattel has elected to limit the maximum number of working hours to 60 per week during normal operations, and 72 hours per week during peak periods and other extraordinary situations, provided that overtime is voluntary, the employees are paid appropriately and work hours in excess of 60 hours per week, but less than 72 hours per week, do not exceed 1/3 of the year for each employee. Payment of Minimum Wages Mattels China partner at the Guan Yao facility had made a good faith effort in negotiating a minimum wage that was competitive with other local cities, and had sought out and received approval for the reduced minimum wage originally stipulated for their area. With respect to this reduction of minimum wage at Mattels Guan Yao plant, Mattel has instituted a policy in conjunction with the new minimum wage increase slated for early 2005, which requires Mattels China partner to pay the stated minimum wage for the area. Due to the inconsistency in legal opinion regarding local waivers allowing a reduction of the minimum wage, Mattel will no longer accept these types of waivers from the local labor bureau. Inappropriate Wage Rate During Temporary Shut Downs and Other Circumstances There are three separate and distinct situations with respect to the amount of money employees are compensated for hours worked. In each case that ICCA has identified, Mattel has gone back and assessed an acceptable corrective action. For example, in the case of Guan Yao Chang An, with respect to the payment of minimum wages during down time for internal factors within control of the plant operations, Mattel has instituted a policy of paying the employees minimum wage during these unexpected shutdown periods. This policy change was instituted in January 2004. Mandatory Deductions and Legally Mandated Benefits Mattels annual leave policy has been amended to reflect the actual days of service an employee has worked over the length of their tenure at Mattel. In 2004, Mattel will compensate employees with 5 days of paid leave for those who quit before the end of the year and have one year of service. Mattels policy with respect to maternity leave was updated in 2004. All employees seeking maternity leave, regardless of whether they return to work, will be compensated for the full 90 days, as allowed under Chinese labor law. Mattels policy on deductions for room and board was changed in 2004. All employees who stay in the dorm and eat at the cafeteria will be charged no more than 50 percent of their minimum wage rate. It should further be noted that staying in the dorms is voluntary for employees. 1.2 Balanced Scorecard There are few criteria have been introduced to evaluate and review the performance of Mattel Inc. 1.2.1 Customers Product Quality and Safety Mattels reputation for product quality and safety is among its most valuable assets. Their commitment to product quality and safety is an integral part of their design, manufacturing, testing and distribution processes, and is essential to the success of their business. Childrens health, safety and well-being are their primary concern. They will meet or exceed legal requirements and industry standards for product quality and safety. They strive to earn their consumers trust through their dedication to safety, and to exceed the expectations of parents. Employees have an obligation to immediately report any concerns about product safety or quality to Mattels Worldwide Product Integrity Department. Consumer Information They respect the confidentiality of consumer information consistent with all applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations. They do not share, sell or trade any private or sensitive personal information obtained online from children without the prior consent of the parent or unless compelled by legal process. Advertising and Promotions Mattels brand and product promotion activities, including advertising, packaging, point of purchase displays, promotional programs and sweepstakes, should be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable laws and with their reputation for honesty and integrity. They adhere to high standards of commercial fairness in ads and promotions. They must accurately portray the features, quality and performance of their products in all advertising media and packaging in a manner appropriate for their target audience. They do not misstate facts or provide misleading or deceptive information about Mattels products, or the products of a competitor. They should be diligent in safeguarding the reputation of Mattel brands and products by being selective about promotional opportunities, such as event sponsorship and other joint promotions, avoiding association of Mattels name with any product, service or activity which might be considered unsafe or inappropriate for children, or with any person or organization if the relationship might be damaging to Mattels reputation. 1.2.2 Managers/Employees Respect They will treat others as they want to be treated with respect, dignity and fairness. They have the right to work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, social origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or other protected characteristics. They also respect their co-workers rights, and remember that such discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. They should speak out when the conduct of a coworker makes them or others uncomfortable. They each have a responsibility to report to Human Resources any such harassment or discrimination that they experience or observe. Diversity Mattel recognizes diversity as an asset, and is committed to actively seeking and promoting diversity in the workforce. They value the different perspectives, insights and experiences of diverse individuals and cultures, and they aspire to create a company culture that encourages an expression of, and a respect for, diverse viewpoints. They provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees, without regard to factors such as race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, social origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or other protected characteristics. They make employment decisions to meet their business needs based on factors such as qualifications, skills and achievement. They comply with local and national employment laws. Employee Health and Safety Mattel is committed to providing a safe, healthful and environmentally responsible workplace, and has established safety programs to provide information and training for safe practices in the normal conduct of business and for emergencies. They are responsible for observing safety and health rules, for taking appropriate precautionary measures and for reporting unsafe or hazardous conditions to their supervisors, to Mattels Global Sustainability Department, Global Security Department or local Mattel security personnel. In order to maintain their high standards for quality, productivity and safety, they should be in suitable mental and physical condition at work. Possessing, buying or selling, using or being under the influence of illegal drugs or engaging in any other activities which create an unsafe work environment while on duty, or when on Mattel premises, are expressly prohibited. The consumption of alcohol while on duty or when on Mattel premises is prohibited except during approved Mattel social functions, or during business meals. 1.2.3 Investors/Shareholders Protecting Mattel Assets All employees and Directors share in the responsibility to protect Mattels assets, including physical assets, financial assets, intellectual property and proprietary information from theft, loss, damage, misuse or waste. Those of them who have custody of company property, such as vehicles and laptop computers, should take appropriate measures to ensure their proper security and use.

All Aboard: Discrimination in Sports :: Essays Papers

All Aboard: Discrimination in Sports As white, American males, are we feeling left out? Of course not, we are the envy of every other race, ethnicity, and gender. Right? To anyone that believes this, it must then be asked: If we, as white males, aren’t feeling â€Å"left out,† then why do we continually try to sneak aboard the overcrowded train of discrimination? As the past has shown, the tracks this train screams across undoubtedly open up to a deep chasm of hurt and pain. And yet, it seems to be one of the most sought after tickets today. Have we lost sight of the real struggles from the Civil Rights and Women Movements, only to replace them with ridiculous reverse-discrimination issues of today? Reverse discrimination has recently become the new fad in sports. First we were blessed with grumbles from less-than-athletic, underachieving, wannabe professional basketball players saying their sport has begun to discriminate against them because they are white. But instead of grumbling, maybe they should thank Harry â€Å"Bucky† Lew for becoming the first African American in professional basketball. Thank him because now owners sign players based on talent and ability instead of the color of their skin. So, if you hear the bad news that the L.A. Clippers just don’t have room on their roster for you, it’s not because you’re white ? you’re just not good enough. Unfortunately, this plague of claiming reverse discrimination has now filtered into college athletics as well. Andrew Medcalf was denied a job as Pennsylvania’s head coach of woman’s crew two years ago, and he has now turned it into a discrimination case. In his mind, it was ludicrous that a college would turn him down because there was a better candidate for the job. Luckily for him, this other candidate was a woman. So, instead of accepting that he wasn’t qualified enough to become head coach, he simply claimed gender discrimination ? and he won. The University of Pennsylvania was forced to pay $115,000 in lost wages, emotional distress, and punitive damages. Pennsylvania ended up hiring Barbara Kirch instead of Medcalf in 1999. Who knows, maybe Kirch was hired based on her gender.

‘Disraeli did infinitely more for the working classes than Gladstone.’ Do you agree?

Both men, who served as Prime Ministers, reformed many institutions with many of them effecting the working class like education (bringing up the working class), trade union (helping the working class fight for work wrights), public health (living conditions affecting the working class) and licensing (the way many working class people passed the time), along with the electoral institution (workers being able to vote on the matters which the work upon, such as factory conditions and education).Many historians, such as William Kuhn, argue that William Gladstone, the Liberal Prime Minister, passed many other reforms as well to help the working class, including the Ballot Act of 1872. However, some historians, such as Monypenny and Buckle, say that Benjamin Disraeli, the Conservative Prime Minister, did more to help the working class, including passing the Second Great Reform Act of 1867. The issue of trade union reforms was heavily involved in both Prime Minister's term of offices, to w hich Disraeli seemed to do more for, even though Gladstone provided the building blocks for the reforms.Gladstone was the first PM to recognise the rights of trade unions to exist. His legislation of 1871, the Trade Union Act, gave the unions legal protection and the freedom to exist and collect subs. On first reading, then, it would seem that Gladstone truly understood the concerns of working men and collective security against unscrupulous employers. However, the Act did not allow Unions to go on strike, due to a clause which ‘failed to define intimidation clearly', which even a bad look could send someone to jail, which irritated the Radicals.It was a half-hearted measure that alarmed the Whig-conservative elements and frustrated the hopes of working men, as the interpretation was lost in courts. Many saw it as a pointless decision, and it took Disraeli in 1875 to allow unions the right to strike. Disraeli’s legislation differed from Gladstone’s in that he was much more practical in his social reforms. Gladstone’s reforms required cooperation from the working classes; it places demands on them to respond.Disraeli’s approach was to provide non-controversial legislation that was beneficial to all in society, including letting the Employers and Workmen Act have a clause that accepted that breaches of conduct such as pay and working hours by employers and workmen to be treated as offences under civil law, with even Alexander MacDonald, a trade unionist and a Liberal MP, saying that â€Å"the Conservatives have done more for the working classes in six years than the Liberals had in sixty.†This shows that in trade union reform, Disraeli did more for the working class due to effectively allowing peaceful picketing. Another issue that Disraeli and Gladstone both put reforms into was public health to which it seemed Gladstone did more to help the working class. Gladstone, in 1872, passed the Public Health Act, which establish ed the Urban & Rural Sanitary Authorities for public health in the local areas. This all came from a Commission in 1871 saying that the sanitary laws should be made uniform.Even though these were abolished in a Local Government Act in 1894, the 1872 Act led the way for Urban and Rural District Councils that still run to do run to this day. On Disraeli's attempt, he passed the Public Health Act of 1875, due to the actions of George Sclater-Booth, a Conservative MP for Health. The Act brought together all the previous legislation under a newly established system of power and checks for issues such as sewage/draining and public toilets.This was seen as a massive success due to the fact that there was no public health measures for the next 60 years after the passage of the act. However, with the fact that it he paved the way for local government control that still exists today to help the working class, Gladstone did more to help the working class than Disraeli did in the public health reform. The issue of licensing snuck into both Prime Ministers' time. In both cases, it didn't do any good for the ruling party.For Gladstone's, the 1872 Licensing Act gave JPs the right to grant licenses to publicans, to fix operating hours and check for the adulteration of the alcohol. Gladstone introduced the act due to the commonness of widespread drunkenness in 19th Century Britain. However, it didn't do any good for the Liberals, due to that moderateness of the act which disappointed two Liberal pressure groups of the party (mostly single issue MPs), who thought the act was ‘too lenient'. There is also historical view from Lowe that the Act affected â€Å"a positive permanent shift of the publicans and brewers of the Tory Party.†Lowe then observes that the Licensing Act was major cause of the Liberal defeat in 1874. The same reform ideas went into Disraeli's second term with the Intoxicating Liquoring Act, which again, curtailed opening hours and in the end, pleas ed nobody. Even though both attempts failed to sort out the problem of licensing, Gladstone lost a lot of working class support due to the licensing Act, as there were a number of near riots to enforce closing hours, and as Lowe writes, many brewers went to theTories after the 1872 Act, so Disraeli seemed not to harm the working class as much as Gladstone did to his own party and the working class. An issue the two honourable Prime Ministers shared in working on education, to which Disraeli seemed to do more for the working class. Gladstone's work on the Forster’s Education Act established the principle of universal elementary education. The state was taking on board the responsibility and the costs of educating all children up to a certain age.This had a link with meritocracy because Gladstone wanted the working classes to be aspiring: education would encourage workers to be more reflective and focus on moral and ethical progress, furthering one of Gladstone's aims. This was not necessarily appreciated by the working man and woman. Gladstone’s high-minded ideals were very far removed from the daily experiences of the ordinary family who were trying to scrape together a living. Ensuring that children had to receive schooling meant that there was less money coming into the family household.Disraeli’s Education Act 1876, clarified Forster’s Act, by placing a duty on parents to ensure that their children received elementary instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic; created school attendance committees, which could compel attendance, for districts where there were no school boards; and the poor law guardians were given permission to help with the payment of school fees, giving a way of working class families a chance to get a child in education and made employment of children under 10 illegal, incentivising parents to send their kids off to school.This shows that in education neither Gladstone or Disraeli had any significant under standing of the plight of working class lives especially in a pre-welfare age. However, since Disraeli was able to further the work done by Gladstone, I believe that Disraeli managed to help the working class more, due to that managed to help the working class children get into school. One final comparison between the two figureheads of Gladstone and Disraeli that we can make is the reforms electorally.Gladstone passed the Ballot Act of 1872, which made voting in elections happen by secret ballot and that candidates shouldn't be nominated at the hustings. The Act enhanced the right of the voters to cast their votes without intimidation, which pleased many working class people, as they didn't have to vote to their landlord's wishes. Disraeli however, did pass the Second Great Reform Act, which extended the right to vote still further down the class ladder, adding  just short of a million voters, including many working men, and doubling the electorate to almost two million voters in England and Wales alone.Even though both prime ministers were successful in helping the working class secure their say in government, I believe that Gladstone did more to help the working class, with the upper class getting less voting power with their single ballot and that landlords couldn't compel their tenants to vote the way that they wanted to. There was a reason for the differences in why Gladstone and Disraeli did different things.Gladstone, from his strict religious beliefs, thought that by helping the working class, they would become more moral. In this case, Gladstone's reforms in Licensing were due to the immorality of the large problematic situation he found in drinking houses. As a committed Anglican Christian, he believed that the church, which was the official state religion of the UK at the time, had a important role of defending ‘God's' plan to help people and deter them from sin, and by helping the people, he would be seen as helping ‘God's' creation. Disraeli, on the other hand, perused reforms, which many were compromises on behalf of the elite. One of the main aims of Disraeli was to maintain the traditional aristocratic constitution of the country, and this was seen in many of his reforms, such as the education reforms, which was designed to uphold the ascendancy of squire and parson in rural England. The reforms weren't really meant to help the poor, they were there to help settle a possible class conflict of ideas and interests. There are many historical opinions about who did more to help the working class.There are some, such as Lee, who claim that there was no real worked out legislation programme, more of a typical 19th Century politician â€Å"paying off electoral debt†. For Gladstone, Matthew describes his pattern of reforming as the ‘reforms on the inefficient administrations of the UK,' showing that he reformed to keep government expenditure low and wanted to liberate people from outdated restrictions, like he did with trade union reforms, which were giving trade unions legal protection.In conclusion, I believe that with these categories, I agree that Disraeli did do more, but the word â€Å"infinitely† is too far for my understanding. Even though the reforms were to protect the interest of the aristocrats and gave more the working class, Gladstone gave the building blocks for many of the reforms, such as giving trade unions the legal protection that they wanted and setting the way for local councils with the public health reforms.

Holographics and Virtual Reality

HOLOGRAPHICS AND VIRTUAL REALITY Major KVP Dhammika M. Phill(Electronic and Telecommunication)Engineering Mid Career Course -45 Military College of Signal Rawalpindi – Pakistan Nov 2011 CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Aim 3. History and Background 4. Important Concepts 5. Type of Virtual Reality Systems 6. Few Virtual Reality Techniques that Actually Work at Present 7. The Extreme Future of Virtual Reality 8. Conclusion INTRODUCTION What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can hear, what you can smell, taste and feel, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. Morpheus (The Matrix) 1. It was my own belief next coming decade word virtual will be a very common to everyone since we all living in margin of real world and virtual world (Kind of dream world). When I started my high school studies in mathematics concept of imaginary numbers make me so confused but thought of its real existence me more confused. When I looked through a m irror I always thought imaginary world which was explained to me in complex numbers are exist inside the world that I am observing through a mirror. 2.When I was a kid TV show â€Å"Star Trek† and â€Å"Blake’s 7† induced my desire to study about Teleportation  (term that refers to a number of theories and notions concerning the transfer of  matter  from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them, similar to the concept  Ã¢â‚¬Å"apport†, an earlier word used in the context of spiritualism). Figure 1 Star Trek Teleportation Further my desire to learn concepts of Holography and Virtual Reality (VR) was stimulated due to two popular movies â€Å"Total Recall† and â€Å"Matrix†. . To day scientist had found that everything we experience in life can be reduced to electrical activity stimulating our brains as our sensory organs deliver information about the external world. This interpretation is what we consider to be â€Å"reality. † In this sense, the brain is reality. Everything you see, hear, feel, taste and smell is an interpretation of what's outside, and created entirely inside your head. We tend to believe that this interpretation matches very closely to the external world.Nothing could be further from the truth. 4. It is the brain that â€Å"sees†, and in some important ways what it sees does not reflect the information it derives from sensory input. For this reason, we are all living in our own reality simulations – abstractions – that we construct as a result of both what we perceive with our senses and how our brains modify this perception. Such things as color, smell and taste, for example are not properties of the outside world itself, but rather a category created by the process of perception.In order to experience the world in a meaningful way, the brain must act as a filter/interference between us and the â€Å"real† world. 5. Words have a lways been a crude method of relaying intent. VR holds out the promise of allowing us to literally show one another what we mean rather than merely describing it with crude verbal approximations. The limitation of words is that the meaning they convey is only as detailed as the definitions the reader or listener attaches to them.For this reason VR offers the possibility of evolving our communication into a kind of telepathy, ultimately bridging the gap between our discrete imaginations. â€Å"This is what virtual reality holds out to us – the possibility of walking into the constructs of the imagination. † – Terence McKenna 6. VR is the ultimate medium of syntactical intent; the only way to figuratively â€Å"show† someone exactly what you mean is to literally show them. Words are exceptionally ineffective at conveying meaning, as they are a low-bandwidth, lossy medium of knowledge transference.VR will let us remove the ambiguity that is the discrepancy b etween our internal dictionaries and bypass communication through symbolism altogether. The result will be perfect understanding, as all parties behold the same information. 7. Holography  is a technique that allows the  light  scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system (a camera or an eye) is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present.The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object were still present, thus making the image appear  three-dimensional. 8. Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. On a computer, virtual reality is primarily experienced through two of the five senses: sight and sound. Today its go beyond and planning to experience in all five senses. 9.The simplest form of virtual reality is a  3-D  image that can be explored interactively at a personal computer, usually by manipulating keys or the mouse so that the content of the image moves in some direction or zooms in or out. More sophisticated efforts involve such approaches as wrap-around display screens, actual rooms augmented with wearable computers, and  haptics (  tactile feedback  technology that takes advantage of a user's sense of touch by applying forces,  vibrations, or motions to the user)  devices that let you feel the display images. 0. Today we are in a world where human being reached their new electronic telecommunication advancement to practically feasible of projecting holographic images, virtual reality games and Telepresence (refers to a set of  technologies  which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via  tele-robotics, at a place other than th eir true location). 11. These two field application can be expected in almost all the fields. Specially military, education, business and entertainment. AIM 12.Aim of this research work is to acquaint student officers immerging new two technologies, holography and virtual reality. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND 13. In mid 1950s visionary cinematographer Morton H Eilig built a single user console called â€Å"Sensorama† that included a stereoscopic display, fans, or emitters, stereo speakers and a moving chair. This enabled the user watch television in three dimensional ways. 14. In 1961, Philco Corporation engineers developed the first HMD known as the â€Å"Headsight†. The helmet consisted of a video screen along with a tracking system. Then they linked to a closed circuit camera system.Then somewhat similar HMD was used for helicopter pilots. While flying in the dark these were of great help. 15. In 1965, a computer scientist named Ivan Sutherland envisioned what he called t he â€Å"Ultimate Display. † After using this display a person imagines the virtual world very similar to the real world. During 1966, an HMD was built by Sutherland, which was tethered to a computer system. The thought of virtual reality has been around since 1965, when Ivan Sutherland expressed his ideas of creating virtual or imaginary worlds. At MIT, he conducted experiments with three dimensional displays.In 1969, he developed the first system to surround people in three dimensional displays of information. Between the '70's and late '80's, the concept of virtual reality was mainly used by the United States. The military used it as flight simulators to train pilots. The other countries in the world did not show any interest in this technology until the late 1980's. Since then, virtual reality has developed in many ways to become an emerging technology of our time. 16. To my own thought we experiencing some kind of virtual reality in our own dreams. When you are in deep s leep you see dreams that you may feel it real.Day dreams also plays very vital role, all form of these dreams help to create great sciences, fictions and all form of arts. In virtual reality technology we are trying to create dream world in real life where we won’t be able to identify margin between real world and virtual world. In other way round optical illusions we experiencing like mirage and rainbows also like holographic projection humans are about to experience. 17. Holography was discovered by the British-Hungarian scientist Dennis Gabor in 1947, though its full potential waited it seems, on the birth of the laser, 1963.Holography is defined as  the process of wavefront reconstruction. In considering one of the several methods of constructing a hologram, the principles we require for understanding the process are simple. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS 18. The concepts behind virtual reality are based upon theories about a long held human desire to escape the boundaries of the à ¢â‚¬Ëœreal world’ by embracing cyberspace. Once there we can interact with this virtual environment in a more naturalistic manner which will generate new forms of human-machine interaction (HMI).The aim is to move beyond standard forms of interaction such as the keyboard and mouse which most people work with on a daily basis. This is seen as an unnatural way of working which forces people to adapt to the demands of the technology rather than the other way around. But a virtual environment does the opposite. It allows someone to fully immerse themselves in a highly visual world which they explore by means of their senses. This natural form of interaction within this world often results in new forms of communication and understanding. 19.The experience of a virtual world mimics that of a real world scenario but often without many of its constraints. Virtual reality enables allows someone to do the following: a. Walk around a three-dimensional building b. Perform a virtual opera tion. c. Play a multi-user game. d. Take part in a theatre of war. e. Interact with an artwork. Plus the fact that they can do this in a 3D environment means that they replicate an experience similar to that in the real world but without many of the dangers. This is preferable to trying to simulate these experiences in a two-dimensional setting, e. g. a computer desktop. 0. Virtual reality also acts as a problem solving device in that it enables us to explore various options as a means of finding an answer to a problem. For example, an engineering company will use virtual reality to produce a prototype which is then tested and the results fed back to the design team. The advantage of this is that it enables the designers to make alterations to their design but at far less time and cost. This is a preferred option to building a physical prototype which is expensive to build and make changes to: especially if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design process.Holography Co ncept. 21. Holography is an image registered with use of coherent laser light. It allows preserving the 3-D information of a holographed subject. With a single source of white light, the image is â€Å"played back† and appears in 3-D exactly as it was registered in the studio. Image can project deep inside, or â€Å"stick† out of the picture. Virtually impossible to copy and displaying unique visual effects, they present themselves as an unbeatable security solution for brand protection and brand promotion. 22. The Holography is based upon Nobel Prize winner Dennis Gabor's theory concerning interference patterns.Gabor theorized in 1947 that each crest of the wave pattern contains the whole information of its original source, and that this information could be stored on film and reproduced. This is why it is called a Holography. 23. Holography is the only visual recording and playback process that can record our three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional recording med ium and playback the original object or scene, to the unaided eyes, as a three dimensional image. The image demonstrates complete parallax and depth-of-field.The image floats in space either behind, in front of, or straddling the recording medium The Universe as a Holography 24. In 1982 a remarkable event took place. Aspect and his team discovered that under certain circumstances subatomic particles such as electrons are able to instantaneously communicate with each other regardless of the distance separating them. University of London physicist David Bohm, for example, believes Aspect's findings imply that objective reality does not exist, that despite its apparent solidity the universe is at heart a phantasm, a gigantic and splendidly detailed Holography.To understand why Bohm makes this startling assertion, one must first understand a little about Holographys. A Holography is a three- dimensional photograph made with the aid of a laser. To make a Holography, the object to be phot ographed is first bathed in the light of a laser beam. When the film is developed, it looks like a meaningless swirl of light and dark lines. But as soon as the developed film is illuminated by another laser beam, a three-dimensional image of the original object appears. 24.If a Holography of a rose is cut in half and then illuminated by a laser, each half will still be found to contain the entire image of the rose. Indeed, even if the halves are divided again, each snippet of film will always be found to contain a smaller but intact version of the original image. Unlike normal photographs, every part of a Holography contains all the information possessed by the whole. 25. This insight suggested to Bohm another way of understanding Aspect's discovery. Imagine an aquarium containing a fish. This, says Bohm, is precisely what is going on between the subatomic particles in Aspect's experiment. 6. According to Bohm, the apparent faster-than-light connection between subatomic particles i s really telling us that there is a deeper level of reality we are not privy to, a more complex dimension beyond our own that is analogous to the aquarium. And, he adds, we view objects such as subatomic particles as separate from one another because we are seeing only a portion of their reality. Such particles are not separate â€Å"parts†, but facets of a deeper and more underlying unity that is ultimately as holographic and indivisible as the previously mentioned rose.And since everything in physical reality is comprised of these â€Å"eidolons†, the universe is itself a projection, a Holography. In addition to its phantomlike nature, such a universe would possess other rather startling features. If the apparent separateness of subatomic particles is illusory, it means that at a deeper level of reality all things in the universe are infinitely interconnected. 27. In a holographic universe, even time and space could no longer be viewed as fundamentals. What else the superHolography contains is an open-ended question.Bohm is not the only researcher who has found evidence that the universe is a Holography. Working independently in the field of brain research, Standford neurophysiologist Karl Pribram has also become persuaded of the holographic nature of reality. 28. Pribram was drawn to the holographic model by the puzzle of how and where memories are stored in the brain. In a series of landmark experiments in the 1920s, brain scientist Karl Lashley found that no matter what portion of a rat's brain he removed he was unable to radicate its memory of how to perform complex tasks it had learned prior to surgery. Then in the 1960s Pribram encountered the concept of holography and realized he had found the explanation brain scientists had been looking for. Pribram believes memories are encoded not in neurons, or small groupings of neurons, but in patterns of nerve impulses that crisscross the entire brain in the same way that patterns of laser light interference crisscross the entire area of a piece of film containing a holographic image. In other words, Pribram believes the brain is itself a Holography. 9. Pribram's theory also explains how the human brain can store so many memories in so little space. It has been estimated that the human brain has the capacity to memorize something on the order of 10 billion bits of information during the average human lifetime (or roughly the same amount of information contained in five sets of the Encyclopaedia Britannica). 30. Our uncanny ability to quickly retrieve whatever information we need from the enormous store of our memories becomes more understandable if the brain functions according to holographic principles.Because every portion of a Holography is infinitely interconnected with ever other portion, it is perhaps nature's supreme example of a cross-correlated system. 31. The storage of memory is not the only neurophysiological puzzle that becomes more tractable in light of Pribra m's holographic model of the brain. Another is how the brain is able to translate the avalanche of frequencies it receives via the senses (light frequencies, sound frequencies, and so on) into the concrete world of our perceptions.Encoding and decoding frequencies is precisely what a Holography does best. Just as a Holography functions as a sort of lens, a translating device able to convert an apparently meaningless blur of frequencies into a coherent image, Pribram believes the brain also comprises a lens and uses holographic principles to mathematically convert the frequencies it receives through he senses into the inner world of our perceptions. 32. An impressive body of evidence suggests that the brain uses holographic principles to perform its operations.Argentinian-Italian researcher Hugo Zucarelli recently extended the holographic model into the world of acoustic phenomena. Puzzled by the fact that humans can locate the source of sounds without moving their heads, even if the y only possess hearing in one ear, Zucarelli discovered that holographic principles can explain this ability. Pribram's belief that our brains mathematically construct â€Å"hard† reality by relying on input from a frequency domain has also received a good deal of experimental support. 33.Researchers have discovered, for instance, that our visual systems are sensitive to sound frequencies, that our sense of smell is in part dependent on what are now called â€Å"osmic frequencies†, and that even the cells in our bodies are sensitive to a broad range of frequencies. For if the concreteness of the world is but a secondary reality and what is â€Å"there† is actually a holographic blur of frequencies, and if the brain is also a Holography and only selects some of the frequencies out of this blur and mathematically transforms them into sensory perceptions, what becomes of objective reality? 4. We are really â€Å"receivers† floating through a kaleidoscopic se a of frequency, and what we extract from this sea and transmogrify into physical reality is but one channel from many extracted out of the superHolography. 35. This striking new picture of reality, the synthesis of Bohm and Pribram's views, has come to be called the holographic paradigm, and although many scientists have greeted it with skepticism, it has galvanized others. A small but growing group of researchers believe it may be the most accurate model of reality science has arrived at thus far.Numerous researchers, including Bohm and Pribram, have noted that many para-psychological phenomena become much more understandable in terms of the holographic paradigm. 36. In a universe in which individual brains are actually indivisible portions of the greater Holography and everything is infinitely interconnected, telepathy may merely be the accessing of the holographic level. It is obviously much easier to understand how information can travel from the mind of individual ‘A' to that of individual ‘B' at a far distance point and helps to understand a number of unsolved puzzles in psychology.In particular, Grof feels the holographic paradigm offers a model for understanding many of the baffling phenomena experienced by individuals during altered states of consciousness. TYPES OF VR SYSTEMS 37. This section describes some of the common modes used in VR systems. a. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics.In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called â€Å"The Ultimate Display† that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. â€Å"One must look at a display screen,† he said, â€Å"as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics i s to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real. † b. Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that shows his body's interaction with the world.Myron Kruger has been a champion of this form of VR since the late 60's. He has published two books on the subject: â€Å"Artificial Reality† and â€Å"Artificial Reality II†. At least one commercial system uses this approach, the Mandala system. This system is based on a Commodore Amiga with some added hardware and software. A version of the Mandala is used by the cable TV channel Nickelodeon for a game show (Nick Arcade) to put the contestants into what appears to be a large video game. c. Immersive Systems The ultimate VR systems completely immerse the user's personal viewpoint inside the virtual world.These â€Å"immersive† VR systems are often equipped with a Head Mounted Display (HMD). This is a helmet or a face mask that holds the visual and auditory displays. The helmet may be free ranging, tethered, or it might be attached to some sort of a boom armature. A nice variation of the immersive systems use multiple large projection displays to create a ‘Cave' or room in which the viewer(s) stand. An early implementation was called â€Å"The Closet Cathedral† for the ability to create the impression of an immense environment. within a small physical space.The Holodeck used in the television series â€Å"Star Trek: The Next Generation† is afar term extrapolation of this technology. d. Telepresence Telepresence is a variation on visualizing complete computer generated worlds. This a technology links remote sensors in the real world with the senses of a human operator. The remote sensors might be located on a robot, or they might be on the ends of WALDO like tools. Fire fighters use remotely operated vehicles to handle some dangerous c onditions. Surgeons are using very small instruments on cables to do surgery without cutting a major hole in their patients.The instruments have a small video camera at the business end. Robots equipped with telepresence systems have already changed the way deep sea and volcanic exploration is done. NASA plans to use telerobotics for space exploration. There is currently a joint US/Russian project researching telepresence for space rover exploration. e. Mixed Reality Merging the Telepresence and Virtual Reality systems gives the Mixed Reality or Seamless Simulation systems. Here the computer generated inputs are merged with telepresence inputs and/or the users view of the real world.A surgeon's view of a brain surgery is overlaid with images from earlier CAT scans and real-time ultrasound. A fighter pilot sees computer generated maps and data displays inside his fancy helmet visor or on cockpit displays. The phrase â€Å"fish tank virtual reality† was used to describe a Canad ian VR system reported in the 1993 InterCHI proceedings. It combines a stereoscopic monitor display using liquid crystal shutter glasses with a mechanical head tracker. The resulting system is superior to simple stereo-WoW systems due to the motion parallax effects introduced by the head tracker. What Is Virtual World? 39.Virtual worlds are three dimensional environments in which you can interact with others and create objects as part of that interaction. How do you do that? You appear as an avatar in the virtual world: an avatar is a virtual representation of you (a ‘virtual ego’) which can take on any shape or form as you so wish. 40. There are a range of virtual worlds to choose from which include fantasy, sport, historical and science fiction. Some are loosely based upon the real world but others such as fantasy worlds are as the name says: they are completely disconnected from the real world which is also part of their attraction.With virtual worlds, men appear as women and vice versa. Some people choose an animal as their alter ego. Whatever you choose the aim is to socially interact with other people in new and exciting ways. This all adds to the experience. You can communicate with another person using text, sound, graphical images and gesture. Some of the more advanced worlds allow you to use voice or touch. FEW VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGIES THAT ACTUALLY WORK AT PRESENT 41. So far, virtual reality has mostly  been a colossal disappointment. But VR has had its share of breakthroughs and innovative applications.Here are few VR technologies that work and that may yet point the way to truly successful virtual reality. a. Anxiety Therapy For years now, virtual environments have been used to  treat anxiety problems  with exposure therapy. Psychologists treat phobias and post traumatic stress disorder by exposing the patient to the thing that causes them anxiety and letting the anxiety dissipate on its own. But this proves difficult if you r stressor is a battlefield in Iraq. Enter virtual reality. Military psychologists use simulated Iraq war situations to treat soldiers.Other therapeutic VR uses include treating a fear of flying, fear of elevators, and even a â€Å"virtual nicotine craving† simulator for smoking addiction. b. VR Training Programs Virtual reality environments have also been used for training simulators. The earliest examples were flight simulators but VR training has expanded beyond just that. There are many modern military examples, including Iraqi cultural situations and battlefield simulators for soldiers. Other examples include counter-terrorism, para-trooping, welding, and mining training simulators. c.Multiplayer Online Gaming One result of virtual-reality research is the existence of entirely separate virtual worlds, inhabited entirely by the avatars of real world users. These worlds are sometimes referred to as massively multiplayer online games, and the  World of Warcraft  is the largest virtual gaming world in use now, with 11. 5 million subscribers. Another example is  Second Life. The world of Second Life can't really be classified as a game, since the goal seems really just to be to wander around and interact with people, much like the real world.There is even a  Second Life Shakespeare Company  that performs Shakespeare's works within Second Life. d. The Nintendo Wii Probably the most successful cousin of virtual reality on the market today is the Nintento Wii. The Wii owes its motion capture and intuitive interaction concepts to the virtual reality technologies of the past. The controller is basically a simplified version of the â€Å"virtual reality glove. † Both the Wiimote and the Wii Fit offer users another way of interacting with their virtual environment without having to wear any bulky equipment. e. Medical ProceduresModern medicine has also found many uses for virtual reality. Doctors can interact with virtual systems to practice p rocedures or to do tiny surgical procedures on a larger scale. Surgeons have also started using virtual â€Å"twins† of their patients, to practice for surgery before doing the actual procedure. f. Project Natal The latest entry in the virtual reality inspired gaming world is  Project Natal, a new piece of technology under development now for the Xbox. Project Natal proposes a new way of interacting with games, and indeed with computer systems in general.In their demo video, they propose a system that requires no keyboard and no controller, where a user's voice and motions serve as their method for interacting with the system. The demo video is impressive, but the technology has not been completed and released yet. When it does get released, however, virtual reality will take another giant step towards total immersion and common home usage. g. The Cave The term â€Å"CAVE† refers to any virtual reality system that uses multiple walls with multiple projectors to immer se users in a virtual world. The first CAVE was built in 1992 as a method of showing of scientific visualizations.Now, many universities have their own CAVE systems. The CAVE is used for visualizing data, for demonstrating 3D environments, and for virtually testing component parts of newly developed engineering projects. THE EXTREME FUTURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY 42. When it comes right down to it, having a physical body in a reality constrained by the limitations of the physical laws has many drawbacks. Our bodies are extremely fragile and can be damaged or killed in an instant if we are not careful, or are just plain unlucky. If anything goes wrong with a critical body part, the entire body could die.Our physical bodies are also deteriorated by aging. Either way, for now, if your body dies, your brain dies right along with it. Every human brain contains an immense wealth of information, memories, experiences and relationships. Every time a human brain dies, that incredible, unique weal th of knowledge dies with it, and is forever lost. The world is a dangerous place to inhabit in a fragile human body, and there are a lot of other problems that come with having a physical presence in a physical world. Using the bathroom, body odor, difficulty traveling, limitation of possibilities, just to name a few.Up to this point, we have had no alternative to life, besides death. Due to nanotechnology, there may come a time when people will actually have a choice between life in the â€Å"real world,† an existence inside a computer generated simulation, or death. Vertebrane – Enter The Matrix 43. â€Å"Vertebrane† is the term for a speculative brain-computer interface technology first proposed by Marshall Brain in the bookManna. The technology consists of a computer system packaged as a replacement for one of the upper cervical vertebra in the human spine. The Vertebrane system taps into all sensory and motor nerve bundles flowing to and from the brain.Ver tebrane allows for augmented reality or a complete disconnection of the brain from the biological body and subsequent electronic reconnection to a virtual body typically inhabiting a virtual world. It would be the â€Å"ultimate videogame controller. † 44. Everything you enjoy about the real world and your real body it will be possible to duplicate exactly in the virtual environment. It will also be possible to improve everything you enjoy, and make virtually (pun intended) anything that was once impossible, possible for you. 45. The Vertebrane system itself would consist of a diminutive, yet extremely powerful nanocomputer.Power would come from a small onboard fuel cell that uses blood glucose to generate electricity. The system would be installed by a robotic surgeon which would sever the spinal cord and reroute it into the Vertebrane. All sensory nerve pathways (optic, auditory etc. ) would be tapped into the system. In pass-through mode, the Vertebrane would act as if it was not there, and you would be able to function completely normally. In â€Å"game† mode, the vertebrane would disconnect your brain from your body and reconnect it to your virtual avatar. The Day You Discard Your Body: 46. Given the choice of being in your real body vs. our avatar, you will choose your avatar every time. Therefore, your biological body will become redundant and irrelevant. It will become possible to discard your body and have only your brain housed in a Brain Storage Facility, connected to a vertebrane-type computer. Here, along with thousands of other brains, your brain will be encased in a protective, liquid-filled life-support system chamber. This will eliminate all of the risks that come along with having a body. It will also greatly increase longevity by keeping the environmental conditions perpetually at ideal levels, and removing almost all risk factors of your previous life.Brain Storage Facilities will be maximum security, reinforced buildings, imp ervious to earthquakes, hurricanes, bombs, etc. Electronic Transcendence 47. Incredibly, it is possible to envision something even more radical than disembodied human brains connected to a simulated reality. The ultimate in virtual reality involves discarding not only your physical body, but also your physical brain. â€Å"Mind uploading,† â€Å"whole brain emulation,† or â€Å"mind transfer† is the theoretical process of transferring the essence of a biological brain into a computer system. There are several proposed techniques by which mind uploading could be achieved.Many mainstream research funders are not convinced of its feasibility; however some scientists do believe that this hypothetical and futuristic technology will one day become reality, so to speak. 48. Once uploaded, a mind would achieve immortality, existing as pure information, disassociated from the biological body and brain. The upload would be considered a form of artificial intelligence, som etimes referred to as an â€Å"infomorph† or â€Å"noomorph. † A digital mind could theoretically be backed up, copied, or restarted at various set points, raising interesting questions regarding individuality and identity. CONCLUSIONS If A Picture is worth a 1,000 words – How much is a Holographic Image worth these days? † 49. Holographic and Virtual Reality Technology has endless applications, as far as the human mind can imagine. These technologies are indeed available and getting more robust in abilities each year. Holographic and Virtual Reality Technologies are not just about art or business communication, they are about safety, security, education, planning and the strength of our civilization here and beyond. 50. From entertainment to data visualization we can see a bright future for Holographic Projection and the bending and manipulation of light.Those areas of society which most often bring about research and development funding in technology are present amongst the many potential applications for this science. It therefore stands to reason and makes common sense that Holographic Technologies and Spectral Imaging will become a very integral part of human societies and civilizations in the future. I am certain of that. The day people show there advertisements on clouds are very near. One fine day my son may ask from me (â€Å"ThaTha†) are you real or virtual.